The Carolina Cattle Connection - Volume 33, Issue No. 9 (SEPTEMBER 2019)

CC C

arolina attle onnection SEPTEMBER 2019 •

Vol. 33, Issue No. 9

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

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ONNECTION 2019 Kentland Farm Beef and Forage Day …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….......…..…..…..…..…... page 16 Amazing Grazing — Adding Sheep to a Cattle Operation, by Johnny Rogers …..…..…..…..... page 14 American Angus Association News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 39 American Brahman Breeders Association News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 60 Animal Agriculture Alliance News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 68 Ashley’s Beef Corner — Summer Slides Out, by Ashley W. Herring ….…..…..…..…..…........ page 12 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… page 58 Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 29 Beef Quality Assurance Update …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 71 Beefmaster Breeders United News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 58 BioZyme Incorporated News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 72 Boehringer Ingelheim News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 52 Brookside Agra News ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 81 Carolina Cooking — Samba Steak Stir-Fry ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…........ page 27 Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. page 28 Director’s Report — Celebrate and Learn, by Bryan Blinson ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 3 E.B.’s View from the Cow Pasture — The Family Milk Cow, by E.B. Harris …..…..…..…..…..... page 16 Farm Credit News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 34 Hanen Automatic Cattle Feeder Model LSF-12 Engineered to Expand for Future Cattle Herd Growth …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 60 Hearing from Hodges, by Emmie Troendle …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 24 How Feedlot Respiratory Viruses Behave ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... page 80 International Brangus Breeders Association News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 63 Merck News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 44 N.C. Forage & Grassland Council Forage Spotlight — Lessons We Learn, by Brad Moore ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…......... page 59 N.C. Junior Hereford Association Update …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 47 N.C. Weekly Livestock Report ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…....... page 74 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 64 National Farm Safety and Health Week — September 15-21, by Marion Barnes ……......... page 50 National Institute for Animal Agriculture News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 30 New NCCA Members for 2019 ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 68 New Opportunity Offer Southeastern Ranchers More Profit, Less Risk ……..…..…..…......... page 66 North American Limousin Foundation News ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…......... page 57 North Carolina Native Chosen for National Advocacy Training ……..…..…..…..…..…..…........ page 65 On the Edge of Common Sense — The Anti-Smoking Device, by Baxter Black ….…..…........ page 19 On the Horizon — An Amazing Grazing Summer, by Kendra Phipps ….…..…..…..…..…...….... page 17 Palmetto Profiles, by Roy Copelan …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…..…... page 21 Public Lands Council News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...…... page 79 S.C. Charolais News, by Georgeanne Webb ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…......... page 54 SimGenetics News ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…....... page 28 The Simmental Trail, by Jennie Rucker …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... page 22 You Decide!, by Dr. Mike Walden …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…........ page 32 Zoetis Quick Tips ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... page 82 Zoetis News …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. page 56

SANTA GERTRUDIS Data Driven — Influx of Data, New Genetic Tools Launch Santa Gertrudis to Greater Heights, by Jessie Topp-Becker, page 6 Dry Fork Creek Farm, by Scott Sherrill, page 5 Females That Fit, by John Ford, page 10 Paying it Forward — Tri-C Farms, by Scott Sherrill, page 4 Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Announce 2019 Field Day Program,

by Scott Sherrill, page 8 Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale Result, page 8 Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Ultrasound Update, by Scott Sherrill, page 9

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection Vol. 33, No. 9 SEPTEMBER 2019 Sales and Publication Office 2228 N. Main Street Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

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

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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

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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.

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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

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

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Director’s Report

By BRYAN K. BLINSON Executive Director, NCCA

Celebrate and Learn We have a lot to be proud of in North Carolina. We have oceans, mountains, the bountiful piedmont, a rich history, and a bright future. In the beef industry in our state, we can also be very proud of a unique program officially titled the N.C. Beef System.

The N.C. Beef System is a result of the cooperation we have between the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University, and the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association. This cooperation involves support from the agricultural research

stations, N.C. State Extension, NCSU Teaching and Research, and the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association. When we visit with other states, even those with many more cattle than us, they cannot believe we are able to work together so well to make more meaningful research through efficiency and support. The system was designed to treat all of the cattle on research farms throughout the state as one herd. This allowed the historic seedstock herd at the Piedmont Research Station in Reidsville to provide genetics to populate the herds with animals of similar

N.C. State University Beef System Field Day and Dedication Ceremony NCSU Beef Educational Unit 3720 Lake Wheeler Rd. • Raleigh NC. 27603 8:00 a.m. - Registration and Refreshments 9:00 a.m. - Welcome - Dr. Todd See, NCSU Animal Science Department Head 9:10 a.m. - Educational Program Focused on the following: Environmental Stewardship Low Stress Handling and Beef Quality Assurance Impacting Future Generations Through Youth Programs 11:30 a.m. - Dedication Ceremony for the E. Carroll Joyner Beef Educational Unit 12:15 p.m. - Lunch 12:50 p.m - Lunch Program 2:00 p.m - Conclusion

backgrounds at the other stations, such as Butner and Waynesville. This allows research to be done on cattle with similar genetics and management backgrounds to make more effective research possible. A giant leap has been made for our world class researchers to do projects, from the mountains to the coastal plain, with adequate numbers of the ideal class of cattle that fit the project. They are no longer restricted to doing research that only fit the cattle currently on a particular station. There is no question that we can all be proud of this system.

This explanation leads me to the invitation to celebrate and learn. Since the inception of the N.C. Beef System, we have highlighted the year’s research and education activities with a field day at one of the stations where the research is being done. This year we have a very special field day planned.

We want to invite everyone to gather at the Beef Educational Unit on Lake Wheeler Road in Raleigh on September 14 for our annual field day. This year the field day will again allow us to learn more about the research and educational programs that have been conducted this year, but there is much more in store that is very exciting. We will also have the opportunity to meet some of the students who are affected throughout their educational career with the handson opportunities provided by the faculty, staff, and teaching herd utilized at “The Beef Unit.”

As you can see by the attached schedule, we will have an educational program in the morning emphasizing environmental stewardship, low stress handling and BQA, and impacting future generations through youth programs. All of these titles are the result of programs supported through your investment in the N.C. Cattle Industry Assessment program. The areas that contribute to

the topics you support each year include forage and pasture management research and teaching, weaning research, ongoing teaching of handling techniques and proper herd health, issues management outreach, and multiple youth related projects.

The 2019 N.C. Beef Systems Field Day will also be a day we can all celebrate the beginning of a bright new opportunity for beef education at NCSU. We will conclude the morning with a very exciting announcement of an extremely generous contribution by one of our most forward thinking cattlemen. We will get to witness the dedication of the E. Carroll Joyner Beef Educational Unit firsthand. Mr. Joyner has always been a huge supporter of beef cattle research and the teaching of young people at N.C. State University. He was instrumental in the development and initial funding of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation in 1982. Because of his leadership and the example he set, the NCCF continues to support meaningful research and now provides scholarship assistance to scores of North Carolina farm kids and graduate students to continue their education. The dedication will, not only, involve the formal naming of the Beef Unit that has been and will continue to be critical to the education of generations of students, but will also be instrumental in the continuation of meaningful research, education, and teaching to help advance the industry for all North Carolina beef producers. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on this special day.

Attendance at this celebration is free, but what is a celebration without good beef to eat? To make sure we have enough beef for everyone, please register if possible. Registration is available at www.nccattle.com. If you are not able to register online, please come, and we will register you at the barn door that morning.

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Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

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Paying it Forward — Tri-C Farms

By SCOTT SHERRILL In 2009, Thomas and Pam Cameron’s son Austin had the opportunity to show his first Santa Gertrudis heifer: a local farmer offered a heifer to 4-H to show at the N.C. State Fair. Austin really enjoyed the experience, and after the fair, Thomas approached his extension agent, originally with the thought of seeking out a couple of purebred Angus or Hereford heifers.

However, their local extension agent urged them not to go with the more popular breeds because the competition could be extremely intense, but rather to explore some other breeds.

Thomas’ cousin, Bill Cameron of Double C Farms in Raeford, N.C., had been involved with the Santa Gertrudis breed since 1973 and was a natural source for heifers. Thomas, Austin, and Pam visited Bill several times, and each time narrowed down the heifers that might become Austin’s show heifers.

Thomas, Pam, and Austin went on to show their cattle in junior shows at the national level: attending National Junior Santa Gertrudis Heifer Shows from 2010 until Austin aged out in 2016. These experiences led to lasting friendships with other Santa Gertrudis producers around the state and the country. Austin also

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demonstrated the skills he had gained by winning the Cattleman’s Contest twice, once in Gonzalez, Louisiana (2012), and once in Tampa, Florida (2016). The Cattleman’s Contest measures a participant’s knowledge of a wide range of equipment used on the farm. Austin also placed second in livestock judging in Tampa.

Eventually, Thomas sold his commercial cow herd, and the family went entirely to purebred Santa Gertrudis.

Currently, the operation has 14 mama cows, but a total head count of 40 when including yearling and weanling heifers and steers. The herd base is largely Double C genetics, but also features Cox Mill Farms, Flatwillow Farms, and a herd bull from Jernigan Farms in Georgia.

Thomas has spent many years on the Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Board and has consigned lots to the Breeders of the Carolinas Sale in Chester, South Carolina. The family consigned the high selling commercial lot with a 50 percent Santa Gertrudis, 50 percent Hereford cross in 2018.

Currently, the family is looking to expand its operation with more pasture.

They are looking to keep their herd as polled as possible and focus on structurally sound cows that have calving ease and

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

excellent maternal instincts. They have sold a couple of bulls, and their customers have been satisfied. Their buyers have been looking to put Santa Gertrudis genetics back into their herds for milking ability, growth, and heat tolerance.

Tri-C Farms has been working with the Moore County FFA for the past couple of years to expose more children to showing and working with cattle. Both the Camerons and the students have really enjoyed the experience. They tell the

story of one student in particular, who had previously been focused largely on horses and equine, but after the county shows and state fair was ready to transition fully from horses to cattle and has absolutely fallen in love with the Santa Gertrudis breed. Thomas says, “Showing cattle has been good for Austin, and it really helped

him to grow and develop. Now we have the opportunity to give back and give someone else the same opportunity it gave him.” Thomas does point out that the Santa Gertrudis breed can be a good one to start out with showing because they show slick, without having to be blown dry like the haired cattle, meaning that the animal preparation is much easier.

They’ve also found that having a herd of former show heifers and animals that have been worked with makes for a docile and easy handling herd.

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Dry Fork Creek Farm

By SCOTT SHERRILL Brad and Farrah Hargett started Dry Fork Creek Farm in 1995, and it only took them five years to find and begin utilizing the Santa Gertrudis breed. In the year 2000, they purchased their first purebred herd of 25 head from an older neighbor.

They knew from the get go that they were going to focus on Star 5 production. Star 5s are Santa Gertrudis cross cattle, and the five points of the star are fertility, milking ability, gainability, conformation, and gentle disposition.

Prior to purchasing their first Santa Gertrudis, the Hargetts had been operating with principally a Simmental base, and to start, they ran a purebred Simmental bull on the herd. They loved the heterosis and hybrid vigor, and had a phenomenal herd with the typical Santa Gertrudis qualities of maternal ability, longevity, and heat tolerance, which they were adding even to their black hided cattle. The Hargetts knew they were on to something and have worked to build on their successes. Over time, Dry Fork Creek has incorporated Hereford, Angus, and Red Angus breeding as well as a few others. They do use artificial insemination to bring in outside genetics and provide diversity and add well established powerhouses to their herd.

The main herd makeup currently reflects a lot of genetics from Creech Farms, Double E, and Bill Cameron’s Double C Farms. The initial herd, genetics were good, but these registered bloodlines helped to add to the baseline and performance to the herd. Farrah also utilizes other registered Santa Gertrudis genetics likes such as Ronald Woods and Dietrich’s Massive Grizzly lines through her A.I. technique. It’s always exciting to see how the different genetics pair together and what amazing calves are created from those combinations.

The majority of the farm’s current focus in on producing replacement Star 5 females. These are frequently marketed private treaty off the farm, but a few are always reserved for the Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale each May as well as the Union County Cattleman’s Association March Madness Sale. Farrah says, “Nothing feels better than when someone comes back and says that the animal that they purchased from you many years ago is still one of the top producing animals in their herd year after year.”

In addition to selling replacement females, the Hargetts also steer a lot of their bull calves and make local beef sales from the farm. Anything not sold as a herd bull or used for local beef goes to the feeder calf sales. Those steers bring top dollar because of how well the Star 5 calves showcase the best of both breeds.

The Hargetts have found that people are very receptive to Star 5 females and know what the influence of Santa Gertrudis can do for their herds. The Hargetts know their cattle’s background and Santa Gertrudis bloodlines to provide information to prospective buyers;they use Cattlemax software to keep track of what the genetic makeup and performance is of particular animals.

In 2007, Farrah took over the farm full time while Brad continues to work off the farm. They currently run just over 75 head on 200 acres and have 400 acres of hay production. With a home base in Union County, their acreage is spread out, with multiple farms in multiple locations.

This requires different management and planning for each individual farm.

Much time is being spent learning how to cope with urbanization in their area near Monroe. Dry Fork Creek does a lot of grass management, including seasonal grasses. They strip graze on rye and oats

The Carolina Cattle Connection

in the winter, and also encourage native grasses and drill in sudan grasses for summer grazing. They try to keep their hay scale to a minimum for their animals in the event of bad weather but far prefer feeding grasses Farrah has served on the Union County Cattleman’s Board of Directors for the last five years and was president for two of them. Both Brad and Farrah are very active in Union County Farm Bureau with Brad serving on the Board of Directors, and both sat on the N.C. Farm Bureau Young Farmer/ Rancher State Committees. Farrah also participated in the CALS program through N.C. State University and was able to tour agricultural operations in places like Brazil and California. Farrah was particularly impressed with grass fed operations in Brazil where they run more eared cattle and was amazed to see how they manage pastures and rotational grazing in that area to produce significant average daily gains on grass alone.

It’s evident from talking with the Hargetts that cattle are a passion, and Farrah says, “I am thankful the good Lord has blessed us with the ability to be stewards for such wonderful animals, and we’re going to do the best job possible to produce top quality cattle.”

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Section f

Data Driven — Influx of Data, New Genetic Tools Launch Santa Gertrudis to Greater Heights

By JESSIE TOPP-BECKER It’s been nearly eight decades since the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognized Santa Gertrudis as a distinctive beef breed. Santa Gertrudis breeders have long admired the breed for its maternal traits, feed efficiency, and ability to adapt to harsh environments, but the breed has often stayed in the shadows due, in large part, to a Bos indicus bias from a portion of the beef industry.

In the last decade, the tides have changed. Santa Gertrudis is no longer a small breed with limited performance data and genetic tools; instead, it’s an innovative breed using cutting edge tools and technology to compete globally with other breeds. This dramatic shift is the result of leaders with vision, committed breeders, and a knowledgeable geneticist.

King Ranch® Legacy - King Ranch developed the Santa Gertrudis breed of cattle in the 1920s in response to a need to have cattle that could perform in the challenging South Texas environment.

Since the breed was recognized by the USDA in 1940, the King Ranch has continued to breed and develop Santa

Gertrudis cattle, using them as seedstock for their commercial cattle operations.

Simultaneously, cattlemen throughout the United States, Mexico, South America, Australia, and other countries also took an interest in the breed and started using them in commercial herds and/or establishing seedstock operations.

After decades of building its Santa Gertrudis seedstock herd with a focus on fertility, longevity, and performance in their tough environment, King Ranch began collecting and utilizing data with the ultimate goal to remain competitive in the beef industry. In 2003, King Ranch began working with John Genho, now the senior director of technical services at Neogen Corporation, to collect data and develop a genetic evaluation program. The result was its own within-herd Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) system.

Since launching the within-herd EPD system, carcass quality has been a primary focus, while still maintaining selection pressure on maternal, growth, and functional traits. In the last decade, King Ranch has made dramatic

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improvements to its Quality Grades.

“We have seen an increase in our percent Choice and Prime Quality Grades of more than 70 percent, and we have maintained growth and continued to improve fertility simultaneously,” says Tylor Braden, area manager for cattle operations at King Ranch. “It’s the definition of a balanced approach, and what we believe is the most profitable long term approach.”

King Ranch recently created its own suite of fertility EPDs, including Heifer Pregnancy, Breed Back, and Stayability EPDs, as well as its own Fertility Index.

“While we do highly value RFI and feedlot feed efficiency, and consider these traits, along with carcass traits, in our selection process, our top priority continues to be to select for and make the most fertile cows possible,” Braden explains. “We go to extensive lengths to manage our correlations between traits to make sure we never sacrifice cow efficiency.

