Land and Livestock Post, April 1, 2013

April 2013 — Issue 1

Hay fever

To apply or not to apply?

Getting the most from your hay Page 12

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRYAN, TX 77802 PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSON GOOD MANAGEMENT

JAMESMODIFICATIONS COOL THOMPSON

PAGE 8 3

PAGE 11 3

JAMES THOMPSON DEFEATING THE SCOURS

JAMES THOMPSON REPORTS TO BE CUT

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April 2013 — Issue 1 

The Land & Livestock Post

From the General Manager

H

Sunday,

April 21, 2013

The method was not very subtle, and more for show than profit.

But, those who fell victim to the scheme were laughed and jeered at by their peers for being bested by a monkey, and they had their own moniker: “Ape-Reel Fools.”

The act became a show in itself, and whenever a patron had his or her valuables stolen, the monkey trainer would point and shout “Ape-Reel Fool!” and the crowd would explode in laughter.

Vaudeville acts often took place in the springtime, so over the years, “Ape Reel” was confused with “April,” and the traditions and meanings evolved into what we know them to be today.

April 2013 — Issue 1

The monkeys would lift the valuables from unsuspecting strangers by means of fishing tackle: They would cast out and reel in money.

013

JESSE WRIGHT afford to be foolish about is hay.

In this issue, we take a look at hay and how you can get the most out of it with proper harvesting, storage and feeding methods.

We also have some tips on how to keep your herd healthy as well as our monthly “Ask the Vet” column from Dr. Steve Wikse.

It’s a busy time of year, and there is a lot going on.

Be sure to check out the upcoming sales in this issue so you don’t miss a thing this spring.

As always, thanks for reading. ’Til next time,

If you believe a word of any of this, please put the paper down, go to the nearest mirror, and take a look at a true “Ape-Reel Fool.”

One thing ranchers can’t



ave you ever been the victim of an April Fool’s Day prank? The tradition of the “April Fool” actually dates back to the Vaudeville days.

Often times, these traveling entertainers would have trained monkeys that would snatch wallets and purses from passersby.

The Land & Livestock Post

News

April 21, 2

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The Land & Livestock Post  April 2013 — Issue 1

News 10 steps to a healthier cattle herd

By W. Dee Whittier Special to The Post

Like in any other part of our cattle operations, resolving to do some things better for the health programs we have might pay us dividends.

So here is my list of top 10: • Inspect cattle often to look for ones with health problems.

Probably nothing else improves the odds for a good outcome from a health event more than early discovery and treatment.

• Develop a relationship with your veterinarian. He or she is a lot more likely to make the trip to help you with your midnight calving if you’ve used them to buy some products and perform some routine vet work.

Investing in veterinary inputs into keeping our high-priced cattle healthy is a sound financial practice.

• Use your veterinarian to help you with sick animals.

We have sometimes developed a mindset that we couldn’t afford a vet when cull cows were worth $200.

With $1,000 cull cows and weaned calves, an investment in veterinary care for beef cows makes a lot more sense.

• Prevent exposure to any disease you can. This means carefully considering how you introduce herd additions. It also often means thinking about how you feed and manage calving cows so that scour bugs don’t build up in your calving lots or barns.

• Administer dewormers with

a plan. Not every deworming makes economic or control sense. For example, midsummer deworming of spring-born calves and two spring dewormers given at the right times to yearling replacements and stocker calves can give returns of $10 to $30 per dollar spent on a dewormer.

• Give calving cows lots of attention. If there appears to be a problem, examine them early.

Getting cows and calves successfully through the calving season never has paid bigger dividends.

• Give newborn calves lots of attention. National figures show newborn losses to be nearly 5 percent. Dealing with chilling, inadequate colostrum consumption, too little milk, mis-mothering, scours and pneumonia has never been more important.

• Vaccinate with a plan. Poorly chosen or improperly timed vaccinations may afford no benefit and even make things worse if vaccines add to the stress of already sick cattle. Well timed vaccines against the right diseases give huge advantages in

keeping cattle healthy.

• Make a plan to market the vaccination program that you have given. Calf buyers will pay premiums for well-vaccinated calves if they marketed through a program like VQA or on the Tel-O-Auction where the vaccination information can be passed along and there is a way to get a competitive bid.

• Follow the rules in using antibiotics to treat cattle. Not only are many antibiotics expensive, but their use is a concern to our consumers. Consumers generally agree that it is good to treat animals with infections with antibiotics. But they want us to be sure we follow withdrawal times and only treat when necessary.

Applying good health management practices in our herds help ensure a profit, make cattle production more satisfying and help out the whole beef industry by maintaining our image as responsible keepers of cattle.

• Dr. W. Dee Whittier is extension veterinarian for beef cattle in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech.

