The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 33, Issue No. 10 (OCTOBER 2019)

BRANGUS

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Spotlight on

CC C

OCTOBER 2019 •

Vol. 33, Issue No. 10

arolina attle onnection

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ONNECTION $C — A Way to Balance Traits, by Stephen Miller …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 33 2019 Laurens County Youth Livestock Shows ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...….….. page 80 Alltech News ....…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 78 Amazing Grazing, by Dr. Deidre Harmon ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 16 American Angus Association News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 39 American Simmental Association News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 51 Animal Agriculture Alliance News ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 27 Ashley’s Beef Corner — By the Numbers, by Ashley W. Herring ……..…..…..…..…..…..…........ page 14 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 67 BioZyme Incorporated News ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..... page 82 Boehringer Ingelheim News ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 68 Carolina Cooking — Salisbury steak with Beef Gravy ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 66 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 47 Creating Profit for Commercial Cattle Producers, by Fred Smith ……..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 47 Director’s Report, by Roy Copelan ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...….... page 3 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — 40 Years Coming, by E.B. Harris ……..…..…..…..…..….... page 18 Farm Credit News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 72 Federation of State Beef Councils Update — The Value of Helping Hands, by Laurie Munns …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…...... page 15 Herd Management — EPDs, Economic Indexes, and the Basics, by Dr. Steven Meadows ….. page 37 Howard Gentry of Gentry Homeplace Angus — 2019 NCAA Hall of Fame Inductee …....... page 29 Improve Your Pasture Management with Penn State Extension …....…..…....…..…....…..….... page 56 Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association News, by Roy Copelan …..…..…....…..…....…..…...... page 64 Merck News …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....….. page 59 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….. page 49 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….. page 74 National Institute for Animal Agriculture News …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....….. page 62 New Holland Celebrates 45 Years of Two Rotor Technology

by Rolling Out News Combine Updates …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....... page 54 New NCCA Members for 2019 …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…... page 66 North American Limousin Foundation News …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….. page 61 On the Edge of Common Sense — On The Doghouse, by Baxter Black …..…..…....…..…......... page 19 On the Horizon — The Effects of Weaning Method on Short and Long Term Calf Performance, by Grace Ott …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….... page 20 Palmetto LEAF Program Aims to Create Leadership Pipeline for South Carolina Agribusiness Industry …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….... page 74 Q&A With A Beef Field Nutritionist, by Brian G. Fieser, Ph.D. …..…..…....…..…....…..…....….... page 38 S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…...... page 42 Smear Campaigns, by Colin Woodall …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…...... page 77 SVG Ventures Announces Valley Irrigation as the Latest Partner to Join the THRIVE Innovation Platform …..…..…....…..…....…..…..... page 52 The 2020 Clemson Bull Test Has Started, by Steven E. Meadows …..…..…....…..…....…..…........ page 42 The Juggling Act of Bull Selection, by Kayla Jennings …...…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…... page 41 The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…... page 48 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..... page 22 Zoetis Quick Tips …..…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..…....…..….. page 24

BRANGUS About Brangus Cattle, page 12 International Brangus Breeders Association Long Term Plan, page 10 Selecting Heifers With Confidence, by Macee Prause, page 13 Setting Goals — Know Where You Are Going, by Macee Prause, page 11 Sustainability, by Joe C. Paschal, Ph.D., page 4 Total Herd Reporting (THR), page 6

North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association President MIKE COX P.O. 1317 • Elon, NC 27244

Vice Presidents JEREMY LEE 5153 Battle Run Drive • Catawba, NC 28609 KARL GILLESPIE 860 Corbin Road • Franklin, NC 28734 BURON LANIER 2877 Piney Woods Road • Burgaw, NC 28425 Immediate Past President JOHN LANGDON 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 27504

The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 33, No. 10 OCTOBER 2019 Sales and Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Phone: 919-552-9111 or 919-552-9112 Fax: 919-552-9216 Email: mail@nccattle.com Website: www.nccattle.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

is printed on 30 lb recycled newsprint

by BN Printing in Benson, N.C.

NCBA Policy Division Director - FRED SMITH, JR. NCBA Federation Division Director RALPH BLALOCK, JR. Beef Board Director - ROBERT CRABB Secretary/Treasurer - EVERETT JOHNSON Directors At Large MATT POORE • NEIL BOWMAN • TODD SEE

Manager, N.C.

STAFF

BRYAN BLINSON

Manager, S.C. ROY COPELAN

Editor and Advertising Director CASEY L. HINNANT

Executive Director BRYAN K. BLINSON Assistant Editor and Proofreader 2228 N. Main Street • Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council Director of Consumer Information ASHLEY W. HERRING Administrative Assistant - KIM BURDGE

KIM BURDGE

N.C. Circulation S.C. Circulation

KIM BURDGE STEPHANIE CROWE

Material in The Carolina Cattle Connection is not to be reproduced in total or in part without the written permission of the Editor. All submissions becom property of The Carolina Executive Director Cattle Connection, but we make every effort to ROY COPELAN return items such as photographs and artwork as P.O. Box 11280 • Columbia, SC 29211-1280 requested.

South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association

Phone: 803-917-1119 • Fax: 803-734-9808 The Carolina Cattle Connection, the official Email: scbeef@scda.sc.gov publication of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Website: www.sccattle.org and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association is published Executive Committee monthly by the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

President - Thomas Legare 1st Vice President - Roscoe Kyle 2nd Vice President - Travis Mitchell Secretary - Carol Hendrix Treasurer - Eric Seymour Past President - Cecil Eaddy

William Brigman, Latta • Joe Oswald, IV, Allendale Roscoe Kyle, Inman • Terry Kirkland, Batesburg Eddie Evans, Easley • Cecil Eaddy, Manning Thomas Legare, Johns Island • Travis Mitchell, Saluda Carol Hendrix, Westminister • Clay Alexander, Starr Timmy Benton, Walterboro • Michael Bailey, Lancaster Dale Wilson, Abbeville • Thomas Jones, Marion Lee Haddon, Gaffney • Jack Ferguson, York Drake Yon, Ridge Spring • Gene Crim, St. Matthews Richard Sox, Lexington

A complementary subscription is included with membership to each state’s association. Nonmember subscriptions are $25 per year.

All address changes for NCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.

All address changes for SCCA members to: The Carolina Cattle Connection P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211-1280

Our

breed Spotlight special sections are excellent forums to r e ac h p r o d u c e r s a n d cattle industry insiders in the Carolinas and throughout the S outheast . A dvertisers also receive a special discount for placing their message in the Spotlight.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Director’s Report

By ROY COPELAN Executive Director, SCCA

Fall has arrived in the Palmetto State.

The weather is cooler, and the daylight hours are shorter. County and regional fairs are going on; youth livestock shows have begun, and there is plenty of football around the state as well. All this adds up to “tailgating with family and friends” and enjoying today’s lean beef. What better way to appreciate a good tailgate than with a great steak, a beef burger, or even a steaming bowl of chili? Have fun with fall!

Studying for the cattlemen’s test at the S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up.

Our Summer Beef Grilling Campaign ended with huge success for the 100 days of summer. Over 52 beef promotions at retail, food service, consumer education, producer communication, and youth activities took place all over the state. The beef story continues to be told.

Wow, we are now into our Beef Tailgating campaign that lasts through November 18. Numerous beef promotions are scheduled, including fairs, shows, and sales. Help us plan one in your community.

The S.C. State Fair is October 9-20 here in Columbia. Come out and support all the cattle and beef activities scheduled during the ten days. The Junior Dairy Show will take place on October 12 and October 14 in the Nutt Arena followed by the Junior Beef Show on October 18-19. Beef promotions will be held on October 15-16 in the Ellison Building and the Moore Building.

All county and regional cattlemen’s association presidents, secretaries, or treasurers should begin collecting 2020 state cattlemen’s association dues, as well as, local and/or national dues. Cattle producers can pay dues online with a credit card at www.sccattle.org/cattlemens-

assoc/index.html. Let’s all get an early start for the new year. Invite a fellow cattle producers in your community to join!

Associate memberships in the SCCA are open to all allied industry (feed and seed dealers, vet suppliers, bankers, and vehicle and equipment dealers) for the cost of $300. Contact them in your community for their membership.

Please forward your meeting dates and new officers’ names to the state office as they are elected. Also, call me to schedule a visit to your association.

McGill (the traveling cow on trailer) is available for usage at community fairs, festivals, shows, events, sales, etc., by a reservation from the state office. This promotional tool is widely used. Feel free to call me and reserve it. Pick up and return is in Columbia. What a hit at events!

Registration costs for the 2020 SCCA Annual Meeting have been set at $65 per person. The dates are March 18-20, 2020, at the Garrison Livestock Arena in Clemson. Reserve your room at the Best Westin Hotel in Clemson for $99 per night.

The educational program, exhibitor packs, and silent auction with raffle are being planned as we speak. Mark the date and invite a fellow producer or two to attend this important cattle meeting next year.

Test time at the S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up.

We welcome the Clemson Collegiate Cattlemen’s Association to our group of 26 county and regional cattlemen associations. Hudson Johnson serves as their President and can be contacted at hudsonjohnson7@gmail.com.

Taste has always been an important factor for consumers in deciding what to eat for dinner. In fact, since the establishment for the Consumer Beef

Index, taste has always been the No. 1 most preferred attribute of beef. With that in mind, the Checkoff created a Taste Tracker to monitor ongoing steak-taste satisfaction.

Results of a two pronged questionnaire run every other month will help provide a frequent read on consumer satisfaction, beginning with the establishment of benchmarks. Findings in its first year indicate that consumer satisfaction for beef is strong, recording a rating of at least four of five stars in every wave to date.

Beef testing at a retail promotion.

Who has cattlemen’s license plate #403?

How do we know that millennial consumers have little understanding of beef nutrition but seem to feel as though beef is good, or even necessary, for their children? That they are interested in health but are not fanatics? That value and convenience are two of the most important attributes they want in beef? That they like to experiment in the kitchen but want more resources to improve their skills?

That cooking at home is a creative event with family? Or that they are cooking at home more this year than last?

The NCBA Annual Convention and Trade Show will be held in San Antonio, Tex., on February 5-7, 2020. Mark your calendar and plan on attending.

I trust you enjoy and appreciate

the large billboards around the state advertising beef. The SCBC Board of Directors has placed seven billboards around South Carolina. The state assessment of the additional 50¢ per head has financed these direct consumer beef promotions. Locations are I-26 outside of Columbia, I-77 in Richland County, I-85 in Anderson and Cherokee counties, I-95 in Clarendon County, I-26 in Orangeburg County, US-17 in Horry County, and I-20 in Aiken County. Also, a one-year vinyl ad is in the center court of the Columbia Airport, and a four-month ad is in the Charleston Airport at the reception area and the Greenville Airport promoting beef. All these ads are a direct result of our South Carolina beef and cattle producers’ investment in the $1.50 per head beef checkoff, especially the 50¢ per head state beef assessment. Thanks to our cattle producers. We are at work for you.

I hope to see you around the state.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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e Special

Spotlight on

BRANGUS

Section f

About Brangus Cattle History The Brangus breed was developed to utilize the superior traits of Angus and Brahman cattle. Their genetics are stabilized at 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus.

The combination results in a breed that unites the traits of two highly successful parent breeds. Through rigorous natural selection, the Brahman cattle developed disease resistance, overall hardiness, and outstanding maternal instincts. Angus cattle are known for their superior carcass qualities.

They are also extremely functional females that excel in both fertility and milking ability.

A review of the development of the Brangus breed takes us back beyond the founding of the American Brangus Breeders Association in 1949. However, registered Brangus cattle descend from the foundation animals recorded that year or registered Brahman and Angus cattle enrolled since then. Much of the early work in crossing Brahman and Angus cattle was done at the USDA Experiment Station in Jeanerette, Louisiana.

According to the USDA 1935 Yearbook in Agriculture, the research with these crosses started about 1932.

During the same period, Clear Creek Ranch of Welch, Okla., and Grenada, Miss.; Raymond Pope of Vinita, Okla.; the Essar Ranch of San Antonio, Tex.; and a few individual breeders in other parts of the United States and Canada were also carrying on private experimental breeding programs. They were looking for a

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desirable beef type animal that would retain Brahman cattle’s natural ability to thrive under adverse conditions in combination with the excellent qualities for which Angus cattle are known.

The early breeders from 16 states and Canada met in Vinita, Okla., on July 2, 1949, and organized the American Brangus Breeders Association, later renamed the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), with headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.

The headquarters eventually moved to San Antonio, Texas, where it has permanently been located since January of 1973. There are now members in nearly every state, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Central America, Argentina, and South Rhodesia in Africa.

Characteristics Brangus cattle are black or red and polled, with a sleek coat and pigmented skin. Their ears are medium to large, and the skin is loose with neck folds. The rump is slightly rounded, and the bulls have a moderate hump.

Brangus have a good temperament which was originally selected for when the breed was created.

Mature Brangus bulls generally weigh between 1,800-2,000 pounds, while mature females generally weigh around 1,100-1,200 pounds.

Bulls mature by two years of age and are ready to go into service by 18 months.

Heifers are ready to breed by 14 months of age and deliver their first calf at 24 months of age. The bulls can remain in

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

service through age 12, while the cows can produce calves beyond the age of 14.

This breed is considered to be very versatile, being high performers on pasture and in the feed yard. They have also proven resistant to heat and high humidity. Under conditions of cool and cold climate, they seem to produce enough hair for adequate protection.

The cows are good mothers, and the calves are usually of medium size at birth.

Statistics • Resistant to heat and high humidity • Hardy in cold climates • Good mothers • Resistance to ticks and bloat • A good forager • Rapid weight gain • Average to slightly late maturing • A carcass without excessive fat Comparative Research in Louisiana has indicated that Brangus cows increase their weights during the summer months while Angus cows lose weight, indicating they are more adaptable to coastal climates.

Carcass tests conducted by Texas A&M University confirmed the ability of Brangus to produce exceptionally high quality carcasses. There were 330 steers by 17 Brangus sires, and 32 Angus steers by two high marbling accuracy Angus carcass sired used in this test. The 19 sires were randomly bred to predominantly Brangus females. The cattle were managed alike, fed at Tri-State Feeders and harvested at Iowa Beef processors in Amarillo, Texas. The Warner-Bratzler

Shear Force Test was conducted on ribeye samples from each of the steers. Of the Brangus samples, 97 percent scored “tender” or better, while 94 percent of the Angus samples tested tender. Brangus were 14 - 17 percent more favorable than the Angus average. According to the 1990 National Beef Tenderness Survey, the average for shear force rating was 7.4 pounds.

Distribution Brangus can be found all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, and South Rhodesia in Africa.

Y’all have stumbled on the best place to advertise expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies. Check the Classifieds in this issue!

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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e Special

Spotlight on

BRANGUS

Section f

International Brangus Breeders Association Long Term Plan Executive Summary This plan is intended to encourage and support aggressive growth in the Brangus registry, to boost the success of every serious Brangus breeder and, very importantly, the success of commercial producers who use Brangus genetics.

The objective of any long term plan is straightforward; to maintain focus and consistency on the most important goals of an organization. In the case of IBBA, the goal is growth – growth in demand for Brangus genetics, growth in the number of registrations, growth in the amount of useful data, growth in the number of memberships, and growth in the success of every dedicated Brangus breeder.

A long term plan sets the stage for proactive management. The alternative is to operate year-to-year in a reactive mode, which rarely results in progress.

Every long term plan is created at a point in time, taking into account the facts and perceptions that exist at the moment.

Therefore, an effective long term plan must necessarily focus on the big picture.

Many long term plans fail to deliver the desired results. The reason is usually

the same: the organization continues doing what it has always done, year-toyear, with the same structure it’s always had, while the long term plan sits on a shelf and becomes forgotten or, “We’ll get to it later when things settle down.”

Adopting a long term plan almost always requires that things change. If an organization is not willing to change, creating a long term plan is usually a waste of time. The implications of adopting a long term plan are many, including such things as: • Potential restructuring of decision and policy making processes involving committees and board of directors.

• Potential restructuring of staff to ensure the skills and experience needed to execute the plan are present.

• Amending bylaws that may stand in the way of progress and growth.

• Reconsidering traditional activities that may not be in sync with the long term plan.

Preface: An Industry in Transition The beef industry is transitioning from a commodity industry, where origin producers remain anonymous, and their production is blended into commodity soup without identity, to an industry comprised of myriad value added supply chains where origin producers who are willing to go above and beyond are coveted, indeed, are vital to the success of the supply chain. Two ultra powerful and unstoppable forces drive this transition: economics and consumer demands.

First, economics - A commodity industry is, by definition, a breakeven enterprise over time. Barriers to entry are low. Therefore, whenever supplydemand factors allow for good short term margins for producers, it is a mere matter of time before supply swells and margins return to net zero or negative. This is the history of the commodity beef industry.

With no differentiation, a pound of beef from an excellent producer is blended

with a pound of beef from a less qualified producer. The net result is two pounds of commodity beef worth the same price – produced at zero net margin. The solution to the commodity dilemma is too obvious: don’t be a commodity.

Second, consumers - Consumer demands have created an incredible opportunity for progressive producers to climb out of the commodity rut and participate in value added markets.

Consumer trends are undeniable and well documented. A rapidly growing segment of consumers wants more information about the origin of their food. They want assurance it was produced in a humane and sustainable fashion. They want assurance that the producers of their food share common values with those who eat it. They expect beef to taste great! These basic facts have not been ignored by the beef industry. The 21st century is marked by a rapidly growing number of value added (ranch-to-plate) supply chains where quality standards are high, documentation is required, and the source producer is no longer anonymous.

Consumer demands place higher value

BRANGUS UP

Ten year plan to enhance the success of producers who use or create Brangus genetics Embrace Technology and Innovation Invest in Research

Organizational Effectiveness

Market Brangus

Well Informed Members

Accountability and Governance

Collaborate with Value Added Supply Chains

Grass Roots Involvement, Youth Included

The success of Brangus seedstock breeders is anchored entirely to the success of commercial producers who utilitze Brangus genetics. Commercial customer profitability is JOB ONE, Brangus breeders lead with cowboy values of stewardship, honesty, integrity, family, and fair dealings to ensure a sustainable Brangus lifestyle.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

e Special on the beef produced from these systems, thus creating new profit opportunities. In essence, consumers are telling producers, “If you want me to pay more, don’t be a commodity.”

What does this mean for Brangus?

For any breed of cattle to remain relevant in this evolving dynamic, there must be solid evidence that the genetics of the breed can deliver on efficiency, sustainability, and end product quality.

Slogans and opinions count far less than hard data, gathered in the real world, proving that Brangus can deliver on all elements.

For a breeder of seedstock to prosper in this new paradigm, providing proven, high value genetic packages to commercial beef producers is still the most important ingredient – as it has been for decades. But more than ever, successful seedstock producers will be expected to work alongside their customers to find value added market opportunities.

Finally, for a breed association like IBBA to remain relevant, it must operate on the cutting edge of data management and genetic evaluation. It must introduce new genetic tools to its’ members and be prepared to handle the new data management challenges that come with each genetic innovation. It must look further downstream to the success of commercial producers who use Brangus genetics. It must identify value added market opportunities and, critically, it must produce empirical PROOF that Brangus genetics can deliver efficiency, sustainability, and end product quality.

How does this ten year plan affect me? This plan, when successfully executed, gives every Brangus breeder the chance to grow – in size and profitability.

Every Brangus breeder has the option to ignore this plan and do their own thing, asking for and receiving the bare minimum services from IBBA. Every Brangus breeder also has the option to embrace this plan and to integrate their own business planning and execution with the key initiatives in this plan.

IBBA intends, through this plan, to be on the cutting edge of innovation in the beef industry.

This plan is intended to create ten percent annual growth in U.S. Brangus registrations, with corresponding growth in the membership base of IBBA. The

Spotlight on

BRANGUS

goal is to create growth in demand greater than ten percent per year, thus producing robust competition among commercial producers for Brangus bulls. This depends entirely on creating strong demand for Brangus sired feeder cattle and strong demand for Brangus based commercial females.

Embrace Technology and Innovation Cattle breeding will become increasingly more technical. Few fields of science are on a steeper plane of innovation and discovery than the field of genetics. In the time frame envisioned by this plan, ongoing research will generate new insight into the genotype of cattle at the DNA level. New discoveries will constantly challenge the statistical models used in genetic evaluation and EPD computation. New and more powerful genetic selection tools will be a regular occurrence.

Cattle feeders and packers are paying more attention to genetics than ever before, particularly with their noncommodity or “program” cattle. In the decade ahead, it will become common for feeder cattle to be marketed with an objective genetic score that is predictive of their growth efficiency and carcass value and, thus, will have a profound influence on the level of demand and the price. The same is sure to happen with commercial replacement females marketed into value added programs where genetics matter most.

Breeders and breed associations will be confronted with difficult decisions, such as whether to embrace such technologies as gene editing and/ or gene substitution, which may offer significant productivity enhancements but may create consumer concerns about the wholesomeness of their food.

As a breed, Brangus must recognize the reality of genetic drift and embrace and effectively market the opportunities afforded the breed as a result.

Strategies – Charges to the Breed Improvement Committee: 1. Ensure that IBBA is on the leading edge of genetic evaluation.

2. Ensure that IBBA has a database structure that is highly adaptive and, thus, capable of storing data that cannot be imagined at this time.

3. Develop a feed efficiency EPD by collecting the necessary data. a) Examine and understand the

Section f

methodology behind feed efficiency data. b) Determine the most effective means to report feed efficiency.

4. Develop selection indexes based on economic values 5. Investigate and/or develop decision support software to assist commercial users of Brangus in selecting the most profitable genetics for their unique environments.

6. Move from an IMF EPD to a Marbling Score EPD. 7. Re-calculate maternal indexes on a bio-economic scale that is more intuitive and easier to translate into customer profitability.

8. Validate the 9-3-1 concept of relative economic importance for maternal productivity, post weaning growth, and carcass traits, respectively, and incorporate appropriate economic weighting in the production of bio-economic selection indexes.

9. Develop programs to encourage the submission of data for those traits below optimum in the number of data records currently in the database; i.e., mature cow weights, feed efficiency, etc.

10. Encourage IBBA member attendance at the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) annual meeting. a) Offer an expense paid trip (i.e., scholarship) to BIF for a deserving junior member. b) Offer an expense paid trip to BIF for the IBBA Outstanding Commercial Producer of the Year.

Invest in Research It is impossible to identify every research project that should be undertaken

by IBBA over any ten year period. What can be stated with assurance at the early stages of the plan is twofold: 1) IBBA must create a structured mechanism to establish research priorities and; 2) develop and implement a mechanism to fund a legitimate and significant research program.

It is 100 percent certain that research regarding cattle, beef, protein, economics, consumer behavior, etc., will be conducted continuously by companies and universities. Such research may either positively or negatively reflect on Brangus. It is insufficient for IBBA to simply react to research findings that affect the breed. Rather, IBBA must LEAD and be proactive in conducting

and/or encouraging research that validates the purported strengths and provides insight to shore up the purported shortcomings of the breed.

Strategies: 1. Initiate a long term project to compile data on 10,000 head of sire identified cattle; to be called the Brangus Value Project. a) No fewer than 500 head beginning with the 2020 calf crop, with annual growth sufficient to accumulate records on 10,000 head by 2030. b) Secure donated semen on high impact sires from IBBA members, along with a cash contribution, which will generate no fewer than 25 feeder steers and 25 replacement heifers from each sire; steers to be fed and harvested, heifers to be retained and bred with the collection of relevant maternal performance data. c) Secure long term relationships with commercial cooperators whose herds will be used to produce the sire identified progeny used in the study. d) Collect DNA samples on all progeny with the goal of developing improved genomic tests in which IBBA has full or partial intellectual property ownership.

2. Form a Research Committee. a) Institute a deliberate and transparent research priority-setting process.

3. Utilize the International Brangus Breeders Foundation (IBBF) to implement a program that will generate annual funds to support essential research. a) Develop a plan for funding high priority research (not just biological research, but market and messaging research as well). Achieve annual research funding of at least $100,000 per year.

Organizational Effectiveness IBBA exists for only one reason: to pursue and realize the vision of Brangus breeders. IBBA does not seek to generate operating profit for the sake of profit.

Operating margins represent funds that can be invested in promotion, research, and other functions to benefit Brangus breeders.

IBBA can do things for member breeders which they cannot feasibly do for themselves. Examples include compiling a breed wide database of performance information and DNA test results, maintaining a computerized

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e Special herdbook, performing breed wide genetic evaluation, and orchestrating competent research to guide decisions, to name a few. It is up to IBBA staff to ensure these things are done effectively and efficiently.

Brangus breeders deserve a dedicated staff that does not look at their employment as “just a job.” The organization will hire staff who see their work at IBBA as a good fit with their personal passion and something that will allow them to develop professionally and be rewarded for their accomplishments and those of IBBA. Effective recruitment and hiring of the right staff members will result in the following: 1. Long tenured staff members who develop strong and long lasting relationships with members and have deep rooted knowledge of the beef industry and the role of Brangus within it. a) Institute an effective internship program to help identify future IBBA employees and/or employees for Brangus breeders.

2. Staff who are visible and highly regarded by the broader beef industry. a) Increase staff participation in professional organizations affiliated with the beef industry such as the Beef Improvement Federation, the Livestock Publications Council, the U.S. Beef Breeds Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, etc.

3. An effective succession plan that ensures smooth transition from one staff executive to the next.

4. Professional management of IBBA assets and resources. a) Maintain accurate financial records with minimal audit exceptions. b) Maintain active membership oversight of financial management via the Finance Committee and the Board of Directors. c) Maintain accurate records of all committee and Board deliberations. d) Develop and manage accurate annual budgets.

5. Effective and efficient information (computer) systems to manage herdbook functions, resulting in: a) User friendly software programs to manage registrations, data entry, and retrieval. b) Readily accessible data to support internal and outsourced research on Brangus genetics.

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6. Publications and member education materials that are world class and are seen by members as “must read” materials.

Governance and Accountability IBBA is self governing. The Board of Directors is elected by the membership in a democratic process.

Committee leadership is appointed by the elected President. Standing committees recommend policy positions, and the Board makes policy decisions based on committee recommendations. Effective governance requires broad membership participation and the election or appointment of a highly motivated and highly talented roster of volunteers who give of their time and treasure to lead the organization.

Structure and Election of the Board of Directors: 1. Redistricting of IBBA Regions a) Considerations of By-Laws • The Board of Directors has the authority to redistrict the IBBA membership regions

• 13 Board Members

• 3 are allocated to Texas b) Western Region, 3 • To be comprised of the state beginning with Oklahoma up North through the Mid-West and then all states to the West Coast c) Eastern Region, 3 • To be comprised of all states East of Texas and the Western Region d) Texas Region, 3

• The State of Texas e) National, 4

• Four directors from any region may be nominated and elected • Up to 2 of these four may be Beef Industry Professionals 2. Board of Director Criteria a) Per the current IBBA By-Laws, the IBBA President shall appoint a current member of the Board of Directors from each Region, now to include a National Region, to develop a nominating committee that will solicit, accept, and review nominations for the seats up for election each year. b) To be considered for the Board of Directors, a member shall meet the following criteria and procedures.

• Be an active IBBA Member • Served on at least 1 IBBA standing committee for three years - They must have been active and participating

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Section f

• Submit the IBBA Board of Directors Application that outlines their qualifications and skills to serve on the Board • Make a verbal presentation before the Board and the membership further detailing their qualifications and skills to serve on the Board - For the membership this may be a video presentation 3. Election of Directors a) Provide an election period of 30 days to

• Vote by mail in ballot

• Electronic balloting b) Request the IBBA auditors to determine an effective electronic balloting system c) Provide for final voting at the IBBA Annual Meeting d) Announce the final results and seat the new Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting 4. Education a) Provide education to the membership about what it means to be a Director, a Committee Chairman, and a Committee Member 5. Board of Director Meetings a) Hold quarterly in person Board of Director meetings • Hold at locations around the country • Increase the Board of Director’s travel fund to cover travel expenses 6. Committee Governance a) Each Committee Chairman shall submit minutes of their committee meetings • These minutes must include committee member roll calls and records of attendance and participation • This is to certify future Board of Director qualifications 7. By-Law Updates a) Remove the three year term limit for Committee members b) Update the qualifications for National Board of Directors that are Beef Industry Professionals so they are not required to be Active Members, owning at least one registered Brangus. c) Implement the proposed voting process for the Board of Directors so final voting may be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

Market Brangus – Domestically and Internationally The Brangus breed was initially

created to produce productive cows that could thrive in harsh (hot) environments, compete with Continental breeds relative to growth efficiency, and simultaneously produce high quality beef demanded by consumers. The original breeders may not have been focused so much on consumer issues such as animal welfare (polled – no dehorning necessary) and sustainability (hardy grazers), or food purity (better health through heterosis), but they couldn’t have done much better even if these “modern” issues had been on the front burner in the 1950s.

The original breeders could not have chosen a better Bos Taurus ingredient than Angus, which was marginally appreciated in the 1950s but highly appreciated now. The percentage of cattle grading Choice or better in the U.S. has increased dramatically in the last decade – from an average of 55-60 percent to an average over 80 percent, thanks largely to Angus influence. Domestic and international demand for U.S. beef is largely dependent on the exemplary quality of U.S. grain fed Choice beef.

Brangus genetics fit the high quality beef market, but for decades feeder cattle buyers have discounted Bos Indicus composite breeds based on the notion that they don’t grade as well. While this is generally true, it is not true with Brangus.

IBBA and its members must prove that Brangus fit the high quality beef market with no compromises, and reignite the trailblazing vision of the Brangus founders.

Brangus genetics from the U.S. are considered the best in the world. Over 70 percent of the cattle production land on earth is considered most suitable for Bos Indicus influenced genetics. International marketing and promotion are every bit as important as domestic marketing and promotion.

While it is true that “this is not your Granddad’s Brangus bull,” it is also true that this is not your Granddad’s marketing environment. Print advertising, by itself, does not comprise a marketing and promotion strategy in the 21 st century. Social media and internet based target marketing are evolving into truly scientific marketing methods. IBBA must embrace the new marketing platform and excel at execution.

Strategies: 1. Conduct domestic market research

e Special to refine the promotion messages and determine the most effective methods of reaching target audiences with the Brangus message(s) – domestically and internationally. Initial research to focus on 75 highly influential targets, including: a) 15 large business minded, profit oriented commercial operations that are in Brangus geography but do not use Brangus genetics; b) 10 large business minded, profit oriented commercial operations that are in Brangus geography that utilize Brangus genetics; c) 5 major feeding companies; d) 5 supply chain (i.e., ranch to retail) alliances; e) 5 packers; f) 10 major video market representatives; g) 15 highly visible thought leaders from land grant academia; h) 10 leading seedstock firms in Brangus geography with multi-breed offerings that do not include Brangus.