“We still breed cattle today with the original focus, which we started, and that’s to make the most profitable animal we can,” Braden adds. “It’s why we’ve made such dramatic improvements.”

Decades of data collection, balanced selection pressure, and a focus on profitable production in challenging environments resulted in King Ranch Santa Gertrudis cattle that had growth, fertility, and carcass quality – and the data to prove the performance. The value of such a large data set to the entire Santa Gertrudis breed became obvious, and a few years ago, King Ranch offered to share the data with Santa Gertrudis Breeders International (SGBI), hoping it would help launch the breed into a new era.

New Tools, New Possibilities - In 2012, King Ranch loaned all its Santa Gertrudis herd data to SGBI. There was only one catch – the data must be used to help promote the breed. During a time when the issue of data ownership is topof-mind for many breeders and breed associations, King Ranch’s decision to voluntarily share its data with SGBI is almost unheard of.

“King Ranch continues to move forward, looking for new tools that are beneficial to the breed,” says John Ford, SGBI executive director. “It’s great to have a member who has that kind of

vision and is willing to work for the betterment of the breed.”

That data set, along with the association’s dataset collected by other Santa Gertrudis breeders, enabled SGBI to strengthen the breed’s genetic evaluation.

Santa Gertrudis was the first beef breed to utilize the single step model, which most other breeds have now adopted, that utilizes genomic relationships to estimate the genetic merit of an individual animal. In 2013, SGBI released the first genomic enhanced (DNA verified) EPDs for Bos indicus influenced cattle.

“As a breed, we’ve been quietly taking some very positive steps forward that have, in turn, benefitted the whole industry,” Ford says.

“The single step methodology allows all breeds the opportunity to develop genomic enhanced EPDs,” he adds. “Whereas the double step methodology would’ve been cost prohibitive to a majority of breeds in America and limited genetic improvement across all breeds within the industry.”

Just five years later, the association released two new fertility EPDs – Heifer Pregnancy and Breed Back – and a new genetic selection tool, Igenity® Santa Gertrudis, a DNA verified genetic selection tool that enables ranchers to evaluate candidate replacement heifers sired by registered Santa Gertrudis bulls.

“We’ve got some of the best tools within the industry for our seedstock producers to make breeding or mating decisions,” Ford says. “But we’ve also got indexes and tools for our commercial cattlemen – the kind of tools that don’t overwhelm them.”

Breeders Helping Breeders - While King Ranch’s contribution helped strengthen the breed’s genetic evaluation, breeder support was key in the breed’s ability to make such drastic changes in a relatively short time frame. Ford, Genho, and Braden agree that all SGBI members played a vital role in building the data set that has allowed the association to provide a suite of valuable tools to its members.

“There’s a whole lot of people who have brought this together,” Braden says.

“You have a lot of people who came together at the right time to adopt technology and develop tools, and then

e Special use those tools,” Genho adds.

SGBI members have come on board in unique ways; some by providing DNA results, others by collecting carcass data, and others by ultrasounding their cattle.

“They are definitely participating and are improving their cattle because of the data they’re turning in and the tools they’re using,” Genho says.

After working with the breed for the last two decades, Genho has had a frontrow seat to the 360º turnaround.

“It’s a cool process to watch a group of people who weren’t innovators 20 years ago, become innovators,” he says. “It’s neat to watch people pick up technology and say, ‘this really works; we can use this.’ That’s really what happened – they have become innovators.”

Significant Improvements - The influx of data and, ultimately, the variety of new tools available to breeders have had a profound impact on the breed – enabling breeders to better identify profitable genetics and put selection pressure on the

Spotlight on

SANTA GERTRUDIS

traits the breed needed to improve.

Carcass quality is one area that was in desperate need of improvement. Bos indicus influenced breeds aren’t often recognized for carcass quality, but Santa Gertrudis is changing that. Nearly seven years since implementing the single step method, the results speak for themselves.

Cattle in the 2018 SGBI Steer Feedout graded 96 percent Choice, with 51 percent hitting the Premium Choice mark.

The new tools have allowed breeders to put selection pressure on carcass traits, but Ford is confident Santa Gertrudis cattle have always been capable of grading well.

“Once we had these new genetic tools in place, we were better able to identify those genetics within our population that helped us make these improvements,” Ford says.

While breeders have increased their selection pressure on carcass traits, the tools have also allowed them to keep a close eye on reproductive, efficiency, and growth traits – traits that have the greatest

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impact on profitability for cow/calf herds.

“I hope the Heifer Pregnancy and Breed Back EPDs are just the beginning of the maternal type traits,” Genho says. “Because ultimately, most of the profitability in bull selection has to do with maternal ability in the cow/calf segment, not carcass quality.”

“While prioritizing your genetic selection to maximize calf production yields higher short term dividends, selecting to maximize cow quality and fertility maximizes long term profitability and operational sustainability,” Braden adds.

Validating Profitable Performance - In recent years, the association has used the tagline Data Driven...Profit Proven.

And while the results from the steer feedout and individual operations are positive and exciting, it’s not the only way the association is working to validate this information. SGBI has progressively sought out research partners at the university level.

Over the last two years, the association has announced research projects at Auburn University and Utah

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State University, while simultaneously working to identify additional research opportunities to validate the breed’s profitable performance.

“Sometimes I feel like we’re off the industry radar,” Ford says. “A lot of people don’t think of Santa Gertrudis, but we remain out here on the cutting edge of genetic technology and also eager participants in the kind of research that validates profitability for commercial cattlemen.”

Not unlike other Bos indicus influenced breeds, Santa Gertrudis fights for acceptability in the marketplace, especially as it relates to carcass quality and fertility. Today, with nearly 11,000 genotypes on record and data to back up the breed’s claims, Santa Gertrudis has earned its rightful place in the beef industry.

“We have a stigma of being a small, niche breed, but we have a place at the table to compete with any breed across the nation at any level,” Braden says. “We are not a carcass breed, and we are not strictly a maternal breed; we can play in both arenas.”

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Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Announce 2019 Field Day Program

By SCOTT SHERRILL This year’s Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Field Day will be held on September 28 at Double C Farms at 377 Double C Drive in Raeford, N.C., beginning at 9:30 a.m. This year’s field day will feature a presentation from Amazing Grazing on rotational grazing and setting up a temporary fencing installation, a presentation by Paige Smart with Southeast Agriseeds on grazing annuals, and a presentation from Dr. Katie McCallion of Pineview Veterinary Hospital on Breeding Soundness Exams and proper shot administration. The program will conclude with lunch.

We would encourage people who

are interested in the Santa Gertrudis breed or have made recent purchases from a Santa Gertrudis breeder to attend.

It’s a very exciting time to be involved with this breed! This field day is a great opportunity to learn and to network with other producers who are involved with the Santa Gertrudis breed.

The field day is one of our four major events of each year. The others are our annual sale in May, the North Carolina State Fair in October, and an annual membership dinner in January. If you are interested in learning more about our events throughout the year, please visit our website at www. sgbreedersofthecarolinas.com.

Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale Results The Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale was held the weekend of May 10-11 at the Chester Livestock Exchange in Chester, South Carolina. EB Harris was the auctioneer, and cattle sold to 35 buyers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, and New Mexico.

The volume buyers were Joe Graham of Rhoadesville, Va., and Gen Palmer of Ridgeway, South Carolina.

This year’s sale grossed $152,380.

With an average of $2,139.34 on 39 purebred lots and $1,044.39 on 66 Star 5 lots. The high-selling bull sold for $3,500 from Creech Farms in Zebulon, N.C., to Rockin’ B Farms in Staley, North Carolina. The high selling female sold for $8,200, which was a 3-n-1 from Creech Farms that sold to Van Culberson of Siler City, North Carolina. The high selling pair, also from Creech Farms, sold to Red Doc Farm in Belen, N.Mex., for $5,500. The high selling bred heifer sold from MC Ranch in Ringgold, Ga., to Van Culberson for $3,000, and the high selling open heifer sold from Circle A Farm in Williamsport, Tenn., to Crutchfield Farms

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

in Midland, North Carolina. The high selling commercial pen was a 3-n-1 with a 50% Santa Gertrudis, 50% Gelbvieh dam, that sold from Double J Farms in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to William Hucks of Chester, S.C., for $1,800.

The membership dinner Friday night was well-attended and featured the annual membership meeting. Board members Scott Sherrill of Concord, N.C., Ronald Wood of Benson, N.C., and Randy “Peaches” Carpenter of Ocean Isle, N.C., were re-elected to the Board. Board leadership did not change: Peaches Carpenter remained President, Joe Graham vice president, and Carlyle Sherrill will continue in his role as Secretary/Treasurer.

President Peaches Carpenter recognized Carlyle Sherrill with the President’s Award for his service to the Breeders of the Carolinas. President Carpenter also recognized Creech Farms as the Breeder of the Year.

Mark your calendar for May 8-9, 2020, for the 47th Annual Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale in Chester, South Carolina.

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Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Ultrasound Update

By SCOTT SHERRILL Beginning on March 18, 2016, the Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas began conducting ultrasound data collection days. We have now had eight such collection days, and some of our members have taken advantage of some other opportunities to collect information on their animals, and that information is included in the calculations to the right.

Our total scans now number 95 with 63 heifers and 32 bulls from Creech Farms, J.C. Sherrill, Jr. Ranch, Flatwillow Farms, and Rockin’ B Farms.

The top individual performers were: • Circle A Creed - High REA bull (17.00) - Circle A Real Deal 53 x TF096 • Creech 137-6 - High REA Female (11.8) - Gunnie 803 x Creech 907 • Creech 130-6 - High IMF bull (5.41) - Never Before 1136 x XCF Dakota’s Noel 5-3 • Creech 175-7 - High IMF female (5.44) - Creech 100-4 x Gray Oaks 409 • Creech 170-7 - High REA/CWT (1.46) Creech 100-4 x Creech Tara 95-4 • Creech 169-7 - High REA/CWT (1.52) Creech 100-4 x Harding 167/7

Female Average REA Bull Average REA Female Average REA/CWT Bull Average REA/CWT Female Average IMF Bull Average IMF Female Average BFAT Bull Average BFAT Average Female WPDA Average Bull WPDA Average Female Scan Average Bull Scan The high REA bull increased from 12.9 to 17.00. The chart above reflects the results from our three ultrasound days to date as compared to when we first started.

The idea behind the ultrasound day was to begin building the database of local carcass data, and we are glad to see more and more of our membership utilizing this resource. With a consistent effort to collect data, we feel that our association will be

Initial Scans 8.9 sq. in.

10.4 sq. in.

1.14 sq. in/cwt 1.02 sq. in./cwt 3.6% 3.0% .23 in. .20 in.

2.2 lbs/day 2.8 lbs/day 787 lbs 802 lbs

2017 Update 10.08 sq. in.

9.58 sq. in.

1.23 sq. in/cwt 1.04 sq. in/cwt 3.55% 3.36% .24 in. .24 in.

2.13 lbs/day 2.43 lbs/day 822 lbs 921 lbs

2018 Update 9.34 sq. in.

10.47 sq. in.

1.23 sq. in./cwt 1.14 sq. in.

3.59% 3.05% .255 in. .18 in.

2.03 lbs/day 2.44 lbs/day 763 lbs 923 lbs

able to move towards meaningful carcass data EPDs and higher predictability for our customers. We are also looking to increase the amount of raw carcass data available to purchasers at our annual Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Sale. In this year’s sale, carcass information was available on nine head. The next ultrasound day has yet to be set but will target calves born between September and December 2018.

2019 Update 9.43 sq. in.

11.45 sq. in.

1.24 sq in/cwt 1.15 sq. in/cwt 3.45% 3.16% N/A N/A 2.04 lbs/day 2.60 lbs/day 764 lbs 1,011 lbs

If you are a breeder of Santa Gertrudis or Santa Gertrudis influenced cattle reading this article and are interested in participating, please email carlyle.p.sherrill@gmail.com. We are, as always, grateful to Brent Scarlett of Scarlett Mobile Vet for cooperating with us on the scans and to Mike Moss of Windy Hill Angus for use of facilities. Look for another update in September 2020!

Chadbourn Feed • 207 W 1st Ave., Chadbourn, NC 28431 The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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Females That Fit

By JOHN FORD Executive Director, SGBI The thermometer outside my office window indicates it is currently a warm 104º late summer day in sunny South Texas. The abundant rainfall witnessed in the fall and spring is now just a memory, as is the lush green grasses it produced.

Unusual? No, just another South Texas summer that is capable of lasting 10-12 months. Unfortunately, many cattlemen do not consider the environment and the impact it has on productivity when making mating and selection decisions.

This has certainly been evident the past 20 -25 years as the national trend has been toward a cow herd that is straightbred and black hided, resulting in cattle that do not necessarily fit all environments, especially in the Southern United States where the mercury often tops the century mark and summer forages have limited nutrients.

Each beef cattle genotype has a

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different and characteristic zone of comfort where they are the most efficient.

Science has established that under heat stress conditions, Bos indicus breeds, and their crosses have better heat regulatory capacity than Bos taurus breeds, due to differences in metabolic rate, food, and water consumption, sweating rate, coat characteristics, and color. The Bos taurus zone of comfort ranges between 39-75ºF, temperatures seldom seen for any extended period in the southern half of the United States. On the other hand, the zone of comfort of Bos indicus influenced breeds is 50-81ºF, making them much better suited to southern beef production patterns. This information clearly confirms that incorporating Bos indicus influenced Santa Gertrudis genetics into a breeding program is a profitable alternative option to the heavily

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Bos taurus influenced, black hided breeding program adopted by so many of the nation’s Southern cattlemen. Santa Gertrudis cattle perform profitably in a wide range of environmental conditions, from the pastures of the Coastal Carolinas to the challenging arid conditions of the desert Southwest.

The foundation for a profitable cow herd is a balanced, efficient female. More is not always better – avoiding extremes and matching cow herds to the operation’s forage resources will almost always result in a profitable set of cows well adapted to the ranch’s environment. Mismatches between cow type and environment affect reproductive performance, which is a function of age and weight at puberty, conception rate, length of gestation, calving ease, and longevity. These components are directly influenced by

milking ability, mature body weight, body condition score, and calf weight, all of which are influenced by environment.

A female that remains in good body condition throughout the year breeds back quickly and brings a healthy heavy calf to the weaning pen each year, doing it all by grazing the ranch’s available forage with minimal supplementation, is a keeper and is one that is truly an environmental fit.

Today’s industry demands females that are productive for an extended period, females that wean a heavy and healthy calf, females that are flexible enough to fit into a variety of breeding schemes and most importantly, females that are profitable in a wide range of environmental conditions. Santa Gertrudis influenced females fit the bill and fit the environment from the Coastal Carolinas to Coastal California.

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Ashley’s Beef Corner

T

dressing over the carrot mixture and stir until evenly coated. For best flavor, allow the salad to marinate 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving. Keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, up to four days.

Summer Slides Out I was recently reminded of how the grilling “season” doesn’t really have a season here in North Carolina because it’s a year round norm for all of us. I couldn’t agree more. Often, it is more fun to grill in cooler weather. Labor Day weekend is one of the most popular holidays for beef grilling, but the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays aren’t too far behind.

Annually, the N.C. Cattlemen’s Beef Council sponsors the 4-H Beef CharGrill, and that recently took place on an especially warm July day. I’m sharing the recipes from the outstanding participants and admiration for their passion for preparing beef, even in less than ideal temperatures.

N.C. 4-H #Beef Char-grill competition.

Award Winners • Mark Smith - Mitchell County - age 8-10 - Gold • Logan Dellinger - Lincoln County - age 11-13 - Gold •JaNyya Dixon - Wilson County - age 11-13 - Silver • Billy Grant-Beasley - Currituck County - age 11-13 - Bronze • Lindsey Bryant - Henderson County - age 14-18 - Gold • Christian Stebe - Rowan - age 14-18 - Silver • Reece Ramsey - Mitchell County - age 14-18 - Bronze Mark’s Farm to Fork Sliders 2 lbs. ground beef ramp salt dinner rolls goat cheese corn

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Sauce ¼ sweet onion ½ yellow bell pepper ¼ cup ketchup ½ cup rolled oats 1 egg yolk Put all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Mix this sauce into the ground beef by hand until thoroughly mixed. Patty the meat into hamburger sized squares for easy flipping.

Sprinkle with ramp salt before grilling.

Grill the meat and corn. Cut each patty into quarters and serve as sliders on dinner rolls. Top each slider with goat cheese. Serve corn as a side.