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By Kay LedBetter Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Ayumi Hyodo

April Mattox, master’s student, and Brandon Cawthon, undergraduate worker, both in Jason West’s program, extract water from soils for analysis in the Texas A&M stable isotope laboratory. said. Simultaneously, they are comparing the effects of these management strategies

es, he said. For example, when soil-water recharge is a goal, it is important to document how

strategies to increase recharge also impact the plant community essential to a profitable livestock and wildlife enterprise.

While prescribed fire is a frequently used tool for maintaining grasslands and savannas in many areas of central and south Texas, little information is available regarding how it alters the structure and composition of the plant community and how that may impact hydrologic processes, he said.

Observations of treatment responses began in spring 2011

and still are being monitored, he said. The observation period included a severe drought, with precipitation measured at the project field site from April 2011 through August 2012 being only about 75 percent of normal.

Observations using stable water isotopes and soil coring indicate the dominant woody vegetation of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer recharge zone accesses soil moisture primarily in the top 6 feet of soil, with some in-

See AQUIFER, Page 6

PROTECTING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU COULD RAISE ON A FARM. Dennis Klesel, Agent

April 2013 — Issue 1

on groundwater recharge processes.

“Natural resource and conservation managers are increasingly being asked to maximize the production and sustainability of multiple environmental services,” he said.

While research exists comparing the effects of different fire, mechanical and chemical treatments on above-ground and below-ground dynamics, few studies have simultaneously compared the responses of plants, soils and hydrology to these brush-removal strategies, West said.

Such studies are critical if landowners are to decide which strategies are most beneficial in restoring environmental servic-



COLLEGE STATION — Water recharge to an aquifer is highly dependent on vegetation and soil type, but what are the best management practices for landowners to ensure maximum environmental returns and economical livestock and wildlife production?

Team members from Texas A&M University’s ecosystem science and management department and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are working to answer that question with the “Effects of Brush Removal on Distributed Recharge of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer” project, funded by the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District.

Jason West, assistant professor, and Bill Rogers, associate professor, both in the ecosystem science and management department, and Bob Lyons,

AgriLife Extension range specialist in Uvalde, are studying the effectiveness of vegetation removal and how different soils respond to the removal.

The land-management techniques being evaluated are prescribed fire and its interaction with chainsaw/herbicide and roller chopping, West said. The project’s goal is to study the interactions of prescribed fire, commonly utilized mechanical treatments and dominant recharge zone soil types in affecting plant community and soil hydrologic processes.

It is important to understand how these removal strategies impact the plant communities critical to economically viable rangeland enterprises, West

The Land & Livestock Post

News Seeking best management practices for aquifer recharge

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April 2013 — Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

News

Texas A&M Ag Communications photo

Above, the roller chopping site showed significant impact on above ground woody vegetation, as well as on the herbaceous vegetation in areas impacted by the aerator teeth.

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Ryan Mushinski

Above right, prescribed fire being conducted on one of the plots that received neither cut-stump nor roller chopping treatment, thus retaining the highest fuel load.

Aquifer, from Page 5 dication that plants rarely access deeper water and perhaps only on coarse-textured soils.

So on the rare occasions water moves below that depth, it is potentially available for aquifer recharge, he said.

Brush control techniques have significantly different effects on both woody and herbaceous vegetation, West said.

They saw high woody/low herbaceous mortality in cut-stump treatments compared to moderate woody/high herbaceous mortality in roller-chop treat-

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These brush control effects on vegetation had significant consequences for soil-moisture profiles, with these also being strongly dependent on soil texture, he said.

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The Land & Livestock Post

News



Recharge, from Page 6 With renewed funding from the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District, West and colleagues will continue to monitor these responses and assess the impacts of the prescribed burns recently completed.

During the period of observation, there was no direct evi-

dence of potential recharge in any of the plots, due at least in part to the low precipitation during the study period, West said.

Differences across soil types in soil-moisture fluctuations and in response to the treatments suggest the possibility for brush control-induced recharge on the sandier soils with higher soil moisture contents.

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April 2013 — Issue 1

Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Richard Bruton In the cut-stump treatment – the blue dye from the herbicide is visible on stumps – all above-ground woody vegetation was removed by chainsaws and then an herbicide was applied to the stump.

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The Land & Livestock Post  April 2013 — Issue 1

News

Managing pastures after a prolonged drought ommends producers have their soil tested to see what nutrients are needed.

Without a soil test, “you are applying nutrients blindly.”

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

WACO — Beef producers should be mindful of preserving available forages for grazing, particularly as parts of Texas recover from historic drought, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service forage specialist.

Vanessa Corriher-Olson of Overton told attendees at the Blackland Income Growth Conference there are three key tools to consider when managing pastures following drought. The first is grazing management, making sure not to over-graze and allow pastures to rest and recover.

“Drought is a stressful event, so you need to allow forages to rebuild root systems into the next grazing season,” she said.

Next is weed control. Corriher-Olson said since Bermuda grass has been stressed severely

“We like to know what we already have in our soils, then we can make the appropriate decisions,” she said. “[A soil test] is very inexpensive and hopefully it will help save some money in the long run.”