2. Compile data and conduct research to address the real or perceived shortcomings of Brangus that emerge from the research noted in #1 above.

3. Provide educational programs for members covering cyber marketing.

4. Provide credible materials that IBBA members can utilize in print or cyber link form to promote Brangus.

5. Leverage IBBA membership in the United States Livestock Genetic Export Corporation (USLGE) to conduct actionable market research to enhance international marketing opportunities for Brangus genetics.

Collaborate with Value Added Supply Chains On rare occasions, a genuine mega trend comes along that truly transforms an industry. The beef industry is in the midst of such a transformational change.

As this transition matures, the final result will be two distinct cattle markets; one for commodity producers (with their commodity cattle), and one for value added producers participating in structured supply chains (with their genetically superior, fully documented cattle).

An important element of a supply chain is that the beef produced by it has a “story” that is intended to resonate with a segment of consumers (and entice a willingness to pay a premium). The messages include, but are not limited to,

Spotlight on

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environmental stewardship, sustainability, animal welfare, known source, non-use of pharmaceuticals, etc., and virtually any combination of claims that entices consumers to prefer the supply chain’s product. Virtually all supply chains have genetic specifications, and most of them are anchored around Angus, which is the dominant genetic ingredient in Brangus.

Having Brangus feeder cattle being accepted into successful supply chains (i.e., branded programs), has two benefits: 1) it creates new marketing opportunities for commercial producers who use Brangus genetics, and 2) it serves as an endorsement of Brangus genetics by consumer focused enterprises, which has the potential to grow the market for Brangus seedstock.

Strategies: 1. Identify supply chain systems that allow (or would consider) Brangus genetics in their programs.

2. Gather historical and current feedlot and carcass data from IBBA members and commercial customers of IBBA members to: 1) illustrate Brangus performance, and 2) identify areas for improvement that would help Brangus not only fit with such programs but be preferred by them.

3. Create a very active and effective Commercial Marketing Committee.

4. Develop a Brangus “feeder calf pool” program that allows smaller commercial users of Brangus genetics to pool their calves and realize the full upside price potential of documented Brangus feeder cattle.

5. Develop collaborative relationships with the nation’s most progressive cattle feeding companies.

Well Informed Membership From the perspective of growing and improving the Brangus breed, and from the perspective of growing and strengthening IBBA, nothing can replace

Section f

good decision making by IBBA members.

Whether the decisions pertain to IBBA policy or to business strategies undertaken independently by IBBA members, having a good grasp of relevant facts and trends is irreplaceable. As seedstock production becomes more technical, and as the beef industry continues its transition into a more consumer focused enterprise, IBBA must serve an ever increasing role in bringing current information to members and their customers.

Strategies: 1. Expand and improve the content in Brangus publications to cover the broader beef industry.

2. Increase collaboration with leading market intelligence organizations such as CattleFax. 3. Improve the use of social media and the IBBA website to keep members informed of important developments.

4. Develop an online library of seminars and writings covering current developments and opportunities in the beef industry.

5. Offer leadership training programs for members who are interested in committee leadership or Board of director roles.

6. Encourage member involvement with state and national cattle organizations.

Looking to the future, mentoring and developing the next generation of Brangus breeders is clearly a high priority. For future breeders to be successful, an understanding of the growing complexity of the (global) beef enterprise is essential. Educational programming for IBBA Junior members needs to move to the next level.

Strategies: 1. Include a non-voting junior member on each IBBA standing committee.

2. Develop a steer feed out and carcass evaluation program to educate juniors about the economics of commercial beef production.

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3. Continue to expand and improve the Legacy Leadership program.

4. Continue and improve the educational functions associated with the annual National Junior Brangus Show.

5. Rebuild a synergistic and cooperative relationship between IJBBA and IBBA. Grass Roots Involvement IBBA will create a robust upward trend in the number of members who attend meetings/events and participate in association committees. This is essential to the achievement of the other goals defined in this plan. IBBA, as an organization, can only do so much to enable members to compete successfully and to bring greater success to commercial producers who utilize Brangus genetics. Most of the real work that moves the needle is done by individual members, often working together. There is nothing more powerful than the collective brainpower of impassioned and dedicated producers who engage in lively debate and discussion and emerge from that exchange with good ideas and specific notions of how to implement them.

Strategies: 1. Create a committee structure that best fits with the challenges laid out in this plan.

2. Actively recruit leaders in the Brangus community to join and/or chair committees.

3. Utilize technology (i.e., Skype, webinars, etc.) to facilitate frequent committee meetings that are more inviting than a faceless conference call.

4. Increase conduct of regional meetings, possibly replacing one national meeting, to encourage more members to participate.

5. Take advantage of pre-arranged gatherings of IBBA members, such as shows, to hold informational meetings and seminars.

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Total Herd Reporting (THR) The Brangus Total Herd Reporting (THR) system is designed to improve the collection of performance information on all active animals in the breed and to equally spread the costs of promoting the breed across all active animals in the breed.

Rather than the traditional calf based registration fee structure that discourages the reporting of complete contemporary group information, THR uses an inventory based fee structure or annual assessment charged on all reproductively mature animals. THR requires the reporting of annual production and performance records on all cattle within a herd, but the responsibility of selecting which calves are worthy of registration remains with the breeder.

Under THR, members pay a single, annual assessment on each animal of ‘assessment age.’ Payment of the annual assessment on a cow entitles the cow owner (breeder) to register one calf born to the cow during that 12-month period and a single transfer of that calf to a new owner if the transfer occurs before the animal reaches 24 months of age, if a female, or 30 months of age, if a male.

Payment of the annual assessment on a bull allows for the subsequent registration of calves sired by the bull during that year of service, provided all other registration requirements have been met.

Major benefits of THR include: • Simplicity - one fee covers the most common breeder expenses, rather than multiple fees for routine transactions.

• Quality - complete reporting improves the reliability of EPDs on all IBBA cattle by removing the effects of reporting bias.

• Improved customer service - no extra fee for calf transfers ensures more complete reporting of transfers.

Improved identification of bull owners increases the likelihood of participation in commercial marketing programs, which will improve demand for IBBA seedstock.

• Selection tools - Total Herd Reporting makes it possible to estimate fertility and survivability EPDs and to calculate herd average reproduction and production management measures for within herd use. These calculations are meaningless with incomplete reporting.

Total Herd Reporting Annual Schedule SPRING HERD

FALL HERD

July 15

January 1

Member returns the inventory to the Association with all changes, additions, and corrections. Inventory adjustments can be made online.

Online: August 31 Mail: August 15

Online: February 28 Mail: February 14

INVENTORY DATE Association invoices members for annual THR assessments based on your herd inventory.

September 1

March 1

July 15

January 15

“No Progeny Report” due back to Association. Cows with no calf record or reason code reported are deactivated.

Online: August 31 Mail: August 15

Online: February 28 Mail: February 14

Association sends inventory worksheets to members to report the production of each cow for the THR calendar year.

February 1

August 1

EVENT The Association sends each member a preliminary inventory based on the previous year’s inventory that has been adjusted for disposal and transfer information reported to the associatio by this date.

(Terms 50% due at invoicing & 50% due at 60 days.)

Association sends “No Progeny Report” to those members who have active cows with no calf record or reason code.

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Section f

Setting Goals — Know Where You Are Going

By MACEE PRAUSE Member Relations Specialist, IBBA Advancement in technologies continues in the agriculture sector and beef industry, and it is important to note the implementation of these technologies varies across the industry. As you think about your production system, nutrition program, and marketing plans, the goal of the ranch should be the center of these decisions. Even though goals are sometimes not written down or are written with too broad of topics, one needs to take the time to identify and manage their goals. How does this relate to the average cattleman? Do you have your ranch management goals identified?

The utilization of DNA technologies has been growing at a rapid pace in the livestock industry recently. This is certainly true at the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) with the release of genomic enhanced expected progeny differences (GE-EPDs) for seedstock producers and the Igenity Brangus Profiler for commercial cattlemen. Goal setting for DNA usage has been implemented by many IBBA members.

“The beef industry is complex and must be viewed in its entirety,” stated Chris Heptinstall, general manager for Salacoa Valley Farms. “The commercial cowman is more informed today than three years ago. They look at the selection indices and GE-EPDs before they look at the phenotypes of the cattle, and it is due to proper education.”

Constructing your goals is not an event but a continuing process that will transform with time. Ranch management goals change over time due to numerous considerations. “We have used birth weight, weaning weight, yearling weight,

proper contemporary grouping, and ultrasound technology since its inception in the mid-80s,” stated Vernon Suhn, owner of Suhn Cattle Company. “Visual appraisal and evaluation of structural correctness, along with EPD analysis, is used to assess differences. We were the first Brangus bull sale catalog to publish GE-EPDs from DNA testing to add to the reliability of those predictions. More importantly, verifying the parentage so that we are properly reporting animal data to the association. We all have to look at DNA testing, and it is a new frontier.”

“We strive for balanced traits and do not single trait select. We are not shooting to be in the top one percent for all traits across the board,” Heptinstall stated. “For many of the measurable traits, our goal is to be in the top 30 percent.” If you do not have your goals identified or are unsure how to obtain them, how do you know when you will get there?

Planning and determining how you can achieve your goals is an important concept found in more successful operations. Frank Lewis, with Wynne Ranch, said, “We are doing DNA testing a bit different compared to most people.

We run multi-sire breeding pastures, so we take DNA samples at birth on all calves born to determine correct sire parentage.”

Your cow herd, along with your land, is a key asset. Knowing where you want that asset to go and what you want to achieve along the way is a vital component of ranching. Would you choose to board a plane if there wasn’t a desired destination in mind or a scheduled time of arrival? Not many people would choose to board and have the pilot fly somewhere until he felt

it was time to land at a random location.

The first step is to identify your goals, specify the means for carrying out actions, and determine a target date for completion. Your goals should be specific and measurable. Suhn stated, “We utilize and look at all the technology available to produce and supply genetics for the commercial sector through the most economical and efficient cattle possible.”

In addition, Diann Watson, partner at Pennridge Ranch, said, “We look at the top bulls and genetics available in the industry and try to incorporate those into our breeding plans. Looking at each cow’s EPDs and the top bulls’ EPDs, and match which mating trio would best fit our goals.”

Another step in accomplishing goals is to set short term goals that help you achieve your long term goals. John Rood with Rosemont Plantations wants to have a complete Ultrablack DNA profiled herd in order “to know the quality of my herd and to know there will not be any unknowns going forward. I will be able to have confirmed parentage and genetic defect test results on the entire herd, prior to selling any head.” Ten years ago, Rosemont Plantations was raising Angus and Brahman crossbreds. After learning about the Brangus Ultrablack program, they wanted to “catch up the herd” DNA profiles. This required obtaining DNA samples on all existing animals in addition to collecting those being added to the herd for the next two years. After completing parent verification and genetic defect testing on the animals for the last ten years, everything is known about the 2016 and 2017 cows. These short term DNA testing

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actions contributed to reaching their long term goal. Additionally, Rood said, “I am able to limit the carriers and monitor the genetic defect carriers closely in the herd because the DNA testing allows you to be 100 percent sure of the parentage for all of your animals.”

DNA testing can assist you in making confident decisions about how you select, retain, manage, and market your cattle.

Heptinstall said, “You get more confidence from the genomics.” Likewise, Watson reaffirmed, “I feel better about buying an animal with DNA testing and a higher EPD accuracy. I do not like to buy animals without DNA testing completed.”

Finally, you must put your goals into motion. Without action taken, it is only by chance that your goals will be reached. Through the implementation of their goals, DNA testing has assisted in the achievement of multiple producers’ goals. Suhn stated, “As we move forward, it becomes more cost effective for DNA testing and looking at other breeds and our competition comparatively, it is a factor that needs to be addressed. DNA testing will become more accurate and more helpful with more animals tested.”

Furthermore, Heptinstall explained, “More and more data is turned in, especially on carcass and reproductive performance, that should drive our breed forward in both maternal and carcass traits.” These advancements bring us closer to IBBA’s mission to empower its members to advance the quality, reliability, and value of Brangus and Brangus influenced cattle; and to provide innovative programs and services which enhance the economic well being of members and commercial customers.

Don’t get caught napping!

Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!

q OCTOBER 2019

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Section f

Selecting Heifers With Confidence

By MACEE PRAUSE There is a new DNA assisted test available exclusively through the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) for Brangus commercial cattle. Igenity® Brangus is a genomic profiler for Brangus commercial cattle that aims to provide cattlemen with more confident selection, breeding, and management of superior replacement heifers. It permits selection decisions to be made at a younger age allowing the cattleman the opportunity to save money on heifer development. “It allows them to select animals that are going to meet the goals of the operation and see what they actually have and direct their buying,” explained Neogen Beef Genomics Territory Manager Jill Ginn. “Whichever trait they are short or a little low on, they can better select bulls for these traits when purchasing.”

Using 1-10 trait ranking scores, with the three available Brangus indices, you will be able to improve traits in your herd faster. Additionally, producers can confirm parentage and carcass tenderness traits in breeding stock and showcase herd quality using DNA results when marketing.

“Curiosity more than anything,” Arlie Beckendorf, of Beckendorf Ranch, stated, “I wanted to see what my herd might be producing.” With improved prediction, Igenity Brangus can save you years on your herd improvement goals. Miguel Soto, Costa Rican Brangus breeder, said, “We do believe in our own selection.

We decided to use it because we wanted to have that additional tool. We saw American breeds and other breeds move to use Igenity, and we wanted to research how it was being used in the American market.”

To order the Igenity Brangus profiler, producers must simply collect DNA samples when handling cattle, such as at branding, processing, or vaccination.

Fast, clean, easy DNA sampling like Allflex Tissue Sampling Units (TSU) is recommended. The Igenity Brangus DNA order form may be completed online at www.gobrangus.com/igenity-brangus, and DNA samples should be sent to IBBA. Approximately 28 days after lab receipt, the producer will receive an emailed report that ranks tested animals on an easy-to-

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read 1-10 scale for maternal, growth, and carcass traits including tenderness, the Brangus Built Index, the Maternal Economic Index, the Terminal Economic Index, SeekSire parentage, and content on how to interpret the results.

“Typically, there is no incentive to produce a more tender animal in today’s market, but ultimately we do select for [tenderness],” stated Ginn. “If we do not produce a tender, good quality product to consumers, they will stop purchasing beef.” “[The tenderness trait] will influence the product a lot but not necessarily the producer,” Beckendorf added. “By providing a better product for the consumer, I would make adjustments, selecting sires that offer the best tenderness traits.”

“Little by little, the markets are going toward tender beef,” Soto said. “It is currently a trait not being paid to the producer, but tenderness is important to the consumer. It is, unfortunately, a trait overlooked at the time.”

Ranked traits include calving ease direct, calving ease maternal, maternal weaning weight, scrotal circumference, weaning weight, yearling weight, intramuscular fat, ribeye area, fat thickness, and tenderness. The Brangus Built Index provides an equal weighing of maternal traits and carcass traits. You can use the report to select which heifers to keep, which to market as feeders and to identify herd qualities upon which you strive to improve. “Igenity Brangus can benefit the commercial cowman through sire selection, if you know what the DNA status is for a dam, then you can make decisions about keeping a replacement heifer,” said Beckendorf. “If I am marketing steers, even though I’m not taking them to the rail, I can improve the

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

ribeye area and get a better price, including marketing commercial bulls.”

“Our situation is a little different as we are a tropical environment, different from the American environment and market,” Soto explained. “Select for what the market wants and what your environment allows. We are maniacs about measuring all the data. So, we have all the data about the animal’s time from the ranch, including phenotypic, and we use genetics as an additional tool to better understand how it correlates. It is not the only selection tool but an additional tool.”

Future product developments with Neogen include building a “Brangus Dashboard,” which will allow commercial cattlemen an online area to store and interpret their results.

“The Brangus producers will be able to login to the dashboard and view all their results when they get them. They will be able to compare multiple years together and benchmark the data,” described Ginn.

“Also, they can create a custom index comprised of their herd’s selection traits in addition to having the static indices.

Further, they can manipulate and work with the data for information they want to make decisions off.”

“It would be terrific to give the flexibility for us to pick the traits we select for and are useful to our production,” Soto affirmed. “For us, scrotal circumference is a must!”

Additionally, IBBA aims to continuously improve upon current products available to producers and strives to meet the commercial cattlemen’s goals for genetic improvement. The Igenity Brangus DNA testing method is a newer technology available to Brangus producers that, Beckendorf stated, will “depend on

how serious they will be about improving their operations.” Commercial cattlemen continue to desire other DNA solutions, technological advancements, and other production efficiencies.

“A critical trait for me is disposition, along with the other main traits provided,” Beckendorf said. Adaptation and heat tolerance are additional visual inspection traits that Brangus producers look at during evaluation that are difficult to measure.

“Length of hair impacts our program as it is very hot,” explained Soto. “We need animals that will first adapt, then see if they will be able to perform. If they have the performance traits but cannot adapt, it is not useful. A key attribute judged by bull buyers is if there is long hair or the animal is not behaving well in the heat; they will not buy that bull no matter the genetics or pedigree.”

“I’m excited the association is taking a step forward in this DNA research and offering this Igenity Brangus to commercial breeders who aren’t necessarily members,” asserted Beckendorf.

“Overall, I would like to congratulate IBBA for adjusting and optimizing by staying in touch with the cattlemen and how you can make Igenity Brangus better and more pragmatic by knowing what commercial cattlemen are looking for,” Soto reaffirmed. “I would like to reinforce how important the heat tolerance factor is for us. Talk among southern breeders about selection is shifting toward more selection in heat tolerance. Performance from average daily gain (ADG) is leading the selection programs [Soto’s market].

However, in the American market, I believe Igenity Brangus will be very helpful against CAB® or other certified meat programs. This will help define the breed and the potential of the animals.”

IBBA has partnered with Allflex and Neogen GeneSeek in sponsorship for a promotional Igenity Brangus giveaway.

Commercial cattlemen who purchase Brangus and Brangus-influenced bulls at selected spring sales will be placed into a drawing for a chance to win one Allflex tissue applicator, 25 TSUs, and 25 Igenity Brangus profiles. This opportunity will give cattlemen the chance to exercise the DNA and Igenity Brangus profiler process.

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Section f

Sustainability

By JOE C. PASCHAL, Ph.D. Sustainability is a buzzword used by many, often to criticize modern agriculture. Merriam-Webster defines sustainability as “able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed; involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources; and able to last or continue for a long time.”

As a part of modern agriculture, beef cattle production, including its breeds and management practices, also fits each of those definitions. It has not completely used up natural resources, it has certainly continued a long time, and it has significantly contributed to feeding most of the world’s population I might add.

I’ve been asked to discuss some aspects of sustainability of beef cattle in general, Brangus specifically, based on several traits.

The Brangus breed is in a unique group of breeds that include some Bos indicus genetics in their original design and still do. Those genetics are well known for increasing heat tolerance and parasite and disease resistance. Having these traits means they can be raised and fed in hotter and less hospitable areas than nonBos indicus influence cattle, and usually with lower quality feedstuffs, especially when on range or pasture. Because of

Bos indicus genetics, Brangus cattle also live longer. Brangus cattle and their Bos indicus counterparts are also more energetically efficient, perhaps because of a slightly longer gut retention time, and have a greater ability to store fat reserves and minerals than non-Bos indicus cattle.

Of course, not every positive attribute comes from Bos indicus genetics; many come from Brangus’ other parental breed.

One of the most noticeable traits of the Brangus breed is polledness, or lack of horns. At one time in our history, horns were considered not a convenience trait – meaning nice to have, but not necessary – but a desirable one. Most breeds are still horned, but most producers prefer polled or dehorned cows. Another trait from the other parental breed is Brangus’ ability to deposit marbling and, therefore, have a higher percent grading U.S. Choice. This may not seem like a sustainability trait, but if cattle are going to be fed, especially in hotter and less desirable environments, they need to be fed efficiently and rapidly to an optimal quality grade.

These effects are due mostly to the parental breed genetics; Brangus is a blend of those genetics. When two or more breeds are blended, the genes from each breed interact with each other to influence,

usually positively, the performance of a trait, which is known as hybrid vigor or heterosis. The Brangus breed is no different. Hybrid vigor generally affects most of those traits that are expressed early in life or have little genetic variability and are difficult to change by selection, such as fertility (age at puberty, heifer pregnancy, etc.), stayability (sustained or lifetime fertility), calving ease, and milk production (and consequently its effect on weaning weight). Hybrid vigor is an important aspect of performance for the Brangus breed in these areas.

But Brangus is not a recent breed, and not all the attributes that contribute to its role in sustainable beef production are due

2019 Spotlight Issues Schedule Most of the breed associations in North and South Carolina have stepped forward and renewed their contracts for Spotlight sections in The Carolina Cattle Connection for 2019. If your breed is not featured as a Spotlight section and you would like to inquire on any open months please feel free to contact me.

Below is the tentative schedule for the upcoming year.

2019 Reserved Spotlight Issues

Photo Credit: Nancy

to the parental breeds or hybrid vigor. Over the years, Brangus breeders have created a unique breed that is no longer just a mix of its beginning breeds. For a breed to be sustainable today, especially in the U.S., it must have attributes that make it acceptable to all cattle producers. Brangus breeders have made a commitment to selecting animals with high reproductive and growth performance, sound feet and legs, and exceptional udder and teat conformation.

They have made a commitment to select cattle based on accurate performance records now augmented with genomic information to aid them in producing a sustainable beef breed that has been, and will be, around for a very long time!

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

CHAROLAIS FORAGES ANGUS PEST MANAGEMENT BRAHMAN HEREFORD GELBVIEH SIMMENTAL SANTA GERTRUDIS BRANGUS SHORTHORN RED ANGUS

Contact The Carolina Cattle Connection 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 Phone - 919-552-9111 for the contact person for each Spotlight Issue.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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Redemption by Zip Code

Ashley’s Beef Corner

T

By the Numbers

By ASHLEY W. HERRING Director of Consumer Information N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council

If you are a data nerd like I am, you’ll appreciate this month’s graphs.

They reflect sales information for our iBotta campaign, which wrapped up just after the Labor Day weekend. Beef sales were certainly boosted during this prime time of year, and it’s safe to say that our target audience of 25-34-year-old females took advantage of our promotion.

The campaign was open from the northeast states southward, to North Carolina and South Carolina. The graphs on this page represent new steak purchasers. Shoppers who typically purchase are in another category. I was particularly interested in these shoppers new to beef.

You’ll see Food Lion, which we work with in North Carolina, leads all other retailers in sales. Included on the next page is a graph comparing the total success of the campaign over the past four years. If you have questions about the shoppers, the campaign, or want more details, I have graphs for you!

Don’t hesitate to reach out, and enjoy this fantastic time of year.

We will be participating in the North Carolina State Fair with an educational space in the Jim Graham Building. If you are attending, stop by to say hello. Also, we will be sharing the results of our beef recipe contest that takes place at the fair.

We hope to see you soon!

Redemption by Gender

Female 87.76% Male 12.33%

Redemption Percent by Top Retailers 60.00%

Any news from your county? Be sure to share your meetings, sales, field days, etc., with your fellow cattlemen through the Connection!

PAGE 14

60.38%

40.00% 22.64% 20.00%

0.00%

14.47%

Food Lion Hannford

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Giant Eagle

1.89%

0.63%

0.00%

0.00%

Weis Markets

Redner’s Markets

Martin’s

Stop & Shop

0.00% Giant

(PA, WV, MD, VA)

0.00% Giant

(DC, DE, VA, MD)

Federation of State Beef Councils Update

By LAURIE MUNNS, Chairman

The Value of Helping Hands Each of us benefits from assistance from others now and then. Perhaps a neighbor helps with harvest; maybe we get a ride into town to fix a flat tire or help getting our cows in at roundup. For many state beef councils, assistance is more than a bonus; it’s a necessity.

There are 44 Qualified State Beef Councils, and they play a key role in the Beef Checkoff across the country. For one thing, they are responsible for collecting the $1 per head national Beef Checkoff, remitting 50¢ of each dollar to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for use in national and international beef demand building programs. They use the other 50¢ at the discretion of their boards, under the guidelines of the Beef Promotion Act and Order.

The make up of these boards varies. Some are appointed; some are elected. They are truly local self help

organizations, managed and overseen by the beef and cattle community in their state. Many of them pre-date the existence of the national Beef Checkoff, first instituted in 1986. There are more than 700 board members of state beef councils in the United States.

The volunteer boards make decisions about their half of the dollar, which can include investing in demand building national and international programs or conducting beef promotion, education, and research programs in their own states.

Implementing the in-state programs requires a lot of resources. Even though they have a large responsibility, many state councils are very small. They might only have a part time director and if they’re fortunate, one staffer, depending on the budget and the wants of the board.

Among the functions of the

Federation of State Beef Councils is the support of participating state beef councils that need it. This includes state councils of any size that want special assistance with a project or smaller state councils that don’t have the infrastructure for conducting fully developed in-state programs. Maybe they want help with their IT systems or have human resources questions that need to be addressed.

Perhaps they require graphic design for brochures or billboards they want to create. Maybe it’s communications assistance with outreach to producer or consumer audiences, or participation in consumer surveys to build stronger and more precise in-state campaigns.

Possibly they want to discuss joint efforts with executives of other state councils, or brainstorm ideas that are successful in other states that might be effective with their own consumers, food service, or retail outlets, dietitians, or other thought leaders.

The bottom line is that for a state beef council of any size, fully implementing a valuable in-state beef promotion, education and research program is difficult. For a small council, it can be daunting.

The Federation of State Beef Councils helps fill that void. It has an experienced staff that provides IT, graphic

The Carolina Cattle Connection

design, research, and communications functions to state beef councils. It also assists in coordinating state efforts on a national level and can supply or supplement information, materials, and efforts in ways that will give a state beef council more impact.

Since 1963 the Federation of State Beef Councils has brought state beef councils together, at the same time helping them be more successful on their own.

A cornerstone of the Beef Checkoff, this state/national partnership gives state beef councils of all sizes a beneficial leg up.

About the Federation of State Beef Councils. The Federation of State Beef Councils is a division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), which is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill.

The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50¢ on the dollar and forward the other 50¢ per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board.

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 15

By DR. DEIDRE HARMON N.C. State University

During the winter, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “Do I need to supplement my cattle.”

Unfortunately, this is not a simple yes or no answer, and it really does differ from operation to operation. However, now is a great time to start thinking about a feeding plan since many of us across the state are currently in or are entering fall calving and winter feeding season. This period is a critically important time for the cow herd, and improper nutrition can lead to both reduced performance and reproductive failure. By understanding the nutrient requirements, forage programs, and available forms of supplementation, producers can take the steps necessary to design an effective nutritional plan that can help lower feed costs.

Step 1: Understanding Animal Nutrient Requirements - There are five nutrients required by beef cattle and include water, protein, energy (carbohydrates

and fats), vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are essential for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and lactation.

Different classes of cattle have different levels of nutrient requirements depending on their age, genetics, body weight, stage of production, level of desired performance, and environmental stressors. Remember last winter, when we were all tired of walking and fighting the mud? Well, environmental stressors like mud can raise the nutrient needs of beef cattle.

The first step in devising a nutritional program is to know the stage of production of your animals and understand how nutrients are prioritized. Cattle will first use nutrients in feedstuffs for normal maintenance processes, including breathing, digestion, movement, body heat generation, etc. If there are excess nutrients left after maintenance requirements have been met, then heifers will place the priority of nutrients into growth. Next, cows and

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

heifers will utilize nutrients for lactation.

Lastly, if there are enough nutrients leftover in the diet to meet maintenance and lactation requirements, then cattle push nutrients toward reproduction. It is critical to provide adequate nutrition to a cow herd during the time after parturition when a cow is in peak lactation and should be rebred. Reproductive efficiency is one of the biggest factors impacting the success of cow/calf operations and is highly dependent on the nutritional status of the animal.

The next step is to determine the nutrient requirements based on the stage of production and/or level of desired performance. In mature cows, we identify their stage of production by determining how many months it has been after calving, and we can generally group them by early lactation, peak lactation, dry, and late gestation. For calves, this typically entails having them gain a desired level each day (ex. 1.5 lbs per day). For heifers, a nutritional plan should target a specific amount of gain each day to ensure that they reach 60-65 percent of their mature body weight at breeding. For example, if your mature cows weigh on average 1,400 lbs, then your heifers should weigh 910 lbs at breeding to calve as two-yearolds. There are many resources available through your local extension office to help you determine accurate requirements for beef cows, heifers, and young calves.

However, some pre-calculated values are presented in Table 1.

Step 2: Know What’s In Your Forage - After understanding what nutrient levels are required in the diet, we can now evaluate our available feedstuffs to determine if a supplement is needed.

In pasture based cattle production, fresh and harvested forages are the basis for any nutritional program. The mild climate of the Southeastern U.S. allows for high quality forages to be grown almost year round. In general, the highest quality forages are legumes, followed by cool season species and lastly warm season forage species. However, one of the largest factors in determining forage quality is the stage of maturity at harvest. Forage quality tends to decrease rapidly as forages move from a leafy, vegetative state to a mature, reproductive one where the seed head has emerged. In standing forage, sward maturity is much easier to estimate than in baled forage, and cattle will selectively choose the most vegetative tissue first.

The nutrient content of harvested forage is much more difficult to evaluate, and thus, a forage test is crucial to the development of any nutritional plan.

We are fortunate here in North Carolina to have the NCDA&CS Forage Testing Service which will test your hay for $10 per sample. I have a colleague at the University of Georgia that says,

Table 1. Nutrient requirements of beef cattle

“Unless you test, it’s just a guess,� and she is undoubtedly right. Almost every county extension office in the state has a hay probe that will take a core sample of your bales. So give them a call if you have not yet tested your hay. Information and forms for the forage testing lab can be found at www.ncagr.gov.

Once available forages have been tested, they can be grouped together based on nutrient content and allocated to best match the nutrient needs of cattle.

For example, one should use their lot of hay with the highest quality to feed cows in peak lactation and use average quality hay to feed dry animals. Matching forage quality to animal nutrient requirements can help cut down on supplementation costs.

Step 3: Supplement If Needed Lastly, a supplementation plan should only be developed when the forage program is lacking in a nutrient. There are many byproduct feeds available to us in the Southeast, such as soybean hulls, cotton gin trash, corn gluten feed, brewers grains, and vegetable waste, just to name a few. These byproducts contain different concentrations of dry

matter, protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals. Once the nutrient deficiency has been identified, it is most economical to determine what is available in the area and evaluate the different feedstuffs based on a dry matter and dollar per nutrient basis. By quickly doing some tailgate math (examples in Figure 1), you can determine which feed is going to be the most economical supplement for your cattle. Another consideration when choosing a supplement is how your operation is going to handle the feed or store it. Many of the brewing, distilling, or vegetable byproducts are wet and will not store for long periods of time or may require special feeding equipment. So remember, just because it is free, does not mean it is a good deal.