Logan’s Tuscan Style Steak Three 8 oz. sirloins 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ cup olive oil 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. sea salt ½ tsp. pepper Combine all ingredients together and whisk. Marinate steaks 2 hours to overnight. Cook steaks to 145ºF. Logan’s French Carrot Salad (side for Tuscan Style Steak) 1 lb. carrots, peeled 2 tbsp. finely snipped chives 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley Dressing 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. honey 1 tsp. Dijon mustard ½ tsp. ground cumin ¼ tsp. sea salt Prepare carrots by grating on a box grater. *Time saving tip: purchase matchstick carrots from your grocer’s produce section. Place carrots in a medium bowl and combine with chives and parsley. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a separate small bowl until completely blended. Pour

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Angus Beef Loin New York Strip Steak with Honey Garlic Rub Garnished with Grilled Pineapple Slices Rub 1 Tbsp. of rub per side. Let sit for a few minutes. Heat grill on high.

Place meat on grill and cool for 7-8 minutes per side.

The internal temperature of meat should be 165-170ºF. This will be medium-well. Take the meat off the grill and let sit for 5 minutes.

(The meat will continue to cook.)

Also, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently arranged farm tours for the family and consumer science teachers.

Their annual meeting is in Greensboro, so we selected Iseley Farm of Burlington as the beef cattle stop. Lunch was provided

by Alamance County Farm Bureau, and the teachers were able to hear from Frank Bell, leading cattleman in the area.

been in her family for over 200 years.

Another great learning experience was shared at the Ready, Set, Grill, Beef Camp in Lenoir County. Organized by Kelly Tyndall, family and consumer science agent, the four day experience for around twenty 4-H youth covered food safety, beef nutrition, cuts, grilling, and much more. Mrs. Tyndall did a fantastic job of planning the event, and it was rounded out by a visit to Dustin and Jordan Cox-O’Neill’s cattle farm in Jones County.

Beef camp listening to a cattle farmer - thanks, Dustin O’Neill.

Participants got to see cattle up close and ask about what cattle farmers do daily to take care of their animals. Dustin spoke to the group about managing farm expenses, animal health, reproduction, and how they work to take the best care of their land possible.

Visiting farms has been a large part of our year so far. The experience of setting foot on a farm helps everyone immensely, from the visitors to the hosts.

I hope we continue to be able to facilitate these events and help in any way possible because the results from these far out measure other types of promotions.

Frank Bell talks with family and consumer teachers about cattle farms.

Mr. Bell explained how we have strived to improve genetics in order to move up the grades of beef from select to choice, and choice to prime. Next, we loaded up on trailers and went to the pasture to see the cattle. The participants had lots of great questions about how the cattle are raised, what their day-to-day life is like, and how Ms. Iseley’s farm has

Don’t get caught napping!

Deadline is 5th of month prior to issue!

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q SEPTEMBER 2019

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By JOHNNY R. ROGERS Amazing Grazing Program Coordinator Cattle and sheep can graze together or graze the same pasture at different times. Either method will improve farm meat production.

Adding Sheep to a Cattle Operation Many cattle producers will quit reading this article after seeing the title and for good reasons. Even though many cattle operations would benefit from adding sheep, they require more management than typical cattle systems, and this could result in poor economic returns. Nonetheless, I receive enough questions about raising sheep on cattle operations that I thought it would be a good topic. The interest in sheep production comes from North Dakota State University research suggesting a 24 percent improvement in total farm meat production when sheep are added to cattle operations. Furthermore, sheep are being used to manage vegetation in solar farms, which are becoming more prevalent across North Carolina. Some cattle producers near these solar farms are exploring sheep enterprises to diversify their operations. So should you add sheep to your cattle farm? Of course, the short answer is “it depends,” and we will review considerations for making the right decision.

Why Sheep are Great Co-Grazers.

Many have heard the expression, “For

every cow your operation runs, you can add one ewe and never miss the grass.” This is supported research which is primarily due to the grazing preferences of each species. Cattle prefer a predominately grass diet with limited amounts of forbs and browse. The size of their mouth and the method of using their tongue to acquire grass leads them to a less selective diet. On the other hand, sheep have smaller muzzles and use their lips to find the highest quality grasses, forbs, and some browse to make up their diet. In general, sheep will consume a higher percentage of forbs (broadleaf plants, etc.) thus use the pasture sward more efficiently and can help control some broadleaf weeds.

Problem plants like pig weed can become a feed source when grazing sheep.

The advantages of adding sheep to a cattle operation become magnified when we review production traits. Sheep have a considerable reproductive advantage, and it starts with ewe lambs (heifers in sheep terms) as they can be bred to lamb on their first birthday. In contrast, beef heifers will be bred to calve as two-yearolds. Most ewe lambs will have only one lamb while some will raise twins. With above average management and proper nutrition, mature ewes will wean a 150200 percent lamb crop. Nationally, cow/ calf operations yield approximately 75 calves for every 100 cows exposed for breeding. The early start for ewe lambs and the extra offspring that ewes produce annually add up to extra income over typical cow/calf operations. Furthermore, consumer demand for lamb is steady to growing, and most of this comes from ethnic markets. The characteristics desired for ethnic markets can be met with hair sheep which do not require shearing. The wool from most meat producing sheep breeds is lower quality and would be sold at a reduced price that may not cover the shearing expense. This has led to the growing popularity of hair sheep among established and new sheep producers.

Considerations for Starting a Sheep Enterprise. When I talk with cattle producers about sheep production, I try to help them understand that sheep require more management than cattle.

Quite simply, cattle can be produced with varying levels of management with some success. In contrast, sheep need above average management to produce satisfactory results. A portion of this extra oversite comes in the form of predator protection. Perimeter fence used on most cattle operations will contain sheep.

However, fences may need modification to deter predators from entering. You notice, I used the word “deter” and not “stop.” Livestock guardian animals (dogs, donkeys, etc.) provide the extra security needed to reduce predation losses.

Being paid to maintain the vegetation in solar farms can add diversity to cattle operations.

Parasite management is another major difference between cattle and sheep with internal parasites (a.k.a worms) being the major culprit. Parasites in cattle can result in lost performance, and there are multiple easy-to-use products to assist with control. Worm infestation in sheep can result in lost performance and/or death and anthelmintic resistance is a major issue. New products labeled for sheep are limited, and judicious use must be practiced to preserve their effectiveness. Sheep producers are using

Existing cattle working systems can be adapted to handle sheep processing.

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Mature ewes will wean 150-200 percent lamb crops giving them a significant production advantage over cattle.

genetics to select lines that show parasite resistance, and breeding stock can be purchased to improve this trait. Producers can also cull sheep from their flock who require frequent deworming. This is not a bad practice to adopt with your cattle as well.

Foot health management can catch some new sheep owners by surprise because many sheep genetic lines have good feet that require only annual or no maintenance. Many sheep, especially those raised in a wet environment, will experience excess hoof growth and require trimming. If this is not removed, the sheep can become lame, and foot rot can develop. Foot trimming is accomplished by learning simple techniques to control the animal and remove the overgrown hoof. Equipment for restraint will be needed for larger flocks, and it can be adapted to cattle processing equipment.

Summary. Cattle operations have the potential to improve profits by adding a sheep enterprise. Of course, there is no such thing as a free lunch, and cattle producers will earn the extra revenue generated by their sheep. Sheep have unique management requirements that must be addressed, and some facility modification may be needed. Co-grazing with cattle and/or grazing a local solar farm are opportunities to grow your farm business. N.C. Extension and Amazing Grazing can help you with the decision making process and determine if it is a viable option. Contact your county livestock agent for more information.

Good luck and good grazing.

Preventing predation, maintaining hoof health, and parasite control are keys to profitable sheep production. (Photo courtesy of Premier Supply)

ALL Regular Copy for the

OCTOBER ISSUE

by SEPTEMBER 5!

ALL Spotlight Material for the OCTOBER ISSUE

By SEPTEMBER 1!

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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with a man on a milk cow who is the head of a household, and he says, ‘Let me check with my wife,’ get in the truck and go home because there won’t be a milk cow trade there that day.”

I think about that a lot. What the man is saying is he really didn’t like the first

E.B.'s View from the Cow Pasture

By E.B. HARRIS

The Family Milk Cow Back when I was a tike, the family milk cow was a staple of the meals on the table. I’m talking about in the mid-50s up until probably the early 70s. I know that’s a long time to be a tike, but you’re still learning every day. I reckon this probably went on back to when Christopher Columbus came to the new world. As long as they could keep a family milk cow, she was treated with the highest respect of any animal on the farm.

Everybody in my community had one in the 50s and 60s, and big families had two or three.

Some families made plans to keep a heifer back for the milk cow. They would buy or trade for their milk cow whatever

it took to make sure there was fresh milk on the table three times a day to raise the kids. Everybody drank milk daily, and occasionally there was some ice cream and of course plenty of cakes and pies.

In this era, there was a need for someone to supply the cows. John Carey Davis was that person in our community.

He was several generations in front of me, and I had a lot of respect for him. I also learned a lot from him. He took a liking to me, and we got along very well. All of his knowledge was common sense and came from the ground up.

He always called me “bro.” One of his sayings that stuck in my mind a lot was, “Bro, if you offer to buy or trade

The black tongue Jersey seemed to be a popular milk cow for the family farm in the 1950s and earlier.

2019 Kentland Farm Beef and Forage Day Field day to offer the latest techniques and best management practices for producers. On September 17, Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will host the 2019 Kentland Beef and Forage Day. This event will highlight current research projects at Kentland Farm as well as focus on grazing practices and pasture management.

Speakers from VCE, Virginia Tech, and the industry will deliver workshops and demonstrations on the following topics: • Fence building • Extending the grazing season • Grazing summer annuals • Forest to pasture conversion • Industrial Hemp • Using Drones to assess pasture health • Hard Cider Research • Farm Tour *Speakers to include Virginia Tech faculty, Extension Specialists, Extension Agents, and industry leaders

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offer, either cash or trade. He was just using his wife as an excuse instead of saying, “I don’t want to trade today on those terms.”

I use that sometimes in my thoughts at an auction. You can tell when the contending bidder is getting weak knees about something. He may say something like, “It doesn’t have power steering,” or something else that is giving him an excuse to not bid anymore. Shane knows the story about “Won’t be a milk cow bought here today, so get in the truck and go home.” Shane may be selling, and the contending bidder may come up with a reason to not bid anymore. I will walk

by Shane and say, “Remember the milk cow.” I’ll get a little grin out of him, and he keeps right on selling at the same time.

Kentland exists to support the research, teaching, and Extension programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which include many of Virginia’s major agricultural crop and livestock species. Programs are conducted at the farm by many different colleges and departments of the university, including engineering, science, veterinary science, and liberal arts and human sciences. The farm is rich in local history, and Virginia Tech has maintained that history through the manor house, slave cemetery, Native American sites, and other early farm buildings.

Registration: $10 - includes lunch To register, please send contact info and payment to: Pulaski County Extension Office Attn: Kentland Field Day 143 Third Street NW, Suite 3 Pulaski, VA 24301 Checks payable to: “Treasurer - Virginia Tech”

On the Horizon

By KENDRA PHIPPS N.C. State University

An Amazing Grazing Summer At my home farm in Alleghany County, the leaves are beginning to change, and fall classes have begun at N.C. State University. As summer comes to a close, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my experience this summer as a member of the Amazing Grazing team, N.C. State’s Pasture Based Livestock Education Program, which conducts pasture management and forage utilization research and disseminates information throughout the state and nation.

Pastureland Ecology participants checking out red river crabgrass at the NCSU Beef Education Unit.

The rainfall demo at the MRS field day.

The first summer extension program I was a part of the was North Carolina Extension Beef Work Group meeting at the beginning of June. During this meeting, members of the workgroup met to discuss how to best convey the story and impact of our state’s beef cattle industry to those not involved in the industry. The team also worked to plan the beef cattle field day that will take

place on September 14 at N.C. State’s Beef Education Unit.

Not long after this meeting, the Pastureland Ecology I course began.

This two week course has been offered for over 20 years by North Carolina State University to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service employees as a training on grazing systems, and the impact pasture management has on the environment. Participants from across the country, (even as far as Hawaii!) were divided into four groups and tasked with managing a species of grazing animal using temporary fence, including horses, sheep, goats, and cattle. This training included two field trips, one to Rogers Cattle Company in Roxboro, N.C., and another to the Center for Environmental

Farming Systems research farm in Goldsboro, North Carolina. We ended the course by having a cookout and enjoying tunes courtesy of Dr. Poore. This training has a strong history of receiving positive feedback because it is practically focused and provides hands on experience.

After a brief break, I went to the Mountain Research Station Field Day in Waynesville, North Carolina. My advisor, Dr. Deidre Harmon, and Haywood County Livestock Extension Agent Ethan Henderson, demonstrated how different pasture management strategies affect water infiltration and erosion on farms.

Our team rounded out the summer with Livestock Agent Training on August 5-7 in Raleigh, where topics covered included extension’s role in natural disasters and possibilities for agents to conduct on farm trials in their service areas.

Finally, four Amazing Grazing team members represented N.C. State at the Tri-State Beef Conference on August 8 in Blountville, Tennessee. This conference allows producers and university faculty and staff from North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee to network and discuss issues facing the stocker and cow/calf industry. Each state created a video to highlight a producer, and this year’s producer highlight from North Carolina was Lisa Shelton of John Queen Farms in

Waynesville, North Carolina.

This summer has been quite the whirlwind, but I cannot express my gratitude to the Amazing Grazing team for welcoming me with open arms and teaching me more in the past six months than I have learned in most of my life.

Without them, none of this would have been possible. I look forward to all of the Amazing Grazing events we have planned in the future!

Dr. Poore showing off some Sorghum Sudan roots during Pastureland Ecology I.

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:

PAT COMYN, DVM

P.O. Box 555 Madison, Va. 22727 540-829-3625 (cell) • 540-948-5238 (office/fax) pcomyn@verizon.net The beef herd at the CEFS farm in Goldsboro.

Visit us online at www.vhhms.com.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Baxter Black

On the edge of

common sense

The Anti-Smoking Device Many years ago, Dr. Erfan called to tell me his story. He’d spent seventeen years inventing and testing a device to help people quit smoking. It involved a small battery operated unit that clips in your ear like a hearing aid. Whenever the smoker felt the urge to smoke, he pushed a button on the unit. It sent a micro-amp charge which stimulated a nerve in the ear. This nerve caused a release of natural body chemicals which reduced the need for a smoke.

Human trials had shown very positive results. Enough so that the device was already cleared for use in other countries.

But not in the United States. The F.D.A. was not satisfied. They demanded animal testing. Thus Dr. Erfan’s call. His question, “Was I aware of any animals stupid enough to smoke?”

Food for thought. First, we would have to find a species we could teach to smoke. Then once they were addicted, we’d have to teach them to push a button the size of a match head whenever they felt the urge.

Certain species, regardless of their stupidity, are eliminated because of lifestyle. Largemouth bass, for instance, whales or sea anemone could never keep one lit.

Others lack suitable anatomical features necessary like prehensile lips, i.e., crocodiles, ducks, or hippopotami.

Or ears in which to insert the unit.

Penguins are out as are frogs, snakes,

millipedes, and woodpeckers.

Then the selected species would have to be physically capable of pressing the small button. As you could imagine, even the most dexterous ungulate would have difficulty manipulating its cloven hoof.

And I doubt the smartest rhinoceros in the world could reach his ear with his finger.

So, that narrows it down some. I came up with three suggestions for the good doctor: the anteater, the bird dog, and the cowboy.

Even granting the anteater a modicum of intelligence, none of the three species suggested have been known for their good judgment. In addition, all are creatures of habit, work close to the ground and have a symbiotic relationship with another species which could be helpful in the collusion.

There are some who might question the anteater’s ears, but you gotta admit he has smoker’s lips!

On a flyer I had called up Dr. David Kessler, Czar and Mahatma of the F.D.A. at the time, to find out what animals he might suggest that would satisfy their criteria. I had understood him to be a crusading anti-smoker, and I thought this might be just what the doctor ordered.

But anyone who has dealt with the F.D.A. knows they move with the speed of a glacier. Their motto, “No decision is a good decision.”

I’m still waiting for Dr. Kessler to return my call. I can only hope Phillip Morris is on hold, too.

Our advertisers are “Champions” too. For expert A.I., superior genetics, the best in purebreds and outstanding farm supplies, check the Classifieds in this issue!

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 19

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.

PAGE 20

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Palmetto Profiles S.C. Beef Council and S.C. Cattlemen’s Association

By ROY W. COPELAN Executive Director

Here we are in September, and a few things have changed. Schools are back in session, the days are a little shorter, fairs and shows have started, and we are back into our somewhat normal schedules.

Even the weather is a little cooler! In a few weeks, the fall season will begin.

The summer months passed at a very fast pace. Our Summer Grilling campaign included over 55 different beef promotions at retail and foodservice events, consumer education activities, and producer events. We are nºow on to the Tailgating Campaign from September 3-November 25. If you know of opportunities in your community, please let me know. I am scheduling many fall beef promotions as well as fairs. Give me a call with your suggestions.