A soil test is $10 and kits are

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Blair Fannin

Beef producers should be mindful of preserving available forages for grazing, particularly as parts of Texas recover from historic drought. during drought, it’s important that it has less competition from broadleaf weeds.

“This is very important as we move into springtime,” she said.

“We need to eliminate those

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weeds and reduce that competition.”

Another key management tool is fertility management.

With fertilizer prices fetching hefty dollar amounts, she rec-

available at AgriLife Extension county offices.

Alternative options such as poultry litter is another source of nutrients for soils. CorriherOlson said, however, it’s important to get as much information about that option before applying to a pasture.

“You need to learn more about what you are paying for, such as the cost per pound of that nutrient versus the cost per ton.”

Learning some of life’s lessons the hard way helps

L

coin toss and was delegated the job of teaching him the art of calf roping.

They worked their way through the correct positioning of the horse behind the calf, loop size, proper swing and then the tie. At last, they were down to the part where Frankie was to get on a horse and make a calf roping run in the arena.

Frankie’s excitement had been building, listening as patiently as he could while his grandpa explained each step of the process. With great enthusiasm, he got on his horse, backed him in the roping box and nodded, all the time keeping his eye on the calf in the chute.

The calf flew out and headed at warp speed toward the other end of the arena. Frankie’s horse broke from the roping box clean and smooth. Frankie threw a big loop, catching the calf somewhere around his

belly button.

Not quite textbook style, but a catch just the same.

He correctly made a quick dismount off the right side, only to land in a heap in the arena dirt. Getting up, he tackled the calf, managed to string two instead of three of the four feet that were kicking around.

He stood up and threw his hands into the air with the triumph of a winner.

About that time, the calf used one of his free legs to take a kicking swing, tripped Frankie, and put him back in the dirt.

Undaunted, Frankie jumped up and made a mad dash back to his horse, careful not to spook him into a backward run. About the same time, the calf managed to kick loose of the piggin string and stood up shaking his head.

Frankie got back in the

There’s a place for everyone in agriculture

T

he title of ag reporter still rings true, but to bring our job description into this century we need a better honorific. Just flippin’ through the pages of my brain, I came up with AgCaster, AgMan, AgNouncer, AgTattler, AgTeller, AgPositor, AgMonger, AgaMemnon, maybe AgCap for captain, AgScatter which has BAXTER BLACK a musical On the Edge of lilt to it Common Sense and could refer to scattering seeds or, of course, scattering manure — either of which is appropriate, but I particularly wouldn’t mind being called an AgMeister.

“And that’s the corn news for tonight! This is your AgMeister Rich Hawkins, along with Joe Cornely, the Tassle King signing off. To hear a replay please tune into my Ear Book, brought to you by Bio Popcorn which gives you your minimum daily requirements of Cumadin, Vitamin A and in-

sulin, in your choice of flavors: vinegar sea salt, bbq or garlic and onion!”

Which brings me into the second and equally essential part of ag media: sponsors. In virtually any project, nothing happens until someone puts up the money. You might think if you are forced to pay money to watch cable, satellite, online, or with rabbit ears, you should not have to watch commercials. Wrong. Imagine watching the DirecTV logo 24 hours a day. Advertisers pay to be on shows. Shows pay to be on networks. Networks pay to be on cables and satellite providers. Everybody pays his or her part.

On the other hand, a huge portion of what we see in commercials on U.S. Farm Report and RFDTV are informative and educational. The AgMedia and their sponsors are a big part of our continuing education, in addition to keeping us in touch with fellow farmers and ranchers across the country. They are the “net” in our network.

Well, that’s it for this column. This is Baxter, your BozoAgMeister, representing the non-educational, seedier side of AgMedia. Like I said there’s a place for us all!

• Contact Baxter Black at www.baxterblack.com.

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saddle, rode forward and took the rope off the calf.

When he got back up to the chute, he asked his Grandpa “What do you think I should do next time?”

With a serious look and tone, grandpa said, “Well, I think you should take dead aim at that calf, get a good break from the box and run right over the top of him.”

Frankie stood there a minute thinking about that and finally asked, “Why should I do that?”

Grandpa answered with a deadpan look on his face. “You did everything wrong that you possibly could on that last run.

Running over the calf is the only thing left.”

There are days like that, when it seems that nothing will get better until absolutely everything goes wrong first.

April 2013 — Issue 1

In this manner, I learned how to read a horse, watch a cow and know how to not get in the way when working cattle in the pasture or in the corrals. He “showed” more than he taught about working with colts, riding with easy hands, a light handle, and when it was time to establish who was in charge.

JULIE CARTER SomeCowgirl Sass and times for Savvy kids, allowing them to do things the wrong way is the best way for them to learn how to do it right, and more importantly, remember the lesson.