Putting these steps together can be a practical way to cut down on feed costs and ensure nutrient requirements of animals are being met for optimal performance.

Closely monitoring body condition and weight in growing and mature cattle is a good check to see if production targets are being met and if a change in the farm nutritional program is required.

Figure 1. Tailgate math for determining economical supplementation strategies

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 17

E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture

By E.B. HARRIS

40 Years Coming Shane and I were working on getting information together for two estates with property located in Halifax and Edgecombe counties. One of the estates led us to Scotland Neck. It was going to be sold right there in the city limits.

We were getting directions to the sale site, and I couldn’t help but stop and take a picture of the sign that’s in the article.

Thinking back, it was 40 years in the making.

125 HEAD

I might have alluded to this in some of my earlier articles. In the mid‘70s, I was driving a truck. It was a ‘71 International 4070A cab and chassis, and I pulled a 42’ straight, single deck livestock trailer. I was hauling a lot of cattle from Lancaster Stockyards in Rocky Mount, N.C., to Suffolk Packing on Wilroy Rd. in Suffolk, Virginia.

My normal run was hauling calves in on Monday and Tuesday and then hauling

out to the packers on Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night. My first run would usually be hauling feeder calves to Wilder Brothers at Mitchner’s Crossroads in Franklinton, North Carolina. When I got back to Rocky Mount, I would sometimes make the short run to Swift & Co. down in Wilson. I would start in the early part of the night and run consecutively sometimes two, three, maybe four loads to Suffolk Packing. I distinctly remember that load was 100 miles and paid 90¢ a mile. I got $90 every time I made a run.

It wasn’t a “get rich” deal, but I could pay some bills.

I would load at Lancaster’s around 1:00-2:00 in the morning and run 24 to 36 hours right steady. I was committed to the job, and I needed to get it done. That early morning run would lead me right to Hwy. 258 through Scotland Neck going toward Virginia.

Scotland Neck had parking on both sides of Main Street and Hwy. 258. You could also park crossways in the center of the street. Well, in those hours of the

morning, there was never anybody parked in the center part of the street. Everything was folded up and had gone home. On the northern edge right close to the residential area, there wasn’t a whole lot of activity there, sometimes even during the day. I would pull up in those last parking places

18th ANNUAL E.B. & SHANE HARRIS INFLUENCE FEMALE & BULL SALE

NOVEMBER 9, 2019 • 10:00 AM • OXFORD, NC All forage based cattle • Fall and winter calving • All cattle EID

This is a sale with a readily available guarantee service year after year. Longest continuing commercial sale in the Southeast and it continues.

Buyer has option to sell first-year offspring back to E.B. and Shane with a $50 premium on heifers and a $25 premium on steers.

• 20 First Calf Heifers with October Calf at Side - Angus, BWF, Simmental X, Santa Gertrudis - all bred to CE bulls • 53 Fall & Winter Calving Angus Based Bred Heifers - all bred to CE bulls • 32 Head of ‘12 Model Proven Commercial Matrons Coming w/ 6th Calf - these cattle include Angus, SimAngus, Roan, and Profit or Prestige - the highest percentage body weight weaned for percentage of cow weight that we own • 2 11-Month-Old Commercial Bulls - Purebred Angus, Purebred Hereford • 1 3-Year-Old Jenny w/ her first baby - approximately 2 months old * All mature cows and heifers to start calving the week after the sale *

The sale will be held at the Granville Livestock Arena 4200 Cannady Mill Rd • Oxford, N.C.

All Cattle Sell With a Guarantee the Buyer Will Like!

Directions: From I-85, take Exit 204, go south on Hwy. 96 for 1.1 mile, turn left on Fairport Rd., go 2.4 miles, right on Cannady Mill Rd., sale ¼ mile on left at Granville County Livestock Arena. Also from jct. of Hwy. 96 & 56 at Wilton, take Hwy. 96 north 2 miles, turn right on Cannady Mill Rd., arena approximately 6 miles on right. Watch for cattle auction arrows leading way to sale.

For More Information Call E.B or Shane 252-257-2140 • 252-430-9595 • 919-497-7990 Or visit www.ebharris.com NCAL 1468

PAGE 18

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

crossways right in the middle because I felt comfortable. I figured at least there were probably some eyes watching me.

I would reach back in the sleeper and get my pillow out, lay it on the steering wheel, and put my head down on it to get me a 10-15 minute power nap so I could keep going. I dare not get in that sleeper because I might take more than a power nap. I did this many times.

When I would come back through Scotland Neck the next morning, you would see the perfect outline of the trailer.

While parked there, the cattle had been moving around and kicked out a little bit of fertilizer, and it would outline the spot

I had parked in. Usually, in a day or two, the fertilizer would leave.

I had been expecting at anytime some policeman to come and tap on the side of my truck telling me I needed to move, but he never did. I reckon it was because I always left the residents something to grow their tomato plants with. I guess the folks in Scotland Neck grew some good tomatoes in that era while I was parked there in the middle of those streets.

But as you can see from the picture this sign was 40 years in the making, so I reckon I’d have to find me another spot if I had to make those runs again. They were certainly enjoyable times.

for the

NOVEMBER ISSUE

by OCTOBER 5!

ALL Spotlight Material for the NOVEMBER ISSUE

by OCTOBER1!

Baxter Black

On the edge of

common sense

In The Doghouse It’s not easy being a missionary distributing religious pamphlets door to door. Homeowners will go to extremes to avoid listening to you.

Audrey and her husband, Walter, have a ranch in British Columbia around Fraser Lake. They are cattle people and run the place pretty much by themselves.

Walter had gone out to check the cows one morning. After doin’ breakfast dishes, Audrey headed out to the shop to get somethin’. Midway she was surprised by a sneeze. It dislodged her upper plate, and they hit the gravel six feet away. In the time it took her to blink, Daisy, her new pup raced in, scooped up the dentures and was off like a shot!

“Here Daisy...here, Daisy...good dog...yer a good puppy...give mama her teeth. Come, Daisy...sit...stay...Daisy!

Come here you miserable little excuse for mongrel’s offspring. You paper eatin’, cat chasin’, slipper chewin’, sorry no good...

Here Daisy, No! No! Git over here before I pound you into taco meat...!” Daisy and the old dog, Blue, were makin’ big circles in the yard with Audrey hot on their heels alternately coaxing and cussing the canine teeth thief!

Daisy dropped the teeth. Just as Audrey dove for the slobbery dentures,

ALL Regular Copy

Cattle Auction

Blue swooped in and scooped ‘em up.

Out into the driveway, the three of them raced. Back and forth between the shop and the garden fence. “Blue, come here.

Whoa, Blue...drop those teeth, or you’ll be bear bait! Come on, Blue...”

Blue smiled at her. He looked like Miss America.

Then he dropped the teeth, but Daisy intercepted before Audrey could make her move. Daisy raced to the dog house situated by the back door porch and dived in. Audrey followed till she was waist deep and wrestled the precious dentures from Daisy. Just as she started to back out, she heard gravel crunch and a car door slam. Footsteps tromped up to the back door.

The voices of two women were introducing themselves and asking Audrey personal questions about her religion. Actually, they were talking to Audrey’s protruding backside. Audrey had her teeth in her hand. They were slippery, sticky, and covered with dirt.

She had a short conversation from inside the doghouse, and very quickly, the ladies departed.

As Audrey breathed a sigh of relief she heard one of the ladies say, “You know, some people will go to any lengths...”

Saturday • October 26, 2019 • 10:00 a.m.

George P. Upton Sales Arena • Clinton, N.C.

ECO Systems Farm, Inc. - Jim Stocker - Warsaw, N.C. 10th Annual Bred Heifer Sale 38 Angus Bred Heifers - all sired by Springfield and Yon Angus bulls.

These heifers are bred back to Springfield Angus bulls (from different bloodlines).

Due to start calving from December 4 to the last of February.

Heifers are fancy and uniform. Average weight of 1,200 lbs.

If you want the very best, whether raising feeder calves or farm to fork, they are here.

Steer mates in the past have graded 40% Prime and 60% Choice.

The genetics are here for any direction you want to head.

You may find some as good, but none any better. * Guest consignor * A complete dispersal - Some will have new calf at side on sale day.

For more information, contact Jim Stocker at 910-271-2016 or Mike at 910-296-7367.

252-257-2140 3200 NC Hwy. 58 Warrenton, NC 27589

Inc. / Auctioneers

NCAL #1468 NC#C #4264 VAL #146 SCAL #3895

Visit www.ebharris.com for complete details.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 19

On the Horizon

By GRACE OTT N.C. State University

The Effects of Weaning Method on Short and Long Term Calf Performance Hello again, everyone! For those of you who missed my article last year, my name is Grace Ott. I just completed my Master’s degree in the N.C. State University Department of Animal Science under Dr. Carrie Pickworth.

Pending final revisions of my thesis, I will be graduating in December. I previously attended Virginia Tech for my undergraduate degrees and having grown up involved with livestock, have always wanted to continue that involvement.

My previous article in The Carolina Cattle Connection gave you all an

overview of my project and what we hoped to learn. Now I have an update on what we have found! Just to refresh your memory, my project dealt with evaluating different weaning strategies in beef calves, not just in their short term performance immediately after weaning, but also through their life cycles in beef production. This involved following heifers through puberty and breeding and steers through feedlot growth and measuring carcass characteristics. We were evaluating differences between traditional abrupt weaning, fenceline

weaning method, and late weaning. The abrupt and fenceline weaning took place in May when calves were six to seven months of age, and the late weaning took place in August when calves were nine to ten months of age. Each group was supplemented with grain after they were weaned. We put a lot of work into this project, which wouldn’t have been possible without the faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students at N.C. State and the farm staff at the Upper Piedmont Research Station and the Butner Beef Cattle Field Lab. When we looked at the study, we found some results that could prove interesting for cow/calf producers. When monitoring the growth of the calves between the two weaning periods, it came as no surprise that the late weaned calves were heavier for the majority of the time.

They kept continually growing while the abrupt and fenceline calves had reduced or negative growth in the month following their weaning. However, it was interesting to us that the abrupt and fenceline calves caught up to the late calves by the late weaning period. This resulted in all treatment groups having the same average weight. This indicates that the abrupt and fenceline calves had a compensatory gain response, which was aided by the grain supplementation. When we followed both the heifers and steers further on, we didn’t find many differences between treatments in the long term after weaning.

All heifers were advanced enough in their reproductive development to be able to become pregnant when they were bred by artificial insemination at 14-15 months of age. They also had similar conception rates. The steers grew at similar rates in the feedlot and had similar carcass characteristics when slaughtered at 20 months of age.

After seeing that all three weaning treatments were at the same average weight at the end of the weaning period and had similar performance later on, you may think that it doesn’t make a difference which weaning strategy you use. However, despite the similarity in performance, there is an economic difference. The abrupt and fenceline calves were supplemented with grain in between weaning periods, at the cost of $210/ton of feed, resulting in an increased cost of gain of 59¢/calf/ day, assuming all other calf related costs remain the same. Additionally, using the late weaning would give an edge in selling price according to the North Carolina average weighted feeder cattle prices at both weaning time points.

They would have brought in revenue of $109.50 more per calf by selling calves at the heavier weight in August than at the lighter weight in May. This reduced feed cost with greater revenue could result in greater profitability, although there are also many other factors that affect this.

These results indicate that using a late weaning system could be a viable option for cow/calf producers in the state of North Carolina. However, there are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration, such as cow body condition, pasture quality, etc. A second year of this study is currently in the works, and we look forward to combining these results with those we have to strengthen our conclusions further. Additionally, data has been collected to evaluate how these weaning strategies affect the dams to be able to complete the weaning story.

It has been great being a member of the N.C. State University and North Carolina cattle community. I look forward to continuing my involvement in the cattle industry wherever I land.

I got a great buy in the Classifieds in The Carolina Cattle Connection!

Check out the expert A.I, superior genetics, fine purebreds and terrific farm supplies offered!

PAGE 20

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 21

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics N.C. State University How is North Carolina’s Economy Doing? There’s been plenty of uncertainty recently swirling around the national economy. Trade tensions, stock market ups and downs, and movements in interest rates have all captured headlines and editorials.

But let’s get closer to home and talk about the North Carolina economy. I constantly watch our state economy. For example, I release a monthly leading economic indicator for North Carolina.

Also, twice a year, I do a deep dive into the state’s economic statistics to expand my understanding of what’s happening to our companies, workers, households, and

regions.

I just finished my mid-year dive and will report on the major results here. I’ll talk about trends in North Carolina’s economy over the past year as well as give you my crystal ball forecasts for where we’re headed in the next year.

First and foremost, North Carolina’s economy has continued to expand. In the past year – measured from July 2018 to July 2019 – the state added over 75,000 jobs, and the pace of job growth was slightly faster than the nation.

And here’s another good trend in our jobs. One issue in North Carolina – indeed, an issue in most states – has

McMahan Farm & Hancock Angus Annual Registered Angus Bull Sale November 16, 2019 • 12:00 noon at the farm in Mocksville, N.C.

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Upward, Weigh Up, Resource, Fortress, and Black Hawk *All bulls will have passed a BSE exam before the sale* * Bulls are forage fed with little supplement*

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Steven • Becky • Cassidy • Taylor 299 Applewood Road • Mocksville, NC 27028 336-998-2695 (home) • 336-909-1494 (cell)

Hancock Angus

Mark Hancock • 336-909-1082 (cell) PAGE 22

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

been sparse growth in jobs in the middle of the wage distribution. For most of the last decade, job growth has occurred in high paying jobs and low paying jobs, with little growth in middle paying jobs, such as in manufacturing, construction, transportation, and health care support.

This has contributed to the issue of widening income inequality.

The good news is in the last year, increases in the three pay categories of jobs in North Carolina have been relatively balanced. This is important for several reasons, not the least of which is the addition of middle paying job rungs on the income ladder is essential for the income mobility of workers.

The average wage rate (pay per hour) of North Carolina workers also continued to increase in 2019, and the gain exceeded the average increase in the prices of products and services workers buy. In other words, improvements in worker pay outpaced inflation, meaning the average standard of living improved.

Average wage rates in North Carolina still lag average wage rates in the nation. Economists who study state pay differences say there are two reasons behind this result. One is the lower costof-living in North Carolina compared to the country. Studies show our state’s prices are between five percent and 10 percent lower than in the nation. Second is lower educational attainment in the state compared to the country. There is a strong correlation between educational attainment and worker wages.

Of course, job growth rates are not even across all regions of the state.

During the year, including the second half of 2018 and the first half of 2019, the Asheville, Charlotte, and Winston-Salem regions experienced the strongest growth in jobs. At the other end of the spectrum, Jacksonville, Burlington, Greensboro, Greenville, and New Bern lost jobs.

Interestingly, rural areas – defined as those counties outside of metropolitan regions – had a job growth rate comparable to the state total.

As most people know, technology continues to be a growth sector in the economy. North Carolina already has a significant tech sector. Happily, for the most recent year that data are available, our state’s tech sector grew significantly faster than at the national level.

Unfortunately, there are some worrying aspects of the recent state economy. Farm output in North Carolina has suffered a large reduction in production. While there can be many reasons for this, clearly one is the ongoing trade tensions with China. China’s tactics in this dispute have resulted in fewer key North Carolina farm products being sold

to that important country.

Another concern is construction.

Residential building permits are on track to decline in the state in 2019. If it’s any comfort, the same trend is occurring in the nation. Perhaps lower interest rates later this year will turn around this decline.

All of this information shows where North Carolina has been. But where is the state economy going in the future?

Of course, recognize that forecasts are just an educated guess, and no forecast is guaranteed. To add to the uncertainty, economists often disagree about the future. (P.S.: Economists are much better at predicting the past!)

Here are my views about the future economy. North Carolina will continue to grow and add production and jobs.

However, the pace of growth, while positive, will slow. Rather than expanding at close to a three percent annual rate, growth will be closer to two percent.

Note this doesn’t imply a recession.

A recession means the growth rate is negative, and the economy is contracting – that is, getting smaller. My headlights don’t show this yet. Certainly, however, if conditions change, I can change my forecast.

Any state’s economy is a complex mix of many factors. You decide if these factors have moved – and will continue to move – in a positive direction for North Carolina.

How Bad Will the Next Recession Be? I just finished a phone interview with a national business reporter: the topic – recession. Specifically, the reporter wanted to know how bad the next recession would be. Would it be as bad as the 2007-09 recession, a downturn so deep that economists now refer to it as the Great Recession?

Recently, the news has been filled with stories about the odds of an upcoming recession. Yet according to one of the largest groups of economists – the National Association of Business Economists – the odds of a recession this year or next have actually dropped in their most recent August survey compared to the February survey. Where the odds have risen is for 2021, but they are still well under 50 percent.

Yet you may have heard about economists’ forecasting abilities – economists are better at predicting the past than predicting the future! So just the fact people are talking about the possibility of a recession may be enough to cause us to worry.

So, if a recession were to occur sometime in the next three years, how bad would it be? Call me an eternal optimist if you like, but I think a good case can

be made the next recession will not be anywhere near record setting. In other words, it will be relatively mild.

Do I have any reason for saying this besides hope? Actually, I do. First is the financial condition of households. Bad recessions result when households are overwhelmed with debt. Too much debt causes households to severely cut back on spending during a recession, which boomerangs into losses for businesses, layoffs for workers, and a vicious cycle of pessimism.

The good news today is household debt loads are at a three-decade low when measured by how much debt payments take out of the typical household’s disposable income. Household bankruptcies are also at a low point. The average consumer has actually become frugal during the last ten years. This may be a lasting positive impact of the Great Recession.

Manufacturing is an economic sector, especially susceptible to recessions. This is because purchasing manufactured products can often be easily postponed.

If households face cutbacks in work and income when a recession hits, they

will likely make ends meet by declining to buy items like furniture, electronics, vehicles, and maybe even clothing. The same is true for businesses.

Traditionally, North Carolina has had a larger manufacturing component in our economy than the nation. This is a big reason why our state usually has bigger downturns during recessions than the nation. For example, at the height of the Great Recession, North Carolina’s jobless rate was 11.4 percent compared to the nation’s 10 percent.

While manufacturing is still a bigger part of the state economy than it is in the United States, manufacturing’s relative importance has declined in North Carolina in the last dozen years. In 2007, prior to the onset of the Great Recession, manufacturing in our state accounted for 22 percent of all economic activity.

Today, manufacturing is 18 percent of the state economy. The service sector has taken up the slack.

Please note, however, that manufacturing output has continued to increase in North Carolina. It’s just that economic activity outside of manufacturing has increased more. Yet

with manufacturing a smaller part of the state’s economic pie, the bigger downturn in manufacturing during the next recession will be a little less severe for the overall economy than in the past.

Most people remember the housing market and how the plunge in home prices was a crucial factor in triggering the Great Recession. So with housing prices in many areas now at an all time high, could history repeat itself and prompt the Great Recession II, the Sequel?

I – and many of my colleagues – think no, and here’s why. The run up in home prices last decade was caused by a virtual frenzy in home buying due to easy financing and unreasonable expectations.

A “bubble” in home prices was created, and when the bubble burst, the economy crashed.

Today’s gains in home prices have been caused more on the supply side – in particular, a lack of supply. For a variety of reasons, builders haven’t been building like they used to. Also, homebuyers haven’t gone overboard on borrowing, and lenders have been much more constrained than in the mid-2000s.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

My last positive point is state government. State governments can make recessions worse if they raise taxes or cut spending as their revenue picture deteriorates. One way to avoid this problem is if the governments save funds from previous years and build up a reserve, typically called a Rainy Day Fund.

The good news is that North Carolina has a substantial Rainy Day Fund. Some of the money has been used for last year’s hurricanes, but the state is on pace to replenish those funds. As a result, if and when a recession hits, North Carolina can use the Fund as a backstop to avoid tax hikes and keep state spending flowing.

Hopefully, a recession won’t arrive in the near future. But if it does, will it be mild, average or harsh? You decide.

About the author - Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.

q OCTOBER 2019

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Coccidiosis May Be the Culprit in Starting Cattle Health Issues. You put a lot of resources into developing sound nutrition, vaccine, and antibiotic treatment programs, so it’s frustrating when cattle don’t respond. But rather than blaming your products and programs, consider that something else might be the cause — coccidiosis.

A Cascading Effect - When it comes to coccidia infecting cattle, the biggest impact comes from what else this parasite can do to your lightweight calves, not coccidiosis itself. In short, coccidiosis: • Impacts the use of nutrients in feed, in addition to reducing feed consumption and efficiency • Influences a calf’s ability to respond to vaccinations and antibiotics Coccidiosis affects cattle that often have compromised immune systems to begin with. Coccidia destroy

intestinal cells, which impacts the use of nutrients, which are essential for proper development of immunity. And when the immune system is further compromised, the door is opened for more harmful pathogens, such as those associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The compromised immune system makes it nearly impossible for the calf to respond to vaccinations or antibiotic treatment.

Many times, we call it a treatment failure, but it’s really an immune system failure.

Could It Be Coccidiosis? If you’re noticing lost performance or slower response rates, you can work with your veterinarian to diagnose if coccidiosis is the cause. Your veterinarian will work with you to: • Submit fecal samples to a qualified laboratory for oocyst (immature coccidia) count and speciation.

• Ensure a good sample. You’ll need

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Phil Goodson - 919-880-9062 (cell) Rick Kern - 919-272-6124 (cell) Email - jpgoodson@bellsouth.net For a complete listing or additional information, contact Springfield Angus. Please visit www.springfieldangus.com .

PAGE 24

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

to take more than one sample of feces from affected calves.

Other possible causes to explore could be bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) or Salmonella. Producers are encouraged to work with their nutritionist to check feed intakes, feed delivery system, milling procedures, and ration formulations. Also, visit with your veterinarian to set realistic goals and expectations for animal health product success on your operation that fits the cattle you are working with.

Taking on the Challenges of Coccidiosis - This parasitic disease poses numerous problems that need to be addressed: • At least 13 different coccidial species are known to infect cattle in the United States, and cattle may be infected with several species at the same time.1 • Threatens cattle that often have a compromised immune system • Nearly 95 percent of cases are subclinical.2 • Impacts the use of nutrients in feed, as well as reducing feed consumption and efficiency • Influences a calf’s ability to respond to vaccinations and anti-infectives • One study found cocci oocysts in nearly 60 percent of fecal samples evaluated, but a recent study showed nearly 98 percent of calves had oocysts present.3,4 • Difficult to identify or diagnose because clinical signs of disease (bloody scours) do not appear until the coccidian life cycle is almost complete; it is hard to effectively treat and make a difference because the gut may be severely damaged.

• With severe coccidiosis outbreaks, it isn’t unheard of to see death rates around 25 percent.

One approach used by several producers to help address coccidiosis is to get lightweight calves started on feed and stay healthy. This includes: • Enough protein, energy, and trace minerals in the ration - Ration design with plenty of usable protein and energy, along with trace minerals, is important, so calves have the nutrition they need to mount an immune response. When determining ingredients and nutrient density, consider that calves might not consume as much feed initially as projected.

• Highly palatable ration - Feed intake is a challenge in lightweight calves, but a highly palatable ration encourages feed intake. Along with this, include a coccidiostat in the ration that prevents coccidiosis.

• Proper timing of vaccinations Once coccidiosis is being adequately

addressed through nutrition, vaccine timing is essential for the best immune response. Work closely with your herd veterinarian to identify what vaccines are needed and timing of those vaccinations for your geographical area.

• Address bovine respiratory disease (BRD) - After coccidiosis depresses the calf’s immune system, BRD becomes the real killer. Nutritionists and veterinarians need to work together to control BRD with good management and effective injectable antibiotics and/or medicated feed additives.

Once calves are healthy, you can then direct energy to growth versus fighting disease. So, in addition to continued coccidiosis management, this is when you can incorporate an ionophore such as Bovatec® and an appropriate Synovex® implant to help sustain feed intake and improve weight gain.

Managing against coccidiosis early in the coccidia life cycle with the right feed additives is essential for improving the health of lightweight calves. It’s not just coccidiosis you are controlling.

It is stopping the cascading effect of complications on cattle health.

For more information about feed additive solutions to help prevent coccidiosis, visit www.cattlefeedadditives. com.

References 1 Ernst J.V., Benz G.W. Intestinal coccidiosis in cattle. Vet Clinics N Amer: Food Anim Pract. 1986;2(2):283-291.

2 Muirhead, S. 1989. Coccidiosis infections often go undetected in beef, dairy cattle. Feedstuffs. 15:87.

3 Stromberg B.E., Gasbarre L.C., Ballweber L.R., et al. Prevalence of internal parasites in beef cows in the United States: results of the National Animal Health Monitoring System’s (NAHMS) beef study, 2007–2008. Can J Vet Res. 2015;79(4):290–295.

4 Data on file, Study Report No. 17CRGMFA-01-03, Zoetis Inc. About Zoetis. Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests, and a range of services. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers, and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries.

In 2018, the company generated annual revenue of $5.8 billion with approximately 10,000 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetisus.com.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

NEWS

Animal Agriculture Alliance prepares students to be advocates for agriculture. College Aggies Online offers agriculture students $21,000 in scholarships. College students are gearing up for the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual College Aggies Online (CAO) Scholarship Competition which kicked off September 16. This year’s students and collegiate clubs are competing for more than $21,000 in scholarships and a chance to win a trip to the Alliance’s 2020 Stakeholders Summit. For more information or to sign up, visit www. collegeaggies.animalagalliance.org.

CAO connects college students from across the country who are interested in promoting agriculture. Individual division participants receive training from experts and engage with their peers on social media by posting information about current and emerging issues facing farmers and ranchers and telling personal stories.

In the club competition, students are challenged to host events on their campus

to talk about modern agriculture with their peers. Events include “Scary Food Myths” where students hand out candy with myths and facts about food and agriculture; “Undeniably Dairy” where students host a booth on their concourse about dairy farming; and “Newbies on the Farm” where students invite their peers who have never visited a farm to tour a local operation. Last year, students reached two million people on social media and more than 13,000 people at club events.

“College Aggies Online is an opportunity for college students who are passionate about agriculture to learn how to communicate about the industry from some of the best agriculture advocates out there,” said Casey Kinler, Alliance communications manager. “This year, we doubled the number of mentors available to the students and made sure to include farmers and ranchers who are active on social media.”

CAO would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. 2019 sponsors include: Dairy Management Inc.,

Seaboard Foods, National Pork Industry Foundation, CHS Foundation, National Turkey Federation, Bayer, Cooper Family Foundation, National Corn Growers Association, Vivayic, Alltech, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, Ohio Poultry Association, Domino’s Pizza Inc., Culver’s Franchising System, Pennsylvania Beef Council, and National Chicken Council.

About the Animal Agriculture Alliance. The Animal Agriculture Alliance

is an industry united, nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture.

We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

Mentors for the 2019 competition include: • Chloe Carson - Manager of Digital Communications - National Pork Producers Council • Lukas Fricke - Hog Farmer - ChorChek Inc. • Don Schindler - Senior Vice President of Digital Innovations - Dairy Management Inc. • Rebecca Hilby - Dairy Farmer - Hilby Family Farm • Cara Harbstreet, M.S., R.D., L.D. - Street Smart Nutrition • Marissa Hake, DVM - Veterinarian - Midwest Veal, LLC/Strauss Feeds • Beth Breeding - Vice President of Communications and Marketing - National Turkey Federation • Jennifer Osterholt - Strategic Marketing Consultant and Farmer - Osterholt Marketing & Communications, LLC • Virginia Beckett - Director of Issues Response and Monitoring - National Cattlemen’s Beef Association • Elizabeth Barber - Vice President of Corporate Development - The F.L. Emmert Company • Lauren Arbogast - Chicken Farmer - Paint The Town Ag • Karoline Rose - Leader - KRose Company • Michelle Jones - Grain Farmer - Big Sky Farmher • Allison Devitre - Regulatory Scientific Affairs - Bayer Crop Science • Jessica Peters - Dairy Farmer - Spruce Row Farm • Michelle Miller, - Sheep and Cattle Farmer - Farm Babe, LLC

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 27

North Carolina Angus Association

Howard Gentry of Gentry Homeplace Angus – 2019 NCAA Hall of Fame Inductee There is not a more deserving member to be included among the dedicated and selfless individuals who helped shape the North Carolina Angus Association. Howard Gentry has spent his entire life being involved with Angus cattle and the North Carolina Angus Association.

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS Backed by the world’s largest and most reliable genetic evaluation program.

Registered Angus genetics deliver better calving ease, more growth, and superior marbling.

Contact one of these N.C. Angus breeders today for your next genetic selection: 4K FARMS/TARHEEL ANGUS Richard D. Kirkman, DVM Siler City 919-742-5500 email: info@tarheelangus.com

MESSICK ANGUS Kathleen Messick Madison 336-937-1956 email: messickangus@yahoo.com

BACK CREEK Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe); 704-880-3572 (Robin) email: robinbackcreek@att.net

PANTHER CREEK FARMS John C. Smith, Jr. Pink Hill 252-526-1929 email: JohnSmith3982@embarqmail.com

BB ORGANIC FARM NC, LLC R. & E. Miller Wake Forest 919-570-2816 email: bborganicfarmnc@gmail.com

PROPST FARMS James L. Propst Zach Moffitt - Manager Concord 336-736-6340 email: zmoffitt19@gmail.com

BILTMORE ESTATE Kyle Mayberry - Manager Asheville 828-768-1956 email: livestock@biltmore.com www.biltmorelivestock.com BRIDGES BEEF CATTLE Eddie, Cindy, John & Crystal Bridges Shelby 704-692-2978 email: bridgesbeefcattle@gmail.com C-CROSS CATTLE COMPANY Duane Strider Asheboro 336-964-6277 email: ccrosscattle@yahoo.com www.ccrosscattle.com

SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 email: mrooker@mrookerlaw.com SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Phil Goodson Rick Kern - Manager Louisburg 919-880-9062 (Phil); 919-272-6124 (Rick) email: jpgoodson@bellsouth.net www.springfieldangus.com TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 email: greg.little@ATImetals.com

FOUR S FARMS Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly - Manager Salisbury 704-640-5875 email: kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com

UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-953-0521 email: uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.com

GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 whgentry@windstream.net

VANDEMARK ANGUS Keaton & Janie Vandemark Spring Hope 252-885-0210 email: keaton@vandemarkfarms.com

H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 email: jennham@bellsouth.net

WINDY HILL FARMS, LLC Michael A. Moss Will Moss - Manager Ramseur 336-549-0070 email: michaelmoss@rtmc.net

HILL ANGUS FARM Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 email: gmhill@uga.edu

WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 email: rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

JACK KNOB FARMS Karl, Janet, & Logan Gillespie Franklin 828-371-2220 email: karl@jackknobfarms.com www.jackknobfarms.com LANE ANGUS Roger Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7711 email: ritalane@embarqmail.com

Doug Rowell and Jim Scarlett present Howard Gentry with his plaque to signify his induction into the N.C. Angus Association Hall of Fame.