Summer Grilling beef promotion

The S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up was very successful and enjoyed by everyone.

Thanks to Dr. Brain Bolt and Dr. Matt Burns, along with the livestock extension staff and interns. Over 250 youth, including 170 from South Carolina, participated in the program from August 2-4. Everyone who attended enjoyed a cookout on Saturday evening at the awards presentation ceremony.

Junior Beef Round-Up cattlemen’s test

County and regional cattlemen’s associations need to begin collecting 2020 local and state membership dues, especially as they begin their fall meetings. Dues are to be in the state office by January 1, 2020. Also, a listing of club offices and meeting dates are requested for the SCCA/SCBC website.

Do not delay. Start the process now.

committee meetings. Mark your calendar now for the NCBA National Convention and Trade Show in San Antonio, Tex., on February 5-7, 2020.

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

Greenville Airport beef ad

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.

The S.C. Beef Council has a Facebook page featuring beef recipes, events, and beef news. Send in event descriptions, dates, articles, and pictures.

Email them to Marianne Copelan at Marianne.Copelan@gmail.com. Thanks to Marianne for establishing the Facebook and Twitter pages. Let’s promote and use this helpful tool. Pass the word around.

Also, radio spots on all USC, Clemson, Coastal Carolina football state radio affiliates will carry 10 and 15 second radio spot ads promoting beef this fall. Another engagement of using the beef checkoff state dollars.

I’ll look to see you at the sales, fairs, meetings, and other activities this month.

Until next month.

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.

NCBA Summer Business Conference

Review the SCCA/SCBC website at www.sccattle.org from time to time to get the latest news. Please support the four firms that advertise on the website and make it available. They are Sumner Ag Services from Tifton, Ga., Eva Hurley State Farm Insurance in Greenville, S.C., Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales from Richfield, N.C., and Rusty Thomson Family (Arrowquip) in Sharon, South Carolina.

We thank all four of them.

Associate memberships of the SCCA are available for $300 per firm. Also, specialty license plates are available to support youth scholarships and other efforts of the S.C. Cattlemen’s Foundation (SCCF). Give me a call to learn additional information.

Plans are being developed for the 2020 SCCA Annual Meeting. The location of our meeting will be held at the Garrison Arena in Pendleton, and the date is March 18-20, 2020. Registration fee is $65 per person. Contact Chairman Roscoe Kyle at 864-304-2390 for information or to offer assistance.

C.W. Senn of York reported a very successful NCBA Summer Conference in Aurora, Colorado. Over 650 producers attended the three day meeting and heard reports regarding the long term goals and objectives of the organization and

2019 Reserved Spotlight Issues

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 SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 21

The North Carolina group takes time for some fun between events.

this position. Throughout the year, Cara will serve the AJSA by attending events and workshops all over the United States but especially here in the Eastern Region.

She will really work hard next summer when she can go to other Regionals and help in the actual running of the event. We are very proud of Cara Smith and how far she has come in our association and the cattle industry. Congratulations, Cara!

speaking. Marcie finished 14th overall in the intermediate division.

In the heifer show, Hagan Jones was the reserve champion of Division 3 in the owned percentage heifer with Rose Miss Star F618, sired by W/C Relentless 32C. Cara Smith showed the 4th overall owned purebred cow/calf pair with SFI Miss Flick N Tick, sired by TL Bottomline.

Mattie Harward had the 8th overall owned percentage cow/calf pair. Congratulations to all these juniors!

Smith Elected as AJSA Trustee. Cara Smith was elected at the National Classic to serve as American Junior Simmental Association Trustee. This is the first time a junior from North Carolina has ever held

Cara Smith was elected to serve as an AJSA Trustee.

THE SIMMENTAL TRAIL

By JENNIE RUCKER Executive Secretary N.C. Simmental Association N.C. Juniors do well at the AJSA National Classic. The American Junior Simmental Association National Classic was held on July 21–27 in Louisville, Kentucky. It was an awesome event with the theme: “Racing to the Bluegrass.”

Drew and Holli Hatmaker served as chairmen of the event, and they did their very best to make sure that this was a National Classic to remember.

Thomas and Cara Smith, Hagan and Evie Jones, and Mattie and Marcie Harward represented North Carolina in the AJSA National Classic in Louisville, Kentucky.

Evie Jones shares a secret with a heifer at the Nationals.

There were six juniors from North Carolina that competed in the Classic.

These juniors were Thomas and Cara Smith from Pleasant Garden, Hagan and Evie Jones from Shelby, and Marcie and Mattie Harward from Richfield. They all did great at every event and got along very well together. Cara Smith received a Silver Merit Award and Scholarship and also was 1st place in the interview contest! Mattie Harward was 13th place in intermediate public speaking. Marcie Harward was 9th place in the intermediate livestock judging and 2nd place in intermediate public

SIMMENTAL . . . Because They Work!

Take it from this N.C.S.A. Breeder: Charlie Thomas of TX Enterprises in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Simmental cattle are functional, easy fleshing, powerful females that have the ability to raise a show calf, a replacement female, or a good grading steer on the rail.

Simmental also complement many other breeds in a crossbreeding program.”

~ Charlie Thomas TX Enterprises

Charlie & Amy Thomas TX Enterprises

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

PAGE 22

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 SEPTEMBER 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 SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 23

Hearing from Hodges

By EMME TROENDLE ASA Board Chairman Gordon Hodges remarks on programs and key issues facing the Board of Trustees Troendle - What were your thoughts as you assumed this leadership post?

Hodges - Very simple, to follow the Strategic Plans of the ASA in an effort to improve and expand membership services, as well as increase market share for SimGenetics in the beef cattle industry.

Troendle - During your term as Board Chairman, are there any major actions you would like to see accomplished?

Hodges - I would like to continue placing emphasis on new and improved computer programming that will make services like DNA testing and animal registration easier and faster for membership, as well as staff. I would also like to continue progress with bringing parent verification in-house, which will provide long term safety of our animal pedigree records and provide needed independence in our DNA testing for the future. Most importantly, I want to place a strong emphasis on expanding IGS [International Genetic Solutions]

PAGE 24

services to new customers, especially the growth into the commercial cattle industry through Total Herd Enrollment Commercial options.

Troendle - How important is it to have diversity on the Board?

Hodges - A diverse background of ASA Trustees makes for a very successful Board as long as all the diversity comes together and works together for the overall improvement and expansion of ASA member services and market share in the industry. The only time diversity can ever be negative is in the event that a Trustee comes on the Board with self serving interest for one specific area of our membership or industry. For success, it is critical that all Trustees bring diverse thoughts, experience, and expertise together in a unified approach to making the ASA better when they depart the Board than when they came on.

Troendle - How do you as Board Chairman encourage all Trustees, including newly elected ones, to become active participants in the decision making process?

Hodges - Involve them actively

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

from day one. My goal is to encourage members to become involved in ASA committee activity prior to becoming a Trustee. When members attend the ASA Committee meetings at the Annual Meeting, the spring meeting in Bozeman, and the Fall Focus meeting, this prepares them to become a better Trustee, one who already has experience and is ready to jump right in immediately.

Troendle - You have seen International Genetics Solutions (IGS) take root. How would you assess the effectiveness and scope of that entity?

Hodges - IGS was built on the concept of collaborative efforts and cutting edge science. The magnitude of success can be unlimited when you combine an extensive collaboration of breed associations with the best science available in the industry. None of the programs, like the IGS Multi-breed Genetic Evaluation powered by BOLT, IGS Feeder Profit Calculator™, or IGS Youth Leadership Summit, would be successful without massive collaboration.

I feel significant growth of ASA will be through IGS as nontraditional services

are offered not only to our membership but to our membership’s customers.

Troendle - What has been the effect of Total Herd Enrollment (THE)?

Hodges - Short term, THE has served to improve cow herd records; long term, it will serve to improve our Stay EPD and $API index, plus makes it possible to develop future EPDs such as Heifer Pregnancy or any other type of reproductive or production efficiency EPDs and index values.

Troendle - In your opinion, how impactful has ASA’s Carcass Merit Program (CMP) been in changing the perception of SimGenetics? How has it changed our breed?

Hodges - I feel the direct impact has been minimal, yet existed. We were able to glean some info that was usable in positive industry promotion, but the significant positive impact came by the program showing us where we excelled and where we failed, then giving us a road map of genetics that could lead us in the right direction of improving carcass

Continued on page 26

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 25

Hearing from Hodges continued from page 24 traits. In my opinion, the ASA CMP has played — and will continue to play — a giant role in identifying carcass genetics that can improve SimGenetics, but it can only happen if we use the tool and believe in the results.

Troendle - What will the Carcass Expansion Project accomplish?

Hodges - The Carcass Expansion Project will broaden the genetic base of animals that have genomics with carcass data. We will now be able to collect actual carcass data and genomics from good contemporary groups of animals that have pedigrees well beyond those found in the CMP alone, improving the accuracy of genomic prediction for carcass traits in pedigrees that are not present in the CMP. The Carcass Expansion Project will do exactly what its name implies - Expand improved carcass trait genomic prediction throughout the industry.

Troendle - How has ASA’s Progress Through Performance (PTP) program contributed to breed improvement?

Hodges - I was actually on the Board

in the early 1990s when the PTP program was established. It was the ASA Board’s idea that making EPDs available to the judge and the spectators at shows in the short term would result in education about the data and long term place emphasis on breeding show cattle with an improved genetic prediction (better EPDs). After 25 years in existence, I feel confident show cattle have improved greatly, but I have mixed feelings as to whether the PTP concept has had any positive results on genetic prediction improvement, at least the positive results that were perceived at the time the program was established. Yes, I feel our show cattle are much better today than they were 25 years ago, but did the PTP program help with those improvements?

I don’t know. I am sure some members feel the answer is yes, and some feel the answer is no. In my opinion, the cattle appear to be better, but I am disappointed in the fact their EPDs have not really improved. Compared to 25 years ago, the show ring now selects for less frame size, more body mass, and has even made

improvements in structural soundness selection, so I think you can say that our show cattle have improved, but I still don’t know that the PTP program had any impact.

Troendle - What about the recently established Ring of Champions?

Hodges - The Ring of Champions is a great promotional program that adds excitement to the show ring, a program that I feel is great, but from a promotional standpoint, I don’t feel it has an impact on breed improvement. Programs that help with breed promotion are great, but breed promotion and breed improvement are two different things.

Troendle - How has the implementation of DNA markers changed the beef industry? Cow Herd DNA Roundup (CHR)?

Hodges - DNA markers and the role of DNA in genetic prediction has sped up genetic advancement of each generation by about two years, and in many cases has increased the accuracy of genetic prediction in a young calf beyond where it once would have been as a two-year-old,

especially in females.

When you compare how many genomic records we had on cows prior to the launch of the Cow Herd DNA Roundup program and the rate of increase each year, then simple math tells you that the CHR in one year fast forwarded us ten-plus years and, by the time its total impact is finished, probably more like fast forwarding 20 years. Yes, the CHR had an enormous impact on genomic prediction accuracy of cow traits.

Troendle - Genetic defects are a major issue of discussion in the beef industry. How would you assess ASA’s approach to this subject?

Hodges - I would argue that genetic defects are not a major issue of discussion in the beef industry today because breed organizations like the ASA took an aggressive, yet wise approach to identifying and eradicating the incidence of genetic defects within their breeds. We continue to closely monitor the possibility of genetic defects entering our population from other breeds. As little as five years

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

PAGE 26

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

336-214-4144

ago, there was still a need for a huge volume of genetic defect testing. Due to testing and properly identifying carrier pedigrees, there is very little genetic defect testing needed by members today.

The ASA still closely monitors heavily used sires, as well as sires that go through the Carcass Merit Program in an effort to prevent surprises in the future.

Troendle - What benefits do the all purpose index ($API) and terminal index ($TI) provide?

Hodges - Unfortunately, the answer to this question will vary greatly depending on who you ask. Some members feel there are no benefits, and others feel the benefits are so strong they place total genetic selection on one index.

Personally, I feel both opinions and approaches are wrong. I feel both indexes are valuable tools for setting thresholds of genetic acceptance. By using the indexes in this way, a member can quickly narrow down a large population of animals to the ones that are above their established acceptable threshold, then use desired EPDs to further refine their genetic search based on their immediate needs, such as calving ease, growth, and/or carcass traits.

Troendle - What is the impact of the Educational Promotion of ASA’s Services and Programs?

Hodges - The campaign in recent years to place more promotion and awareness on the services and programs offered by the ASA has been a giant help in the area of member awareness, as well as widespread industry awareness. The old concept of, “If you build it, they will come,” may work in movies, but not the real world. When you have great services and programs, you still need great promotion so that the industry knows what you have to offer. I feel the ASA has been a cutting edge leader in the industry for services and programs for many years, but we didn’t excel in promotion.

I think we have acknowledged that flaw and are working aggressively to correct it.

Troendle - What is your assessment of ASA’s youth program?

Hodges - Absolutely, without question, the best youth program of any breed association. Some members measure success by how many heifers can be assembled in a barn at a junior event.

I do not feel that is a true measurement of a successful youth breed event. I feel success is measured by how many youths are involved and how many different competitions and events they participate in that provide training for their future success in careers and life in general.

I am very excited that our youth have collaborated with other youth breed

associations with the establishment of the IGS Youth Leadership Summit. This bold move has set precedence for many youth multi-breed ventures in the future.

Troendle - How vital are strong state associations to the overall welfare of SimGenetics?

Hodges - Strong state associations can play an enormous role in the promotion of SimGenetics, provided they make the effort and provided they exist.

I do not feel they are “vital” because many states do not even have an active state association. I wish more states had strong, active state associations so they could take advantage of the ASA Cost Share program. This greatly benefits in the promotion of our breed in local and state areas.

Troendle - How important is it for ASA members to be involved in the decision-making process, through voting and attendance at local, state, regional, and national meetings?

Hodges - Member involvement is extremely important. Our ASA Board of Trustees is a policy board, so it governs all policy of the Association, and our entire membership has the opportunity to vote for Trustees. All membership has the privilege to vote, determining who serves on the Board, yet only a tiny percentage of the membership actually votes. All Board meetings and committee meetings are open to the public, so all members have an opportunity to sit in on board meetings and even take part in committee meetings, yet very few members attend ASA meetings. As for our ASA Annual National Meeting, it has been many years since we had more than ten members attend, excluding Trustees. It would greatly improve member knowledge if members participated in ASA meetings.

Member participation does a great job preparing a future Trustee. Our Board made the decision to broadcast our 2019 Annual Meeting live online, even making it possible for online viewers to interact in conversation. Our hope was to generate more member involvement, but we only had two members log into the meeting online and only had six members attend the meeting in person, so, even with live online coverage, our 2019 Annual Meeting had less than ten members in attendance.

Troendle - During this time where people are relying more and more on the Internet and electronic communication, what do you perceive as the future for ASA’s Publication?

Hodges - I do not know. This has been a primary discussion of the ASA Publication Board and staff for several years, and we simply do not have the answer. Electronic social media seems

to be the primary carrier for all types of discussion, some fact, some not, but social media is not effective for advertising because of host site restrictions against any type of advertising or marketing.

Numerous companies and breed associations have established fantastic websites and online marketing programs, but they can’t be effective unless viewers see and use them.

Troendle - What are the historical and current strengths of this organization and our cattle?

Hodges - The historical and current strengths of this organization “is” the cattle. We have a versatile breed that excels in numerous highly economically

valuable traits, and our breed is highly complementary to the British breed that is the most populous breed in North America. Our cattle have been the strength that has allowed us to gain huge market share in the North American beef industry over the past decade. As members, if we listen to our commercial industry customers, and continue to improve our cattle in ways to better serve the commercial cattle industry, then we will continue to thrive and grow. If we as members fail to do just that, then our cattle will soon fail also. Both those statements have proven to be true in the history of our breed. Let’s all work hard to make history not repeat itself.

Carolina Cooking Samba Steak Stir-Fry Total Preparation Time - 30 minutes 1 pound Sirloin Tip Steaks, cut ⅛ - ¼ inch thick Pico de Gallo (recipe follows) 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided 1½ cups thinly sliced bell pepper, any color ½ medium white onion, cut into ½ inch wedges 1 medium jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced Salt 8 small whole wheat tortillas (about 6 inch diameter), warmed Rub: 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1½ teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper Prepare Pico de Gallo. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into 1 inch wide strips. Combine beef and rub ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat evenly.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

Add bell pepper, onion, and jalapeño; stir-fry 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet; keep warm. *Cook’s Tip: A 12 inch cast iron pan may be substituted for large nonstick skillet. Cooking times will remain the same.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet until hot. Add half of beef; stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and beef.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

Return all beef and vegetables to skillet.