When Frankie was just a young button about 7 or 8 years old, his grandpa lost the



ife’s lessons aren’t learned in the classroom. For country kids they frequently involve an event that includes pain and disappointment on the way to that eventual “Aha” moment.

My dad wasn’t one to spend a lot of time explaining things.

As a kid, I didn’t know any better but as an adult looking back, I know I learned most of what I know by paying attention. My lessons were caught more than taught.

He wasn’t loud or aggressive about letting my brothers or me know we’d done something wrong.

With the same quiet, he didn’t often acknowledge to us if we had done something right. We just had to figure it out by watching for any subtle reaction.

When he was pleased, he would tell my mother. She would, in the way mothers do, pass that on to us.

The Land & Livestock Post

Commentary

• Julie Carter can be reached at jcarternm@gmail.com.

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The Land & Livestock Post  April 2013 — Issue 1

10

Ask the Vet

Moving calving cows can prevent calf scours Question: Doc, I’m in the middle of a terrible calf scours outbreak in my herd. I’ve lost some calves already and medicine costs are killing me. Can you tell me what to do to stop this stuff?

Answer: I had to deal with several calf scour outbreaks every spring in my private veterinary practice, so I do have some practical advice on getting out of a calf scours bind.

Scours outbreaks on my clients’ ranches usually kicked off when more than half the calf crop was on the ground. The reason was that by then large numbers of the viruses and bacteria associated with calf scours had accumulated in the calving area.

Here are some recommendations for putting the brakes on scours outbreaks.

My first and most important recommendation is to stop calving in the contaminated calving pasture! Move all your cows that haven’t calved to a clean pasture. The best one would be the pasture that has not had cattle on it the longest and is welldrained. Moist conditions favor survival of infectious agents in the environment.

Have enough space in the new pasture for the cows to spread out. Recommendations are at least 5 acres per cow.

Leave all the pairs where they are because those calves already have been exposed to the culprit viruses and bacteria. Even the healthy looking ones may break with diarrhea that would contaminate the new pasture.

The second most important recommendation is to remove immediately any calves that develop diarrhea in the new calving pasture. These calves are walking germ bags that release countless scours infectious pathogens in their diar-

rhea out on the calving pasture.

They will have the clean pasture contaminated in no time if they are not removed.

Rotate feeding areas in that new, clean pasture. If you use round bale racks move them often enough so that manure and pathogens d o n’ t a c c u mulate where calves are likely to congregate and rest.

I’ve investigated bad scours outbreaks in huge calving Dr. STEVE pastures where WIKSE the cattle actually were crowded in muddy, contaminated conditions because they always were fed in the same spot.

My recommendations so far have been to concentrate on reducing the amount of pathogen contamination of the calving pasture. You also should implement management practices that increase the resistance of new born calves. Calve your heifers separate from cows if possible.

There are many reasons why calves of heifers are more likely to become ill and start a scours outbreak. These include more difficult births, greater likelihood of ingestion of low volumes of colostrum and the poor mothering instincts of heifers.

Calving your heifers separately will make it easier to help them with difficult births or help their weak calves. Don’t hesitate to assist a heifer in calving. Force feeding colostrum by bottle or esophageal feeder often is necessary to get a heifer’s weak calf going.

I think after you stop the present scours outbreak you are going to want a plan to prevent it from ever happening again.

Your ranch veterinarian is the

best person to develop that successful plan. He or she probably will help you design a calving system that keeps contamination of the environment with calf scours agents to a minimum.

Two approaches to minimize pasture contamination have been studied: nursery pastures and calving pastures. Use of nursery pastures involves periodically moving new pairs to a clean pasture with fewer cattle. Moving all new calves with their dams daily would be best.

Some ranchers do it less often.

After a week or two, a new, clean pasture is used for the nursery. This reduces build up and exposure to infectious agents that cause scours, making it better than calving all cows in the same pasture.

Use of calving pastures works best for a clean environment for new born calves. This approach was developed in Nebraska and is called the Sandhills calving

HOLD ON PARTNER! WE’RE ON THE WAY!

system. Cows that have not calved are periodically moved to a clean calving pasture. Cows that have not calved are moved to a new pasture after the first two weeks of the calving season.

Then cows that have not calved are moved to a new pasture weekly. Each batch of calves is not exposed to older calves that may be shedding calf scours agents.

I know you may think most ranchers do not have enough pastures to use either of these two methods of environmental control, but if you put your head together with your veterinarian you may come up with a system that works for your ranch. It could be as simple as waiting until midway through the calving season and then moving all cows that haven’t calved to a clean pasture.

combination of risk factors come together involving the host (calf), calf diarrhea agents and environment. Outbreaks can be limited or prevented by implementing management practices that minimize these risk factors.

The greatest progress in control of calf scours in beef herds can be made by management practices that limit contamination of the environment with viruses and bacteria that are associated with calf diarrhea.