Howard grew up in King, N.C., where he and his wife Donna still reside today. Howard’s passion for the Angus business began with his father William H. Gentry and his Uncle Ira Gentry.

These men were the founders of Gentry Brother’s Angus, one of the preeminent Angus herds in the state during the ‘60s and ‘70s. In the ‘80s, Howard began his own seed stock herd at Gentry Homplace Angus. He has produced quality, highly sought after Angus cattle ever since.

Howard has also dedicated much of his time and expertise to the North Carolina Angus Association. He has held several offices and been an instrumental member or chairman of almost every committee, including the Spring Fever Sale, Endowment, Hall of Fame, and Marketing committees, just to name a few. Howard’s mild manner has made him the perfect leader, not just for the

Angus Association, but also for the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association and the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Howard has many fond memories of activities with the North Carolina Angus Association. Former NCCA Secretary, Bette Laursen, had an opportunity to reminisce with Howard about some of those past Angus experiences. Howard told Bette, he remembers the early ‘60s when the far western part of the state, the Asheville/Brevard area, was the home for most all Angus activity. At about age 8 or 9, he recalls going to sales in Asheville and how far away they seemed from his home in King. He remembers that the first Angus sale he went to was run more like a stockyard sale although most of the member and association sales in those days were “dressed up” sales. Meaning halter broken, clipped and clean cattle, and coats and ties for producers and buyers.

Howard has been helping other Angus breeders for many years. For example, in 1989, Howard led an educational session at the summer field day where he taught about clipping, nutrition, washing, and the health aspects of preparing cattle for a sale. Bette recalls, on that Saturday, Gentry ended his talk with these words: “Marketing is important. You have done a lot of work and have gone to a lot of expense. You have gotten up hay in the heat. You have fed cattle on the coldest day of winter.

You have spent time reading and studying Angus genetics. You have invested in cattle, facilities, and equipment. Don’t cut yourself short on sale day. Do a good job marketing.” That statement exemplifies the hard work and dedication Howard Gentry knows is required to be a successful cattleman and his willingness

Sharon Rogers

N.C. Angus Association Executive Secretary

336-599-8750 Email: ncaa.sec@gmail.com Website: www.ncangus.org

Howard Gentry in the pasture with his Angus cows.

PAGE 28

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

to take those extra steps to reach his goals.

Some members of the North Carolina Angus Association also shared their thoughts of having the privilege to work with Howard over the years: Joe Hampton - Howard Gentry has been a part of the North Carolina Angus family from his birth. Howard and his cattle have excelled at all parts of the Angus seed stock world. He has exhibited champion Angus females, produced test station winning bulls, consigned highly sought after females at our state sales, and participated in a successful annual bull sale with other producers.

In addition to producing quality cattle, Howard has supported the Association. He has served in every capacity from President to committee member working behind the scene to advance an Association objective. He always has a smile and a thoughtful comment.

Robin and I met Howard and Ira on an American Angus Association tour in Georgia in the early ‘80s. We traveled

between Angus farms on a bus for two days. We were riding the same bus, and because we were all from North Carolina, we sat together and visited between stops.

I do not remember the Angus operations we visited, but I do remember thinking how lucky Robin and I were to get to spend time with Howard and Ira. Howard is a Southern Gentleman, and I am proud to call him a friend.

Bruce Shankle - After some intense thought, this is the most applicable statement I can make about Howard.

Howard Gentry is the Angus breeder that I would be proud for my grandchildren to use as a role model. Howard breeds cows with a consistent purpose, to develop functional and marketable replacement stock that will produce profitable calves for his customers. He spends more time and resources in sire selection than most breeders spend managing their herds.

Howard is a strong supporter of all the N.C. Angus Association activities.

Several years ago, the Monroe Area Bull Sale was in dire need of a few more Angus bulls. Howard stepped up to the

plate and has been a most valuable asset to this bull sale ever since. Last year after the hurricane, the Anson County youth heifer show arena was flooded, and the Extension Service decided to cancel the show and pull all the financial support. The Anson County Cattlemen’s Association put together an emergency show so that these valuable young cattlemen could have their heifer show.

Without any request, Howard Gentry sent a check to assist with the class premiums.

This is just one of the many reasons Howard Gentry is and has been one of our most valuable North Carolina Angus breeders.

Bill and Jane Ebert - Bill Ebert recalls the many late night calls and communications with Howard during the reorganization of the N.C. Junior Angus Association in the late ‘80s.

His support and advisement helped the juniors evolve into a stronger state association where the juniors and their families became involved in the total operation of their organization. Thus, leadership was developed within both the

junior membership, parents, and Angus membership. When you view the juniors today and their accomplishments, Howard Gentry was one of the people in the background that made things happen.

Bryan Blinson - On behalf of the North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, I would like to congratulate Howard on his well deserved induction into the North Carolina Angus Hall of Fame.

Howard has been a dedicated leader of the beef industry in the state for many years. He effectively led the Cattlemen’s Association on the Executive Board and certainly during his term as President in 1997. Howard continues to serve, as he now heads up the N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation as their Chairman. Howard’s dedication to the future if the industry is exemplified in his efforts to help usher in the Foundation’s scholarship program.

These scholarships are helping numerous students further their education to ensure that we have supporters, educators, and leaders to follow in the footsteps of visionary and dedicated leaders such as Howard.

The Down East Angus Sale Sponsored by:

November 2, 2019 www.ncangus.org The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 29

ANGUS NEWS Angus Convention Giveaways Exceed Expectations. Attendees have a chance to take home three different grand prizes. Shine up your boots, dust off your hat and pack your bags to head west. Reno, Nev., is set to host the 2019 National Angus Convention and Trade Show November 2-4. This is the farthest west the convention has ever been held, and the grand prize giveaways truly meet the needs of any western producer. While the convention is known for executing the highest level of education, networking, and country music entertainment, the grand prize giveaways are better than ever this year.

The first of three giveaways featured is the Priefert Rodeo and Ranch Equipment cattle handling system. The corral features a solid sweep with a straight working alley, adjustable to one of four widths, leading to a Priefert Model S04 Squeeze Chute. The set up is completed by a TruTest by Datamars complete weight and

water management solution, electronic identification reader, and WaterWell 2 automatic waterer. The Priefert and Datamars systems are designed to help producers handle livestock safely and efficiently and increase productivity while working cattle.

“Producers from across the nation look forward to the Angus Convention each year,” American Angus Association CEO Mark McCully said. “Not only is there top notch educational sessions and a place to catch up with friends and colleagues, but our industry partners offer exceptional giveaways to better life on the ranch for three lucky attendees.”

The second giveaway is a new XUV835M HVAC Gator™ Crossover Utility Vehicle provided by trusted equipment manufacturer, John Deere. The Gator features an enclosed three person cockpit with heating, ventilation and air conditioning, power steering, front and rear suspension, and 54-hp gasoline engine.

LONGEST CONTINUING ANGUS SALE IN NORTH CAROLINA

If you sell calves by the pound, we have top quality Angus bulls and heifers at afforable prices.

Saturday • December 7, 2019 • 12:00 noon East Carolina Agriculture and Education Center Hwy 64, Exit 478, East of Rocky Mount

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

THE PARTNERS MARTY ROOKER

SMITH CREEK ANGUS Norlina 252-257-2078 252-213-1553 (cell)

PAGE 30

ROGER LANE

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

“Whether it’s a snowy December morning or a warm summer day, the winner of the Gator will be able to cross terrain while remaining comfortable in an enclosed cab,” McCully said.

In addition to the already extensive lineup, Bridgeview Manufacturing has recently announced their sponsorship of a Bale King 5300 Processor. The Bale King 5300 is a unique three bale processor that saves producers time, fuel, and miles.

Processing hay alleviates some of the wasted energy that livestock use in tearing a bite of feed out of a packed bale or spent digesting unprocessed bales.

“We know how important feed rations can be on a producer’s bottom line,” McCully said. “The winner of this exciting giveaway will provide their cows with more palatable feed, properly bed confined areas, and improve overall herd performance.”

Registration is now open for the 2019 Angus Convention and will remain open until the day of the event. Single day passes are also available, and attending only the 136th Annual Convention of Delegates is free. The Kick Off Party celebrating the Angus Foundation, American Angus Auxiliary Breakfast, Association Awards Breakfast, and National Angus Tour are all ticketed events at additional cost. Participants can also make hotel reservations while registering online.

Visit www.AngusConvention.com to access convention schedule, tradeshow information, and much more.

Zoetis to Sponsor Angus University Workshops at Angus Convention.

Producer education has been a top priority of the Angus Convention since its inception in 2014. The American Angus Association® is excited to welcome Zoetis as the sponsor for the 2019 Angus University workshops during the Angus Convention.

“The hands on Angus University workshops provide an environment for producers to listen to speakers and have their questions answered in a candid format,” said Mark McCully, American Angus Association CEO. "With a wide variety of content, there is something for producers of all sizes and segments

of the cattle business. We are excited to bring Zoetis on board as a sponsor of our comprehensive educational event."

This year’s Angus University workshops cross a multitude of topics.

Angus 101 covers everything a producer needs to know about interacting with the Business Breed. From how to tell your story with the Angus Media team to learning more about Association herd management tools, the track will keep a producer up-to-date on all things Angus.

A bull focused track covers proper bull development, and the Angus Genetics, Inc. team will give $Value updates.

Then, a female focused session will host industry leaders from the King Ranch® Institute and Iowa State University as they discuss decisions in a profitable cow/calf operation, as well as the relationship of marbling and cow function.

Sessions geared toward the commercial sector will help producers learn more about value added feeder calf programs and also includes a CattleFax market report. Finally, the live cattle handling arena will host industry experts as they demonstrate effective stockmanship and evaluating structural correctness and foot scoring.

“Zoetis has been a great partner of the Business Breed for many years,” McCully said. “We are excited for them to join us as we present educational support for producers in every segment of the cattle industry. We hope producers come eager to learn because there is no shortage of education at the Angus Convention.”

ANGUS MEANS BUSINESS. The American Angus Association® is the nation's largest beef breed organization, serving more than 25,000 members across the United States, Canada, and several other countries. It's home to an extensive breed registry that grows by nearly 300,000 animals each year. The Association also provides programs and services to farmers, ranchers, and others who rely on Angus to produce quality genetics for the beef industry and quality beef for consumers.

For more information about Angus cattle and the American Angus Association, visit www.angus.org.

You shouldn’t have to have a gun held to your head to take advantage of the expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies featured in the Classifieds in this issue!

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

$C — A Way to Balance Traits

By STEPHEN MILLER Angus Genetics Inc. The Angus genetic evaluation and dollar value indexes ($Values) saw a number of changes rolled out on May 31. These changes have included a revised model for beef value ($B) and the introduction of a new maternal index, maternal weaned calf value ($M).

With that, breeders also gained the ability to preview a new $Value for Angus cattle that will become official in June 2020 — combined value index or $C. $C combines both maternal and terminal segments of the value chain. This is literally a combination of $B (terminal) and $M (maternal) where $C = $M + (1.297 x $B). Maternal weaned calf value ($M) is based on the profitability of a cow/ calf herd that selects and raises their own replacement heifers and sells all calves at weaning. $B looks at the profitability of calves postweaning, considering selling them on a value based grid. $C is just the $M index, but instead of selling the calves at weaning, they are retained and sold on the same value based grid as $B. The reason $C is not a simple summation of $M and $B and is instead $M + (1.297 x $B), is because $M and $B are on slightly different scales. $M is based on profit differences between animals on a per-cow-calving-in-the-herd basis; where $B is, and always has been, based on a per-steer-in-the-feedlot basis.

In order to combine them, so $C, like $M, can also be based on a per-cow-calving basis, $B needed to be multiplied by the 1.297 factor.

Why $C? The new $C really provides a way to balance emphasis on maternal and terminal traits systematically. This challenge is apparent when one looks at expected response to selection when selecting on either $M or $B alone.

Expected change in each of the traits in

Angus’s genetic evaluation is presented in Figure 1 and is presented in units of the trait, such as pounds of yearling weight or percent of docile animals.

For some traits, like marbling, where the units are small, these have been multiplied by 100 to get them on a comparable scale, so they can be compared on the same graph with other traits.

The response represents what might be expected after about ten years of selection.

When selecting on $B alone, with no regard for maternal traits, the response in growth is obvious; but some other traits also change. An increase in growth and carcass weight will also result in an increase in cow weight because cow weight and earlier growth traits are positively correlated.

Angus's genetic progress for yearling weight, carcass weight, and mature weight are well documented in the genetic trends (available at www.angus.org).

Not only has Angus improved growth rate considerably, which improves profitability in the feedlot, but the breed has also increased cow size. Recent results from the across-breed studies at the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) have identified Angus to now have the largest cows in addition to having the largest carcasses.

Selecting on $M with no regard for postweaning profitability of the calves can also be problematic. The emphasis on cow weight in the $M model is negative, and over time, with no selection pressure for growth, postweaning yearling weight will start to reverse. These smaller cows weaning the same size calves will be more efficient and thus more profitable.

However, these same calves when arriving in the feedlot will have reduced growth during this phase, which will not be desirable for the purchasers of these

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Figure 1.

calves.

However, when using the new combination index, $C, the selection on growth and cow weight is more balanced.

With $C, yearling weight expected progeny difference (EPD) is increasing at almost the same rate as it was with selection on $B alone, but the cow weight is increasing at only half the rate as it was under strict $B selection. $M can be considered a counterbalance to $B. $B increases growth and as a result, the correlated trait of cow weight; but $M places a negative weight on cow size. When $M is combined with $B in the $C index, it helps slow this rise in mature cow weight.

Although the new $C combines both $B and $M, the $B index is having a larger impact in $C for a couple of reasons. First of all, the $B includes the major revenue traits in the production system (cattle marketed on a quality grid). Although both cost and revenue are important, it is not possible to build a profitable business by only cutting costs, revenue is important.

Secondly, these important revenue traits, such as carcass weight and marbling, are well characterized with EPDs influenced by large amounts of data and as a result have quite a bit of spread from top to bottom.

Therefore the EPDs for the terminal traits spread the cattle out more on $C. In general, the maternal traits have less data behind them, as many of these EPDs are newer, and have less associated spread.

Overall, the correlation between $B and $C is 0.95, which is very high.

On the contrary, $M and $C only share a correlation of 0.21, and the correlation between $M and $B is even lower at 0.10. (Remember a correlation of 1.0

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would mean animals rank exactly the same for each trait being compared.) The relationship between $B and $C within a herd that has been turning in maternal data on mature cow weight, docility, heifer pregnancy, and foot score is less highly related (0.88). These herds collecting more maternal data have more spread in their maternal EPDs, and as a result spread their cows out more on $M, which in turn has a bigger impact on $C. So to some extent, breeders can influence how much emphasis traits have on the $Values. If a herd is more diligent in recording a trait, the EPDs on those animals will be more accurate, spread more, and in the end have a bigger impact on the $Value.

The new $Values have been well received by breeders, and the opportunity to get acquainted with the new $C index ahead of the June 2020 release has created a lot of interest as well. With $M playing a role in $C, breeders will want to have their cattle characterized for the EPDs that underpin $M as accurately as possible.

The solution for this is recording. Breeders should be approaching maternal trait recording with renewed vigor including cow weight, heifer pregnancy, docility as well as foot score.

The official release of $C is slated for next summer. In the meantime, breeders can download $C on their owned and active animals through their AAA Login. However, $C is not included on registration certificates, Sire Evaluation Report searches, or EPD Pedigree lookups for current sire and dams, or non-parent bulls and cows. For this reason, individual rankings for current sire and dams or nonparent animals cannot be established with 100 percent certainty.

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 33

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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PAGE 36

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Herd Management

By DR. STEVEN E. MEADOWS Clemson University Beef Specialist

EPDs, Economic Indexes, and the Basics Over the past many years, we as cattlemen have continually been told to use expected progeny differences (EPDs) in making genetic selections in our herd.

The industry has certainly improved growth, milk production, lowered birth weights, moderate frame, etc., in our herds. There is little doubt that we all are better off today than we were before these genetic predictors.

However, we must remember that EPDs are one of the tools in the tool chest and not the only one. Cattlemen know that there are many different traits that are not measured numerically. Recently, we have made great advancements in EPD calculations that are now focusing on generating EPDs for profitability, both at the farm or ranch and in the feedlot. Today, breed associations are producing EPDs for structure, cow size,

longevity, teat and udder quality, scrotal circumference, energy efficiency, and more. Both purebred and commercial breeders have available a range of EPDs to use in their decision making process.

With all of the EPDs available for a breed, it is difficult at times to know which way to turn in order to produce the optimum animal for your herd.

The process of breeding a genetically balanced individual/herd is daunting.

Many breeds have 25 or more different EPDs to address individual traits.

A more recent advancement in the cattle industry is the use of Economic Selection Indexes. One of the advancements to make selection decisions easier are the “Economic Selection Indexes” that breed associations are calculating. These indexes allow breeders to focus selection pressure on feedlot and

cow herd performance and overall farm/ ranch profitability. These “Economic Selection Indexes” consider multiple EPDs that influence overall production (e.g., maternal ability). For example, in the Angus breed, the Maternal Weaned Value Index ($M) is derived through calculations using the EPDs for calving ease, weaning weight, milk, heifer pregnancy, docility, mature cow weight, claw set, and foot angle. As you can see, there is a combination of EPDs that are to be considered in building a strong cow herd, and these ‘Economic Indexes” can do a lot of your homework for you.

The index values generated are reported in dollars, and comparisons between animals would allow for evaluation of the economic impact of choosing one animal over the other. These indexes were designed to simplify your breeding decisions, but you must have the working knowledge of how they work to apply them in selecting breeding stock.

“Economic Indexes” published by the American Angus Association allow for the selection of cattle that will primarily produce calves that are headed for the feedlot. These indexes are “Feedlot Value” or $F, Grid Value or $G and Beef Value or $B. Note these are all

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“Terminal Economic Indexes” that select cattle for carcass quality, feed conversion, and growth. There are no considerations for maternal EPDs considered in these traits. If cow/calf producers are retaining females for replacements, they need to consider maternal indexes that address traits needed in the cow herd. Most breeds calculate “Economic Indexes” but use different terminology. Regardless of the breed(s) you are considering, I would recommend you go to their sire summary and review the glossary of EPDs as well as what traits are used in calculating the index for that breed. While the examples used above are from the American Angus Association, other breed associations have similar calculations.

When shopping for seedstock this fall and next spring, do not be blinded by just the EPDs, but also evaluate and rate the animal for general conformation, structural correctness, frame, disposition, muscle, and volume. Lastly, make sure that the animals you have chosen to buy have performed above the average of their contemporary group. When you have analyzed all available data, make sure the animal that you select is one that will be the “Complete Package” for your herd and environment.

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 37

Q&A With A Beef Field Nutritionist

By BRIAN G. FIESER, Ph.D. Archer Daniels Midland Company Brian specializes in seedstock production and cow/calf operations. He has been with ADM since 2007 as a field nutritionist. Brian is a fifth generation farmer and raises cattle on his family’s farming operation in south central Kansas.

• B.S. in Agriculture (Animal Science and Industry) from Kansas State.

• M.S. (Ruminant Nutrition) from University of Kentucky • Ph.D. (Animal Nutrition) from Oklahoma State 1. What are the advantages of working with a nutritionist? Working with a nutritionist gives you an opportunity to work with a specialist: someone who does this job day in and day out. A nutritionist knows the right questions to ask to ensure your operation has what it needs to succeed.

The industry is trending towards feedlots and large ranch operations to work with nutritionists. These customers understand the value these experts will provide in improving performance and managing resources on their operation.

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2. What is the difference between a private and company nutritionist?

Sometimes there is a perception that nutritionists who work for a feed company may not be as objective as a private nutritionist. The nutritionist’s job is to work for the customer, whether they are privately or company employed.

In fact, nutritionists who are affiliated with feed companies often have access to resources that private consultants do not. For example, at ADM we have a large research farm and a team of R&D experts that we work closely with to test feed and ensure we are providing our customers with the best formulation for their operation.

The advantage of a larger feed company such as ADM is the ability to perform application research that has been mostly eliminated from university programs and funding.

Whatever you decide, the most important thing is that you work with someone who makes an effort to build a relationship with you and gets to know

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

you and your needs.

3. Will a nutritionist want to physically visit the operation? I don’t always have an opportunity to visit every operation, but I prefer to.

When you visit an operation, you get a chance to see the equipment, facilities, and cattle. For example, we don’t want to recommend an ingredient or program that the owners aren’t able to store or manage properly. But being able to see the operation is not only important for understanding the physical layout, it also helps you build a relationship with the owner. There is no substitute for developing that relationship and really understanding the owner’s goals and expectations.

4. What information will a nutritionist want from me? Every operation is different. My job is to figure out the requirements for the level of production, what the forage base is, and what the expectations are for production.

In order to do that, it’s important for the owner to know what their resources are (what kind of storage system do they have, what kind of ingredients do they have on hand) and what their expectations are (desired spend and desired outcome).

My job is to take that information and come up with a nutritional plan that aligns resource inputs with desired performance for our customers.

5. Do nutritionists specialize in different types of operations? Absolutely.

There is a difference in how you approach the nutritional plan depending on the operation. Most nutritionists work in feed yards. Others specialize in cow/calf and stocker operations.

6. What should I expect from my nutritionist? A nutritionist should provide a clear plan to enhance the utilization of your available feed resources to meet cattle performance goals. This may include rations, mixing sheets, supplement program, forage management plan, and more.

That being said, your nutritionist is only as good as the information he or she is given. Your nutritionist should also know to be flexible and ask the appropriate questions so that they have a good understanding of your resources and expectations. A nutritionist’s top priority is to do what’s right for their customer and find the most affordable way to meet their goals without cutting any corners.

7. How should a nutritionist and vet work together? Communication between your vet and your nutritionist

is key to preventing problems from occurring. Nutrition and health are very closely tied. The health of the cattle will be enhanced by providing the nutrients they require. Likewise, implementing proactive health and vaccination programs will improve cattle performance. Including both your vet and nutritionist in an operational management plan will deliver dividends.

8. What are some challenges that you typically see when you visit producers? When you are engrossed in your own operation, you may not see the subtle changes that take place in your herd over time. However, the reality is we’re not producing the same animals today that we were five or ten years ago.

Today’s cattle have different needs and stressors, and often, they would benefit from a different feeding program. Be open to that change, and don’t let old habits get in the way.

9. What if we are limited on feedstuffs other than mediocre grass and hay, and what if we don’t have access to options like DDGs and other supplemental feeds? I’ve seen this a lot in the last month and have done quite a few rations using ADM supplements and soybean meal and cracked corn from the operator’s co-op. Cows do a phenomenal job of utilizing feedstuffs, so there was only a subtle cost difference.

Listen to your neighbors and know what’s available locally to you. Many are putting out cover crops and forage crops, so this fall and winter, there should be a lot of forages and feedstuffs available.

Work with a nutritionist to get those ingredients tested and learn how the animal can best utilize it.

10. How does stress impact breedback or other performance factors? Cattle are programmed to perform – to eat and to grow – so the goal of owners and caretakers is to help alleviate any stressors that might hinder that performance. We have come a long way in understanding how nutrition programs may help mitigate stress symptoms — for example, making a change to a nutrition program by adding supplements in the winter or finding more ways to keep cattle cool in the summer. Nutritional management plays a fundamental role in coping strategies for any stress event.

Understanding the nutritional hierarchy (the prioritization of nutrients needed by the animal) is the first step in utilizing nutrition as a proactive strategy to lessen the negative impact of stress.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 39

NORTH CAROLINA HEREFORDS

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PAGE 40

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

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The Juggling Act of Bull Selection

By KAYLA JENNINGS

Balancing expected progeny differences (EPDs), genomics, indexes, performance, and structure is important for your next bull purchase. As bull catalogs fill the mailbox and late nights are spent analyzing data or assessing phenotype on bulls via video or photo, there is no doubt breeding decisions are at the forefront this time of year. While producers utilize the various selection tools offered today, it is easy to become overwhelmed in a hurry. Fortunately, as part of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Cattlemen’s College, Matt Spangler, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, and Shane Bedwell, chief operating officer and director of breed improvement for the American Hereford Association (AHA), provided some insight.

Bedwell says it is important to remember producers may deviate slightly from each other on selection criteria based upon unique, individual factors.

“We understand that each selection decision maybe caters a little bit different to your own environment, to your own setting and production goals that you have,” he says.

From the ground up - From a phenotypic standpoint, it is absolutely critical bulls are sound on their feet and legs. If the goal of the producer is to breed cows to produce calves with longevity, which it is, the bull has to move fluidly in order to do that. Bedwell notes producers should look for overall functionality of bulls before deciding to utilize them during the breeding season — that functionality is where structure comes into play.

When looking at a diagram, Bedwell says it is easy to see what the correct angles look like. Cattle should have a 45º angle on the front part of the shoulder to the top part of the shoulder, and another 45º angle from the point of the shoulder coming into the top of the knee looks like.

While it is more challenging to see these things in a pen of live bulls, he says it is important to look for them.

“That’s how that bull is going to get the absolute most athleticism out of his front end,” he notes.

Moving to the rear skeleton, Bedwell stresses the importance of good joint mobility in the stifle.

Ideally, there is a 45º angle from the top of the pin bone going down into the stifle joint. Additionally, there should be another 45º angle from the stifle joint going down into the top of the hock.

“If we lose that, we’re losing the

overall locomotion and movement of that bull,” he says. “The things that I’ve found to be the most successful when you’re trying to identify these cattle is to study their top line, and study how they hold their head when they move. The other thing is to go to the ground and see how they fill their track.”

Bedwell says if something looks wrong on their topline or they are not filling their track, that problem is indicative of a skeletal issue.

Genetic tools - Today, cattle producers have more genetic evaluation tools available than ever to combine with phenotypic evaluation. This advantage is huge because it moves the industry forward when it comes to selecting higher quality cattle, based on several criteria points.

“If we think about the fundamentals of genetics,” Spangler explains, “it’s that the phenotype, what we see, really comes about through not only genetics but the environment. It’s really the cumulative effect of both genetics and environment.”

Spangler compares bull buying to grocery shopping. Before going to the store, it is important to have the list of needs beforehand. This is no different when attending a bull sale. Spangler advises producers to take time on the front end to prepare a list of breeding objectives for the operation.

He says producers should ask themselves: • Am I keeping back replacement heifers?

• Do I plan to sell calves at weaning, or will I background them and sell them later as yearlings?

• Am I going to retain ownership all the way through the feedlot and sell on a grid value based system?

“The answers to those questions dictate what traits are economically relevant for you,” he notes. As a producer raising replacement females, sustained cow fertility (SCF) would be one of those traits because fertility drives the bus when it comes to beef production.

Growth would be second, and carcass would be the third trait of relevance to that producer, according to Spangler.

Maternal calving ease and maintenance energy are two more traits he spotlights. Put simply, he says if a bull has female progeny that have trouble calving, and she takes more feed to maintain the pregnancy and to take a calf to weaning, she is not economical to keep. Moreover, this bull is not the best bull to breed to the cowherd.

For the commercial producer, Spangler says it is important to remember the merit in crossbreeding, as well. He notes a study done by the United States Meat Animal Research Center that found crossbred females compared to their purebred contemporaries were able to stay productive in the herd for a little over a year more.

“That means they have about an extra calf in their lifetime,” he explains. “And they have a cumulative weaning weight advantage of 600 lb.” That additional 600 lb. is a substantial economic advantage for the producer.

Still, the additional pounds mean nothing if those cattle are not selected to fit the environment. Spangler uses a scenario of an operation with little feed availability. In order to get the most out of the land, the producer should utilize the genetic tools to select cattle that are feed efficient and high in growth.

The reality is, with little feed, those cattle need to still maintain the ability to have healthy, strong calves that improve the bottom line. Because of environmental reasons, cattle that work in this hypothetical operation may not work in other areas. Again, that example is why Spangler stresses the importance of establishing goals based upon the environment, then using the genetic tools to select for those.

The balancing act - Identifying the “grocery list” of traits can be challenging.

Spangler cautions it is easy to get caught up in single trait selection.

“The problem with that is traits are correlated to one another,” he explains.

“Once I ignore the first trait and start selecting on the second one; there’s the potential I erode progress I made in the first trait over time.”

Additionally, he sees producers sometimes overlook a bull which was just below the established threshold in one trait but superior in all others. Passing over those bulls sometimes means passing over the potential to move the cowherd forward with the right mating.

“The other thing that you have to understand if you’re buying a bull is there’s more than one trait that impacts the profitability of your ranch,” Spangler explains. “So it’s not just calving ease, and it’s not just weaning weight.

There’s a multitude of traits that impact profitability, and you have to select for multiple traits simultaneously.”

That process can be cumbersome, but, fortunately, there are economic indexes to aid in the process. Indexes

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are established by weighing several traits together and producing a number indicating the economic value of that animal — considering those traits.

Spangler breaks the exhaustive list of indexes into two categories — terminal and maternal. The terminal indexes are for producers looking to raise cattle to enter the feedlot, and the maternal indexes are more suited for developing females.

In addition to these indexes, genomically enhanced EPDs (GE-EPDs) are becoming increasingly more popular.

“The benefit of that, particularly those of you purchasing young yearling bulls, is that it increases the accuracy of their EPDs,” he explains. “It mitigates the risk of you having made the wrong bull selection decision.”

Genomics provide a look into what exactly the bull is capable of before he even has progeny hit the ground.

Spangler highly advises producers utilize this technology when selecting bulls. He says it is yet another way the industry has worked to aid producers in selecting the best bulls to produce the highest-quality calves.

Bedwell and Spangler both agreed in saying there are several pieces to consider when selecting bulls this breeding season — phenotype, genotype, and environment. At the end of the day, tools and resources are available to producers to simplify these decisions. Producers interested in more information regarding selection can visit Beef.UNL.edu; NBCEC.org; and Hereford.org.

Reprinted from the March 2018 Issue of Hereford World

N.C. Weekly Auctions Report

Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 (Week ending SEPTEMBER 6, 2019) Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $124.00 - 157.50

400-500 $120.00 - 140.00

500-600 $121.00 - 139.00

600-700 $117.00 - 118.00

700-800 $-------- - ------- 800-900 $-------- - -------Heifers 300-400 $120.00 - 131.00

400-500 $105.00 - 126.00

500-600 $115.00 - 120.00

600-700 $ 99.00 - 110.00

700-800 $ 82.00 - 93.00

800-900 $-------- - -------Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $53.00 - 66.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $48.00 - 66.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $60.00 - 74.00

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 41

S.C. Charolais News

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

The Charolais breeders are gearing up for the Southern Connection Sale on October 26 in Calhoun, Georgia. We have more than 50 live lots consigned, consisting of breeding age bulls, pairs, splits, bred heifers, and open heifers. We also have several donor cows consigned by Oak Hill Farm. If you are looking to add some quality genetics to your herd, attend the sale or call Dennis Adams or one of the consignors for a phone bid. Trucking will be available for delivery. Try to be there if you can, because we always have a good time with lots of good food.