Season with salt, as desired. Serve beef mixture in tortillas; top with Pico de Gallo.

Pico de Gallo: Combine ¾ cup chopped tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped white onion, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice in medium bowl. Season with salt, as desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Samba Steak Stir-Fry

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 27

ASA Simbrah – SimGenetics Summit and Feedout Entry Form.

It’s time again for the 2019 Simbrah – SimGenetics Summit. With the great turnout and success in 2018, we are excited to hold the Summit in conjunction with the drop off of the 2019-2020 feeding and carcass trials of Simbrah and SimGenetics at Graham Land and Cattle in Gonzales, Tex., on October 18.

If you are interested in the Summit and/or participating in the feeding trial, please fill out the entry form/RSVP

by September 15. Visit www.simmental. org/guidelines for guidelines from the feedlot. Make sure to pay close attention to the prep work for the cattle ahead of drop off.

For more information, contact lbowman@simmgene.com.

Ordering DNA Kits - New and Improved! ASA’s DNA team recently updated the order form for DNA kits and paperwork. This new change has improved the process in the office and will streamline the process for members as well. Please complete the following directions: • The new form can be found by going to www.simmental.org. √ At the top of the page, choose “DNA Testing.”

NEWS

√ Choose “Order DNA Test.” √ Read through the opening text and click the box at the bottom, acknowledging the information. This is very important as it pertains to ASA policies. √ Choose “yes” or “no” when asked, “Do you already have cards or TSU’s on hand?”

Remember, if you have a kit on hand (no stickers attached), follow the prompts for the DNA paperwork form. If you need new kits, follow the prompts for the DNA kit order. √ Choose “Submit.” √ Click on the link to download. The next screen will give you the option to download the .xls or .xlsx form. You should be able to download either. However, if the file doesn’t work, try the other type. √ If the file doesn’t show up immediately, check your “downloads” folder. Computers can be set to handle downloads differently.

• Once you have the form downloaded and open, the first tab will say, “Customer Information.” Fill in your information and choose the shipping method you prefer. In the order notes, indicate things like, “overnight,” “Send kit for 1G to this address,” etc.

• At the bottom of the page, choose the tab that says, “Request Testing.”

• If you already have kits, you will fill in the barcode column. Otherwise, leave it blank and provide the animal information, place an X in the appropriate box for requested testing, and continue through the sheet until you have requested testing for all desired animals. √ If you make a mistake on an entire line, right click and choose “CLEAR CONTENTS.” Please do not delete the line entirely.

• Next, choose the tab “Order Details.” Double check to ensure the totals match what you requested.

• Choose “Save As” and save the completed form. We suggest saving it on your desktop so it is easy to find. Go back to your email and attach the file. Email the form to dna@simmgene.com.

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

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

√ You can save the entire file, i.e., all three sheets, by saving the file in an Excel format.

• If you are requesting paperwork, ASA will return a PDF titled “Print and Mail with Samples” to the email address your form was submitted properly. If the

paperwork needs to be emailed elsewhere, please indicate. DO NOT send samples into the lab until you have received this paperwork back from ASA. √ Contact ASA’s DNA department with any questions at dna@simmgene. com or 406-587-4531

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary (Week ending AUGUST 8, 2019)

Carolina Video and Load Lot Monthly Summary of all markets ending Thursday, AUGUST 8, 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. Some lots all natural.

Cattle Receipts: 4,406 Last Month: 2,725

Feeders made up 100 percent of the offering. The feeder supply included 62 percent steers and 38 percent heifers. Nearly 91 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 635 $156.00 815 $137.75 845

$150.00

Head 31 60 58

Wt. Range 635-635 815-815 845-845

Head 76 76 133 130 120 460 50 15

Wt. Range 645-645 650-650 735-740 750-750 825-825 850-875 975-975 975-975

Head 166 27 79 73 38 202 86 381 63 55 128 59 120 56

Wt. Range 590-595 550-550 620-620 675-675 650-650 700-745 700-740 700-725 780-780 750-750 750-775 825-825 800-825 875-875

FEEDER STEERS (Medium 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range 593 $150.00 - $150.50 550 $155.00 620 $151.50 675 $137.25 650 $160.00 728 $135.75 - $142.50 724 $154.00 - $155.25 720 $154.50 - $162.25 780 $134.75 750 $153.50 762 $155.00 - $155.25 825 $133.75 812 $152.25 - $154.50 875 $147.25

Avg. Price $150.25 $155.00 $151.50 $137.25 $160.00 $139.16 $154.77 $157.42 $134.75 $153.50 $155.13 $133.75 $153.37 $147.25

Head

34

40

67

Wt. Range 605-605 675-675 750-750

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1) Avg. Wt. Price Range 605 $149.00 675 $132.50 750 $142.25

Avg. Price $149.00 $132.50 $142.25

Head 82 137 42

Wt. Range 600-600 715-720 820-820

Avg. Price $156.00 $137.75 $150.00

FEEDER STEERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 645 $149.25 $149.25 650 $149.25 $149.25 737 $138.00 - $143.50 $140.74 750

$159.25 $159.25 825 $137.25 - $139.00 $138.13 855 $127.00 - $141.00 $137.30 975 $126.50 $126.50 975 $124.00 $124.00

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium and Large 1-2) Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price 600 $138.00 $138.00 717 $126.00 - $133.75 $129.89 820 $119.00 $119.00

Delivery Split Loads Value Added Delivery

Value Added

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

FEEDER HEIFERS (Medium 1-2) Head Wt. Range Avg. Wt. Price Range Avg. Price Delivery 39 500-500 500 $143.00 $143.00 Split Loads 170 570-580 575 $138.75 - $140.00 $139.37 79 625-625 625 $132.00 $132.00 38 625-625 625 $152.00 $152.00 Split Loads 156 625-630 628 $144.75 - $152.00 $148.39 Value Added 373 650-675 658 $132.50 - $135.00 $133.70 65 670-685 674 $147.50 - $149.25 $148.16 Split Loads 142 680-685 683 $146.00 - $147.25 $146.64 Value Added 69 710-710 710 $133.50 $133.50 66 750-750 750 $128.75 $128.75 65 750-750 750 $140.00 $140.00 Value Added

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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NEWS NIAA Hosts Newest Antibiotic Symposium with NIAMRRE. The 9th Annual NIAA Antibiotic Symposium will be in Ames, Iowa, at Iowa State University on October 15–17.

The theme of the Symposium will be Communicating the Science of Responsible Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture.

This year’s Symposium will be hosted b y NIAA in collaboration with the prestigious National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE), which was competitively selected to lead the collective efforts related to antibiotics in animal, human, and environmental health of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.

As misreported or inaccurate statistics continue to be repeated in negative media coverage of animal agriculture, and the public makes

purchasing and family nutrition decisions based on distorted information, the Symposium will study how the industry can better communicate to the public in an effective and positive manner.

“We are especially excited to provide the participants with an opportunity to start to explore the “science of science communication” related to antibiotic use, stewardship, and resistance, a field that NIAMRRE focuses on as a priority initiative,” says NIAMRRE’s Executive Director Dr. Paul Plummer.

Presentations and a hands-on workshop developed in partnership with the Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication will help attendees understand how to take science updates and new advances in research, technology, and innovation and convey useful information to meet the needs of consumers, which may help shift the attitudes of the public and media in the future.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

In addition to the communication segment, the Symposium will unpack science updates from across the industry and interact with industry representatives of new and evolving technologies to help meet the demands of responsible use of antibiotics.

The Symposium’s attendees and presenters will include beef, dairy, pork, and poultry producers, processors, and retailers, private practice, and state agency veterinarians, researchers, and scientists from the FDA, USDA, and CDC as well as University animal agriculture and veterinary program academia.

NIAA Antibiotic Symposium Goal: Getting Past Communication Obstacles. The 9 th Annual NIAA Antibiotic Symposium will include discussions on how to get information out to producers and other animal agriculture professionals, and through them to consumers, on one of the greatest threats to today’s health care system, antimicrobial resistance (AMR). What role does animal agriculture play or NOT play?

How do we relay this information in a way that is truthful and creates understanding? We see and hear misinterpreted and misquoted information about animal agriculture on a consistent basis. How do we reach the media and the public with factual information?

Symposium speaker Kate Brooks, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, will provide a presentation on Avoidance Behavior: Does Ignorance Keep Us Uninformed About Antimicrobial Resistance?

Brooks is currently involved in a study, along with several co-authors, to understand why communications fail.

What obstacles, if any, are between the message and the listener which keep the message from being received, understood, or believed?

One such obstacle is information avoidance behavior. Preliminary results of the study, which is in the process of being published, look at how this impacts the communications from the scientific and animal agriculture worlds to the general public about AMR, animal welfare and other important issues.

“We already know that many of us avoid information if it goes against our beliefs or makes us uncomfortable,” says Brooks. It is obvious in our political climate today that if we disagree with ideas that are in conflict with our own, no communication seems to change our minds. For the most part, we will ignore or avoid it.

The old axiom of “Don’t confuse

me with facts!” applies when we think we already know all we want to about a subject, and avoid any further information that may conflict with our previous knowledge. One example Brooks cites is a nationally represented survey on AMR where participants had the choice between watching a short video on AMR or watching a video the same length of white noise. About 40 percent of participants chose to watch the white noise.

Another obstacle to understanding how communications are received involves the difference between subjective and objective knowledge.

Subjectively, from our own point of view, what we believe to be true, includes our feelings, perceptions, and concerns on the matter. Objective knowledge, which includes observable and measurable data, may show something very different.

For example, in a polling or survey situation, you may vote for what sounds best for the greater good, but when you actually go down to the grocery store, your purchases may not reflect those same values. Even when you know there will be a greater cost and are willing to pay for something, in theory, you may not be willing or able to do so out of your own pocket in reality. So, what is being SAID differs from what is being DONE. When it comes to where people get their information, the impact of social media weighs heavily. “There is so much information out there it is hard to understand what to believe in,” says Brooks. “There are more and more people to follow and whoever speaks the loudest or agrees with what we already know are often the influencers on what we think.”

What does Brooks think is a positive way of messaging that is currently in place? “We are seeing more farmers,

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ranchers, and producers standing up and saying this is what I do and why I do it,” she says. “That is at the forefront of getting that information out there honestly and transparently.”

However, not everyone has the willfully ignorant response of people who don’t want to learn more. Brooks says those in the study with little previous knowledge of AMR, who did not avoid the information but were open to learning, had the greatest increase in their knowledge.

Does that mean that even with the seemingly endless and often negative discussion in the media of animal agriculture and AMR, those people had not been exposed to it?

How do we reach them in the future?”

We might have to have a variety of media sources as one source might not work for every group,” says Brook.

“We have to ask, are there different ways to frame the information that would help them get the information and if necessary, be dynamic enough to change their belief?”

What is the key to meeting those motivators that make people want to change or think? “Whether it is AMR or something else,” says Brooks, “it is trying to understand why they would avoid the information, so we can find other ways we can get this information to them.”

This is exactly why the NIAA Antibiotic Symposium has included Communicating the Science of Responsible Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture as a major part of its agenda, along with science updates and innovation and alternatives.

For more information or to register for the 9th Annual NIAA Antibiotics 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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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.

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 31

You Decide!

By DR. MIKE WALDEN

Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics N.C. State University How Different Are Local Economies? My wife and I just returned from a short vacation to Buffalo.

“Buffalo,” you might respond. “Not the beach or the mountains?”

Mind you, we both love North Carolina’s mountains and beaches, as well as many fun places in between. My wife was born near Buffalo, and Buffalo also has the largest home garden tour in the country – with over 400 gardens available for admiring. This year marked the tour’s 25th anniversary, and since my wife is an avid gardener, we just had to go.

Incidentally, my work in the garden is to do the heavy lifting. One weekend my wife surprised me by having 2,000 pounds of pavers delivered to our home. Guess who spent the weekend moving them?

Good thing I regularly go to the gym!

Of course, Buffalo is one of those older cities in the country whose time of prominence has passed. Buffalo’s glory days were in the 19th century when it served as the western point of the Erie Canal. Later, it developed a significant manufacturing sector. But with the downsizing of manufacturing employment since the 1970s, Buffalo’s population is half of what it was fifty years ago.

Indeed, a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute, a private

business management firm, includes Buffalo among cities experiencing only a modest recovery since the Great Recession.

McKinsey says that cities like Buffalo are at a tipping point, where their future direction could be either up or down.

McKinsey reached this conclusion by analyzing reams of data for over 300 cities and more than 3,000 counties in the country. They used their findings to classify the geographic areas into thirteen individual types.

There’s one immediate takeaway from the McKinsey report. It is that economic geography is complicated.

For example, we frequently hear the term “urban-rural” divide. The term is generally meant to imply a large economic division between urban areas (cities) and rural towns and regions, with the urban areas prospering and the rural areas struggling.

The McKinsey study suggests the urban versus rural dichotomy is too simplistic. Their geographic classification suggests there are degrees of prosperity and challenges in both cities and rural localities.

In fact, let’s take a look at what McKinsey says about North Carolina’s localities. First, let’s start with easy calls.

One of McKinsey’s categories is high growth cities. It should be no surprise

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

that Charlotte and Raleigh are among this group. Also in this group from other states are Austin, Denver, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando, San Antonio, and Tampa. Interestingly, many of these cities are precisely the ones both Charlotte and Raleigh frequently compete with for new businesses.

It also should be no surprise that McKinsey included Asheville in the category of localities where retirees and affiliated industries – like health care – drive the economy. What may be surprising is McKinsey did not list Wilmington in this group. Instead, Wilmington is put in a category of cities with modest, but uncertain growth.

One reason may be Wilmington has a significant, durable manufacturing sector that is vulnerable to recessions. A second is the threat of unpredictable hurricanes to the local economy. Something we clearly saw last year.

Another surprise is Greensboro and Winston-Salem are not classified in the same group. Greensboro is listed as a city with an important manufacturing sector that drives its economy. This is accurate because manufacturing output in Greensboro accounts for over a quarter of all the region’s total economic production, twice the national contribution. McKinsey says the future of Greensboro and the other cities in this category will be tied to the outlook for their manufacturing companies.

Hickory is also in this category.

In contrast, Winston-Salem is in the same grouping as Wilmington – an area that is slowly improving but with many questions for the future. Leading the uncertainty are the losses Winston-Salem has faced in its financial sector.

McKinsey put two North Carolina regions into their distressed category.

They are the Fayetteville and New Bern areas. Fayetteville has had six straight years of declining aggregate economic output, and output has fallen in five of the last seven years in New Bern. However, both of these regions have made investments for the future. Still, with their significant military presence, the Fayetteville and New Bern areas face the challenge of uncertain federal budgets.

I think the new McKinsey report on economic regions gives us valuable insights into the diversity of our local economies as well as in the policies for improvement. Clearly one-size-fits-all programs to improve all localities won’t work. Even the next door neighbors of Greensboro and Winston-Salem are different economies and therefore face different outlooks.

The challenge for us and our leaders will be to craft customized policies for each of our individualized localities. Can

we do it? You decide.

What’s Behind the Three Top Issues? When I was a kid in the 1950s, we used to call the middle months of the year the “lazy days of summer.” School was out, families were on vacation, and the hot weather just seemed to slow things down.

But with today’s fast paced world, year round schools and air conditioning, I don’t know that we can call summertime “lazy” anymore. And we certainly can’t call the economy lazy. In fact, in recent weeks we’ve had a flurry of important economic announcements and decisions.

As a result, I’ll give you a “threefer” in today’s column. I’ll example three top economic stories of recent weeks, try to explain what’s behind each story, and then – as always – let you decide if my analysis makes sense.

First up is the Federal Reserve’s (the “Fed”) decision to lower their key interest rate by one-quarter of a percent.

This move broke the string of successive rate hikes by the Fed over the past five years. And although the Fed telegraphed its move well in advance, a year ago most economists – including yours truly – didn’t see the rate cut coming. In fact, at that time, most economists thought the Fed would continue to raise rates.

One reason we thought this was because that was the job of the Fed. To use the Goldilocks analogy, the Fed wants the economy to be “not too hot, but not too cold.” If the economy is growing too fast (too “hot’), the Fed worries inflation will get out of control. Conversely, if the Fed sees the economy growing too slowly (too “cold”), then the concern is it won’t take much to snuff out the growth and plunge the economy into a recession.

Therefore, to meet its goal of a “just right” economic growth rate, the Fed usually raises interest rates when economic growth is accelerating, and the Fed lowers rates when economic growth is sputtering.

The economy has now been expanding for ten straight years – a record – and last year (2018) the growth rate jumped higher. This is why economists like me thought the rate raising would continue.

So what happened? Fed Chair Powell said two negative factors prompted the Fed to rethink their interest rate policy.