The goal is to birth calves in a clean environment.

• Dr. Steve Wikse is a retired professor of large animal clinical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Bottom Line

Outbreaks of calf scours in beef herds happen when a bad

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contrary to the administration’s assertion.

“Moreover, this combined with the elimination of the ability to comingle muscle cuts, will only further add to the costs of processing non-U.S. born, raised and slaughtered products.

“The end result will be hesitancy to process imported product and increased instances of less favorable treatment of foreign product, giving our trading partners a stronger case at the [World Trade Organization].”

April 2013 — Issue 1

TE PRIVA Y T A E TR

amendment: “[The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association] has maintained that there is no regulatory fix that can be put in place to bring the current COOL rule into compliance with our World Trade Organization obligation or that will satisfy our top two trading partners; Mexico and Canada. With the amended rule, the USDA has proven that to be true. The proposed amendments will only further hinder our trading relationships with our partners, raise the cost of beef for consumers and result in retaliatory tariffs being placed

on our export products.

“The requirement that all products sold at retail be labeled with information noting the birth, raising and slaughter will place additional recordkeeping burdens on processors and retailers,



The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a proposed rule to modify the labeling provisions for muscle cut commodities covered under the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) program.

“USDA expects that these changes will improve the overall operation of the program and also bring the current mandatory COOL requirements into compliance with U.S. international trade obligations,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The proposed rule would modify the labeling provisions for muscle cut covered commodities to require the origin designations to include information about where each of the production steps (i.e., born, raised, slaughtered) occurred and would remove the allowance for commingling of muscle cuts.

In June 2012, the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization affirmed an earlier organization panel decision finding that the United States’ COOL requirements for certain meat commodities discriminated against Canadian and Mexican livestock imports and thus were inconsistent with the organization’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The U.S. has until May 23 to come into compliance with

the World Trade Organization’s ruling in COOL. Notice of the proposed rule can be viewed at www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection.

Comments must be received by April 11. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will consider all timely comments that are submitted regarding the proposed rule. Comments should be submitted electronically at www.regulations.gov or to Julie Henderson, director; USDA, AMS, LPS, COOL Division; 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 2620-S; Washington, D.C. 20250; telephone number 202-720-4486; or fax 202-354-4693.

Under COOL, retailers must provide their customers with information about the origin of various food products, including fruits, vegetables, fish and shellfish and meats.

Mandatory COOL requirements help consumers make informed purchasing decisions about the food they buy. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is responsible for the implementation, administration and enforcement of the COOL regulations.

The final COOL regulations became effective March 16, 2009.

To learn more about COOL, visit www.ams.usda.gov/COOL. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Scott George, a cattleman from Cody, Wyo., issued the following statement regarding the proposed

The Land & Livestock Post

News USDA issues proposal for new country-of-origin labels

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The Land & Livestock Post  April 2013 — Issue 1

News

Making hay while the sun shines How to grow, buy, store and feed the best for your herd

By ROBERT and JANELLE FEARS Special to The Post

A

lthough parts of Texas have received rain or snow, much of the state is still in a drought, with little precipitation forecast.

Because of this, hay will retain a high value and will be in great demand again this fall. The high value potential for good quality hay can be captured by using proper harvesting, storage and feeding techniques.

Costs of feeding hay vary with quality. Feeding low-quality hay is expensive because additional supplement is needed for meeting the animal’s nutritional requirements. It is important to buy or harvest good quality hay and maintain its quality through proper storage in order to keep feed costs at a minimum.

Harvest losses

12

David Bade and Sim Reeves Jr. of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wrote, “Producers should harvest forage when it is in a high-quality stage.

“Timing is critical. If you do not time the harvest carefully, forage quality will plummet before storage. The causes of nutrient loss include cutting hay past the optimum stage of maturity, rain leaching out soluble nutrients before baling, water loss from plant tissues and leaf shattering.”

The biggest loss in forage quality is caused by delaying harvest after the optimum developmental stage, which varies by forage species. For example, the digestibility of alfalfa declines 0.5 percentage points per day after flowering.

“Rain can leach out nutrients dependent upon the amount, duration and timing of rain in relation to curing time,” Bade and Reeves said. “Rain-induced losses are much higher in drier hay than in hay that is freshly cut.

Also, rain-soaked hay must often be re-raked, which increases leaf losses.

Although conditioning can reduce hay drying time, rain causes greater nutrient losses for hay that has been conditioned or crushed.”

As hay dries, the leaves become brittle and shatter when they are mechanically manipulated, such as baling

Above: Round bales stored on a slope allow good drainage which helps retain hay quality.

Right: Quality of this bale will deteriorate rapidly because it was left in a drainage ditch.

Photos by Robert Fears Cover photo by Jesse Wright

or hauling.

Legume hays especially are prone to leaf shattering.