Charolais open heifers consigned to Southern Connections Sale.

We are all having a great fall calving at this time. Of course, most of mine are bulls. I have three heifers so far. We have a new bull, so all I can figure is it has to be the water here. No matter what bull I run, I always have a ton of bulls with just a few heifers. Keep that in mind if you need a bull next year, because my bull pasture will be full in six months.

For my story this month I will tell you how I celebrated my birthday. I went to check the cows. As soon as I got in the pasture, one of my older cows (15 years old to be exact) came up to me having a fit. I looked and saw her calf had gotten himself into the hayfield next to the pasture. I checked the fence, and to this day, I have no idea how he got in there.

There was no fence down and no sign of how he got in there. The gate to the hayfield is at the other end of the field near the house, so I knew I couldn’t get him down there. I was here by myself, and it was 99ºF, so I had to figure out something.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

I disconnected the barbwire at the T-posts and moved it up and down between the T-posts to make a big gap big enough for the calf to go through. I walked that field trying to move that calf to the gap for an hour. I calmly tried to walk him because one-month-old bull calves don’t have any sense anyway, and I didn’t want him to start running. I worked and worked, all the time calling the mother cow to come closer. The little snot would go right to the opening and turn around and go the other way. Finally, the dam came close to the opening, and he walked out. That cow led him up into the pasture, fussing him out all the way. I figured if I can do that on my 67th birthday and it didn’t kill me, I can definitely make it to 68.

I know a lot of you folks got flooded with the hurricane, and we have been thinking of you and praying for you. The folks in the Upstate would appreciate it if

Charolais open heifers consigned to Southern Connections Sale.

you would send some of the rain up here.

We didn’t get a drop and haven’t seen a drop in several weeks. Hopefully, when you read this, we will be getting some rain up here as I am writing this the first week in September.

Just a little warning: I am sending out letters this month for volunteers to send articles for the Spotlight on Charolais in January. You can’t say I didn’t warn you.

Volunteer…Don’t make me have to get on the phone and call people.

The 2020 Clemson Bull Test Has Started

By STEVEN E. MEADOWS, Clemson University A tremendous set of bulls were delivered to the Clemson Extension Bull Test on August 6. The bulls were in a warm up period for two weeks and began the gain test on August 20. Bulls were delivered from South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina breeders. This is a great set of bulls that were born from September through December 2018, and they represent the following breeds: Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Simmental, and Simmental X Angus.

We will once again use the Grow Safe system to measure feed efficiency on the bulls. The bulls will be on test for 112 days. During this period, they will be evaluated for rate of gain, weight per day of age, structural soundness, disposition, carcass, breeding soundness, and feed efficiency.

Commercial cattlemen interested in lowering feed cost in their cow herd should give serious consideration to these performance tested bulls, which also offer unique feed conversion data for the Southeast. Feed efficiency is a heritable trait, and selecting feed efficient bulls with outstanding gain will enhance the bottom line of the cow herd. The bulls are trait balanced bulls and offer the buyer the opportunity to select potential herd bulls that will sire great commercial female replacements as well as sire outstanding feeder calves. The weigh reports will be available on the Clemson University Extension Bull Test website every 28 days.

If you have any questions or would like to see the bulls, feel free to contact me at smdws@clemson.edu.

Remember to mark your calendars for February 1, 2020, for the Clemson Extension Bull Test Sale at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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VIDEO AUCTION EVERY MONTH Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.

January 8 • February 5 • March 5 • April 2 • May 7 • June 4 • July 9 August 6 • September 3 • October 1 • November 5 • December 3

SOUTHEAST LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE

John Queen: 828-421-3466 • Evans Hooks: 770-316-9611 Canton, NC • 828-646-0270 • SELEXvideo@gmail.com • www.selex-video.com PAGE 44

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Creating Profit for Commercial Cattle Producers

By FRED SMITH FSC Ranch believes major changes are necessary for a cattle industry that is becoming more competitive and more volatile every day. Therefore, our vision is to create a value added system that focuses on three areas to meet these challenges and to serve and equip our customers in this new environment with a realistic competitive strategy. While there are details and execution challenges with any business strategy, we seek to provide a positive answer to three questions customers ask their seedstock provider: 1. Do you care for me?

2. Can I trust you?

3. Can you help me?

Please join us on October 25 for dinner and a social hour at the FSC Ranch beginning at 5:00 p.m. There will be an after dinner presentation given by Dr. Bob Weaber, a nationally recognized Professor/Extension Specialist at Kansas State University in the area of Beef Breeding and Genetics. He will present the latest information on “Crossbreeding A Cattleman’s Free Ride.”

We are dedicated to producing SimAngus™ cattle that add value to our customers at all seasons of the beef production chain. Breeding goals matter!

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there!

The Evergreen Magnolia is our company logo because the Evergreen tree is green in all seasons of the year.

The Evergreen breeding philosophy is simple, yet requires rigor to achieve. We combine outstanding phenotypes with science to produce cattle that are balanced and work in all seasons for our customers.

This goal requires us to remain constant and focused on all seasons in the cattle business: calving ease, growth, maternal, and carcass merit traits. We make it a priority to breed bulls that are balanced and work in all seasons for our customers.

At FSC Ranch, we take a very long-term view of providing the highest quality genetics. We realize that it takes much longer to achieve excellence than many people think, but through focus and perseverance, we are confident we can produce the finest SimAngus™ genetics possible for our customers.

To achieve excellence, we emphasize the traits that have the largest economic impact on our customers’ breeding program. For our customers in the cow/ calf business, the options are simple: Wean more calves and wean heavier calves. Our structured and balanced approach includes: cattle raised on a forage based, high fiber ration, DNA

testing, and using all data possible to make our selection decisions.

We focus on five EPD traits and two index traits for the following reasons.

Calving Ease Direct EPD (CE) – It all begins with a live calf that does not require assistance and does not impose undue strain on the calf or dam.

Weaning Weight EPD (WW) – We believe most of our customers market their calves at weaning time where they are sold by the pound, so we emphasize this growth trait.

Yearling Weight EPD (YW) – This highly heritable trait offers individual genetic growth potential for increased efficiency in the feedlot.

Stayability EPD (STAY) – The greater stayability that a sire’s daughters have to remain in the herd over six years equals fewer replacement heifers, thereby reducing the overhead cost associated with replacement heifers. Pregnancy has a four times greater economic impact than any other production trait. Females that stay in the herd reduce replacement rates, which is a high economic driver for cow/ calf producers.

Marbling EPD (MARB) – Consumers are demanding more high quality beef options, and marbling matters and increases return to the cattleman.

All Purpose Index (API) – In North Carolina, the average herd size is 41 cows. API is the most effective selection tool available for these producers to achieve profitability. It measures the expected performance of progeny of Sim genetic bulls used on the cow herd, with a portion of the daughters retained for breeding and the remaining progeny being sold.

Terminal Index (TI) – Terminal index measures the expected average performance of progeny including the growth and carcass of Simmental genetic bulls used on a cow herd, with all offspring placed in the feedlot and sold grade and yield.

The goal at FSC Ranch is to improve our customers’ profitability and sustainability in the cattle business. We believe this is best achieved by using sires that will produce seedstock bulls and heifers that rank in the top 30 percent for the five EPDs targeted above and rank in the top 10 percent for both API and TI indexes. When an animal attains this goal, we label it an “Evergreen Bull or Heifer.” Therefore, our customers can buy with confidence, knowing that every breeding decision is made to produce “EVERGREEN CATTLE!”

In addition to focusing on these measurable traits, FSC Ranch also focuses on the following important common traits: correct structure, udder quality, foot and leg structure, and quiet disposition.

At FSC Ranch, we test all our progeny to provide the most up-todate genetic information on all our sale animals. All progeny sale animals are both homozygous polled and homozygous black. Every bull has received a Breeding Soundness Exam, as well as an ultrasound

scan for IMF ratio, BF ratio, and RE ratio.

On behalf of the team at FSC Ranch, I can assure you that we are seeking to be the best genetic seedstock provider for our customers by doing everything just a little bit better by putting forth a “little extra effort.” We agree with Coach Vince Lombardi: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

The difference between Good and Great is a Little Extra effort.

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Week ending SEPTEMBER 5, 2019)

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of all markets ending Thursday, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019. All cattle in this report are located in North and South Carolina.

Prices FOB the farm or local scale and many weighed with a 0-2 percent shrink and sold with a 5-8¢ per pound slide on the heavy side only. Many lots all natural.

Cattle Receipts: 2,051 Last Month: 4,406

Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 53 percent steers and 47 percent heifers. Nearly 96 percent of the run weighed over 600 pounds. Head totals are based on load lot estimate of 49,500 pounds.

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1) Avg. Wt. Price Range 825

$145.00

Head 35

Wt. Range 825-825

Head 78 77 49 68 65 120 61 56

Wt. Range 575-575 635-635 600-600 725-725 750-750 800-835 800-800 875-875

Head 82 33 75 70 210

Wt. Range 600-600 610-610 650-650 675-675 700-720

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range 600 $143.00 610

$142.50 650 $129.50 675

$145.25 705 $141.00 - $143.00

Avg. Price $143.00 $142.50 $129.50 $145.25 $141.89

Value Added Value Added

Head

28

Wt. Range 700-700

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1) Avg. Wt. Price Range 700 $140.00

Avg. Price $140.00

Delivery Value Added Delivery Split Loads Value Added

Avg. Price $145.00

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 575

$142.00 $142.00 635 $143.50 $143.50 600 $135.50 $135.50 725 $132.75 $132.75 750

$140.00 $140.00 817

$135.50 $135.50 800

$140.25 $140.25 875 $128.50 $128.50

Head 33 138

Wt. Range 600-600 700-725

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 600 $120.50 $120.50 712 $134.50 - $136.25 $135.38

Head 240 36 143 147 67 140

Wt. Range 600-625 600-600 675-685 650-685 735-735 700-700

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 616 $131.50 - $133.25 $132.67 600 $136.50 $136.50 680 $127.50 - $129.50 $128.51 666 $134.00 - $137.00 $135.13 735 $126.00 $126.00 700 $137.25 - $141.75 $139.50

Delivery Value Added Delivery Value Added Split Loads Value Added Value Added

Delivery Value Added

Delivery Value Added Value Added Value Added

Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA Market News Service, Raleigh, N.C. - 919-707-3156

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL

Be a winner!

Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state cattlemen’s association!

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association Jim Graham Junior Simmental Scholarship Winner. This year the winner of the Jim Graham Junior

Cara Smith, the recipient of the 2019 Jim Graham Junior Simmental Scholarship.

Simmental Scholarship is Cara Smith of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. Cara has been involved in the Simmental breed for almost ten years and has been very active in attending many cattle events.

She has been a participant in the AJSA Eastern Regional for four years and has also participated in the National Classic another four years. This year we are especially proud of Cara because she was selected from among other Simmental juniors to serve as an AJSA Trustee.

This is the first time a junior from North Carolina has served as a Trustee. She will help throughout the year at different cattle events, especially Regionals, and will be able to attend many industry leadership and development workshops. We are so proud of Cara for being able to represent North Carolina in this way.

Cara is the daughter of Craig and Elaine Smith and attends Guilford

Technical Community College and studies Nutrition. She hopes to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is able to continue to work on the family farm, Steeple Creek Farm, by attending a local university.

Cara was awarded this Jim Graham Junior Simmental Scholarship in the amount of $500 at the N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting on September 6 at Shuffler Sale Facility in Union Grove.

Congratulations, Cara!

SIMMENTAL . . . Because They Work!

Take it from this N.C.S.A. Breeder: Doug Peterson of Cub Creek Farm in Wilkesboro, N.C.

“After three decades of breeding Simmental cattle, my confidence in Simmental genetics has not changed.

Straightbred Simmental of the right type make excellent individuals and crossbreeding with Simmental offers almost any commercial breeding program a significant advantage.” ~ Doug Peterson Cub Creek Farm

Doug Peterson Cub Creek Farm

Contact these progressive SIMMENTAL breeders!

Cub Creek Farms Doug Peterson Wilkesboro, NC 336-667-4306

Waco Cattle Company Marvin Hutchison Waco, NC 704-435-4607

Shade Tree Simmentals Ralph Blalock, Jr. Wilson, NC 252-289-6007

Triple M Farms Tony Matthis Clinton, NC 910-592-7472 or 910-592-6702

Ridgewood Simmentals Rusty & Cara Henson Boone, NC 828-265-3450

Fred Smith Company Ranch Fred Smith Clayton, NC 919-422-4092

TX Enterprises Charlie & Amy Thomas Winston-Salem, NC 336-575-5461

Cedar Ridge Simmentals Benji & Joe Ben Hunter Gray Court, SC 864-682-3308

Rucker Family Farm Phil & Jennie Rucker Hamptonville, NC 336-468-1675

Nicholson Livestock Clay & John Nicholson East Bend, NC 336-699-4780

JBB Simmentals Jeff Broadaway Monroe, NC 704-221-0997

Cedar Creek Ranch Bill & Marie Pyle Franklinton, NC 919-494-1145

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Circle M Cattle/Massey Farms Langdon Red Angus & Simmental Johnny & Jonathan Massey John & Eileen Langdon Burlington, NC Benson, NC 336-260-2565 919-796-5010

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

• BOONE WILKESBORO •

• EAST BEND • HAMPTONVILLE • WINSTON-SALEM • FRANKLINTON BURLINGTON • WILSON • CLAYTON • • BENSON • WACO • MONROE • CLINTON

• GRAY COURT

N. C. Simmental Association • Jennie Rucker, Executive Secretary 1341 US Hwy 21 • Hamptonville, NC 27020 • 336-468-1679

√ Check out our webpage: www.ncsimmental.com • email: NCSA@yadtel.net

American Simmental Association 1 Simmental Way Bozeman, MT 59715 406-587-4531 406-587-9301 FAX

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Simmental News National Classic Promotes Breed, Primes Future Generation. Real world genetics and youth development meet at Simmental’s premier junior show.

The Simmental breed is founded on data, but it balances a science-backed approach with youth development. Both existed in tandem during the American Junior Simmental Association’s National Classic, hosted in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Here at the National Classic, we pride ourselves in our educational contests that we have throughout the week. We have a genetic evaluation quiz, cattlemen’s quiz, public speaking contest, and sales talk and judging contests,” says Darla Aegerter, American Simmental Association Junior Activities Director and Foundation Manager.

All the educational contests are in addition to exhibiting some of the breed’s top genetics. The idea is to equip each attendee with the knowledge and skills necessary to face life in and out of the

ring. Hunter Aggen, Minnesota, junior, is a testament to that goal.

“I’ve learned about many different things about cattle. I’ve made lots of friends and lots of connections that have helped me in places that go way beyond the cattle industry and the Simmental breed,” Aggen says. “They go way beyond that.”

Required to participate in four of the five activities, Aggen is one of 283 youths who participated in the 2019 program.

“Whether it’s at your hometown, in the grocery store or at a livestock show, wherever it may be across the country, you gain skills like being able to hold conversation and stand up for your own thoughts - all the stuff that comes from being around a bunch of other juniors that are pushing you to constantly be better and do better,” he says.

Beyond the friendships, Aggen says the diversity of genetics at the show represent the balance his family seeks in

their herd back home.

“Balance is several different things.

You want balanced phenotype, cattle that are going to type up in a show ring that are going to be the right type and kind, but at the same time you want to have a balance of EPDs and genomic backing behind those cattle to where they can stand out,” he adds.

The goal is balanced cattle that succeed in the ring and America’s pastures. And, of course, kids with a passion for Simmental who will someday blaze their own trail.

Consider, for example, Katherine Nemcovic, a young Florida junior member.

“I like cows because they’re nice when you work with them and they’re sweet - especially my heifer, Senorita.

She’s the sweetest as can be,” she says.

At eight-years-old, Nemcovic looks up to other young exhibitors who give her words of advice and encouragement as she gets her start, more evidence the Simmental breed continues in a good direction.

Seedstock members or commercial producers wanting to learn more can visit www.simmental.org or contact the Association at 406-587-4531.

About the American Simmental Association. Founded in 1968, the American Simmental Association is

The Carolina Cattle Connection

headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. ASA is committed to leveraging technology, education, and collaboration to accelerate genetic profitability for the beef industry.

In keeping with its commitment, ASA, along with its partners, formed International Genetic Solutions - the world’s largest genetic evaluation of beef cattle. Learn more at www.simmental.org.

Regular copy deadline is OCTOBER 5 for the

NOVEMBER issue!

Is there a problem?

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 51

SVG Ventures Announces Valley Irrigation as the Latest Partner to Join the THRIVE Innovation Platform SVG Ventures, a Silicon Valley based venture and innovation firm, announced recently that Valley ® Irrigation, a Valmont ® Company, has become the latest Corporate Partner to join its THRIVE Venture & Innovation Platform. Valley Irrigation is The Leader in Precision Irrigation ® and offers a pivotal end-to-end cloud based platform with real time equipment, environmental, and agronomic data. The immediate data provides solutions for conserving water and meeting the growing demand for food. The new partnership between Valley and SVG signifies the company’s continued commitment to advancing a more efficient and sustainable agriculture supply chain through best-in-class technology.

SVG-THRIVE leverages its award winning global AgTech platform to connect corporate partners like Valley with their worldwide network of entrepreneurs to drive innovation and identify emerging technologies that advance the future of food and agriculture. Valley will have the

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opportunity to partner with startups, participate in global pitch events, mentor accelerator startups, custom programs, and workshops, and join SVG’s network of corporate AgTech partners.

“We are delighted to welcome Valley Irrigation as the latest Corporate Partner. Progressive corporations, like Valley, are proactively looking across the globe for innovative solutions,” said John Hartnett, Founder & CEO of SVG Ventures-THRIVE. “Our platform delivers qualified dealflow and incredible opportunities for both our corporate partners and our startups,” he added.

In 2018, irrigation charted as a $1.03 billion (USD) global industry and is expected to reach $2.84 billion by 2025; advancements in the irrigation space represent a significant opportunity for disruptive technology. From the initial offering of GPS guidance in tractors to today’s predictive analysis, the technology involved in farming operations has evolved, but the goal has remained the same: increase ROI for the grower. Valley Irrigation is focused on

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

optimizing the future of AgTech with the knowledge that water is still the most important determinant of yield. Applying water accurately and efficiently results in higher profits. Valley realizes the power in fully connected crop management tools by incorporating the latest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensor technology. The latest Valley Irrigation pivots will now be able to not only apply water and crop protection products but also scout for other issues that threaten yields, such as pests and disease.

“The partnership between SVG Ventures and Valley Irrigation is creating great value for us and other organizations dedicated to evolving technologies in agriculture,” said Trevor Mecham, Vice President, Global Technology Strategy for Valley. “The organizational structure that SVG-THRIVE has provided creates not only great collaborations amongst leading industry providers to scale their businesses and relationships, but also provides insight into new AgTech companies that are up and coming.”

Valley Irrigation continues to raise the bar on technological advancements and recently announced another industry first with their cloud based remote management platform that establishes a new competitive advantage for irrigation management. “This new innovation furthers the Valley tradition of helping growers become more advanced and efficient,” said Andy Carritt, Vice President, Product Development. “This industry first will be with updates functioning similarly to the smartphone updates, most people are familiar with –

but for their smart panels.”

About Valley Irrigation. Valley Irrigation founded the center pivot irrigation industry in 1954, and our brand is the worldwide leader in sales, service, quality, and innovation. With historical sales of more than 250,000 center pivots and linears, Valmont built equipment annually irrigates approximately 25 million acres around the world. We remain dedicated to providing innovative, precision irrigation solutions now and into the future. For more information, please visit www.valleyirrigation.com.

About SVG Ventures-THRIVE Innovation Platform. SVG VenturesTHRIVE is the leading AgriFood innovation ecosystem, comprised of top agriculture, food, and technology corporations, universities, and investors. With a community of over 2,000 startups from 82 countries, the THRIVE platform invests, accelerates, and creates unparalleled access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. AgFunder recognizes SVG Ventures-THRIVE as the “Most Valuable AgriFood Platform in the World.” For more information, please visit www.thriveagrifood.com.

THRIVE VI Applications Open.

SVG Ventures is currently accepting applications for its sixth THRIVE Accelerator program. The program will take place over four months, commencing in February and culminating at the Forbes AgTech Summit in Salinas in June 2020. The application deadline for startups is October 31. To apply, please visit the THRIVE website.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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New Holland Celebrates 45 Years of Twin Rotor Technology by Rolling Out New Combine Updates The 2020 models to feature best-inclass grain quality, lowest losses, and increased capacity. Celebrating 45 years of New Holland-pioneered Twin Rotor® technology, 2020 will mark an exciting year for the agriculture equipment leader in combines. The CR Series 2020 models will feature a significant power upgrade, the revolutionary proactive IntelliSense™ system, and significant cab and capacity improvements.

The 2020 models include the CR8.90 with a Cursor 13 engine and 571 peak horsepower (up 54 horsepower from 2019) and the CR7.90 with a Cursor 9 engine and 460 peak horsepower. The CR8.90 is now the most powerful Class 8 combine on the market, delivering outstanding capacity per hour with the same remarkable grain quality and low losses as the previous series. The 2020 models, built in Zedelgem, Belgium, feature increased horsepower and Stage V emission certified engines as part of New Holland’s clean energy leadership

position in the market.

“This is truly our best combine yet for the row crop farmer,” says Luiz Miotto, combine product marketing manager for New Holland, North America. “Our focus is that the operator gets the highest yield possible from their fields with maximized power, capacity, grain quality, and uptime.”

The benefits of the New Holland CR combine are confirmed by an independent third party, PAMI, and as reported, the CR combines can deliver more productivity by harvesting more acres per hour with less fuel and fewer losses over the competition. Per the PAMI study, on a 5,000-acre farm (2,500 wheat and 2,500 canola), operating the New Holland CR combine translates into fuel savings, and greater savings and returns due to faster harvesting and lower combine losses. The result is $23,000 in total savings to the grower or $4.60 per acre.

One of the CR Series’ most revolutionary features is the full line

integration of IntelliSense technology.

New Holland’s IntelliSense is a proactive, automatic combine setting system capable of selecting the best settings out of 280 million possibilities. The information from various sensors is analyzed by the computer and adjustments can be made every 20 seconds, following the strategy set by the farmer, such as Maximum Capacity or Best Grain Quality. By constantly adjusting the combine settings, the system can increase daily productivity by up to 20 percent.

For 2020 models, IntelliSense can manage barley crops and receives an advanced mode to further enhance its capabilities.

“The Twin Rotor combines have showcased the ultimate in harvesting performance since their introduction,” Miotto says. “Since then, we have taken significant steps forward in the technology to continue to stay at the forefront. The 2020 models will continue that legacy with our highest performing models to date.”

Other updates for the 2020 models

include improved exterior visibility with a darker cab interior, the addition of two USB ports and a modern cab climate control panel, and ten percent more flow capacity through the clean grain elevator. These models will also feature an optional Dynamic Feed Roll (DFR) Reverser, enabling the operator to clear DFR blockages from the cab, reducing downtime in the field.

About New Holland. New Holland Agriculture and New Holland Construction sell and service an innovative line of agricultural and construction equipment, including a full line of tractors; hay and forage, harvesting, and crop production equipment; skid steer and compact track loaders; compact wheel loaders; tractor loader backhoes and mini excavators.

Sales, parts, and service are provided by more than 1,000 New Holland dealers throughout North America. More information on New Holland can be found at www.newholland.com.

11 th A nnual B ull & R eplacement F emale S ale

November 16, 2019

12:00 noon • At the Farm in Burlington, NC

For more information or to request a sale catalog, contact:

Jonathan Massey

Johnny Massey

jonathan.massey2@gmail.com

johnnymassey.1@gmail.com

336-260-2565

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

336-214-4144

xpo

l a u n

E l l u B t s a e h t u o S

n A th 8

and

e l a S

1:00 p.m. • Saturday

NOVEMBER 16, 2019 Goforth Admiral E25 (18800231)

Sampson County Livestock Facility 93 Agriculture Place • Clinton, NC For more information contact: Zach Moffitt • 336-736-6340 or Mike Moss • 336-549-0070 The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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Improve Your Pasture Management with Penn State Extension Penn State Extension is offering a new online course, Grazing 101: Sustainable Pasture Management for Livestock, for new and existing grazing managers who want to start raising or improve their management of beef cattle, sheep, or meat goats on pasture.

According to course co-developer Dave Hartman, a member of the Penn State Extension Livestock Team, pastures can exist in places where other crops cannot; therefore, they can add value to otherwise unproductive land. He noted that it can be daunting to think about where to begin as no two plots of land are exactly alike. As you choose a grazing system that will be a good fit for you and your livestock, you will want to consider your personal goals, time commitment, and available resources.

“Going through the Penn State Extension online grazing course is a good investment of time and money,” Hartman said. “Farmers who are new to grazing livestock will benefit from this course by gaining a basic understanding of the plant and animal aspects of grazing management. Those who already have experience grazing livestock will learn

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more about the science behind what they already may have observed in the field. It is this information that will help individuals sort out what is the best avenue for them to pursue in grazing management.”

Forage quality is the basis of animal health in a grazing system and is impacted by plant development and the timing of grazing. This course will cover the practical aspects of designing a pasture system, such as the number of animals, paddock size, and fencing type.

Participants will learn about various types of grazing systems, such as rotational grazing, strip grazing, and high density grazing, as well as the benefits and challenges of each. There also will be an introduction to the costs associated with grazing and to opportunities for additional grazing based income.

“In today’s world, there is a lot of available information about grazing management that can be very confusing and contradictory,” Hartman said. “The Penn State Extension course is tailored for typical conditions in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast region of the United States.

There is no one right way to manage

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

grazing. This course will help you learn the fundamentals and decide what will work best on your farm.”

In this self paced course, participants will use a combination of readings, videos, and handouts to learn the basics of raising livestock on pasture. Text will be a primary source of information, along with supplemental videos and knowledge check questions. Each section of the course concludes with an opportunity to reflect on how to incorporate what was learned into a grazing operation. This course will provide participants with a practical, research based foundation on which to build a successful and profitable grazing enterprise.

“One of our main goals is to have participants think about how they can incorporate information from the course into a practical plan for the grazing program they manage or are planning,” said Jessica Williamson, extension forage specialist and co-developer of the course.

“A nice feature of the course is having access to it whenever it is convenient to you as a participant. It also allows you to go back and review material based on something you see in the field during the

grazing season.”

Once enrolled, participants will have access for one year to complete the course. The cost of this course is $99.

To learn more and register, visit www.extension.psu.edu/grazing-101.

About Penn State Extension. Penn State Extension serves individuals, businesses, and communities, helping them address problems and realize opportunities through educational programs, products, and services. In support of Penn State’s land grant mission, extension programs make a difference locally through face-to-face education as well as widely through online programs. With support from federal, state and county governments, extension has a tradition of bringing unbiased, research based information to the citizens of Pennsylvania for more than 100 years.

Penn State Extension offers a variety of online non-credit courses for the public. Consumers can access educational articles, videos, online courses, and publications at their convenience, and register for regional inperson workshops and online webinars on a wide range of topics.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

MERCK

Animal Health News

Future Bovine Practitioners Supported with Merck Animal Health Scholarships. As part of its ongoing commitment to advancing the practice of veterinary medicine, Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) is pleased to announce $90,000 in scholarships have been awarded to 18 exemplary bovine veterinary students.

The company presented each student with an American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award, as well as a $5,000 scholarship, at this year’s 2019 AABP Annual Conference held in St. Louis, Mo., September 12-14.

“Merck Animal Health is proud to honor these students with this important scholarship,” stated Justin Welsh, D.V.M., executive director of livestock technical services, Merck Animal Health. “This group of exemplary students embodies Merck Animal Health’s mission to advance the science of healthier animals, and I am confident they will go on to

strengthen veterinary causes in support of this mission as they continue to grow their careers.”

“The outstanding quality of the applicants this year demonstrates that the future of cattle veterinary medicine is in good hands,” said AABP executive director Fred Gingrich II, D.V.M. “The AABP is sincerely thankful for the partnership and support of Merck Animal Health so that we can recognize these promising future colleagues. Supporting the next generation of veterinarians is a mission made possible through these partnerships.”

The scholarships are available to veterinary students in their second or third year of school. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, career goals, work experience, and interest in veterinary medicine.

About Merck Animal Health. For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the

world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., is the global animal health business unit of Merck.

Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification,

traceability, and monitoring products.

Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www. merck-animal-health.com.

2019 AABP Bovine Veterinary Student Recognition Award Recipients: • Rae-Leigh Amanda Pederzolli - University of Calgary • Austin Ashbacher - Iowa State University • McKenzie Beals Weber - Iowa State University • Thomas Duff - University of Minnesota • Landon Fitzgerald - Washington State University • Elizabeth Forker - Michigan State University • Lauren Gentle - University of California-Davis • Mary Liebenstein - University of Minnesota • Kyle Longcore - Michigan State University • Caitlyn Mullins - North Carolina State University • Kathryn Osborne - Michigan State University • Luiza Placheta - University of Missouri • Morgan Richard - Louisiana State University • Dallas Shaw - Washington State University • Nicholas Shen - Lincoln Memorial University • Austin Wenck - University of Wisconsin • Janelle Wiser - North Carolina State University • Nathan Yerian - University of California-Davis

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

LIMOUSIN TODAY Purchase Finalized. The Board of Directors of the North American Limousin Foundation and the Limousin365 ownership group have reached an agreement regarding the purchase of the official breed publication, Limousin Today. The purchase was finalized at the Foundations’ August board meeting.

Gary Fuchs, NALF Board of Directors President, said, “The sale is viewed by the current NALF board as a team effort between the Foundation and Limousin365 to provide services to the membership regarding the promotion of Limousin and Lim-Flex® cattle to effectively grow the breed.”

NALF Executive Director Mark Anderson added, “The sale of the magazine allows the Foundation to concentrate on maintaining the quality and accuracy of the herdbook.

Membership utilization of the animal recording and DNA services provided by the Foundation will enable them to capitalize on the genomic information and the new single step cattle evaluation for more accurate EPDs.” Under the terms of the agreement, Limousin Today will be rebranded Limousin365. The planned initial publication date is January 1, 2020.