One is stagnant economic growth in many parts of the world, including Europe and Japan. Second is the adverse impacts of the ongoing trade war with China. Add to this the fact that our economy has slowed considerably in the last three months, and you have a situation where the Fed is now worried more about the economy being “too cold” rather than “too hot.”

Continued on page 34

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 North Carolina 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 BACK CREEK Joe & Robin Hampton Mt. Ulla 704-880-2488 (Joe’s Cell) 704-880-3572 (Robin’s Cell) email: robinbackcreek@att.net BB ORGANIC FARM NC, LLC R. & E. Miller Wake Forest 919-570-2816 email: bborganicfarmnc@gmail.com BILTMORE ESTATE Ted Katsigianis - Manager Asheville 828-225-6156 email: tkatsigianis@biltmore.com www.biltmore.com BLUE Q RANCH Kerry Collins Mitchell Scheer - Manager Troy 910-220-0663 email: blueqranch@aol.com www.blueqranch.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

FOUR S FARMS Kim & Connie and Jason & Robin Starnes Luther Lyerly, Manager Salisbury 704-637-1805; 704-640-5875 email: kim-4sfarms@carolina.rr.com GENTRY HOMEPLACE ANGUS Howard & Donna Gentry King 336-413-6698 whgentry@windstream.net H&H FARMS Buddy & Jennifer Hamrick - Owners Bly Hamrick - Manager Boiling Springs 704-472-1912 email: jennham@bellsouth.net HARWARD SISTERS Brooke, Catherine, LeAnn, Marcie & Mattie Richfield 704-322-9770; 704-463-5828 email: harwardsisters@gmail.com www.harwardsisters.com HILL ANGUS FARM Dr. Gary M. Hill Hendersonville 229-848-3695 email: gmhill@uga.edu LANE ANGUS Roger Lane Bundy Lane - Manager Gates 252-398-7711 email: ritalane@embarqmail.com MESSICK ANGUS Eddy & Kathleen Messick Madison 336-937-1956 email: messickangus@yahoo.com

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

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

SHADE TREE FARM John Cassavaugh Lenoir 828-728-9007 email: jhcstf@att.net

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

SILVER SPRINGS ANGUS Preston & Erin Beth Pinkston Norwood 704-985-3931 email: silverspringsangus@yahoo.com SMITH ANGUS Randall Smith Snow Camp 336-516-4558 email: smithangusfarm@yahoo.com SMITH CREEK ANGUS FARM Marty & Lynne Rooker Norlina 252-213-1553 email: mrooker@mrookerlaw.com SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Phil Goodson Louisburg 919-880-9062 www.springfieldangus.com TRIPLE LLL ANGUS Greg Little Monroe 704-219-1294 email: greg.little@ATImetals.com UWHARRIE RIDGE FARMS Mark Wilburn Asheboro 336-953-0521 email: uwharrieridgefarms@gmail.com

The Carolina Cattle Connection

WINSLOW GENETICS Ben & Kathleen Winslow Halifax 252-578-5487 email: winslowgen@gmail.com WAGON WHEEL RANCH Glenn & Norma Reid Rutherfordton 828-247-0300 email: nottexting10@yahoo.com WOOD ANGUS FARM, LLC Russell Wood Willow Spring 919-275-4397 email: rwood4400@gmail.com www.woodangus.com

ANGUS THE BUSINESS BREED

Sharon Rogers

N.C. Angus Association Executive Secretary 336-599-8750 Email: ncaa.sec@gmail.com Website: www.ncangus.org

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 33

You Decide! continued from page 32 The big question now is, will the Fed make further future cuts? Powell didn’t say. I think the Fed will follow a “wait and see” approach.

One of the situations the Fed will be watching is our trade tensions with China, and this is my second story.

The trade battle between the U.S. and China reached a heightened level when President Trump recently announced new ten percent tariffs on Chinese consumer products sold to the U.S. would take effect on September 1.

The Administration’s announcement means almost all products China sells to us will be subject to tariffs. China has retaliated with tariffs on our sales to them, and in North Carolina, this has particularly hurt our farmers and manufacturers. China has also said their investments in the U.S. will be curtailed, and purchases of U.S. farm products could be suspended. Such moves would hurt the North Carolina economy.

Why are we engaged in a trade war with China if it hurts the economies of both countries? The U.S. has long had complaints about unfair trade practices used by China. Rightly or wrongly, the

PAGE 34

Trump Administration has decided to “get tough” with China as a motivation for them to change these practices, even if it means some short run pain for the U.S. economy.

Clearly economists – including those at the Federal Reserve – are worried about how great this pain will be. It’s a big reason why the Fed cut its key interest rate. If the trade dispute persists, more rate cuts may be coming.

Let’s end with some good news – my third story of continuing strength in the job market. The July numbers were just released, and they appeared to be good.

Substantial (over 160,000) net new jobs were added, average wage rates inched up, and more individuals entered the labor market to find work.

Yet the unemployment rate didn’t drop. Why not? It’s due to the way the main jobless rate (the government actually releases six different unemployment rates) is calculated. To be counted as unemployed, a person has to be without a job and actively looking for a job. But some people who have been jobless for a long time may temporarily stop looking for work. When that happens, they are not counted as unemployed. Indeed, they

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

are not even considered to be in the labor force.

Yet when the economy improves, the process works in reverse. More jobless folks resume looking for work, and while they are doing this, they are now classified as unemployed. So the increase in jobs and employment can be countered by the increase in job seekers, thereby leaving the unemployment rate unchanged. This is exactly what happened in July.

These are my views on three important

stories – interest rates, trade, and jobs. You decide if my analysis seems reasonable.

Even if it isn’t, I do have one thing right.

The future stories of interest rates, trade, and jobs will largely determine how our economy changes.

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

Farm Credit News AgCarolina Farm Credit Employees Donate to Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. AgCarolina Farm Credit is proud to announce a $2,000 donation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Employees have the option to participate in “A Cause a Quarter” each quarter. The quarterly campaign requires a $25 donation from participating employees to a non-profit voted on by all employees of the association.

Participants are able to wear jeans each Friday of the quarter in which they participate.

Chosen by employees for the second quarter of 2019 was the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Specifically, the donation will be made to the Nourishing Children Initiative, one of the Food Bank’s child nutrition programs.

With employee and Association contributions, the total donation amount is $2,000, which equates to 20,000 meals.

“AgCarolina Farm Credit is committed to being a good steward of

the resources in our communities,” said AgCarolina CEO Dave Corum. “A Cause a Quarter has been a way for our team to all get behind a common cause and work together to make a greater impact.

We are proud to partner with the Food Bank. We are grateful to have them as an active part of our communities fighting hunger across eastern and central North Carolina.”

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.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

ANGUS NEWS Next Generation of National Junior Angus Board Selected. Junior Angus members elect new officers and board of directors in Louisville, Kentucky.

Each year, the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members carry on the tradition of electing great leaders to serve on the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB). Their distinguished green jackets are a symbol of grace, pride, and loyalty to the Angus breed. The newest team was announced in Louisville, Ken., during the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), and the group of six is ready to serve their fellow members.

The National Junior Angus Board members serve two-year terms, the first year on the board of directors and the second as officers in the Association.

During their two year timeframe, they travel to shows and conferences and work hand-in-hand with Association staff to plan and execute educational events, all while promoting the Angus breed and helping juniors to succeed in the cattle business and beyond.

Chairman Tyler Bush of Britton, S.D., and vice chair Baxter Knapp of Bloomfield, Iowa, are set to lead the new National Junior Angus Board team. The team is organized by Communications Director Caroline Cowles of Rockfield, Ken.; Angus Foundation Director Dylan Denny of Lubbock, Tex.; Leadership

Director Grady Dickerson of Paradise, Kan.; and Membership Director Keegan Cassady of Bloomington, Illinois. The second year team is excited to move into their new officer roles to further their leadership experience and create new opportunities for the members they serve.

“We look forward to working with the new junior officers and board each year,” said Jaclyn Upperman, American Angus Association director of events and education. “Our team has the privilege of watching them grow into outstanding leaders and mentors for the next generation of Angus youth.”

The newest six members of the NJAB are motivated to start their new endeavor and feel honored to be selected by their peers. The new board joining the officers are Megan Pelan of Jefferson, Md.; Justin Wood of Willow Spring, N.C.; Nicholas Pohlman of Prairie Grove, Ark.; Reagan Skow of Palaside, Neb.; Daniel Rohrbaugh of Seven Valleys, Penn.; and Kelsey Vejraska of Omak, Washington.

Get to Know the NEW NJAB Megan Pelan hails from the state of Maryland and is an incoming junior at Kansas State University studying animal science with a focus on production and management. She hopes to pursue a career in feedlot nutrition at the conclusion of her collegiate career. She

said that the NJAA has challenged her to become an engaged member and has taught her valuable lessons that she will apply to her future career.

Justin Wood is a fifth generation Angus breeder from the Tar Heel state of North Carolina. He is an incoming freshman at Hutchison Community College in Hutchinson, Kan., and a future member of the livestock judging team. Wood has been involved in leadership positions with the NJAA at the state and national levels and hopes to continue his passion for the Angus breed in his future career.

Nicholas Pohlman is a fourth generation Angus cattleman, and he hopes to combine his passion for the breed with his passion for helping those in need by becoming a doctor. Pohlman is an incoming freshman at University of Arkansas pursuing a double major degree in biochemistry and animal sciences. He hopes to continue to promote advocacy for the agricultural industry and serve as a role model with his time on the board.

Reagan Skow is an incoming sophomore at Oklahoma State University majoring in agricultural communications and food sciences. Hailing from the state of Nebraska, she says the many generations of junior board members

have guided and encouraged her to find the best version of herself. As a junior board member, she aims to expand the educational offerings provided for junior members.

Daniel Rohrbaugh originally comes from the Keystone State of Pennsylvania and now attends Kansas State University as an incoming sophomore studying agribusiness with a minor in animal science and industry. He credits his involvement with team sales, team marketing, graphic design, and speeches with his passion to pursue a career in agricultural sales and marketing.

Kelsey Vejraska is a West Coast native, being raised in the state of Washington before traveling to Oklahoma State University to pursue a degree in agricultural communications and agribusiness. The incoming sophomore said her involvement in the NJAA has pushed her out of her comfort zone and wants to encourage other members to do so as well.

While the new six join the team, the old six officers step down and pass their green coats to the next generation. Their final activity as members of the NJAB was hosting the Leaders Engaged in

Continued on the next page

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

These 12 individuals will serve as the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors for the coming year and were announced at the 2019 National Junior Angus Show Awards Ceremony.

Pictured seated front row from left are Baxter Knapp of Bloomfield, Iowa, vice chairperson; Caroline Cowles of Rockfield, Ken., communications director; Dylan Denny of Lubbock, Texas, Foundation director; Keegan Cassady of Bloomington, Ill., membership director; Grady Dickerson of Paradise, Kan., leadership director; and Tyler Bush of Britton, S.D., chairperson.

Directors standing back row from left are Daniel Rohrbaugh of Seven Valleys, Penn.; Megan Pelan of Jefferson, Md.; Nicholas Pohlman of Prairie Grove, Ark.; Justin Wood of Willow Spring, N.C.; Kelsey Vejraska of Omak, Wash.; and Reagan Skow of Palaside, Nebraska. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

THE PARTNERS MARTY ROOKER

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

ROGER LANE

LANE ANGUS FARM Gates 252-357-1279 252-398-7711(cell)

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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American Angus Association News continued from the previous page

These juniors represented North Carolina at the 2019 LEAD (Leaders Engaged in Angus Development). Pictured from left are Lynae Bowman of Germanton; Taylor Glover of Pikeville; Marcie and Mattie Harward of Richfield; and Mary and Justin Wood of Willow Spring. Photo by Karen Hiltbrand, American Angus Association.

Angus Development (LEAD) Conference on August 1-4 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Those who are completing their time with the NJAB are Sydnee Gerken of Cashion, Okla.; Madison Sundsbak of Des Lacs, N.D.; Haley DeHaan of McMinnville, Ore.; Dawson Dal Porto of Oakley, Calif.;

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Brody Fitzgerald of West Grove, Penn.; and Jera Pipkin of Republic, Missouri.

Visit www.angus.org for complete show results from the National Junior Angus Show and news from the event.

Angus Juniors Take Center Stage at LEAD Conference. The future of

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

the business breed comes together in Nashville for the annual event. From August 1-4, more than 150 National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members took part in the annual Leaders Engaged in Angus Development (LEAD) Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee. The four-day conference was packed with workshops, farm tours, the opportunity to see some of the city’s most iconic sights, and networking within the breed. The goal of the conference is to help develop leadership qualities in Angus youth so they can become better producers, advocates, and supporters of the breed and agricultural industry as a whole. This learning opportunity gives juniors the chance to meet with industry professionals, ask questions, and improve their knowledge base.

“The conference truly opened the eyes of our juniors, helping them to see a side of agriculture they had never seen before or visited some of the most prestigious Angus operations in the country,” said Jera Pipkin, NJAA membership director. “The kids left here with a renewed perspective of themselves and tools for their leadership toolbox.”

This year’s theme “Angus: Live From Nashville” rang true as members experienced the city’s historic downtown area and attended a show at the Grand Ole Opry. The junior members also paid a visit to the headquarters of CKE Restaurants, the operators of Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s ®. They were given the chance to see their test kitchen, state-ofthe-art technology, and hear about how they market their products. Attendees even got a chance to tour Ingram Angus and Deer Valley Farms, where they saw a freeze branding demonstration, participated in various educational sessions, and learned about the different challenges in starting an operation. A dance at Deer Valley Farms on the last night of the conference gave everyone a chance to have fun and celebrate.

Throughout the event, the six retiring National Junior Angus Board (NJAB) officers gave their retiring thoughts and passed the torch onto the new team.”

The LEAD conference is a chance for the kids to learn about different aspects of the industry, as well as the culture of the cities we tour as well,” said Brody Fitzgerald, NJAA leadership director. “You don’t understand how many connections you can make until you come to this conference. When it comes to LEAD, I think for me personally, it was all about the connections I made along the way. Also, the memories tied to the culture of the areas we toured as well.”

During this event, attendees had the opportunity to interact with the NJAB and make connections with other Angus youth. They took part in leadership workshops and participated in team building exercises organized by the NJAB who planned the conference alongside the events and education department.

The location and lineup of events change every year and require plans to be made months in advance.”

It’s a great opportunity for juniors to develop their leadership skills, network within their age groups and further those connections, as well as getting to learn a lot more about the industry itself from all different aspects,” said Madeline Bauer, events coordinator for the American Angus Association. “Getting to see them have fun and make friendships that are going to last them a lifetime is really worthwhile. All the hard work that gets put into events, seeing the kids light up and say I’ve never seen this before or that’s really cool, makes it really satisfactory.”

This year was a great success with attendees from all over the country ranging from ages 14-21.

Angus Foundation Awards Record Scholarships. Angus youth received $227,700 in scholarships at NJAS. As higher education costs continue to rise, the Angus Foundation raises the bar on scholarship investment in young people.

To help offset the cost of undergraduate and graduate degrees, 90 juniors received scholarships that totaled $226,700 at the 2019 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS).

“The Angus juniors are the future of our industry, and we are proud to support their growth,” said Rod Schoenbine, Angus Foundation director of development. “We are thankful for our generous donors who make it possible to invest in our juniors as they continue their education.”

Taylor Glover of Pikeville, N.C., received the Angus Foundation Undergraduate $1,000 scholarship. Pictured presenting the award is Rod Schoenbine, Angus Foundation director of development. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

North Carolina Winners from the National Junior Angus Show

These Angus enthusiasts won the top five showmanship at the 2019 National Junior Angus Showmanship Contest. Pictured from left are Rylie Melancon of Woodville, Miss., fifth place; Lauren Parks of Brookfield, Mo., fourth place; Cara Smith of Pleasant Garden, N.C., third place; Bryce Fitzgerald of West Grove, Pa., second place; Grace Link of Deerfield, Wis., first place, Jake Tiedeman, judge; Carolyn Gazda, judge; and Kris Lynn of Springfield, Ky. The top five showmen are named from the 15 finalists during the final round of competition. Each of the top five finishers received a cash prize from the Ham James Memorial Fund and a Silver Revere bowl from the American Angus Auxiliary. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

A five member committee evaluates the scholarship applications and considers the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) involvement, state association participation, leadership, and other criteria. Since 1998, the Angus Foundation has awarded more than $2.9 million in undergraduate and graduate scholarships.

For more news and information on the Angus Foundation, please visit www.

AngusFoundation.com.

Scholarship winners from North Carolina are: • Undergraduate Angus Foundation General Scholarship - $1,000 - Taylor Glover - Pikeville, N.C. • DeEtta Wood Memorial Scholarship - $1,000 - Justin Wood - Willow Spring, N.C.