Raking losses range from 5 to 15 percent; baling losses can contribute another 1 to 15 percent, depending on the type of equipment used and the operator’s efficiency.

Proper timing of hay harvest should be a priority in the work schedule to ensure good quality. If you buy hay, ask for the harvest history and buy forage from reputable producers. Whether hay is grown or purchased, sample it for nutritive value analysis prior to feeding.

Storage losses

“It is important to shelter hay from losses associated with weathering,” said Larry Redmon with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “A simple pole barn is estimated to pay for itself in four to six years by reducing hay dry matter loss and animal refusal.

In lieu of a barn, hay tarps are also effective in reducing hay loss during storage.

“The least desirable way to store hay is in the open field, but even then, there are ways to arrange hay to minimize losses.”

Hay should be stored on a welldrained site and rows should be oriented north and south to maximize sun

exposure and facilitate rapid drying following precipitation. Regardless of the chosen protection means, it is a cost-effective strategy to safeguard hay from deleterious effects of weather exposure.

“The percentage of moisture in hay at storage directly affects its nutrient

See HAY, Page 14

The Land & Livestock Post 

April 2013 — Issue 1

13

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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 April 2013 — Issue 1

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This ring is improperly constructed and its use results in a lot of hay being wasted.

Hay, from Page 12 and dry matter losses,” Bade and Reeves wrote. “The higher the moisture content at storage, the greater the losses.

High moisture conditions allow hay to heat up, which causes losses. The degree of heating that develops during storage depends on the

moisture of the hay and bale density, size and shape. Tight round bales suffer fewer losses than do loose ones.”

“Hay can provide nutrients at a low cost and can increase year-round carrying capacity if the cattle producer pays close attention to quality,” Bade and Reeves said. “It is important to mitigate, as much

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Feeding waste

“Hay is expensive, so don’t

See MITIGATE, Page 18

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Cuba business workshop set in D.C.

By Blair Fannin Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

WASHINGTON — Though the U.S. has a trade embargo with Cuba, food and other agricultural products can be exported to that island.

These opportunities and other topics will be the focus of an April 8 “Doing Business with Cuba” workshop in Washington, D.C. The half-day event will be held in Room B-340 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street in Washington.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas-Cuba Trade Alliance are co-sponsoring the event.

“This program will help export service providers, food processors and distributors, as well as agricultural producers and policy makers better understand the Cuban market for U.S. agricultural food products and associated regulations,” said Parr Rosson, AgriLife Extension economist and head of the department of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.

Participants will learn how to receive a license to travel and export to Cuba, and requirements for export inspection.

There is no cost for this event, but seating is limited.

Registration is required by April 3 and can be made by calling Cynthia Thomas, president of the Texas-Cuba Trade Alliance, at 972-527-7505.

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The Land & Livestock Post

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36th Annual Cattleman Bull & Female Sale January 18, 2014 El Campo, Texas Consignments welcome! www.cattlemanbullsale.com Adrian Knight 903-452-7591 Kelly Conley 903-857-2594

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jesse.wright@theeagle.com

15

The Land & Livestock Post  April 2013 — Issue 1

News

USDA suspends some ag reports due to budget cuts

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s statistical arm said it won’t issue some agricultural reports this year because of automatic federal budget cuts, alarming some in the dairy industry who fear the information void could wreak havoc with milk prices.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service keeps tabs on a wide range of agricultural industries that generate billions of dollars for the U.S. economy.

Its reports influence the price and supply of many products that end up on American dinner plates. Farmers use them to decide how much to produce, and food processors and traders look to them to determine when to buy and sell.

The agency posted a notice on its website saying it would suspend multiple reports covering at least 10 agricultural

products ranging from milk and chickpeas to cattle and catfish because of $85 billion in acrossthe-board federal spending cuts.

The notice offered almost no details about the rationale for the decision, saying only that it “was not made lightly, but it was nevertheless necessary, given the funding situation.”

The budget cuts cost the service’s agricultural estimates program $5.9 million, agency officials said.

Perhaps the highest profile reports on the chopping block are the agency’s milk production estimates, which are used to set prices. The agency issued its February estimate and then suspended its next six monthly reports, along with the annual milk production report that had been expected in April, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.

“This is a big deal,” federation spokesman Chris Galen said.

“This is going to affect how decisions are made in marketing of

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milk and other dairy products.

If you don’t have a national estimation of what your supply is, then it’s a lot harder to figure out where prices are going to go.”

Galen said he’s not aware of any other entities that produce the data dairy farmers need. His organization plans to send a letter to the National Agricultural Statistics Service officials seeking a better explanation and justification for eliminating those reports.

National Agricultural Statistics Service spokeswoman Stephanie Chan declined comment.

The service also canceled its July cattle report, which it has produced since 1973. Cattlemen said that would have less impact than some other cuts, such as furloughing meat inspectors.