“The Limousin365 ownership group is excited to take over the management of the breed’s official publication and look forward to working closely with the Foundation and its breeders to promote the Limousin breed through this valuable breed marketing tool,” said Kiley McKinna, ownership partner of Limousin365. “Our team will strive to uphold the high standards set forth for the publication, which has proudly been the flagship promotional piece for the breed for nearly half a century.

Registration Fee Increase. The Executive and Finance Committees of the NALF board have been reviewing the current business model of the North American Limousin Foundation since the Spring of 2019. Registrations, transfers, and DNA testing are the primary income items for NALF. Registrations have declined this fiscal year by nearly 2,600 head compared to the previous fiscal year. This registration decline has also contributed to a reduction in DNA testing.

The Executive and Finance Committees also have been analyzing services required for membership in order to provide accurate and timely

recording and transferring of cattle, EPD production, DNA test results, and the management of events or activities that the membership has come to count on.

The NALF Board of Directors spent the bulk of its August meeting analyzing expense, revenue, fees, dues, services, and structure for NALF that the NALF executive committee had been analyzing since April of 2019. This review was not only comprehensive internally, but it compared our operation and fee structure to other breed association current fee structure and services provided. The decline experienced in animal recording and DNA testing has had a significant negative impact on the income side of NALF financials in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Expenses for the 2018-2019 fiscal year are well within budget.

With recent cuts in staffing, relocation to a smaller, less expensive office location, and consolidation of the staff job duties, the NALF board and staff have been committed to controlling our expenses while maintaining services.

The NALF board voted to increase our current fee structure at the August board meeting effective October 1, 2019.

These rates will enable us to maintain services and still balance our budget as mandated by the NALF strategic plan.

The new rates are listed on the self billing worksheet. The change in rates is very comparable to the rates charged by the American Simmental Association for both whole herd reporting (LIMS) and nonwhole herd reporting.

While no one enjoys or wants to increase rates, the board knows the increase is important so we can continue to offer the full range and quality of service to NALF membership.

Given the new rate structure, members that are not already on the LIMS whole herd reporting program should look to do so versus recording cattle under the Non-LIMS registrations fees. Small herds also can benefit from whole herd reporting with higher EPD accuracy values and the inclusion of all performance data, while receiving the benefit of the lower per head rate.

The Foundation and its membership have gone through a tremendous amount of change in recent years. Some of the implemented changes include new EPD generation at International Genetic Solutions (IGS), a new registry system with the NALF-DigitalBeef platform, improved DNA testing services with

conversion to SNP parentage and early prediction of an animals EPD set, particularly on young sires when genomic profilers are utilized by membership.

The NALF board and staff are committed to providing membership with quality service and breed promotion.

Providing quality member services while maintaining the fiscal viability of NALF for future generations of breeders is paramount to the board and staff. We are here for you.

Sincerely, Mark Anderson, You can find the new billing sheet at www.nalf.org/wp-content/ uploads/2019/09/Self-Billing-WorksheetOctober-2019-002.pdf.

Commercial Bred Heifer Sale Slated for November on Superior Livestock Auction. The Heartland Limousin Association (HLA) will once again sponsor and endorse a Commercial Bred Heifer sale to be held on Superior Auction in November. As of the present time, the auction is scheduled for November 21. In the November Select Female sale of 2018, the two pot loads of commercial bred females carrying 50 percent Limousin calves topped the market.

The deadline for entries is November 4. The video deadline is November 11.

The HLA commercial committee has set forth recommendations for consignments.

Commercial bred heifers need no registration. The requirement is that the

heifer will carry a Limousin influenced calf. The recommendation is that the calf should be 50 percent Limousin, but a minimum of 25 percent Limousin influence is a requirement to obtain an endorsement by HLA. All vaccinations and pregnancy checked schedules must conform to Superior Livestock Auction protocol.

Also, to achieve the maximum price for the consignment, spring calving windows should be no longer than 28 days. Pot load lots are highly recommended. A pot load of commercial bred heifers may be consigned by two producers, but service sires and calving windows should be similar.

For more information, contact the HLA commercial committee members or our Superior Representative.

• Glenn Treftz – 605/380-0014 • Randy Corns – 620/750-0924 • Casey Fanta – 320/288-6128 • Roger Potter – 701/333-8674 About the North American Limousin Foundation. The North American Limousin Foundation, headquartered in Englewood, Colo., provides programs and services, including the documentation of more than 25,000 head of cattle annually, for approximately 4,000 members and their commercial customers. The Limousin breed and Lim-Flex® hybrid offer industry leading growth and efficiency, while being an ideal complement to British breeds. For more information about NALF, please visit www.nalf.org.

Sell Sprin ing 275 g Bred Calving Heife rs!

12th Annual Commercial Bred Heifer Sale Saturday • October 19, 2019 • Noon Black Lick Cattle Company • Rural Retreat, Va.

Directions: I-81, Exit 60 (Rural Retreat exit), north on Black Lick Rd., farm 4 miles on the left

n o i t c u A e t u l o s Ab

All Heifers EID Tagged • Calfhood Vaccinated • Pelvic Measured Bred to Low Birth Weight Registered Angus Bulls from TK Angus in Valentine, Nebraska All Black • Few with Black White Face • Heavy Angus Influence Due to start calving February 21, 2020 for 60 days.

Will be sold in groups of 2-5 with some singles.

They all sell to the highest bidder & you set the price! *** Free Chuck Wagon Lunch from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon *** For more information, contact:

Edwin Wagoner & Associates (VAAR #3035)

Office - 276-768-8539 • Fax - 276-686-0140 • Mobile - 276-768-8539 For pictures and information, visit us on the web at www.wagonerauctions.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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NEWS Where Have We Come in One Health and AMR in the Last Five Years? Sometimes Christine Petersen, DVM, Ph.D. and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, finds herself carrying the banner for animals.

Petersen, who will be a speaker at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s 9 th Annual Antibiotic Symposium to be held in Ames, Iowa, this year, is a veterinarian who has spent her career surrounded by public health professionals practicing human health.

“One of the most important jobs that I have,” says Petersen, “is to remind them that a lot of what can happen in human health also happens in the larger environment; that the animal population is important when thinking about diseases.”

The issues that animal agriculture is grappling with are around that human/ animal interface,” says Peterson. “We need to pay attention to those exposures. We need

to talk about healthy animals so we can make sure we also have healthy people.”

Petersen is referring to the One Health approach, prevalent in discussions about antimicrobial resistance for the past few years, looking at the use and effectiveness of antibiotics in human health, animal health and our impact on the environment.

“It’s the Tale of Two Healths,” she says. “Ever since animal — or veterinary — health and human health split in terms of education, they stopped paying attention to each other.” That means the way we approach antimicrobial use has been separate. Both have had their own ideas on how the other affects resistance, but now, real conversations across the populations of human health and animal health are finally occurring.

It is critical that the issues and approaches being used on both sides are recognized and attributed together.

How did a vet end up in the public

health arena? Petersen grew up in central Pennsylvania farm country, and a local dairy vet took her under his wing, encouraging her to study animal science.

But while she was in vet school, she spent a summer at the International Livestock Research Institute and learned about the key interactions that are tangible in global health where, she says, animals are literally living outside your window or practically under your bed.

“My interest in zoonotic diseases started there, and my passion has been at that interface ever since,” she says.

Petersen will report on “Where Have We Come in One Health and AMR in the Last Five Years” at the 2019 NIAA Antibiotic Symposium, as part of continuing updates on scientific progress in the 9th year of this Symposium Series. The Symposium will also look at innovations in alternatives to antibiotic use in animals.

One important step forward that Petersen points to is the development of the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) task force on Antibiotic Resistance (AMR) in Production Agriculture. The Task Force took a One Health approach and recommended involving veterinarians,

physicians, and other scientific experts to work closely together for the better health of people, animals, and the environment.

That led to the creation of a National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE) to coordinate the implementation of the Task Force’s report and recommendations.

Recent studies are showing dramatic decreases in antibiotic use in animal agriculture, Petersen notes. But she says that “Vets are terrible at bragging or talking about what we have done, and we need to get the news across.”

Petersen thinks we need to make the story of agriculture tangible to everyone.

She advocates stories, instead of science.

“We happen to be in a phase right now of being less interested in science and more interested in personal stories. We need to be able to break it down the way people will accept it.”

“Conclusions on where antibiotic resistance is coming from on the animal side are being made and talked about without good data,” says Petersen. “How we look at that and communicate that will make a difference in what we do next.”

Beef Producer Adds Perspective to NIAA Antibiotic Symposium Panel.

Andy Bishop, who will be a speaker on a panel at the 9th Annual NIAA Antibiotic

Contact these RAAC members to learn more about Red Angus genetics and how they can fit into your herd.

HARDROCK BEEF CATTLE Ronnie & Donna Holman 4613 Hickory Nut Ridge Road • Granite Falls, NC 828-302-8659 ronnie@hardrockbeefcattle.com JK RED ANGUS Jeff Banfield & Madison Adams 331 Tee Jay Farm Road • Aberdeen, NC 910-281-3821 jkredangus@gmail.com LANGDON RED ANGUS & SIMMENTAL John & Eileen Langdon 7728 Raleigh Road • Benson, NC 919-796-5010 johnlangdon5@gmail.com ROGERS CATTLE COMPANY Johnny & Sharon Rogers 945 Woodsdale Road • Roxboro, NC 336-504-7268 rccbeef@gmail.com PRESNELL RED ANGUS Jonathan & Jacob Presnell 368 Whitaker Road • Shelby, NC 704-473-2627 (Jonathan) • 704-616-8775 (Jacob) BULL HILL RANCH Jim & Alvina Meeks • Raymond Prescott, Manager 1986 Trinity Church Road • Gray Court, SC 864-682-3900 • 864-682-2828 bullhill2@mindspring.com COUNTRY BOY FARMS David Miller 316 Key Road • Edgefield, SC 706-840-3709

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Symposium, has a lot going on.

He is a Director of Farm Services for AgTech Scientific. He chairs the Kentucky Beef Council Board, which means he is also on the Executive Committee of the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association. He’s a family man, and he uses Facebook to talk about animal agriculture.

Ask him what he does, and he says simply, “I am a cattle producer in the State of Kentucky.”

Bishop runs a cow/calf and seedstock operation and also has an organic poultry and eggs side of his business which sells to Whole Foods.

The panel he will be speaking on is about “Overcoming Communication Challenges.” He sees social media as somewhere we can have a dialog with people he might not see on an everyday basis.

“I’m not just friends with other producers, but with consumers, too. There have been times when I’ve had to educate someone on my position, because I get that they are not just pointing fingers about something they think is wrong, but because they don’t understand,” says Bishop.

He deals with the question of antibiotics or no antibiotics for his animals on a daily basis. On the organic poultry side, he says it can be a struggle to comply with the No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) standards. “We’ve had a couple of outbreaks on the poultry side that could have been treated with antibiotics,” he says. “They were catastrophic because we couldn’t use antibiotics. We not only lost money, but we also lost entire flocks because we couldn’t use antibiotics which would have cured them and kept them alive.”

“It’s a niche market because that’s what people want – No Antibiotics Ever,” he says. “We keep our poultry as happy and healthy as we can, but animals get sick, and at the end of the day, it would be nice to have the tools to treat them.

We do use a big vaccination program,” he adds.” In his cattle operation, he does use antibiotics judiciously, and he sees changes since the VFD regulations went into effect.

“We use beef quality assurance standards and work closely with our vet, which helps us to know when an antibiotic is necessary and when maybe it is not needed,” he says.

“People distant from farming are under the idea that we just pump our animals full of antibiotics and hormones to increase production,” he says. “But I want to take care of that animal if it needs it. If it is sick, I want to treat that animal.

Just like if one of my kids is sick, I want to get them well.”

“When you have a business, you are not going to spend money that does not bring a return,” he says, referring to the

expense of antibiotics if they were used the way people think. Bishop says he has a vaccination program through his vet for many of the diseases that they face every day. “We start the same program with calves; booster when we need to. It’s much cheaper to prevent than it is to react,” he says. “It’s no different than a flu shot for us, to prevent as much as we can.”

But he has a story to show that it is sometimes not enough. “We had a massive outbreak of pink eye on the cattle side,” he says. “It makes the animal uncomfortable; their eye swells up. In some cases, we can take Chlortetracycline (CTC) and add it to their feed or water, but VFD has made it more difficult to use that product. We have to treat individual animals, which means manpower and costs.”

“We had vaccinated for pink eye, we administered it, and it worked in 15 percent of animals, but in 85 percent, it was not effective. We had to stress those animals, get them up, run them through the chute, use a more expensive medication, put a patch on their eye. More stress to the animal than treating all of them once in their feed.

My whole family was there day in and day out as we found signs of pink eye.”

He says he does get frustrated communicating to consumers, because “we want to treat sick animals humanely, and people think antibiotics for animals are a terrible thing and should never be given.”

Communication experts have encouraged farmers and ranchers to use social media to help consumers understand them on a personal basis. “My go-to is Facebook,” says Bishop. “I am on there daily in some capacity, telling my beef story or talking about my chicken house or things that the kids are doing on the farm and why they are doing it.”

Another recommendation is to find ways to share values. “Why is my sevenyear-old out working?” asks Bishop, reflecting on some of the questions he gets. “We are instilling a work ethic.

They are learning how to take care of the animals and the lesson of responsibility for what God gave us. We expose them to everything we can, so as young individuals, they can have that opportunity.”

“They want to go take care of their animals,” he says. “They go with me at 5:30 a.m. to feed the cattle because they understand that the cattle need their breakfast, too.”

“I don’t post pictures of us treating our animals,” he adds, “because no one likes to see that.”

2019 NIAA Antibiotic Symposium Speaker Dr. Leah Dorman. Leah Dorman has a DVM behind her name and worked in a mixed animal practice, was an assistant state veterinarian, and worked for the Farm Bureau in Ohio, but now is the Director of

Food Integrity and Consumer Engagement for Phibro Animal Health Corporation.

She is also a panelist at the upcoming 2019 NIAA Antibiotic Symposium because she spends her days communicating about food and agriculture.

Dorman says any day she gets to talk about agriculture and food is a great day. She enjoys engaging customers and consumers in ways that build trust in agriculture.

Her blog, Ask Dr. Dorman, is a direct outreach to consumers to help answer their questions openly, honestly, and transparently, she says. “My blog may be about something that is in the news, or it might be about something that is just on my mind.” It runs on the Explore Animal Health website, along with Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Her Question and Answer page answers the most frequently asked questions about antibiotic use in animals in straight forward, easy to understand language. The answers are short and consumer friendly.

One example is a reference to the risk of human resistance resulting from animal antibiotic use when she says a study ‘concludes there is a one in ten million to one in three billion chance of treatment failure from antibiotic resistance related to the use of common animal antibiotics.’

She goes on to correlate that big number to something relatable. “You are far more likely to die from a dog bite or lightning strike than from treatment failure related to the use of antibiotics in animals.”

“We have to connect the dots for consumers,” says Dorman. “That’s one of the challenges in agriculture. We have knowledge that over 98 percent of the population doesn’t have.”

“We know the lengths we go to take care of our animals,” she continues, “and we assume the rest of the population knows, too, but that is just not the case.

We need to communicate not just what we do, but why.”

We can talk about antibiotics, vaccine use, and nutritional aspects for animals and people. But how does that translate into what consumers care about?

“Healthy animals, healthy food,” quips Dorman. “What is successful, what resonates with the end user, the consumer, is the One Health perspective,” Dorman feels. ‘We need to tell them about how whatever we are doing benefits the animals, how it benefits the environment, and how it benefits the consumer — and the food they feed their family.”

Continued on the next page

Wilkes Livestock Exchange 106 Armory Road • PO Box 2146 North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 Phone: 336-838-3442 • Fax: 336-838-3591 Weekly Sales - Wednesdays - 1:30 p.m.

Take-up Tuesday Evenings

Catching and Hauling Services Available

Shelmer Blackburn, Jr.

919-270-1522 • shelmerblackburn@hotmail.com

Seth Church

336-927-5370 • sethchurch@charter.net The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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National Institute for Animal Agriculture News continued from the previous page “Food is personal. It is intimate,” Dorman points out. “We take it into our bodies.”

“One of our challenges is not to get defensive if someone asks a question or makes a statement. They are only saying what they have heard, and what else do they have to go on?” she asks. “When a consumer asks a question, we tend to answer with facts, with science, and punch them in the throat with that science, but that doesn’t work! Consumers believe science is just another opinion.”

That’s a challenge, Dorman says, because the animal agriculture industry is very science minded. “It’s ‘Yabut’ Syndrome,” she says. “We want to say ‘Ya, but! The science says…’ The science is important. Everything we do has to be science driven,” she explains. “Except that we can’t lead with the science when we talk to consumers. If they don’t trust us, the messenger, they don’t trust our science.”

The challenge is to build trust and to do that, we need to lead with values.

According to Dorman, shared values are three to five times more important in building trust than facts and figures.

“I can back up what I am saying, once I communicate the why of the values,” she

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says, “but I can’t start there.”

First, understand what are they asking about? “Meat, milk, and eggs!

Things we know a lot about! Go ahead and answer the question! Most of the time, our values are more closely aligned with theirs than they thought,” she says.

“We just need to share them.”

“We need to let them see we are not faceless corporations; we are families,” she stresses. She thinks there are a lot of positive things happening, referring to combine and barn cams, someone harvesting or planting and showing it on Facebook, or talking about the challenge of weather, or sharing positive photos. “Great people are talking about what they do and why they do it every day. We need more of that!”

In addition to her communications work, Dorman is also a farmer. She says she raises corn, soybeans, wheat, malting barley, meat goats, dairy beef, and girls!

The most important thing she raises, she emphasizes, are her three girls.

She says she loves to get on an airplane and visit with fellow travelers, saying she hopes to get home in time to do chores or feed livestock with her family.

“It is always fun to see the reaction of the person next to me. They look at me

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

in my business suit and heels, and they think ‘you don’t look like a farmer,’” she laughs. “What does a farmer look like?”

NIAA is hosting its 9 th Annual Antibiotic Symposium in collaboration with NIAMRRE at Iowa State University on October 15–17. It will be themed around “Communicating the Science of Responsible Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture,” with scientific updates on antimicrobial resistance, innovation and alternatives, and special featured communications workshops and presentations by Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism.

For more information or to register for the 9th Annual NIAA Antibiotic Symposium, go to www.animalagriculture.org.

About the National Institute for Animal Agriculture. The NIAA was

established in 2000 to provide a forum to facilitate and engage industry leaders and organizations to derive solutions on the most current issues in animal agriculture.

Its members include producers, veterinarians, scientists, and government and allied industry representatives.

NIAA is dedicated to programs that work toward the eradication of diseases that pose a risk to the health of animals, wildlife, and humans. It also promotes a safe and wholesome food supply and best practices for animal health and well being as well as environmental stewardship.

NIAA issue initiatives encompass the entire animal agriculture field including cattle, sheep, swine, avian, equine, and aquaculture industries. More information is available at www.animalagriculture.org.

Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association News

By ROY COPELAN The Laurens County Cattlemen’s Association (LCCA) met on September 7 at the Laurens County Farm Bureau Building. Approximately 75 people attended the meeting. Everyone enjoyed a delicious catered meal provided by Midway BBQ of Newberry and sponsored by the Laurens Ag South office.

After the meal, LCCA President Dr. John Irwin welcomed everyone and turned the meeting over to Keri Garrett and the Ag South staff. Kerri gave a presentation on various Ag South programs. She reviewed, in detail, the Pasture Rangeland and Forage program and the Livestock Risk Protection program. Kerri provided handout materials and gave out a few door prizes.

Next, Roy Copelan gave highlights of S.C. Beef Council programs, including beef promotions, radio advertising at football games, and billboards. He also discussed S.C. Cattlemen’s Association activities, 2020 state memberships, the 2020 Annual Meeting, and youth scholarship information.

Don Sawyer discussed the Union County Farm Show.

Paul Wilkie reviewed the successful Laurens County Youth Livestock Show that had over 150 entries.

President Dr. Irwin adjourned the meeting. An LCCA Board meeting followed to plan out the remainder of the year.

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New NCCA Members for 2019

In 2007, members of the Membership Committee passed a resolution to recognize all NEW members of the NCCA in The Carolina Cattle Connection at the NCCA Annual Conference in Hickory. A new member is defined as someone who has never been a member or someone who has rejoined after a brief break in membership. The new members are identified in this new members section by name and county of residence.

Below is a list of NCCA’s new members for the last month: Burke County Eric Lowman Catawba County Matthew Ingle – Hunsucker Farms LLC Cleveland County Shelly Stockton – George Stockton Farms Duplin County Chase Britt Dondi Hutcherson Matthew Phillip Moore Abigail Valencia

Franklin County Weldon & Phyllis Jones – Weldon & Phyllis Jones Farm Johnston County Tyler Adams Randolph County Erik Beard – JLB Cattle Farm Rutherford County Laine Bailey Fidel Banuelos Taylor Bramlett Deandre Campbell Jayda Chapman Taylor Condrey Coden Francis Carsyn Greene Alayah Hamilton Ty Hannon Marla Harris Colby Kennedy Keirsten Ledbetter Jacob Martin Dallas McLain Anna Moneyham Kemya L. Mosley

Stokes County John T. Wall – Northridge Ranch Jonathan Wall – Northridge Ranch

Jessie Padgett Jacob Phillips Tyler Pinkerton Landon Pritchard Sheldon Roach Jared Smith Elisha Street-Dobbins Sadarie Suber Cameron Blake Walker Seth Webb Landon Wilson

Wake County Michael King Yadkin County Tyler Shoffner

BE A WINNER!

Join your local cattlemen’s association AND your state or regional breed association.

Carolina Cooking Salisbury Steak with Beef Gravy Total Cooking Time - 50 minutes 1 pound Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner) ½ teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules Combine ground beef and pepper in medium bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape beef mixture into four ½-inch thick oval patties. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place patties in skillet; cook 10-12 minutes or until instantread thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers 160°F, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.

Heat butter in same skillet. Add mushrooms and onions; cook and stir 3-4 minutes until tender. Dissolve cornstarch in broth. Add broth mixture to skillet; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat; cook 3-4 minutes until

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

thickened. Stir in Worcestershire and bouillon granules; cook 2 minutes.

Return patties to skillet; heat through.

Serve Salisbury steaks with gravy and your favorite vegetables and mashed potatoes, if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Salisbury Steak with Beef Gravy

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 67

It Pays to Map Out a Herd Health Program with Your Veterinarian. “A comprehensive herd health program is important for two key reasons,” said Richard Linhart, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “The primary reason is to keep the cattle healthy. The second reason, though many people may not realize, is for marketing purposes. Cattle that are handled, nourished, and vaccinated properly are going to be more enticing for potential buyers. Those cattle will bring you more money than cattle not properly enrolled in a health program.”

Dr. Linhart explained that an effective herd health program starts with consulting your veterinarian to make a plan that fits your operation’s needs.

“There are no ‘cookie cutter’ herd health programs that apply across the board,” he said. “If I were to prepare a program for a commercial cow/calf operation that sells calves at weaning time, it would look drastically different than the program I would recommend for a purebred breeder that sells replacement heifers and herd bulls.”

A well rounded program includes good management and nutrition, carefully selected vaccines, parasite control, a treatment plan, and consistent implementation of protocols year after year.

1. Stress Management - When animals are under stress, their immune systems can be compromised and make them susceptible to disease. Many times, periods of stress are elevated when a change occurs in the weather or the management of animals. Protect cattle during stressful events by practicing the following: • Shield cattle from harsh weather conditions, and give them plenty of bunk space.

• Avoid overcrowding, as it causes stress and promotes the spread of disease.

• Low stress cattle handling is key to making sure the moving process goes smoothly for both you and the cattle. Livestock move and react more predictably when they are calm and feel secure. Low-stress handling techniques include presenting a calm disposition, avoiding loud noises, reducing the use of cattle prods, and removing visual distractions.

• A metaphylaxis treatment, or a group antibiotic treatment, for at risk calves in a timely manner can help

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NEWS

reduce morbidity and mortality on beef operations. Good candidates for treatment would be newly weaned calves with an unknown vaccination history that have been on a truck for several hours. “Your antibiotic should provide protection against all four of the bovine respiratory disease causing pathogens - Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis,” noted Dr. Linhart.

2. Nutrition - A strong nutrition program is vital for cow reproduction, cow and calf health, and growth of all classes of cattle. 1 Animals should be put on a nutritionally balanced diet that encourages appetite and includes good forage, protein, concentrates, and quality trace minerals. “Trace minerals are critical in supporting immune health,” said Dr. Linhart. “Feed usually accounts for the single largest input cost associated with beef cattle, so work closely with your nutritionist to create a well formulated ration.2” 3. Parasite Control - Of all the animal health practices used to increase production, treating beef cattle for parasites gives producers the greatest economic return. 3 In fact, one study concluded that it could result in up to a $201 gain per head.3 Dr. Linhart encourages producers to design a control program with a veterinarian that targets the internal and external parasites that may compromise your herd’s health status and ability to convert feed to gain efficiently.

4. Vaccination - Before the calf is born, producers can provide protection in advance by vaccinating the dam. “Certain vaccines given to cows later in gestation are going to stimulate an immune response that will provide pathogen protection in the colostrum,” Dr. Linhart explained.

Before weaning, protect calves against respiratory disease with a modified live virus vaccine “Vaccinating before weaning gives calves the opportunity for their immune systems to work at optimum levels, and can help to keep the calf protected,” Dr. Linhart continued. “It’s important to understand that vaccines don’t work immediately.

They can take between a few days to two weeks to start working, so ideally we’d position vaccines prior to when calves are at risk of getting sick.”

When looking at vaccinations, a

veterinarian can provide in depth disease knowledge and guidance on proper vaccination timing, and they understand differences in vaccines. “There are literally hundreds of varieties of vaccines on the market, and it becomes daunting to know which one to pick,” said Dr. Linhart. “A veterinarian is going to be able to help you identify the best options for your cattle.”

5. Treatment - When animals do get sick, find a long lasting, fast acting antibiotic to use upfront. An effective treatment should provide calves with a rapid response to minimize lung damage and give them the best chance of recovering. It’s also important to work with a veterinarian to implement a standard operating procedure (SOP).

“An SOP should be put in place because producers will often give an antibiotic to a sick calf, then come back a few days later and say, ‘Hey, this isn’t working. I’m going to try something different,’” said Dr. Linhart. “That’s our emotions making the decision; which does not usually allow enough time for the antibiotic to kick in fully.”

Establishing an SOP with a post treatment interval protocol where clinical signs are closely monitored over a set amount of days will help determine if retreatment is necessary.

“Unless disease pressures change, or disease incidences change, try to stay consistent with your herd health program year after year,” concluded Dr. Linhart.

“If the protocols are constantly changing, it can be hard to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.”

References 1 Hersom M. Basic nutrient requirements of beef cows. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Extension Service. Accessed Feb. 21, 2019.

2 Lawrence J.D., Strohbehn D.R. Understanding and managing costs in beef cow/calf herds. Iowa State University.

Accessed Feb. 21, 2019.

3 Lawrence J.D., Ibarburu-Blanc M. Economic analysis of pharmaceutical technologies in modern beef production in a bioeconomy era. Iowa State University.

2009. Accessed June 20, 2012.

Are You Protecting Calves From BRSV? This lesser known respiratory disease can have a major impact on their health. Big temperature swings common during seasonal transitions can be stressful for cattle. That, combined with the stress of changing their environments, including weaning or mixing calves, opens the door for respiratory diseases to creep into your herd.

“Respiratory diseases tend to be more common in the fall, but we

also see an uptick in them whenever animals experience stress, including in the summer when calves are put out on pasture,” said Joe Gillespie, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

One respiratory disease that doesn’t get as much attention is bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV).

It occurs roughly a third as often as bovine viral diarrhea virus but can be more serious than parainfluenza-3 (PI3),

according to many experts.

BRSV was first diagnosed in animals in the 1970s and comes from the same virus family as the human version, which causes similar symptoms in young children. “In cattle, it causes more morbidity than death,” Dr. Gillespie said. “It’s the long term presence of the disease that can have a serious financial impact on herd productivity,” he added.

“Infected cattle don’t eat much and don’t

The Carolina Cattle Connection

gain weight, and their immune system is compromised.”

Weakened immunity - The economic impact of the bovine respiratory disease complex can be significant. Average daily gain for cattle infected with these diseases can be reduced by one quarter pound a day, noted Dr. Gillespie.1

Continued on the next page

q OCTOBER 2019

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Boehringer Ingelheim News continued from the previous page In the case of BRSV, the viral infection also weakens the animal’s immune system, often allowing for a secondary bacterial infection resulting in pneumonia. The virus initially infects the upper respiratory tract, with an incubation period of three to five days. Early clinical signs include mild nasal and eye discharge, fever, increased respiratory rate, decreased feed and water intake, and coughing.

“Between the fifth and seventh days after infection, calves are usually really sick and running a high fever,” said Dr. Gillespie. “The biggest challenge with

this disease is that once the animal is presenting clinical signs, it’s already weakened.”

Antibiotics can be given to treat the secondary infection, but little can be done to treat BRSV, other than providing fluids with energy supplements. “Infected animals could have permanent lung damage, and most will never gain as much weight as healthy animals,” he said.

Prevention is key - Because BRSV is endemic to the United States, it’s everywhere, he noted. A good preventive care plan includes vaccinating both cows and calves.

“If a cow has been vaccinated and has good immunity to BRSV, she will pass it to the calf in the colostrum, which will help to protect the calf for the first few months until it develops its own immunity,” said Dr. Gillespie.

“Vaccinating the calf at about 45 days of age allows you to develop that immunity at a critical stage, providing protection before it gets exposed.”

Research shows that the calf ’s immunity level improves and shows some protection already at four to five days after vaccination, but it typically takes 14-21 days for it to develop the full

complement of immune cells, he added.2 “Immune cells create a memory to recognize diseases such as BRSV, but that memory weakens over time, so you need to revaccinate calves again five to six months later, and cows annually to continue to protect them,” added Dr. Gillespie.

References 1 Smith R.A. Impact of disease on feedlot performance: a review. J Anim Sci 1998;76:272-274.

2 West K., Petrie L., et al. The efficacy of modified live bovine respiratory syncytial virus vaccines in experimentally infected calves. Vaccine 2000;18(910):907-919.

About Boehringer Ingelheim.

Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health business in the world, with net sales of almost $4.7 billion (3.9 billion euros) worldwide in 2018, about 10,000 employees, and a presence in more than 150 markets.

We have pioneered advancements in vaccines, parasite control products, and therapeutics that limit pain and slow disease, and we aim to create the future of animal well being for pets, horses, and livestock by focusing on prevention.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health Business has a significant presence in the United States, with more than 3,000 employees in places that include Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.

To learn more, visit www.boehringeringelheim.us.