Justin Wood of Willow Spring, N.C., received the DeEtta Wood Memorial $1,000 scholarship. Pictured from left are Stephanie Wood, holding Macie Wood; Rob, Elaine, Charlotte, and Russell Wood, all presenting; Justin Wood, recipient; Riley, Ava, and Jeff Wood, Gayle Jones, and Mary Wood, all presenting. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

About the Angus Foundation.

Established as a 501(c)(3) organization in 1980, the Angus Foundation remains focused on its mission to support Angus education, youth, and research. The organization has distributed more than $2.9 million in youth scholarships since 1998 and has also invested more than $1.3 million in beef cattle research throughout the past decade.

For more information, contact the Angus Foundation at 816-383-5100 or visit www.angusfoundation.org.

About the NJAA. The NJAA promotes the involvement of young people in raising Angus cattle, while also providing leadership and self development opportunities for more than 5,000 active members nationwide.

For more information about the NJAA, look online, or call the Association at 816-383-5100.

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.

North Carolina juniors won first place in the intermediate other beef division at the AllAmerican Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) CookOff. Pictured from left are Nate Bowman of Germanton; Greyson Peeler of Lawndale; and Ava, Mary, and Riley Wood, all of Willow Spring. They prepared “Old North State Tacos” and also claimed top honors in the recipe and showmanship categories. The American Angus Auxiliary sponsored the event. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

These junior members won top honors in the junior division of creative writing at the 2019 National Junior Angus Show. Pictured from left are Nate Bowman of Germanton, N.C., first; Emily Warren of Gamaliel, Ky., second; and Brantley Humpert of Windthorst, Tex., third. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

Henning MC Missie 8133 won owned heifer class 3 at the 2019 National Junior Angus Show. Mattie Harward of Richfield, N.C., owns the winning heifer. Photo by Pearls Pics, on behalf of the American Angus Association.

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS Bull Sale December 14, 2019 • 12:00 noon Featuring:

25 Yearling Bulls 35 Two-Year-Old Bulls

Performance Tested • Ultrasound and 50K Evaluated Registered Angus Bulls

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS

104 Springfield Lane • Louisburg, NC 27549

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 .

The Carolina Cattle Connection

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MERCK

Animal Health News

Successful Weaning: Tried-and-True Transition Strategies

By KEVIN HILL, D.V.M., Technical Services Veterinarian, Merck Animal Health Fall feedlot success starts long before calves arrive at the feedyard. Preshipment management on the ranch is truly the only way to adequately prepare calves for the changes awaiting them after weaning. In addition to optimizing feedlot health and performance, the best prepared calves will result in the biggest return to the ranch. Because calf buyers want the healthiest calves, providing them with a certified history of health management procedures, especially one verified by your veterinarian, can result in a $15 to $35 per head premium paid by buyers.1 Here are four tried-and-true weaning related strategies to help make the shift to the feedlot as seamless as possible.

Spread out the stressors - Weaning day is often the most stressful day in a

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calf’s life. The roundup, vaccinations, separation from mother, a long truck ride, and then landing in a strange pen with lots of new neighbors, is more than any calf should be asked to endure. The key to managing these stressors is to plan ahead and spread out the procedures over several weeks.

Preweaning should be thoughtfully planned to begin two to three weeks before weaning and culminate 45-60 days after weaning day. This is important in order to minimize stress on a calf’s immune system and give them the best chance to respond fully to immunizations.

Calves also need time to adjust to separation from the cow and new nutrition before adding in other stressors like shipping and commingling. Not

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

everyone can hold calves for 45 days after weaning, but nearly everyone can utilize some aspects of preconditioning.

Examine your vaccination strategy - Vaccination programs should include core protection against Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), as well as protection against the major bacterial causes of pneumonia.

Timing also is important. Instead of waiting to vaccinate calves after they arrive at the feedyard, where they may encounter disease before the vaccine has a chance to take effect, it’s ideal to vaccinate two to three weeks prior to weaning. This allows time for the best protection against respiratory and clostridial diseases. Booster doses can be given two to three weeks later when calves have adjusted and are eating well after weaning at home or in a backgrounding yard, or after arrival if going directly to the feedlot.

Implement concurrent parasite control - Parasitic infections depress immunity and feed intake, which are both extremely detrimental to calf health.

Therefore, incorporating deworming into a preconditioning plan is essential. Again, preweaning timing is important (two to three weeks prior to weaning), as is product selection.

Many researchers over the past ten years have documented the avermectin class of anthelmintics as often not effective at reducing worm burdens.2-4 Because most commonly used dewormers are in this class, switching to a dewormer with the active ingredient fenbendazole, such as Safe-Guard ® or Panacur ® , significantly improves the efficacy of eliminating parasites.

Combining two products from differing classes at once, such as fenbendazole and an ivermectin, typically achieves a reduction of parasite egg counts by 99 percent2, and is the best strategy for slowing the development of resistance.

Consult your veterinarian for assistance in the diagnosis, treatment, and control of parasitism. This should include a plan for collecting fecal samples and performing a Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) to determine if the current deworming program is effective.

Evaluate the economic impact of implants - No other investment in the cattle industry is as consistent and predictable as the use of growth implants.

Because the investment is relatively small, a positive return is realized within a few weeks after implantation. If you plan to retain ownership for three weeks or more after weaning, consider the value of using implants. The return can be

as much as $30-$40 per head in added value.5 Implanting can be conveniently added to the preconditioning program either prior to or after weaning.

Data from thousands of calf sales prove that preconditioned calves command a significant premium. But to do so, effective communication of health programs to potential buyers that documents the health products and practices used on your operation – including dates of vaccinations, parasite control, and other treatments – is an absolute requirement to get that premium.

For more information on preconditioning programs for healthier and heavier calves, contact your veterinarian and visit www.the-best-defense.com.

References 1 Superior Livestock Auction, 2018 Superior Livestock Report, Pg 40.4.

2 Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) National Database, Merck Animal Health, 1996-2018.

3 Gasbarre, L.C., Smith, L.L., Lichtenfels, J.R., Pilitt, P.A. (2009).

The identification of cattle nematode parasites resistant to multiple classes of anthelmintics in a commercial cattle population in the U.S. Veterinary Parasitology, 166(3-4); 281:1-5.

4 Edmonds, M.D., Johnson, E.G., Edmonds, J.D. (2010). Anthelmintic resistance of Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora to macrocyclic lactones in cattle from the western United States. Veterinary Parasitology. 170(3-4): 224-9.

5 Selk, G. (1997). Implants for Suckling Steer and Heifer Calves and Potential Replacement Heifers.

Proceedings: Impact of Implants on Performance and Carcass Value of Beef Cattle. Oklahoma State University, P-957.

About Merck Animal Health. Today’s Merck is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well.

Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners, and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services.

Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well being, and performance of animals.

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-animalhealth.com.

First Annual

1 F “

” A Z N A N O

B Y D L A B

SHRADER FARMS LLC, • ROSEDALE, VA “The Place for Black White Face”

The largest selection of true F1 Angus x Hereford bred replacement heifers available in the Southeast!

Saturday • October 12, 2019 • 12:00 noon Wytheville Livestock Market • Wytheville, VA

200 Black Baldies • 50 Purebred Hereford • 40 Purebred Angus

Heifers were synchronized and bred A.I. on April 19-20 to GAR Ashland and TH Victor 719T. Black Baldy heifers were then exposed beginning May 3 to Yon Angus bulls and McCabe Angus bulls. Hereford and Angus heifers exposed beginning May 3 to SAV Angus bulls.

For a sale brochure, catalog, and more information, contact the following:

Tommy Shrader, Owner - 276-873-1037 • tommy@gasfieldsvc.com Barry Hart, Cattle Manager - 276-345-6579 • Mike Jones, Sale Manager - 706-773-3612 evening, y a id r F n viewing o provided. r o f le b il a Cattle av light meal will be and a

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

UPDATE

Members of the N.C. Junior Hereford Association traveled to Denver, Colo., to participate in the “Herefords on the Hill” Junior National Hereford Expo on July 6-11. Representing North Carolina in the Mile High City was Tyler Berrier, Nora Cave, Melanie Fishel, Wesley Fishel, Joy Leigh Hinnant, Jordan Mitchem, Regan Mitchem, and Skyler Murray.

In addition to exhibiting their cattle, these young people competed in several

contests and learning activities throughout the week. We are proud to announce that Melanie Fishel placed first in senior individual sales and second in senior extemporaneous speech. Jordan Mitchem participated in junior illustrated speech.

Melanie Fishel, Joy Leigh Hinnant, Regan Mitchem, and Skyler Murray made it to the second buzzer round of the Hereford Bowl. Melanie Fishel, Jordan Mitchem, Regan Mitchem, and

Skyler Murray participated in the judging contest. Regan Mitchem made it to the final round of intermediate showmanship.

Regan Mitchem won the Junior Golden Bull award. Melanie Fishel was selected as the Outstanding North Carolina Junior member.

Melanie Fishel also did a fantastic job representing North Carolina as Hereford Queen. N.C. Hereford Princess, Regan Mitchem attended the Queen’s Tea with Melanie.

Regan Mitchem and Tyler Berrier

represented North Carolina as our voting delegates.

The juniors had a very busy and successful week at the JNHE. It was a long trip but well worth the effort to compete at the last Junior National to ever be held at the Historic Denver Stockyards. We encourage other juniors to participate in the Junior National next year as it will be in Louisville, Kentucky.

Please contact any of the N.C. Junior Hereford Association officers or advisors for more information.

Regular copy deadline is SEPTEMBER 5 for the OCTOBER issue Spotlight material is due SEPTEMBER 1 for the OCTOBER issue

Cattle for Sale Private Treaty DJF On Target Moses 4060

DJF Raider Moses 4060

Reg. # P43858697 • DOB - 10/01/2017

Reg. # P43858706 • DOB - 10/13/2017

Sire - Boyd Confidence 4060

Sire - Boyd Confidence 4060

DJF Vicky B Moses Reg. # P43742112 • DOB - 09/13/2016 Sire - SHF Moses X36 Z50 ET

DJF Irene B Moses Reg. # P43742098 • DOB - 09/16/2016 Sire - SHF Moses X36 Z50 ET

DJF Margie Top Shelf 71I

John Wheeler

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Cell - 910-489-0024 • Email - doublejfarmllc@yahoo.com Website - www.doublejfarmllc.com

Sire - TH 122 71I Top Shelf 504X ET

Farm Location - 2296 N. Lomax Road • Traphill, NC 28685 Home - 775 Clacton Circle • Earlysville, VA 22936 The Carolina Cattle Connection

, *For current EPDs

rd.org*

visit www.herefo

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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National Farm Safety and Health Week – September 15-21

By MARION BARNES Clemson University Each year since 1944, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week.

This recognition has been an annual promotion initiated by the National Safety Council and has been proclaimed by each sitting U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first document. The 2019 theme for National Farm Safety and Health Week is “Shift Farm Safety into High Gear.” This year’s theme is one that resonates and reminds us that it is everyone’s responsibility to prioritize safety on the farm and rural roadways of America. It’s no secret; a farm isn’t the safest working environment. The 2017 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 581 fatalities, which equates to 23 deaths per 100,000 workers.

With all it takes to run a farm these days, many agricultural producers

overlook farm safety in their daily activities. For the most part, farm safety is not something that can be addressed one time. There are occasions when a mechanical fix, such as repairing or replacing a faulty or missing guard on a piece of machinery that can correct a hazard, but the most important part of farm safety is developing a positive attitude about the safety of yourself, your family, and your employees.

As summer moves towards fall, farmers and ranchers will be under increased pressure to get crops laid by, begin, and complete harvest and all the numerous activities necessary to prepare for winter. During these busy times, we usually see an increase in farm injuries and fatalities. Making farm safety a priority on your farm can help avoid injuries. The following are a few suggestions that can make your farm a safer place to live and work:

Make farm safety a priority - There is a lot of truth in the old saying, “lead by example.” What you do and say as a leader can create a positive or negative mindset about safety on your operation.

If workers see you making farm safety a

priority, they will follow your example.

Talk about safety - The more you talk about the importance of safety, the more you will generate awareness and attention to safe work procedures.

Regular discussion helps promote a

52 bulls raised and tested exclusively on forages - NO GRAIN 19-22 months old // Genetics that are proven on the coastal plains!

Angus • Gelbvieh • Hereford • Simmental • SimAngus • Ultrablack

Sale starts at 11:00 a.m. on October 12, 2019.

Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, S.C. (35 miles SE of Aiken, S.C.) For More Information Contact: Scott Sell, Edisto REC Bull Test Coordinator • 803-284-3343 • gsell@clemson.edu • Sale Day Phone: 912-682-9590 To Request a catalog, call or email Scott Sell or visit the website: http://bit.ly/edistobulltest

PAGE 50

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

safety culture that encourages inclusion and information sharing. It’s been widely recognized that the safest workplaces are ones where employees hear people talking about safety.

Encourage safety suggestions Give and get feedback. Remember, it’s a two-way street. This is a great way for others on the farm to share their ideas and contribute to the operation. No one knows a job better than the ones who perform it, especially highly skilled experienced workers. Encourage employees and family members to share safety ideas.

Correct hazards and improve safety conditions - Whenever you identify hazards, or a family member or employees bring them to your attention, correct the problem promptly. If you do not fix safety hazards in a timely manner, they may think you don’t care about safety.

Provide safety training and information - Well trained and knowledgeable employees develop good safety habits and attitudes, making for a safer work environment. Many companies have mandatory safety training on a regular basis. It would not hurt farmers to follow this example. Workers that have the skills, knowledge, and understanding they need to complete the task can avoid injuries.

Measure and reward safety - Decide how to measure an effective safety practice. Is it a season without injuries or no one getting hurt while working the cattle in the spring? Determine how you are going to reward them, a bonus check or a day off, etc. Give family members and employees a goal to obtain with rewards for success.

Have a farm safety plan - Even on the most well run, safest farm, injuries can occur. Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, or tornados occur. Having a plan in place before an emergency occurs can minimize its impact.

We can reduce and prevent injuries and fatalities on our farms by being proactive and deciding to have a safer operation. Cultivating a positive attitude about farm safety is the first step. As this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week theme suggests, let’s “shift farm safety into high gear” by making farm safety a priority on our farms.

Evaluating Farm Equipment for Dangers. Farmers and ranchers use many types of equipment to produce the food, fuel, and fiber our country needs. Today’s agricultural equipment is large, powerful, very efficient, and versatile in how it is used. This includes tractors, tillage equipment, planting equipment, sprayers, harvesting equipment, and specialized machinery for specialty crop production.

All agricultural equipment share many of the same hazards that can cause injury if these hazards are not recognized.

The key is to recognize hazards so you can avoid dangerous situations or minimize your exposure. Some of the hazards that farm equipment share include: wrap points, pinch points, shear and cut points, crush points, burn points, free wheeling parts, stored energy, and thrown objects. These “points-of-peril” can entangle, pinch, crush, or shear clothing, and limbs. Possible danger points could be belt, chain, or gear drives, which are found on many types of equipment. Rotary or auger intake areas on grain handling equipment, feed grinders and mixers and grain heads on harvesting equipment also pose a risk.

Gathering chains and feed rollers used to pull crops into a combine or hay baler are areas where extra caution is needed. A slow moving hydraulic arm on a front end or skid steer loader can be as dangerous as a rapidly rotating power take off shaft.

The first step in avoiding danger is to recognize that hazards exist. Start by carefully reading the safety section in the equipment’s operators manual.

Identify and note specific hazards that are associated with the equipment you use. Consider how you use the equipment. Is it being used in the manner it was designed for? Are you following all safety precautions recommended by the manufacturer? One the most common abuses I see around farms is the use of a front end loader for a ladder or “bucket truck.” It has no guard rails and no way to prevent the bucket from dropping in the event of a hydraulic failure. A front end loader on a tractor is designed to lift loads, not people! Always select the proper equipment for the job.

Many injuries are a result of human error. In fact, 80 percent of agricultural related incidents result from carelessness or failure to deal with hazards safely.

Forgetting something, taking a short cut, ignoring a warning, not paying close attention, or failing to follow safety rules can contribute to an incident. Most farmers are aware of farming hazards, but under times of stress, they may make decisions that under more ideal conditions would have been considered dangerous and unwise.

Carefully evaluate the operation of each piece of machinery for safety hazards before starting work. Is the equipment in working order? Are all guards and shields in place? Make a safety check a routine part of your maintenance schedule just like you check the oil and fluid levels in your tractor before starting. We all recognize hazardous situations, sometimes

misjudging the seriousness of the hazard because of secondary factors. Examples of secondary hazards include: mud or manure covered surfaces around a working chute that make the area slick, spilled grain in an unloading area near an auger increasing the risk of slips and falls, or bystanders near a tractor that could distract the operator. Although we cannot eliminate all hazards, we can reduce them by removing the secondary factors which we can control. Keeping the work area clean and uncluttered and shutting down operations when others are near machinery are examples of controlling secondary risk factors.