Ranchers sometimes use the July report to adjust their marketing plans, and it can be a tool for those running feedlots, where cattle go for final fatten-

ing before slaughter, said Joe Parker, president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. But a January inventory report, which gives a state-by-state breakdown, is more helpful.

“The industry gets a better idea of the inventory location and the movement of that inventory,” he said. “We sure would like to keep (the July report) but we should be able to adjust without it.”

Events Calendar April Apr. 4 - Jordan Cattle Auction 11th Annual Best of the Best Replacement Female Sale.

San Saba, TX. Apr. 4 - Green Meadows Angus Sale, Madisonville, TX. Apr. 6 – Counsil Family Limousin Sale.

Madisonville, TX. 281-808-5511 Apr. 6 - Live Oak Beefmaster Breeders Assn.

Spring Sale. Three Rivers, TX. Apr. 11- Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-731-4721 Apr. 13 – Heart of Texas Special Replacement Female Sale. Groesbeck, TX. 903-599-2403 Apr. 13- Collier Farms Advantage Sale.

Giddings, TX. 979-251-4175 Apr. 13 - Griswold Cattle Co. Grass to Grid Bull Sale, Follett, TX. 214-750-4765 Apr. 15- 19 - Ranch Management University, College Station, TX. 979-8454826 Apr. 18- Jordan Cattle Auction Special Bull Offerings. San Saba, TX

Other reports that won’t come out this year include those on catfish, potatoes, lentils, rice, nuts and some fruit and vegetables.

USDA officials announced in 2011 that they planned to eliminate 14 crop and livestock reports to save $10 million. Farmers complained they would be left guessing how much to produce and when to sell.

The agency reversed itself two months later.

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Apr. 18- 20 - National Santa Gertrudis Breeders International 62nd Annual Meeting. Corpus Christi, TX. Apr. 20 - Milano Livestock Exchange Spring Replacement Female Sale, Milano, TX. 512455-7631 Apr. 21 – BBU’s National E6 Commercial Replacement Female Sale. Columbus, TX. 979-251-4175 May May 2- Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-731-4721 May 4- Jordan Cattle Auction Special Replacement Female Sale. San Saba, TX. May 16 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-731-4721 May 18 - The Event Brangus Sale, Brenham, TX May 30 - Advertising Deadline for the Land & Livestock Post. 979-731-4721 May 30-31 - Grassfed Beef Conference.

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Do you have a sale or event you’d like listed?

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The Land & Livestock Post

News Cattleman’s Spring Clinic slated for April 4 in Lampasas

By Steve ByrnS Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

• Market Update and Beef Cattle Economics, Jason Johnson,

Groesbeck Auction & Livestock Co., Greosbeck, Texas (Located 2 miles east of Groesbeck on Hwy. 164)

April 2013 — Issue 1

“We’ll be offering a wellrounded program for our region’s beef cattle producers with ‘Drought Recovery Strategies for Cattlemen’ being the theme,” said Heath Lusty, AgriLife Extension agent in Lampasas County. “Cattle prices have remained high despite drought and high feed prices, so our goal for this program is to help producers make a profit from their remaining cattle, while helping their pastures recover.”

Topics will include:

Saturday, April 13, 2013 • Noon



LAMPASAS — The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the multicounty Cattleman’s Spring Clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

April 4 in the Lampasas County Farm Bureau Building, 1793 N. U.S. 281 in Lampasas.

AgriLife Extension economist, Stephenville.

• Herd Management for Current Conditions, Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Uvalde.

• Dealing with Flies and External Parasites, Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension livestock entomologist, Stephenville.

• Helping Our Land Heal, Barron Rector, AgriLife Extension range specialist, College Station.

The AgriLife Extension offices in Lampasas, Burnet and Llano counties are co-hosting the event.

Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — two general and one integrated pest management — will be offered.

The required $20 individual preregistration fee includes lunch.

For more information and to RSVP, call the AgriLife Extension office in Lampasas County at 512-556-8271.

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April 2013 — Issue 1



The Land & Livestock Post

News

Photo by Robert Fears The hay on the ground will not be eaten because of defecation and urination by the cows.

Mitigate, from Page 14 waste it,” said Jason Cleere of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. “When a thousand-pound round ball was costing $25, the cost of labor required to manage waste

might have been hard to justify. Presently these same round bales are costing between $50 and $65. So don’t waste hay! Today, 20 to 30 percent waste costs you a considerable amount of money.”

“An efficient feeding system

keeps losses to a practical minimum,” Bade and Reeves said. “Use a restrictive barrier to limit animal access when feeding large round bales. Barriers include electric wires,

See WASTE, Page 19 “I planted ten acres of Texas Tough + Brand Bermudagrass in April and received rain immediately after seeding. No additional rainfall was recorded for 45 days. However, once good rainfall came at the beginning of June, seeds germinated with an excellent stand.

I began grazing my horses in early August when Texas Tough + was two feet tall with stolons five feet long, and continued grazing through the Fall. I will plant more Texas Tough + this year.”