Don’t put your cart before your horse...advertise that sale ahead of time! You’ll see positive results.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

q OCTOBER 2019

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Farm Credit News AgCarolina Farm Credit Announces Grant Deadline. AgCarolina Farm Credit is accepting grant applications through October 15 for programs benefitting farmers and rural residents in its 34 county service area in eastern North Carolina. Grants are available up to $5,000 per organization for programs in one of four focus areas: Education, Environment, Technology, or the Quality of Rural Life.

Grants are made available through AgCarolina’s corporate giving program.

AgCarolina has given back over $720,000 in grants and scholarships through the corporate giving fund since 2005 and is proud to serve and support the farms and communities of eastern North Carolina.

“Providing access to grant funds is a commitment from AgCarolina Farm Credit to invest in and improve rural North Carolina,” states President and CEO Dave Corum. “The AgCarolina corporate giving fund illustrates our dedication to being active in the communities we serve.”

To learn more about AgCarolina’s corporate giving and to obtain guideline criteria, visit the AgCarolina website at www.agcarolina.com/News/Community/ Grant-Program.aspx. Grant applications are available and will be accepted through October 15. Proposals will be reviewed and grants awarded, as early as possible, after October 15.

About AgCarolina Farm Credit.

AgCarolina Farm Credit is a farmer owned financial cooperative with headquarters in Raleigh. They are the leading provider of credit to farmers in central and eastern North Carolina.

AgCarolina Farm Credit has over $1.5 billion in loans and commitments outstanding to nearly 3,000 North Carolina farmers. Loans are made to finance land, homes, farm buildings, operating expenses, livestock, and equipment, as well as other purposes.

Credit life insurance, appraisal services, and leasing are also available through AgCarolina Farm Credit.

“the way i see it, our outgo is more than our income, which makes our upkeep our downfall” PAGE 72

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Palmetto LEAF Program Aims to Create Leadership Pipeline for South Carolina Agribusiness Industry Every impactful industry has influential leaders. Tech or retail, manufacturing or finance, service or hospitality, all require nimble, networked, principled visionaries. These individuals are people at the top of their games, who are passionate about shaping the future of their industries.

Now, Clemson University has created a program to help identify and cultivate leaders for the state’s largest economic sector – agribusiness – including forestry and related natural resource industries.

Palmetto Leadership Program for the Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry, or Palmetto LEAF, is a two year intensive instructional, experiential learning and networking program designed to push

agribusiness, forestry and environmental professionals to their ultimate career goals and create a leadership pipeline for the state’s $42 billion agribusiness industry.

Palmetto LEAF is directed by Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS) and Public Service and Agriculture (PSA) Division.

Palmetto LEAF Director Kirby Player said other states have had agricultural leadership programs, with the first developed in Michigan in 1965, and the idea for a South Carolina version has been discussed for a few years.

“The importance of South Carolina’s agriculture, forestry, and natural resources

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

industries cannot be overstated in terms of both economic impact and their role in shaping the lives of South Carolinians.

That’s why Clemson’s CAFLS and PSA decided that now is the time to provide an avenue through which the state’s best and brightest can lift these industries even higher and take the next steps in their careers,” Player said.

According to Player, Palmetto LEAF participants will gain insights from top leaders and professionals, network with each other and industry influencers, visit and interact with related industries in neighboring states and discover strategies for achieving work-life balance.

The program takes two years to complete and culminates with participants choosing and developing a practicum project designed to make a difference in their sphere of influence.

South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said Palmetto LEAF will be an accelerant to the state’s already strong agribusiness industry.

“The primary reason that SCDA was created 140 years ago is still true today.

That is to promote and nurture the growth and development of South Carolina’s agriculture industry and its related businesses. We see Palmetto LEAF as an important part of ensuring the agriculture industry continues to grow, and our farmers continue to prosper,” Weathers said.

The program is advised by a board comprised of representatives from the Palmetto Agribusiness Council, South Carolina DHEC, South Carolina DNR, South Carolina Farm Bureau, Forestry Association of South Carolina, South Carolina Forestry Commission, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, and South Carolina State University USDA

Liaison.

Dr. Jean Bertrand, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in CAFLS, proposed the idea of the Palmetto LEAF program. “Agriculture, forestry, and natural resources comprise the number one industry in South Carolina. Since its founding, Clemson University has supplied these industries with qualified graduates. The Palmetto LEAF program will expand this mission and ensure that these industries maintain a pool of well equipped leaders to meet employment needs,” Bertrand said.

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the average age of farmers has been trending consistently upward for 30 years, and South Carolina farmers are part of that trend with an average age of 58.3.

Palmetto LEAF is designed in part to help sustain the state’s agribusiness industry for future generations and equip leaders in key segments that support the economic engines of agriculture, forestry, and the natural resources of South Carolina.

Palmetto LEAF applicants should be South Carolina residents fully engaged in South Carolina agriculture, forestry or natural resources, or environmental stewardship. Participants will be chosen based on their leadership potential, career stage, and characteristics such as communication skills, integrity, growth potential, and analytical skills.

Applicants must be at least 28 years old

by January 15, 2020.

Applications for Class I (January 2020-December 2022) must be completed and submitted or postmarked no later than November 4. For online application and to learn more about Palmetto LEAF and applicant eligibility, visit www.clemson. edu/cafls/palmetto-leaf/.

Beef Promotion and Research Program

PRIVATE TREATY SALES CHECKOFF INVESTMENT FORM Information is required by (7 CRF 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine.

Information is held confidential (7 CRF 1260.203).

Today’s Date: ________________ Seller’s Name: ____________________________

Buyer’s Name: ____________________________

Address: _________________________________

Address: _________________________________

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

City: ________________ State: ____ Zip: ______

Seller’s Signature: _________________________

Buyer’s Signature: _________________________

Both the seller & the buyer are responsible for making sure that the $1.50 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the Beef Promotion & Research Board.

Total Number of Cattle Sold: ___________________ x $1.50 Per Head = $ _______________________ Date of Sale: __________________

Person remitting assessment form:

Seller

o

Buyer

o

* State of Origin of Cattle: ______________________

* If the cattle purchased came from another state within the last 30 days, indicate from which state the cattle were purchased.

Send Report and Remittance to:

SOUTH CAROLINA BEEF COUNCIL P.O. Box 11280 Columbia, SC 29211 According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0093. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.8 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disbility, sexual orientation, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, or protected genetic information. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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NCBA Young Cattle Producers Can Get More Out of 2020 Cattle Industry Convention in San Antonio. Students can interact, gain experience through internships. A fun, rewarding, and engaging opportunity is available for college students wanting to attend the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, Tex., on February 2-7, 2020. A team of interns – who are vital to the success of the largest annual meeting in the U.S. beef cattle industry – will gain first hand experience and be able to interact with leaders of every segment of the cattle and beef industry.

Up to 18 interns will be selected for this opportunity. They will be assigned to help many different staff members and attendees with meetings and events and should be prepared to handle a wide range of responsibilities, from setting up the indoor arena, assisting at committee meetings and Cattlemen’s College to posting on social media and contributing in the NCBA booth. NCBA will strive to provide students time to maximize industry networking.

Students must be able to work February 2-7 in San Antonio. They must be at least a junior-level college student at an accredited university at the time of application. Preferably they will have a background in, or working knowledge of, the cattle and/or beef industry, and must

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News

have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students should be well versed in all areas of social media.

Interested students must complete a Student Internship Application and send college transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a resume. The deadline for applying is October 11, 2019.

NCBA Announces Leadership Changes. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently announced two significant leadership changes. The NCBA Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association confirmed Colin Woodall to serve as the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Woodall, who was named after an exhaustive national search, managed NCBA’s efforts in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. Since joining NCBA in 2004, Woodall has been instrumental in ensuring the interests of NCBA members and the beef community are well represented in the nation’s capital.

“Colin has served NCBA members for 15 years, and in that time, he has done a great deal for beef producers everywhere. Much of his work and many of the victories registered by NCBA in Washington, D.C., is the result of his ability to build coalitions and bring people together across political divides,” said NCBA president Jennifer Houston.

Houston expressed confidence that the same talents that made Woodall

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

a success in the nation’s capital will translate to Woodall’s responsibility to lead NCBA’s work as a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program.

“In his new role as NCBA CEO, there is no doubt that Colin will be an outstanding advocate for the Beef Checkoff and the essential work being done to build consumer demand,” said Houston. “Colin’s passion for the beef community has made him one of the most effective advocates in American agriculture, and I’m excited that he will now be applying that same passion to the work NCBA is conducting on behalf of the Beef Checkoff.”

Originally from Big Spring, Tex., Woodall graduated from Texas A&M University. Following graduation, he worked both as a grain elevator manager and sales manager for Cargill at several locations in western Kansas and the Oklahoma panhandle before moving to Washington, D.C., to work on Capitol Hill.

“I am very thankful for the opportunity to lead NCBA and to serve the beef community as the next CEO of the association. American beef producers are the best people I know, and although our industry faces many challenges, I am confident we can overcome them,” said Woodall.

Ethan Lane was also named to serve in the role of Vice President, Government Affairs. In his new role, Lane will guide NCBA’s policy efforts in Washington, D.C., where he has extensive experience advocating on behalf of cattle producers.

Lane has been serving as Executive Director of the Public Lands Council and NCBA Federal Lands. In that role, Lane has been a driving force in many of NCBA’s most important policy wins. His

leadership skills and extensive political experience make him an effective choice to lead NCBA’s Washington, D.C., office, and the association’s ongoing policy efforts.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to lead NCBA’s office in Washington, D.C., and I’m fully committed to representing the policy priorities of NCBA members across the nation,” said Lane. “By standing together, cattle producers have shown they can push back the burdensome impacts of government over regulation and protect the interests of NCBA members for future generations.”

Lane is a fifth generation Arizonan with 18 years of experience in natural resource and land use issues. Prior to his tenure with PLC and NCBA, he owned and operated a consulting firm specializing in natural resource issues.

NCBA Praises Important Step Forward in Trade with Japan. NCBA President Jennifer Houston recently issued the following statement in support of a bilateral trade agreement between the United States and Japan that will lower Japan’s massive tariffs on U.S. beef: “Japan is the number one export market for U.S. beef, accounting for one quarter of our exports. The only way for U.S. beef producers to remain competitive in our leading export market is to remove trade barriers through a bilateral trade agreement with Japan. NCBA thanks President Trump for his continued support in removing trade barriers on U.S. beef, and we encourage the United States and Japan to sign and implement the bilateral trade agreement as soon as possible.”

Houston hailed the announcement as an important step forward for the U.S. beef industry. “For the past few years, U.S. beef producers have benefitted greatly from growing demand for U.S. beef in Japan. While Japanese consumers enjoy high quality U.S. beef, they, unfortunately, pay a higher price for U.S. beef due to the massive 38.5 percent tariff. Removing that tariff allows more Japanese consumers to enjoy more U.S. beef at a more competitive price. The announcement is welcome news for American families who produce U.S. beef and Japanese families who purchase it.”

Houston praised the Trump Administration for prioritizing trade negotiations with Japan. “President Trump answered the call and took on the difficult task of expanding access to Japan for U.S. beef exports. America’s ranchers are incredibly thankful for the leadership of President Trump and the yeoman’s work of Ambassador Lighthizer and his team whose diligent work and tough negotiating will benefit generations of U.S. beef producers.”

Background - In 2018, Japanese consumers purchased $2.07 billion of

U.S. beef. Currently, U.S. beef faces a massive 38.5 percent tariff in Japan, while our competitors from Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand face a 26.6 percent tariff. Leveling the playing field in Japan is a top priority for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

NCBA President Jennifer Houston Testifies on State of Cattle Industry.

Jennifer Houston recently testified about the current state of the cattle industry before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Topics ranged from the effects of the recent fire at a Tyson beef processing facility in Kansas to the pending reauthorization of the Commodity

Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Mandatory Price Reporting to implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.

“I want to start by thanking you, Chairman Pat Roberts and other members of the committee who have been helpful over the last few weeks as we have dealt with the recent fire at the Tyson plant in Holcomb, Kan.,” Houston said. “We also support the work of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and look forward to the results of the USDA investigation.”

Houston also stressed the importance of foreign trade, better access to lucrative foreign markets like Japan and China, and the need for Congress to approve the U.S.Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“The future success of the U.S. beef industry relies on competitive market access to a growing consumer base in Asia,” Houston testified. “In 2018, we sold over $8 billion of U.S. beef to foreign consumers, with one quarter of those sales coming from Japan. We also still need Congress to ratify the U.S.-MexicoCanada agreement as soon as possible to send a message to the rest of the world that the United States is open for business.”

Houston concluded her oral testimony with a pledge to keep doing the hard work that’s necessary to help improve prospects for America’s cattle producers.

“I’m proud to lead and represent the members of NCBA, as we fight tirelessly to

improve the lives and business prospects of every single member of the cattle industry,” Houston said. “As Henry Ford said, ‘Don’t find fault – find a remedy.’ That’s exactly what NCBA will continue to do.”

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. NCBA has represented America’s cattle producers since 1898, preserving the heritage and strength of the industry through education and public policy. As the largest association of cattle producers, NCBA works to create new markets and increase demand for beef. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To join, contact NCBA at 866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org.

Smear Campaigns

By COLIN WOODALL The activist funded Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) has again resorted to half truths and smear tactics to pit beef producers against one another. It’s clear that their allies at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have taught the staff some new tricks to help tear the beef industry apart from the inside. It should come as no surprise that they've chosen a time when the industry is struggling with market related challenges and producer unrest to fire their latest shot.

OCM/HSUS would like you to think our industry is weak, when, in fact, beef demand is strong and has been climbing for many years both in the United States and overseas. Much of that strength is a result of programs funded by the Beef Checkoff. The folks at HSUS know and understand this, and because they oppose the consumption of animals, they have partnered with OCM to organize and fund this ongoing smear campaign.

Discrediting the Beef Checkoff and the work being done by contracting organizations allows OCM, HSUS and their bedfellows at R-CALF to build their own membership ranks. These organizations also depend on members, and they’re loudest when conditions are at their worst. By accepting the help of activists (OCM has widely acknowledged their close ties with HSUS, and it's well known that R-CALF is working closely with attorneys at Public Justice, a group that works closely with PETA and organizations such as the Animal Legal Defense Fund to attack and divide the beef industry) these groups are able to capitalize on the unrest in our industry and divide beef

producers. Ultimately, twin campaigns by OCM/HSUS and R-CALF will tear the industry apart and cause irreparable harm unless producers speak up.

That's the point of my response.

I’ve had enough, and it’s time to set the record straight. Let’s begin with the OCM/ HSUS claims about funding for NCBA’s Beef Checkoff authorization requests.

About the only information that’s correct is the dollar figure. NCBA was awarded $27.3 million in contracts for work related to promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information.

NCBA was one of eight contractors who received funding for proposals brought forward for consideration.

The groups which had proposals funded include: • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (five proposals for $27,383,347) • U.S. Meat Export Federation, a subcontractor to NCBA (one proposal for $8,279,846) • North American Meat Institute (four proposals for $1,953,345) • Cattlemen's Beef Board (one proposal for $1,645,993) • American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (one proposal for $698,300) • Meat Import Council of America (one proposal for $498,786) • U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (one proposal for $359,126) • National Livestock Producers Association (one proposal for $99,757) It’s important to note that the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association is a new contractor to the process and is an outstanding example of the fact that many industry organizations can bring forward proposals and receive funding for work that falls within the scope of the Beef

Promotion and Research Act of 1985.

NCBA’s critics would like you to believe that the association has the ability, or even the desire, to control the Beef Checkoff and its funding mechanism.

Contrary to the headline of the OCM/ HSUS release, NCBA did not “grant” itself any funding. NCBA submitted authorization requests into the same competitive process to which each of the eight contractors was subjected. Submitted authorization requests were evaluated, scored, and then reviewed by the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC). The 20 members of the BPOC then made funding decisions based on the merits of those proposals.

It should be noted that there are 14 votes required to pass a budget, so even though ten members of the BPOC are cattlemen and cattlewomen appointed by the Federation of State Beef Councils, NCBA does not, and cannot, control the process or the funding decisions made by the BPOC. OCM/HSUS has gone out of its way to smear the Federation of State Beef Councils. The men and women who make up the Federation are volunteer cattle producers. They offer up their time freely because they believe it’s important to represent the industry, to build beef demand and combat lies about the products we produce. The more than 700 cattlemen and cattlewomen who serve on state beef council boards are working on your behalf.

These volunteers are your voice, and they help determine how investments in the checkoff are directed. These volunteers deserve a nod of thanks for their service and time spent away from their operations.

They don't deserve to be attacked by activists disguised as cattle producers.

Now that we’ve discussed the funding process, and how it actually works, rather

The Carolina Cattle Connection

than the OCM/HSUS version, let's turn to some of the other smears, lies, and half truths contained in the piece.

NCBA is a membership organization. Yes, we lobby every day on the issues our members identify as priorities, to ensure their voices are heard in Washington, D.C., and we’re damn good at it. No, we won't apologize for doing the job our members pay us to do. But on this point, let me be crystal clear: WE DO NOT USE CHECKOFF FUNDS FOR ANY POLICY OR LOBBYING WORK. First, using checkoff funds for lobbying and policy work is illegal. Secondly, our members believe in the work we’re doing on their behalf, and they willingly fund that work with their membership dues. We’ve had some big wins to benefit our members this year, and we’re proud of that work. We had two victories in September alone, including the announcement of a trade agreement with Japan that lowers tariffs on U.S. beef and a rollback of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulations that would have cost producers dearly.

Our members feel that kind of work is worth the investment.

Ultimately, this division in the industry will drive beef producers to a breaking point, serving no one but our adversaries. It's discouraging that the animal rights activists have partnered with a small band of vocal producers to give them a foothold in the industry.

If we stand silently and allow the attacks and smears to continue, the only winners will be the activists who pit cattlemen and cattlewomen against each other in the first place.

q OCTOBER 2019

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Alltech announces partnership with American National CattleWomen.

Alltech believes that promoting diversity among agricultural leadership is essential for a sustainable future and that supporting organizations such as American National CattleWomen (ANCW) encourages the empowerment of women in the industry. As ANCW is a voice for women who share a passion for the beef community, with a focus on beef promotion, education, and legislation, Alltech is proud to partner and support the organization.

“The American National CattleWomen organization aims to educate consumers on the beef industry and the efforts to create sustainable practices that will ensure a safe food supply for years to come,” said Evelyn Greene, president-elect of ANCW. “I’m excited to partner with Alltech, as their vision of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™ compliments the mission of ANCW.” Alltech’s vision for a more sustainable future was announced during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference

NEWS

(ONE19) in May. Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, called for collaboration across industry sectors and geographical boundaries to create a world in which there is enough nutritious food for all, resources are responsibly managed for future generations, and the environment is safe for people, animals, and plants.

Taking a significant step toward its sustainability and Planet of Plenty goals, Alltech recently committed to the U.N. Global Compact and nine of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equality.

In alignment with these commitments and in support of women in agriculture, Alltech will provide financial sponsorship to aid Greene’s campaign as president of ANCW. “To see the passion Evelyn has for the beef industry, and agriculture is inspiring, and we are proud to partner with and support her and ANCW,” said Randi Walden, Alltech regional marketing specialist. “To work toward Alltech’s mission of creating a Planet of Plenty,

we need innovative beef producers and leaders in agriculture driving these efforts, and the ANCW is a group doing just that.”

Strategic research alliance for sustainable beef production formed between Archbold and Alltech. Alltech and Archbold Biological Station’s Buck Island Ranch recently formed a strategic research alliance to jointly develop beef management approaches, specifically to increase the quality and quantity of beef produced in subtropical regions while maintaining and enhancing the environment. The Archbold–Alltech Alliance brings together scientists from two different disciplines — ecologists from Archbold and ruminant nutritionists from Alltech — to understand the impact that cattle production has on an ecosystem.

“The research alliance between Alltech and Archbold’s Buck Island Ranch is an exciting collaboration to advance ranchland environmental and economic sustainability,” said Dr. Betsey Boughton, associate research program director at Archbold. “Combining Archbold’s rich ecological knowledge and long-term data with Alltech’s expertise in cattle nutrition is a unique opportunity to better understand — and, ultimately, may

lead to — improved supplemental feed strategies and reducing cattle methane emissions.”

Archbold’s research at Buck Island Ranch has long been focused on the relationships between agricultural production, management and natural resources, including water and soils, as well as biodiversity and addressing threats like invasive species and climate change.

There are opportunities to evaluate how forage quality, range management practices, and seasonal changes can impact cattle nutrition. Understanding these relationships can help with the development of cattle supplementation strategies to improve cattle production and reduce its environmental impact.

The tools in place at the unique Buck Island Ranch will allow for an unprecedented evaluation of forage quality and range management practices across seasons, as well as an assessment of how nutritional interventions can affect both the cattle and their environment in the long term. The goal is to understand the impact that cattle production has on the environment and to develop supplementation strategies that reduce

Continued on page 80

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Alltech News continued from page 78 cattle methane emissions and improve sustainability.

“The coming together of these two groups represents a unique and exciting opportunity,” said Dr. Vaughn Holder, ruminant research director at Alltech. “As animal scientists, we look at these production systems from a very different perspective than an ecologist that is studying an ecosystem. With this alliance, we aim to demonstrate that the maintenance of the ecosystem is a critical factor in sustainable beef production and also to show how cattle can be a critical part of maintaining natural ecosystems.”

Alltech 37+ ® analyses new and emerging mycotoxins. Over 50 mycotoxins can be tested for by the Alltech 37+ Laboratory. New and emerging mycotoxins can now be analyzed by the Alltech 37+® Laboratory.

In total, five new mycotoxins have been added to the testing panel, bringing the total number of detectable mycotoxins to 54. These new additions further increase the understanding of mycotoxin occurrence and the potential risk to animal performance.

Emerging mycotoxins refers to mycotoxins that are neither routinely

analyzed nor legislatively regulated.

However, research has shown more evidence of their increasing incidence and potential toxicity to animals. The emerging mycotoxins analyzed by Alltech 37+ include beauvericin; moniliformin; enniatins A, A1, B, and B1; phomopsin A and alternariol. Fusaric acid also features in this emerging mycotoxin category.

“The Alltech 37+ mycotoxin analysis test is the cornerstone of the Alltech Mycotoxin Management program,” explained Nick Adams, global director, Mycotoxin Management, Alltech. “We now test for 54 mycotoxins. With this new analytical capability, Alltech is better equipped to understand how contaminated feedstuffs might impact animal performance and health.”

Due to their toxic properties, mycotoxins are a concern for livestock producers, as they can impact feed quality as well as animal health and performance.

A world leader in mycotoxin management, Alltech’s 37+ test results provide a realistic picture of mycotoxin contamination in feed ingredients or total mixed rations, speeding up the process of diagnosis, and suggest effective remediation and help move toward an

Virginia Herd Health Management Services, PC In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) & Embryo Transfer (ET) * On-farm aspiration of oocytes via Ultrasound Guided Ovum Pick-Up (OPU). * Embyos come back in 8 days for placement or direct thaw freezing on-farm. * Can do on donors aged 8 months and older, up to 120-150 days pregnant.

Doesn’t interfere with pregnancy. * Pregnant cows work really well, so the cow doesn’t get out of her production group. * Can do a donor every 2 weeks.

Oocytes fertilized at BoviteqUSA in Madison, Wisconsin. www.boviteq.com

For more information, contact:

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

effective mycotoxin control plan.

“Since adding these mycotoxins to our analytical capabilities, we have already seen a high frequency of samples with these contaminants,” explained Dr. Patrick Ward, Ireland Analytical Services Laboratory manager, Alltech. “As we test more samples and accumulate more data, we will strengthen our understanding of these mycotoxins.”

Between Alltech’s 37+ mycotoxin analytical services laboratories in Lexington, Ken., and Dunboyne, Ireland, they have run over 30,000 samples, each searching for up to 54 mycotoxins in animal feed.

For more information on mycotoxin management, visit www. knowmycotoxins.com.

About Alltech. Founded in 1980

by Irish entrepreneur and scientist Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech is a cutting edge technology company in a traditional industry, agriculture. Our products improve the health and nutrition of plants

and animals, resulting in more nutritious products for people as well as less impact on the environment.

With expertise in yeast fermentation, solid state fermentation, and the sciences of nutrigenomics and metabolomics, Alltech is a leading producer of yeast additives, organic trace minerals, feed ingredients, premix, and feed.

Together, with our more than 5,000 talented team members worldwide, we believe in “Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.” With the adoption of new technologies, the adaptation of better farm management practices and the ingenuity inherent in the human spirit, we believe a world of abundance could be ours.

Alltech is a private, family owned company, which allows us to adapt quickly to our customers’ needs and stay focused on advanced innovation.

Headquartered just outside of Lexington, Ken., Alltech has a strong presence in all regions of the world. For further information, visit www.alltech.com/news.

2019 Laurens County Youth Livestock Shows On August 23-24, over 150 exhibitors and 250 different animals came to the Laurens Exchange Building to be a part of the 2019 Laurens County Youth Livestock Shows. This show, sponsored by the Laurens County 4-H Program and the Laurens County Cattleman’s Association, brings in youth from all across South Carolina and Georgia.

The shows started on Friday with the art, dog, and beef cattle shows. Saturday was the rabbit, dairy cattle, and meat goat shows. A large draw of the community, including Laurens County Council members, came out and supported the 4-Hers and enjoyed the shows. We are proud to say that each class receives awards because of the community support we receive for these shows.

Each year we give two memorial awards at our shows. At the beef show, Morgan Marlett of Laurens, S.C., was the recipient of the Tom Heffner Memorial Award, which is given by the Laurens County Cattleman’s Association. At the dairy show, Katelyn McCarter of York, S.C., was the recipient of the Wesley Robinson Memorial Scholarship, which is given by the Laurens/Greenville 4-H Dairy Club. It is a great honor to award these youth who are continuing their legacy in the livestock industry.

For more information on the Laurens County Youth Livestock Shows, please contact Ashley McCarter, Laurens County 4-H Agent, at asmccar@clemson.edu or 864-984-2514 ext. 113.

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q OCTOBER 2019

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Tips for Marketing Feeder Calves.

Summer has given way to fall, and the daylight hours get shorter each day. It also means time is nearing for those who graze and background calves to finalize their marketing strategy for the year. Several marketing options exist for those who have backgrounded their calves. They can sell them privately, take them to the local auction market, sell them on the video market or a combination of those using one or several value added programs.

Regardless of the marketing venue, some considerations need to be taken that will make the calves more appealing to the buyer. Jason Barber, Superior Livestock Auction, reminds feeders to keep these things in mind before marketing calves.

Make Health a Priority - Barber encourages all people marketing their calves to partake in a good vaccination program. The healthier calves are when they’re sold and delivered, the faster they typically grow and perform, and those are things buyers look for year after year.

“The number one thing right now is you want to have your calves on a good vaccination program. Back in 1995, when Superior started its vaccination programs, 40-some percent were unvaccinated.

Compared to these days, less than one percent that sell on Superior aren’t vaccinated,” he said.

Uniformity Matters - When it comes to putting load lots of cattle together, Barber says that keeping the group uniform will definitely keep the buyer happy and help add value to the lot. This includes having a group of same gender calves that are close to the same weight and same color. Barber said that the more uniform in all cases, the more potential they have to generate a premium because they can potentially fit more feedlots’ scenarios and ultimately more packers’ scenarios.

“If you have the numbers to separate steers from heifers, they typically get along better than mixed loads. The heifers bring the steers down more than the steers bring the heifers up when it comes to price the majority of the time,” Barber said.

“Also, groups containing a hodge podge of colors are less likely to bring a premium versus a uniform color group. It’s best to sell a group of all straight black or black baldies or reds/red baldies. If possible, I would avoid putting off colored calves with blacks or black-white-faced calves.”

Nutrition Makes an Impact - For veteran stockman Ray Fussell, having his calves on a high quality nutrition program

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has made a substantial difference over the past few years. The Fussell family has been backgrounding cattle for three generations. Fussell typically buys the southeastern type calves every winter and feeds and grazes them on his Tennessee Ridge, Tenn., farm through the next summer. He started feeding the VitaFerm Gain Smart Stocker mineral to his calves in 2018 and has experienced significant gains and healthier calves.

“The Gain Smart mineral is excellent.

We fed Gain Smart to about 30 percent of the cattle we grazed last summer. This year we fed either Gain Smart Stocker or Gain Smart Stocker HEAT to everything. Once again, our cattle are heavier, hair coats are better, and they spend more time grazing and less time in the shade. For the first time in many years, we are selling cattle at auction. We feel the mineral is getting us increased water intake and less shrink, and that’s all because of the Amaferm. We are very pleased with it,” Fussell said.

Amaferm is a precision prebiotic designed to enhance digestibility by amplifying nutrient supply for maximum performance. It is research proven to stimulate digestion and nutrient absorption of forage for optimum gain as well as maintain performance during heat stress. Gain Smart Stocker HEAT contains plant extracts that help support the animals’ ability to maintain normal body temperature and garlic, considered a natural insect repellent.

Building Relationships - Fussell said that he traditionally either retains ownership through the feed yard or sells his calves to a repeat buyer through private treaty. He said selling to the same buyer has definite benefits to both he and his cattle buyer because they have built a strong relationship on trust over the years.

“When you work with the same folks, you get a certain level of trust on both ends, and you get a certain amount of comfort as far as financial risk goes.

You know how to represent the cattle better without them having to come look.

They know the kind of cattle that we have had throughout the years. They know the kind of program they’ve been on,” Fussell said. “I can call him today and tell him I’ve got a load of steers that’s going to weigh about 825. I’m going to describe them to him, and he’s going to know that’s pretty much how it’s going to be.

He’s able to talk to his buyers and to put something together without driving out here every time.”

Selecting a Marketing Venue -

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Fussell typically sells his calves privately and has for years. He said he appreciates many aspects of selling privately: the relationship with his buyer, the flexibility on delivery dates and knowing he’s got his calves to a reputable person. However, this year he made the decision to sell his calves at the local livestock auction.

He said the biggest advantage for him to sell through the livestock market auction was utilizing resources he didn’t have readily available to him on his farm – scales – and since the local auction barn had added large pens with shade and water, he could haul his calves in the night before and his calves would have the comforts of home with minimal shrink.

“We don’t own our own scales, so it isn’t convenient to check weigh cattle.

That leaves us having to guess weights when negotiating slides and weight stops.

If you exceed a weight stop or have a set of cattle come in light, you can afford to pay some commission. The auction market has large covered pens with feed and water, so we can carry those cattle up there the night before and not suffer the same shrink when cattle are held in small pens.

It might not be the best thing to do every time but selling through an auction is still an efficient way to market your cattle.”

The Power of a Program - Barber agrees that building relationships is key and an important marketing component regardless of which marketing venue a person chooses. Since those relationships are significant, he said, the more information you can give your buyer, the stronger the relationship becomes.

“Believe that more information is better, and information is power,” Barber said.

The information that he advocates for leads to premiums paid to the seller through value added programs. A myriad of value-added programs exists for the producers whose management styles allow for the time and additional resources to meet the program requirements.

Programs are available for genetics, health protocols, nutrition, and more. Superior introduced its first value-added program in 1995, with its first ever vaccination programs, and has since led the way with other programs. Today, sellers can earn premiums from more than a dozen programs when selling through Superior.

“You can tell the cattle that are verified natural, NHTC and GAP are bringing a premium across the board, regardless of what the market is. If I’m a producer and I want to capture the highest premium, I’d want to do all that, but it takes work. There are definitely more resources that go into it, but to me, the premiums they are going to receive, regardless of the market, makes it worth

the effort,” Barber said.

BioZyme Inc., makers of the VitaFerm Gain Smart mineral, became the first ever and 2018 exclusive nutrition company for Superior Livestock Auction’s value added programs. Two nutrition programs are available to sellers, VitaFerm Raised, and VitaFerm Gain Smart. The VitaFerm Raised and VitaFerm Gain Smart Programs were designed to ensure that calves have been on a high quality nutrition program, an important part of overall health, important to both the seller and the buyer. Calves sold through Superior were either being raised on a cow that was being fed the VitaFerm mineral, or calves that had been weaned previously were being supplemented with VitaFerm Gain Smart.

Barber said anyone that is interested in marketing their cattle through Superior should contact him or their Fort Worth office prior to calving so they can introduce them to a rep in their area to start making management and marketing plans for the calf crop before it hits the ground. This helps ensure they have the best chance to receive the most premiums on the cattle they are selling.

It’s good to have choices, and when it’s time to market your feeder calves, you have several choices. Sell them via a local auction market, build long lasting relationships with a buyer, or discover added premiums through value added programs. Whichever venue you choose, make sure you have a load lot, group by uniformity and keep health and nutrition top of mind.

Every Animal has Value: Keeping Cull Calves Profitable. Each fall when you go to market your weaned calves, it seems like there are a handful of outliers in your calf crop that could cost you some premiums. But don’t dismay; there are ways to find value for every calf that you’ve produced; it might just take some extra time or some different marketing venues.

Brett Tostenson, Tostenson Family Cattle, Highmore, S.D., recommends keeping calves as uniform as possible to get the most value for the group. He offers several alternative opportunities to market calves in a way to receive the most value.

• It’s All About Relationships Oftentimes, producers who have a good reputation for raising healthy, efficient, good growing calves will sell to a repeat buyer. Strong relationships have been formed and sealed over the years due to the quality of calves the producer offers the buyer and the results the buyer, and ultimately the feeder sees with the calves later in production. If you do have an established relationship with your buyer or a group of buyers, invite them to your

operation for a private treaty sale. Offer the first pick of calves at market price plus $50 -$100 per head or $10-$25 cwt more on first selection. Once the first pick is selected, evaluate your remaining calves to determine the best way to market them, either with this same method and another buyer and a reduced premium, or one of the methods mentioned below.

Another important relationship that many seedstock producers have with their commercial bull buyers is a calf buy back program, according to Tostenson. He knows of several operations that sell 300400 bulls each year and help market their bull customers’ calves to feedlots. The bull breeder becomes like an order buyer, in a sense, and the feedlots know that they are getting high quality cattle backed by proven genetics and carcass merit, filling an order for what they want or need. In turn, the bull customers know they have an outlet for their calves because they purchased calves from a reputable bull breeder.

“This is an ideal situation for a commercial producer. It is very comforting that someone at that level is going to come in and buy your calves from you,” Tostenson said.

• Sort by Size, Not with the Gate - If you are getting a load of calves ready to sell at the local auction market or through

a video sale, sort them to create a uniform load. It’s beneficial to both you and your bottom line to take the time to sort by size and weight and leave smaller calves back to feed them a little longer.

“Be intentional in that you sell groups of cattle that match up, so you don’t get dinged on uniformity,” Tostenson said. “If you sell 100 calves and 10 get docked, it might be better to sell 90 and hold back 10 for the next group that will match up better.”

• Know your Goals - Ideally, most feeder calves will be raised and marketed with a marketing goal in mind, according to Tostenson. Will your cattle be marketed on a grid or live weight basis?

Are you selling through a value added program that pays premiums on health, nutrition, source, or breed? Knowing your end marketing goals will also help you produce and sort for a more uniform set of calves to be sold as a group.

• Finding Value in Females Tostenson added that breeding age females also have value; even if a cow comes up open or doesn’t calve within your desired 60-day window, there is likely a producer who will find value in that particular female. If you have open females or a group of cows that calve after the first 45 days in your calving period,

another producer would likely find them valuable in his or her herd because that breeder might calve later or in an entirely different season. Another breeder might use an open cow as an embryo recip.

“Just because they fall out of your calving window doesn’t mean they don’t fit in mine. Just because they are open doesn’t mean they don’t have value for someone else,” Tostenson said.

If you further want to add value to a group of feeder calves or a group of breeding age females, you can do that by upping their nutrition. Adding a mineral from the VitaFerm line with the Amaferm advantage can help your cattle become more efficient and higher performing.

Amaferm is a natural, research proven precision prebiotic that increases intake, digestion, and absorption of available feed. The VitaFerm Gain Smart line is a vitamin and mineral supplement designed to help your calves put on healthy, efficient pounds. For females in the reproductive phases, producers should consider VitaFerm Concept•Aid, a vitamin and mineral supplement specifically designed for reproductive success when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post breeding.

“Every animal has value. The value maybe not discovered right away or be

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the exact value you are looking for, but it is there,” Tostenson said.

The Power of Protein: How to Determine Your Cow Herd’s Needs.

Protein is a powerful nutrient for your cow’s digestive system and rumen to function properly. However, spending money on protein supplementation may not always be the best investment a cow/ calf producer makes. You need to know when to supplement protein and how much to provide your herd to make it a wise investment in your operation.

Protein is essential within the diet of a ruminant to supply the ammonia needed for microbial growth and to provide the amino acids needed for absorption from the small intestine. A protein deficiency can limit microbial activity, microbial protein synthesis, and rate of digestion.

In turn, these can impact feed and energy intake. Furthermore, if an animal receives insufficient amounts of protein, meat, and milk production can be dramatically reduced.

Here are some helpful tips to ensure proper protein supplementation: • Identify Protein Needs - In order to develop a cost effective

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q OCTOBER 2019

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BioZyme News continued from the previous page supplementation program, you first must know the protein requirements of your animals. Requirements for protein vary throughout the year and depend on the animal’s stage of production. According to Kevin Glaubius, Director of Nutrition for BioZyme Inc., the cow’s protein requirements will vary from about 9-12 percent, depending on where she is in the production cycle. Her requirements are lowest post weaning to late gestation and continue to increase as she gets closer to calving and lactation. A cow’s protein requirements are highest during the first two months post-calving due to the increase in protein demanded for lactation.

“If you don’t supplement protein, you are going to limit intake, which limits energy. When energy is limited, she can’t maintain her own body condition, which limits milk production and limits calf gain,” Glaubius said.

• Identify What is in Your Feed - You know the stages of production when your cows need additional protein, but do you know how much protein to supplement them with? Before you start a supplementation program, you need to know exactly what they are already consuming. Protein can come from pasture, stored forages, and grain. By understanding the nutrient profile of your available feedstuffs, you can better identify what supplements you need in your feeding program to meet nutrient requirements and optimize animal performance. BioZyme offers forage testing and ration balancing, free to its customers, to help them gain a better understanding of what they are missing in their livestock diets. If you are interested in participating, please contact your ASM. • Identify the Protein Supplement that Best Fits your Scenario - Cattle producers have options when it comes to choosing the protein that will work best with their management practices.

“One thing I’ve learned over the years is it is better to use a protein source that consists of more than one protein ingredient, including soybean meal, distiller’s grain, or urea. Theoretically, the combination does a better job of supplementing because each in source breaks down at different rates,” Glaubius said.

VitaFerm Concept•Aid Protein Products offer two ways to help producers meet their supplemental protein needs. Both supplements contain 20 percent crude protein and provide enough vitamins and minerals to serve as a replacement for loose mineral supplements. BioZyme offers its protein supplements in a tub or meal form to cater to differing management

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scenarios, allowing for maximum convenience along with improved animal performance. In addition to the added protein, the Amaferm found in VitaFerm products increases the rate of digestion, allowing animals to meet their nutrient requirements faster and on less feed.

Increased forage digestion provides for greater microbial growth and production of microbial protein to provide the animal with more protein for growth, lactation, and reproduction. Furthermore, with Amaferm in the diet, you effectively reduce the need to supplement large amounts of protein because you are making more of the protein in the forage available to the animals.

Proper protein supplementation at various stages of production can prove extremely beneficial to overall animal productivity.

Remember, keeping your protein program cost effective begins with understanding your protein needs and only supplementing the proper amount when needed. Know your resources and know when you need to give your herd an added boost. To learn more, visit www.vitaferm.com.

Advice for Selecting your Next Show Heifer or Steer. You’ve decided you want to show a steer or heifer, and it is prime time to start the selection and purchase process for your new project. There are magazines nearly two inches thick promoting every show steer open house in the Midwest, and then you start looking at all the online sales. It is easy to become overwhelmed with so many options.

However, before you even start looking for that next show prospect, you need to consider three factors and have a plan in place. Jessica Judge, BioZyme Inc., Marketing Brand Manager, grew up showing cattle across the country and earned the title of high individual at the 2017 North American International Livestock Exposition Intercollegiate Livestock Judging Contest, representing Oklahoma State University. She offers these considerations: 1. Know your endpoint and end goal - If you are showing a steer, it might be county or state fair you are targeting for.

If it is a heifer, it might be a similar show scenario, or you might have different goals for her, different places to show like a breed junior national and breeding goals. Know why you are ultimately purchasing your animal, and you will have a better direction on size, age, breed, and other specifics to look for.

2. Know your budget - Some people simply have more money than others. An established realistic budget will help you decide where you can go and determine what type of animal you can buy.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

3. Know the breeder/seller - Who have you formed a good relationship with? Who will help with feeding/prep advice after the sale? Be sure you have a solid relationship built on trust with the person you would like to do business with.

Once you have established the above criteria, you can start thinking about selection criteria for your animal.

Regardless if you are looking to buy a steer or a heifer, the primary evaluation tool should be skeletal correctness or structure.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how heavily muscled they are or how attractive they are, if they can’t walk, it’s a wash. Structure is the most important characteristic to evaluate and select for,” Judge said.

Structural soundness should be evaluated from the ground up. First, look at the animal’s foot size. Does the animal have a little, tiny foot on a small amount of bone? Or does it set down on a big, square foot and adequate bone?

You want an animal that stands on a nice square foot, with a good set to its pastern and plenty of flexibility, which is why it is always important to watch them walk. Moving up the skeleton, you want to make sure that the animal has a good set to its shoulder angle and knee; there should be a 45º angle to its shoulder, and the knee should have the proper curvature of a banana or crescent shape. Make sure the steer or heifer can get out and move with plenty of flexibility to its hip and hind leg. Finally, make sure the animal has natural, smooth joints as big joints indicate potential structural concerns which can lessen the long term future and value of the animal.

Once you have evaluated structure, Judge offers specific traits a person should look for when selecting both steer and heifers.

Heifer Highlights - Judge said that when selecting a show heifer prospect, that after structure, you want to make sure the heifer has a productive and maternal look. This entails having a good rib shape, curvature to her rib design, softness to her overall skeleton, and power. The heifer needs to have long tying muscle shape and dimension, and not be just onedimensional or flat.

The next selection criteria for a show heifer is balance and eye appeal – you want her to look like a lady.

“She should have a feminine shape to her head and neck and be clean through her throat. When selecting a female as a calf, be sure to pay attention to her freshness and condition. She doesn’t need to be the bloomiest in terms of condition as a calf. You should look for a female who is genuine in her condition, but

still shows potential for dimension and fleshing ability as she grows,” Judge said.

Other factors to consider on heifers include breed and age. Breed is truly a personal preference, as is age. Some ages will only be able to show at a national show or state fair once in a show season or calendar year, depending on the rules.

Steer Strategies - When evaluating potential show steer prospects, after structure, you will want to look at muscle shape. You don’t need to pick out the heaviest muscled, stoutest calf, but you do need to select one with indicators for future muscle development.

“Look for width of chest, some clearance or width at the ground, added body and rib shape, and a genuine shape or turn at the top side of his skeleton.

These are good indicators that as he grows and develops, he will continue to have some muscle as he reaches his desired endpoint,” she said.

In addition to structure and muscle shape, you want a steer that is balanced and eye appealing. He doesn’t need to be the “coolest or freakiest fronted,” according to Judge, but he does need to have parts that are put together in a proportional package that gives him a balanced, fat steer look.

Study the Past, Eyes on the Present - Judge recommends asking about the past performance of siblings and half siblings of the calves you are looking at buying, which goes back to having a good relationship with the seller. Find out how other calves from specific sires and cows have performed. Did they eat well and grow efficiently? Or were they hard keepers? If they took a while to gain, they might not be the right calf for your earlier endpoint. On the flip side, if they grow quickly and are earlier maturing, you may have to pump the breaks on your feeding strategy.

And although many people post photos and videos of their sales online, Judge recommends always studying the cattle in person. If you can’t get to a specific location in person, be sure that someone you trust looks at the cattle in person before you make a big investment in your project animal.

“If you see a calf you like, find someone you trust to go see the animal in person. A lot of small details can be missed on videos, like foot size and joint shape. When you have steers that need to get to heavy weight, or you are looking for a breeding female to bring value to your herd, those details can make all the difference,” Judge said.

You’ve established a budget, an endpoint, and you’ve created relationships with reputable breeders.

Now it is time to go select your next show heifer or steer project. With simple

selection criteria, you can evaluate the groups of calves available for sale this fall and find your next champion.

When to Feed Spark vs. Extreme.

You’ve spent hours upon hours in the barn working on your show livestock projects. You’ve got skin conditioned, hair worked, the animals trained to walk, drive or lead and you’re ready to show them. There’s just one problem. They haven’t found their way to the feed pan, and they just aren’t performing like they should. Perhaps they need a supplement to boost their digestive health and jump start feed water intake.

Sure Champ offers a line of supplements that promotes both digestive health and appetite that are designed for beef cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs. Blaine Rodgers, Show Livestock Business Development & Field Support, offers some insight on two of the most popular Sure Champ products available.

“Sure Champ Spark and Sure Champ Extreme with Climate Control are both great supplements designed for all show species to keep their digestive health on point. And, with the exception of the Climate Control component found in Sure Champ Extreme, the two products are basically identical,” Rodgers said.

Both Sure Champ Spark and Sure Champ Extreme are designed to promote a good healthy digestive system, which leads to happy, high performing animals. They both contain Amaferm, a precision based prebiotic that impacts intake, feed digestibility, and nutrient absorption for optimum digestive health and performance. Both supplements also contain MOS, to trap and expel pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm, and biotin and zinc to promote healthy skin, hair, and hooves. Both Spark and Extreme should be fed daily and can be top dressed or mixed into the ration.

The only difference between these products is that Sure Champ Extreme contains an additional ingredient to help reduce stress during extreme temperatures.

The Sure Champ Extreme contains plant extracts that will help regulate the animal’s body temperature. It also contains garlic, considered a natural insect repellent.

“There is no reason to feed both products at the same time. As soon as you feel like there is no need for the heat stress component found in Sure Champ Extreme, you can switch to Sure Champ Spark, and it won’t change anything at all,” Rodgers said.

Since the ingredients and feeding rates are the same, making the transition from summer to fall or spring to summer should be smooth. Rodgers does remind product users to make sure the temperatures are consistent throughout the day and night before making the

change though.

Now that your animals are looking their best, eating their best, and feeling their best, you’re ready to take them to their next show — #Preptowin all year long with one of these supplements to keep their digestive system feeling good.

Vita Charge Clench Launched to Assist with Scours. Our livestock can’t always tell us how they feel until it’s too late. And oftentimes they “show” us they are not feeling their best through diarrhea and scours. When these symptoms occur, you want to make sure your livestock get properly treated to feel their best, so they continue eating, drinking, looking, and performing their highest potential.

To help ensure that your animals can quickly return to health after scours, BioZyme Inc. has launched Vita Charge Clench, an all natural gel ideal for use during diarrhea and scours treatments to support recovery, hydration, and nutrient absorption. This is a unique and easy-touse product that helps replace what is lost during scours.

The key ingredients in Clench include Amaferm, MOS, electrolytes, sodium bentonite, and cinnamon. MOS helps trap and expel the bad pathogens in the gut, which may contribute to gastrointestinal irritation. These ingredients, along with sodium bentonite – an absorbent clay – and cinnamon, which supports the immune system, provide a powerful punch.

“We want to have a Vita Charge gel to target all the various areas that might cause a challenge for livestock. The Clench will help animals recover faster and support any hydration they may have lost when they are experiencing diarrhea or scours,” said Jessica Judge.

Besides being all natural and consisting of research proven products, Clench also offers the user some important benefits. First, since the gel is administered orally, there are no additional injection sites, and it is easy to use. Also, since the formula contains all-natural ingredients, there is no need to worry about additional withdrawal periods allowing Clench to be used during competition.

Scours and diarrhea will show up at the most inopportune time. Don’t let them hinder your animal’s performance.

Use Vita Charge Clench to support scours treatments and get animals back to optimal health and performance. To learn more, visit www.surechamp.com.

A Guide to Low Stress Shipping.

The cool, crisp mornings are a hint that fall is just around the corner. And for cattle operations, that means one thing – shipping time is quickly approaching.

Shipping your cattle might seem like an easy task. Get them penned up, load

them up, and send them on their way.

However, keeping your calves healthy and as low stress as possible during this time of transition takes some preparation and planning.

Generally, cattle will shrink one percent of their body weight per hour for the first few hours. They are off feed and water and continue to shrink at a lower percentage of their weight as time continues. The first hours primarily consist of excretory shrink, followed by tissue shrink, a loss of moisture in the muscle.

Charly Cummings, a Yates Center, Kan., rancher and world champion livestock auctioneer who calls sales and reps for Superior Livestock Auction, recommends keeping cattle as stress free as possible prior to shipping, and that means keeping them in a routine as much as possible prior to loading the trucks.

With cattle that are out on pasture, he says it is best to keep them out there until the morning they ship.

“We keep our cattle out on pasture, bring them in that morning; keeping them in their natural climate keeps them less stressed,” Cummings said. “We do give them some practice runs two to three weeks prior to shipping. We get them used to coming into the same pen, same time to get them used to what is going to happen.”

The Carolina Cattle Connection

While keeping them in their familiar environment does help with stress reduction, it also means the cattle are not shut off from forage or water. Cummings said that isn’t typically an issue, since the cattle lay down most of the night, and don’t really eat or drink much early in the morning before shipping.

“When we are shipping, that’s what’s fair to the buyer,” he said.

Another key to reducing stress is in using low stress cattle handling practices.

According to Cummings, once the cattle are in the corral, they are moved only by people and hand movements until they reach the alleyway to the chute.

“We will sometimes use a hot shot in the alleyway going up to the chute since they’re not used to being there.

Sometimes the first one has to have a little encouragement, and then the rest will follow,” he said.

Shipping Weaned Calves - While the above low stress handling practices can be applied to both yearlings and weaned calves, Cummings said that one thing to be aware of is making sure calves are weaned an adequate amount of time prior to shipping. He suggests making sure calves are weaned 45-60 days prior to

Continued on the next page

q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 85

BioZyme News continued from the previous page weaning. This typically gives the calves enough time to get straightened out, getting them used to drinking and eating on their own.

Regardless, if the calves are on pasture or in a dry lot where they are shipped from, Cummings said he would keep them in their familiar environment the night prior to shipping, and always ship early in the morning to help with loading and shrink.

Protect and Recover - In addition to reducing stress, there are ways to keep calves healthier prior to shipping.

Health and nutrition are always of utmost concern. Taking precautionary steps, both prior to shipping and on arrival, can help keep shrink at a minimum while keeping calves healthier and gaining.

One way to be proactive with their nutrition is with the Vita Charge line of products. In addition to shrink, the stress will typically cause calves to lose their appetite, which hinders their overall health and performance upon arrival to their new destination. To help them maintain their appetite, provide Vita Charge Stress Tubs prior to shipping. The Stress Tub is a cooked tub for beef cattle that supports digestive health and promotes feed and

PAGE 86

water intake during times of stress and recovery. The tubs come in both 50 pound and 200 pound sizes and contain Amaferm. They also contain MOS to trap bad bacteria, limiting their ability to do harm, as well as organic trace minerals, vitamins, and B vitamins.

Cummings, like many others, relies on the Vita Charge products upon receiving, to help give his cattle a boost.

“When I get in high risk calves, and I don’t know their past, don’t know if they’ve drunk out of a water tank or have eaten hay out of the bunk, I use Vita Charge to give them a little charge,” he said.

Upon receiving calves, you might also consider administering the Vita Charge Cattle Drench within the first 48 hours to jump start your cattle’s digestive system during stress. It is formulated to help cattle recover quickly and does not interfere with antibiotics. Then, you’d want to follow up with the Vita Charge Stress Tubs for at least two weeks before selecting the VitaFerm Gain Smart mineral option that is best for you.

Shipping time will soon be here, but it is never too soon to start making plans to ship your cattle the low stress, healthy

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

way. Make sure you have Vita Charge products on hand to help protect their digestive system and prepare them to move with the least stress possible.

Five Tips to Keep Protein Cost Effective. The two most vital nutrients in a cow’s diet are energy and protein. Energy plays a vital role in the reproductive and lactation process, calf growth, weaning, and overall performance. However, without the proper amount of protein in the diet, the amount of energy, and all other nutrient intake and absorption levels can be impacted. Therefore, it is important to think of protein and energy as working in sync, and to know what is in your cows’ diets and supplement them as needed.

“As a nutritionist, when an animal is having breeding or reproduction problems, I look at energy and protein because the cow’s requirement for energy and protein is measured in pounds, not milligrams,” said Kevin Glaubius, Director of Nutrition for BioZyme Inc. “Think about a cow eating 30 pounds of forage a day and only four ounces of mineral. Less than one percent of her feed is mineral.”

With just a small portion of the overall diet devoted to a mineral program, it is so important to know the nutrient needs of the animal. That is why BioZyme offers complimentary forage testing and ration balancing to its customers. Glaubius said that late August and early September are good times to test forages because producers are likely finished processing hay, and it has had ample time to dry.

“We’ve got to make sure we have energy and protein right first, then combine them with a good mineral package that fits forages. Then, the producer is going to have a lot better success. The forage tests are so important in determining what the producer has and what he needs,” Glaubius said.

Energy requirements peak at breeding through early lactation. Producers don’t want to slack on protein at breeding through calving because this not only impacts the cow’s energy but also plays an important part in the calf’s immunity and future health. And just as these times are critical to proper supplementation, remember to save some costs on protein supplementation at weaning time. The cows often don’t require this extra protein once the calf is weaned.

Glaubius offers five keys to controlling cost when considering protein supplementation.

1. Know what you have - Complete a proper feed and forage analysis to know exactly which nutrients you have in your feed and which you are lacking.

2. Know the requirements of your cows - Are they lactating? Are they dry?

Have you weaned the calves? Where are you in the production cycle? Protein requirements vary from 7-12 percent protein, so knowing that requirement is critical because the closer you get to lactation or in lactation, you might have to feed additional protein. However, at weaning, the grass is low in protein, but the protein requirements are also low.

3. Supplement protein only when needed - There is no need to spend extra dollars on protein if your forages contain adequate protein or if you are at a stage in the production cycle when additional protein isn’t necessary.

4. Amaferm provides the same as supplementing roughly a pound of 30 percent protein by itself - You’re not just buying mineral. Along with that mineral, you’re getting an additive that helps that cow utilize an extra ⅓ of a pound of protein out of the forage the cow was normally wasting and putting back out as fertilizer.

5. BioZyme protein products also contain Amaferm - Actually, all of the livestock supplements that BioZyme makes contain Amaferm, to help increase intake, digestibility, and absorption. So even if you feed one pound of a BioZyme 20 percent protein product, that pound of 20 percent is going to perform and feed like a competitor’s pound of 50 percent because of the Amaferm. Producers need to keep the Amaferm advantage in mind when price comparing.

“We want to help producers know what they have, know what they need, and try to optimize and minimize their nutrient costs the best we can,” Glaubius said.

To learn more or find a dealer near you, visit www.biozymeinc.com.

About BioZyme ® Inc. BioZyme Inc., founded in 1951, develops and manufactures natural, proprietary products focused on animal nutrition, health, and microbiology. With a continued commitment to research, BioZyme offers a complete line of feed additives and high density, highly available vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and protein supplements for a variety of animals including cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. BioZyme brands include Amaferm®, AO-Biotics®, Amasile™, VitaFerm ®, Vita Charge ®, Sure Champ®, Vitalize®, and DuraFerm®.

Headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri, BioZyme reaches a global market of customers throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information about BioZyme, visit www.biozymeinc.com.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection

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q OCTOBER 2019

PAGE 87

VENTS ANGUS Oct. 5 — Martin Family Farms Dispersal Sale, Clinton, N.C. Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 12 — Shrader Farms First Annual “F1 Baldy Bonanza,” Rosedale, Va. Oct. 19 — ECO Systems Farm, Inc. 10th Annual Bred Heifer Sale, Clinton, N.C. Oct. 19 — Shenandoah’s Shining Stars Fall Sale, Quicksburg, Va. Oct. 19 — Whitestone Brand of Quality Angus Sale, Aldie, Va. Oct. 24 — Spring Grove Ranch Open House, Appomattox, Va. Oct. 26 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 26 — Lazy Acres Angus Open House & Customer Appreciation Day, Rocky Mount, Va. Oct. 26 — Red Hill Farms - Bulls and Females of Fall Sale V, Lafayette, Tenn.

Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Oct. 28 — GMC Farms First Female Sale, Frazier’s Bottom, W.Va. Nov. 1 — High Ridge Farms Genetic Opportunity Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Nov. 2 — NCAA 2019 Down East Sale, Beulaville, N.C. Nov. 2 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer 8th Annual Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga. Nov. 9 — C-Cross Cattle Company Bull & Female Production Sale, Biscoe, N.C. Nov. 9 — 18th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Nov. 9 — Spring Grove Ranch Sires of Distinction Sale, Appomattox, Va. Nov. 14 — Châtel Farms Open House Show & Tell, Reidsville, Ga. Nov. 16 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Nov. 16 — 11th Annual SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 16 — 8th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Clinton, N.C. Nov. 16 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Nov. 30 — 3rd Annual Boys from the South Bull South, Lebanon, Tenn.

Nov. 23 — Tarheel Angus/4K Farm Production Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 6 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 7 — The Partners Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Dec. 7 — 4th Annual Pounds & Profit Sale, Snow Camp, N.C. Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 14 — Springfield Angus Bull Sale, Louisburg, N.C.

PAGE 88

2020 Jan. 4 — EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 25 — Harward Sisters Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Nov. 25 — Tokeena Angus Heifer Sale, Seneca, S.C. Feb. 15 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Mar. 7 — Iredell Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Mar. 14 — Union County Cattlemen’s Association March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. brahman Oct. 12 — Circle F Farms Production Sale, Baxley, Ga. brangus Oct. 19 — L.G. Herndon, Jr. Farms Best of the South Private Treaty Field Day Sale, Lyons, Ga. Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. CHAROLAIS Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2020 Jan. 25 — Harward Sisters Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. GELBVIEH Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Nov. 2 — TJB Gelbvieh & Balancer 8th Annual Bull Sale, Chickamauga, Ga. Nov. 9 — C-Cross Cattle Company Bull & Female Production Sale, Biscoe, N.C. Nov. 16 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Nov. 16 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Nov. 30 — 3rd Annual Boys from the South Bull South, Lebanon, Tenn.

Dec. 6 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. HEREFORD Sep. 28 — Forrest Polled Herefords 16th Production Sale, Saluda, S.C. Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 12 — Shrader Farms First Annual “F1 Baldy Bonanza,” Rosedale, Va. Oct. 21 — Barnes Herefords/White Hawk Ranch Beef Maker Bull & Female Sale - Fall Edition, Cedartown, Ga.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q OCTOBER 2019

Nov. 9 — 18th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Nov. 16 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Dec. 6 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2020 Mar. 14 — Union County Cattlemen’s Association March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. Red Angus Oct. 26 — Red Hill Farms Bulls and Females of Fall Sale V, Lafayette, Tenn.

Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2020 Jan. 25 — Harward Sisters Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. santa gertrudis Nov. 9 — 18th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. 2020 May 8-9 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas 47th Annual Sale, Chester, S.C. SIMMENTAL Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 19 — Shenandoah’s Shining Stars Fall Sale, Quicksburg, Va. Oct. 26 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 26 — Red Hill Farms Bulls and Females of Fall Sale V, Lafayette, Tenn.

Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Nov. 1 — High Ridge Farms Genetic Opportunity Sale, Albemarle, N.C. Nov. 9 — 18th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Nov. 9 — Gibbs Farms 14th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Ranburne, Ala. Nov. 16 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Nov. 16 — 11th Annual SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 16 — Southwest Cattlemen’s Classic, Wytheville, Va. Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. 2020 Jan. 4 — EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C. Jan. 25 — Harward Sisters Bull & Female Sale, Norwood, N.C. Feb. 15 — Yon Family Farms Spring Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Mar. 7 — Iredell Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C.

Mar. 14 — Union County Cattlemen’s Association March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C. OTHER EVENTS Oct. 1 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Oct. 2 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Oct. 5 — Martin Family Farms Dispersal Sale, Clinton, N.C. Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 12 — Shrader Farms First Annual “F1 Baldy Bonanza,” Rosedale, Va. Oct. 15-17 — 9th Annual NIAA Antibiotic Symposium, Ames, Iowa Oct. 19 — Black Lick Cattle Company 12th Annual Commercial Bred Heifer Sale, Rural Retreat, Va. Nov. 5 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Nov. 5-21 — North American International Livestock Exposition, Louisville, Ken. Nov. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Nov. 9 — 18th Annual E.B. & Shane Harris Influence Female & Bull Sale, Oxford, N.C. Nov. 16 — Leachman East Coast Stabilizer Sale, Rocky Mount, N.C. Dec. 3 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Dec. 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Dec. 6 — Knoll Crest Farm Total Performance Bull Sale, Red House, Va. Dec. 7 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 10 — Southeast Regional Beef Conference, Clinton, N.C. 2020 Jan. 4 — EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.C. Feb. 1 — Clemson Bull Test Sale, Clemson, S.C. Feb. 28-Mar. 1 — 2020 Perry & Doris Teeter Beef Leadership Institute Mar. 7 — Iredell Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Turnersburg, N.C. Mar. 14 — Union County Cattlemen’s Association March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale, Chester, S.C.

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