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Waste, from Page 18

of hay access reduces forage intake to about 75 percent of normal.”

By limiting forage intake, digestibility should increase and waste should decrease. This program should be used only with good quality grass hay and is not recommended for first-calf heifers or thin, older cows. The better the hay quality, the better this program likely will work. Limiting access to extremely low quality forage may exacerbate weight loss.

Hay is expensive, so make sure it is harvested for opti-

consume,” Lalman said. “This can be accomplished by rolling out the appropriate amount of round baled hay every day or flaking off big square bales.

mum quality. Then preserve its quality and value with dry storage and feeding techniques that reduce waste.”

“Another option is to place feeders in a dry lot where cattle can be allowed access to the hay for about six hours.

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Photos by Robert Fears Left: These square bales have been left in the field and will result in poor quality forage because of exposure to rain. Right: The proper way to store square bales.



feeding racks, panels, wagons, gates and many other devices.

Feeding racks are available in various sizes and shapes at farm and ranch retail stores.”

“Use hay feeders designed to limit hay waste,” said Dave Lalman, Oklahoma State University Beef Extension specialist.

“If round bale hay feeders are used, be sure to select or purchase a model with a sheeted solid bottom. Open bottom hay feeders have been shown to waste as much as 21 percent of the original bale weight.

The sheeted bottom should reduce waste to around 12 to 13 percent.

“Using a cone style feeder or modified cone feeder with a sheeted bottom should reduce waste to around 5 to 8 percent of the original bale weight,” Lalman said.

“A common practice is unrolling round bales when feeding,” Cleere said. “Don’t unroll the entire bale at one time. Unroll only what the cattle need

to eat in one to two days. Make them vacuum it up to prevent waste from trampling and fecal contamination.”

Feeding in one area destroys sod and usually causes muddy conditions. In this situation, feed on concrete or gravel to reduce hay losses and eliminate some of the muddy conditions. Waste also can be reduced by frequently moving the feeding sites to other areas in the pasture.

“Reduce waste by feeding a predetermined amount of around 75 percent of what the cattle would normally

The Land & Livestock Post

News

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• All w/E.P. D. Papers F • Certified Bangs & TB Free • LimFlex - Limousin Angus Hybrid

C.F.L.X. Ranch 21314 O.S.R. Madisonville, TX 77864

(903) 344-2331

Cell 281-808-5511 or (281) 808-3473

at Madisonville, Tx April 6th 70 - 80 Females

• Breds • Opens

• Pairs • 3-in-1’s

• Halter - Broke Show Heifers View pictures and video at www.counsilfamilylimousin.com

For a Catalog call: (281) 808-5511

19

The Land & Livestock Post April 2013 — Issue 1



Born to farm, but not sure where to start?

2013 Next Generation Agricultural Conferences May 23‒24

Brazos County Expo Center Bryan, Texas

C

apital Farm Credit and Texas AgriLife Extension are proud to introduce two Next Generation Agricultural Conferences for 2013.

Designed to provide educational and financing opportunities for beginning farmers and ranchers, the conferences will feature topics on:

• • • •

July 18‒19

Taylor County Expo Center Abilene, Texas

Farm financial management Agricultural economic forecasts General agriculture Farm planning and budgeting

Event curriculum will be provided by Texas AgriLife Extension and will be tailored to the type of agriculture in the region.

The conference is free for those who register two or more days in advance. Late conference registration is $50. To register, go to https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu (keyword search: generation) or call 979.845.2604.

Questions? Contact Jason Cleere at extansc@ag.tamu.edu or 979.845.6931.

T E X A S

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R U R A L

Follow us on

877.944.5500 CapitalFarmCredit.com L E N D E R

www.bryanprcarodeo.com

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April 2013 — Issue 1

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42nd annual

The Land & Livestock Post

ToyoTa a mu muTTin’ busTin’ • pony Rides • Clowns • peTTing Zoo • CaRnival • TR R iCk Riding Calf sCR sCRamble amble • p hysi hysiC Cally & m en enT Tally Challenged k ids Rodeo

aPR Il 1 8–20 Com , 20 p 13 lex a ad u l d va n • Ce Ts 7:30 T $ i 1 C pm keT kid 0 • k p id s2 & u s 1 2 RiCes: & nd eR und fRe eR $8 e

TiCkeTs a available aT: aTkinson kinson ToyoTa Toyo – bRyan • Texas Rose bouTique CavendeR’s booT CiTy • The eagle • pRoduCeRs CoopeRaTive • CaTalena haTTeRs fiRsT sTaTe bank of bedias loCaTed in kuRTen, Tx

box seat Tickets Call: 979-822-7700

ATKINSON

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April 2013 — Issue 1 

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED. NOTHING YOU DON'T.

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 April 2013 — Issue 1

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254-773-9916

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512-352-5296

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April 2013 — Issue 1 

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