Farmers and ranchers often overestimate their ability to handle a dangerous situation, especially when operators work around large, powerful equipment every day. They can become comfortable with their ability to control machinery. However, reaction time plays an important role in determining the outcome of a dangerous situation.

Human reaction time ranges from ¼ - ¾ of a second on average. Reaction time varies by individual and with age and physical condition. Human reaction time is not fast enough to avoid an injury with a machine. For example, a power take off

The Carolina Cattle Connection

(PTO) operating at 540 revolutions per minute (rpm’s) rotates nine revolutions per second and has a travel distance of 7.1 feet per second. This means that if a boot lace were to be entangled, it would wrap up 7 feet of boot lace in one second.

As you can see from this example, you cannot win a race with a machine.

Over the years, manufacturers have improved designs and safeguards on their equipment, but all hazards cannot be eliminated. Therefore, it is up to the operator to be aware of the dangers posed by farm equipment. Reading the equipment’s operators manual, repairing and replacing protective shields and guards, looking for and eliminating primary and secondary hazards on all implements are steps in the right direction for making your farm a safer place to live and work.

Resources The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and Chuck Schwartau, University of Minnesota Extension Service Evaluate Equipment for Dangers

by Safe Farm - Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the National Ag Safety Data Base – A Guide to Safe Farm Tractor Operation

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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Three Ways to Take Action Against Lepto hardjo-bovis. If reproductive efficiencies seem to be slipping in your herd, the underlying cause may be the result of leptospirosis.

From early embryonic deaths to lower pregnancy rates, stillbirths, abortions, and even weakened calves, Lepto hardjobovis impacts all stages of beef cattle reproduction. With minimal clinical signs, along with these reproductive inefficiencies, the presence of leptospirosis can quickly affect herd profitability.

“The financial impact of leptospirosis can be huge, especially in cow/calf operations,” said Jody Wade, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “If cows aren’t able to produce a healthy calf every year, it’s going to cost producers a lot of money down the line.”

Leptospira outbreaks are most common in spring and summer, and the bacteria can survive in the environment for months. A recent study conducted in six states representing a cross section of climates and management practices found that Lepto hardjo-bovis was prevalent in 42 percent of U.S. cattle herds, and was more likely to be found in warmer, wetter climates.1 With the unusual weather patterns, many cattle producers have been facing this year, implementing Lepto hardjobovis prevention strategies will be key in protecting reproductive efficiency and maintaining a profitable operation down the road. To help ensure reproductive success in your beef herd this summer, Dr. Wade recommends the following management practices: 1. Minimize standing water.

Unfortunately, Lepto hardjo-bovis is most commonly spread via urinary shedding, making it easily transmittable. Water tanks, pastures, ponds, and streams that infected cattle have access to can

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NEWS

all be contaminated with Leptospira. If cattle are drinking the water containing leptospirosis pathogens and have not built up prior immunity to the disease, they will likely be infected.

In fact, odds of the disease developing are nearly two times greater in operations where ponds and stock tanks are used as the main water source since the pathogen can survive for extended periods in stagnant water.1 To prevent the transmission of Lepto hardjo-bovis, Dr. Wade suggests draining or fencing off low lying or swampy areas so that cattle do not have access to standing water. He also encourages producers to clean water tanks routinely, as they can hold leptospirosis bacteria for a long time.

“It can be difficult to prevent cattle from drinking infected water, especially if producers are unaware leptospirosis is present in their herd,” explained Dr. Wade. “But maintaining a fresh water source for cows to drink from will help decrease the likelihood of them ingesting Lepto hardjo-bovis bacteria.”

2. Practice strict sanitation. Control of rodents, feral swine populations, and canine hosts is strongly encouraged, as wild animals can serve as maintenance hosts and expose cattle to the bacteria.

Keeping pens clean and isolating aborting cows for treatment will also help to prevent the spread of leptospirosis.

3. Vaccinate cattle prior to breeding.

While urinary shedding is the most common way for leptospirosis to spread, the infection can also be passed through reproductive fluids, uterine discharges, infected placenta, milk, and semen.

“Because there are so many ways cattle can be exposed to Lepto hardjobovis, the most effective preventive strategy is to implement a complete reproductive vaccination program,” stressed Dr. Wade.

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

To increase the likelihood of successful pregnancies, Dr. Wade recommends vaccinating cattle with a combination vaccine that is labeled to prevent urinary shedding of Lepto hardjo-bovis. Vaccinations are especially important for heifers, as their lifetime production hinges on a successful first pregnancy.

“Treatment for leptospirosis is available, but producers will spend a lot of money and time trying to eliminate the infection after it’s already been established in their herd,” Dr. Wade concluded. “Vaccinating 20-30 days prior to breeding will allow enough time for cattle to develop a strong immune response to Leptospira, and will help protect all stages of reproduction before it’s too late.”

Each operation is unique, so producers are advised to work with their local veterinarian to establish practical reproductive protocols and management practices for their herds.

References 1 Wikse S.E., Rogers G.M., et al.

Herd prevalence and risk factors of Leptospira infection in beef cow/calf operations in the United States. Bov Pract 2007;41(1):15–23.

Estrous Synchronization Offers More Pros than Cons for Beef Producers. Currently, only eight percent of U.S. beef operations utilize estrous synchronization. 1 For producers, this probably comes as no surprise. It’s simply not practical to round up cattle from the pastures and run them through the chute multiple times.

But estrous synchronization doesn’t have to be complicated; there are simple, inexpensive approaches that can reap real benefits for beef producers.

“The advantages of estrous synchronization by far outweigh the disadvantages,” said Richard Linhart, DVM, DACT, Boehringer Ingelheim.

Health and economic benefits - A synchronization program can compress the time and labor needed to breed cows and heifers to just a few days, which, in turn, shortens the calving season.

“Calves born earlier in the season tend to be healthier,” Dr. Linhart explained.

“They’re less likely to be exposed to infectious agents that may accumulate later in the calving season, which may reduce the incidence of diseases such as scours.”

Calving early in the season enables producers to wean older, heavier animals.

“Date of birth is the number one factor that determines weaning weight,” added Dr. Linhart. “If a calf born on the first day of calving season gains two pounds a day, it will be 120 pounds heavier than a calf

born on the last day of a 60 day calving season.”

Narrowing the calving window also helps create a more uniform calf crop.

“Cattle bring the most money when they all look the same at the time they’re sold,” Dr. Linhart suggested. For buyers, that means they can streamline how they feed and manage cattle.

Synchronization hormones - The number and types of hormones used for estrous synchronization will vary, depending on the operation’s goals.

More intensive operations using artificial insemination (A.I.) to accelerate genetic change may use more hormones with the help of genetics companies selling semen and/or embryo transfer services.

According to Dr. Linhart, most estrous synchronization hormones fall into three categories: 1) Progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone that maintains pregnancy or prevents cattle from coming into heat. It can be administered as natural progesterone in the form of an intravaginal delivery device, or as synthetic progestin available in the form of a feed additive. Both of these options keep the animal from coming into heat until they are removed.

2) Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2a) is a hormone normally produced by the uterus to help the female come into heat, ovulate, and start a new cycle. When PGF2a is administered during the proper days of the cycle, standing estrus will usually occur about two to four days later.

3) Gonadotropin releasing hormone, or GnRH, causes the release of other hormones that, in turn, lead to ovulation.

Once this hormone is given, ovulation typically occurs within 30 hours. “This enables producers to perform artificial insemination with little or no heat detection,” Dr. Linhart pointed out.

A single injection protocol - One possible protocol that offers commercial cattle operations numerous advantages with minimal investment requires only a single dose of PGF2a and natural service, according to Dr. Linhart.

In this single dose PGF2a protocol: • Cattle are exposed to a bull for five days.

• On the fifth day, all females are injected with PGF2a to help them return to heat. PGF2a will not cause the females that were bred during the first five days to return to heat.

• Females should continue to be exposed to the bulls for the remainder of the breeding season.

With one trip through the chute, producers can get the bulk of their calves born in the first 20 days of the calving season.

“Closely complying to this protocol is critical,” Dr. Linhart concluded, “Work with a veterinarian to create a program fit for your herd.”

References 1 USDA APHIS, Veterinary Services – NAHMS. Beef 2007–08 – Part II. Reference of beef cow/calf management practices in the United States, 2007–08.

2009. Available at www.aphis.usda. gov/animal_health/nahms/beefcowcalf/ downloads/beef0708/Beef0708_dr_ PartII.pdf. Accessed April 22, 2019.

Disappointed in Average Daily Gains on Your Operation? Parasites May Be to Blame. Understanding the parasite life cycle and strategic treatment can help improve performance in all stages of cattle production. It’s no secret that heavy worm loads negatively impact overall herd health and producers’ bottom lines. In fact, parasitic infections have been estimated to cost livestock producers more than $3 billion in economic losses each year.1 “The infestation of brown stomach worm and other internal parasites can suppress appetite and reduce feed intake, resulting in disappointing average daily gains and weaning weights. It can also lead to problems with reproduction in cows and heifers,” said Joe Gillespie,

DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

“Controlling these parasites is a proven practice to improve performance in all stages of cattle production, while also giving you a significant return on investment.”2 Understanding the parasite life cycle - As concern about the resistance of cattle parasites to dewormers continues to rise, gaining a basic understanding of the internal parasites that impact your herd is the first step producers can take to establish a cost effective deworming approach. Dr. Gillespie breaks down a basic parasite life cycle below: • Adult parasites lay eggs in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle.

• Eggs are expelled from the cattle through feces.

• Eggs hatch and develop into infected larvae.

• The infected larvae crawl onto the grass that cattle graze on. Feed bunks or waterers contaminated with feces can also expose cattle to larvae.

• Larvae are ingested by cattle.

• This process will continue to repeat itself unless parasites are managed. At the end of the grazing season, some internal parasites, such as the brown stomach worm (Ostertagia ostertagi), will bury themselves in the stomach wall, stay

dormant until spring, emerge and start egg laying again.

“Knowing the life cycle of internal parasites can help producers establish an appropriate deworming timeline,” asserted Dr. Gillespie. “It’s also important to note that there are technically four larval stages, and not all dewormers are labeled to protect cattle against the final larval stage.”

To prevent parasite resistance, reduce subsequent contamination of pastures, and provide cost effective parasite control, Dr. Gillespie recommends using a dewormer with demonstrated efficacy against major intestinal parasites including O. ostertagi L4 and inhibited L4, as well as tapeworms, prior to the grazing season.

Not only is it beneficial for producers to be strategic in selecting the right dewormer(s), he also encourages producers to weigh calves to determine the right dose and work with their veterinarian to identify the best time to treat cattle.

Timing is everything - Parasite populations vary widely, depending on climate, geography, and type of operation. In general, temperatures 6080 degrees Fahrenheit, and with at least two inches of rainfall per month, provide

excellent propagation conditions. 3 Dr. Gillespie explains that it’s important to take all environmental considerations into account when deciding the timing of treatment.

“With a high stocking rate in pastures, I recommend using a dewormer twice per year to help keep animals on track,” he said. “Most producers use some form of dewormer in the spring as cattle go out to pasture. A second treatment should be given in late fall or early winter, along with a lice control to help manage ectoparasites, as well.”

In the cattle feeding sector, it is common to see an oral dewormer used upon arrival at the feed yard, and a corresponding topical treatment used to help with flies or lice. “With a high energy, high starch diet and no grazing, fewer internal parasites are seen, but they can become a problem, so deworming upon entry is the best strategy,” stressed Dr. Gillespie.

Local veterinarians have experience with other operations in the area, so producers are encouraged to consult them when thinking through deworming decisions.

Continued on the next page

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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Boehringer Ingelheim News continued from the previous page Veterinarians can also help producers perform routine fecal egg counts to ensure their dewormer is working effectively.

“An effective deworming program doesn’t look the same for every operation,” concluded Dr. Gillespie. “But understanding the parasite life cycle, identifying key timing and keeping your veterinarian involved are all great ways for producers to control parasites in every herd without breaking the bank.”

References 1 Bagley C., Healey M., Hansen D. Internal parasites in cattle. Beef cattle handbook. Extension Beef Cattle Resource Committee, University of Wisconsin Extension. Available at www. iowabeefcenter.org/bch/InternalParasites. pdf. Accessed April 24, 2019.

2 Stromberg B.E., Vatthauer R.J., Schlotthauer J.C., et al. Production responses following strategic parasite control in a beef cow/calf herd. Vet Parasitol 1997;68(4):315–322.

3 Morter R.L., Horstman L. Treating for internal parasites of cattle. Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, School of Veterinary Medicine.

Available at www.extension.purdue.edu/ extmedia/VY/VY-51.html. Accessed April 24, 2019.

Veterinarians and Producers Discuss Challenges with Trich in Beef Cattle Herds. Trichomoniasis Summit covered the disease’s economic impact and what the industry can do to

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prevent it. Industry leading veterinarians and producers from 13 states across the country recently gathered at the Trichomoniasis Summit in San Diego, Calif., to learn more about this highly contagious venereal disease, its impact on the industry, and management and prevention strategies.

The Trichomoniasis Summit was hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim and featured exclusive presentations by industry leaders: • Jeff Ondrak, DVM, MS, beef cattle clinical veterinarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln • Eduardo Cobo, DVM, MS, Ph.D., assistant professor of veterinary medicine, University of Calgary • Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for academic affairs, Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine • John Wenzel, DVM, extension veterinarian, New Mexico State University • Brad White, DVM, MS, Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, director of Beef Cattle Institute • Robert Gukich, DVM, owner, Lake Wales (Florida) Large Animal Services • John Davidson, DVM, senior associate director, beef cattle professional services, Boehringer Ingelheim, kicked off the summit with an in-depth review of peer reviewed research available about the disease and vaccine option and stressed its significance. “For a cow/calf producer, there’s no other disease that comes close to the economic impact of trich, it can wreck a herd’s reproductive efficiency,” he said. “For a cow/calf producer in trich prone areas of the United States, vaccination makes perfect sense.”

Economic impact - Dr. Davidson noted that researchers in the early 1990s estimated the disease generated annual economic (calf) losses to the industry of up to $650 million, but he believes the total economic impact is much greater today.1 Dr. Wenzel shared results of a survey he conducted with ranchers in New Mexico about the prevalence of trich and the losses associated with the disease due to calf crop percentage, conception rates, cull rates, weaning weights and reestablishment of the herd. He determined the overall impact of the disease was more than $400 per cow.2 “The cost of a trich test is a drop in the bucket compared to what the real cost of trich is,” Dr. Wenzel pointed out.

Industry challenges - Not everyone

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

in the industry is convinced of this disease’s significance, however. The group discussed the challenges and barriers to consistent and effective prevention and management strategies for the disease, including: • Lack of awareness of widespread, geographical threat • Doubts about the prevalence of the disease • Cost associated with testing • Lack of awareness, or doubts of efficacy, of the only commercially available vaccine, TrichGuard • Lack of harmony between states’ regulations • Differences in management practices Other presentations covered sampling and diagnostics; immunizing bulls against the pathogen that causes trich, T. foetus; improving reproductive health and reducing losses associated with T. foetus; disease modeling and operation scenarios; field trial results; risk factors and strategies to eliminate trich; proper use of the vaccine and setting expectations for its efficacy.

Post event survey results show that attendees of the Trichomoniasis Summit believe it is extremely valuable for producers to actively take steps to prevent trich for herd health.3 And, the vast majority of attendees stated their opinions about trich and the trich vaccine were a little or somewhat different than

before the meeting, proving the value of keeping the discussions going about this significant disease.

Dr. Davidson encourages producers to talk with their veterinarians to learn more about a comprehensive, evidence based approach to manage the risk of economic losses associated with trich by including vaccination of adult cattle.

References 1 Speer C.A., White M.W. Bovine trichomoniasis. Better diagnostics and control could save beef industry $650 million annually. Large Anim Vet 1991;46:18-20.

2 Wenzel J., Gifford C., Hawkes J. Economic impacts of trichomoniasis. New Mexico State University Department of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources. Cooperative Extension Service, 2017;26. www.aces.nmsu.edu/ ces/animal/documents/departmentnewsletter---september-2017docx.pdf, Accessed June 16, 2019.

3 Boehringer Ingelheim.

Trichomoniasis Summit Survey. June 2019. BOV-2260-REPR0519 The Impact of Trich Extends Beyond Lost Pregnancies.

Trichomoniasis, more commonly known as “trich,” is a highly contagious venereal disease that can wreck a herd’s reproductive efficiency. 1 A sound preventive program will help avoid abortions and ongoing losses at a time when every calf is vital to the bottom line.

S.C. Charolais News

By GEORGEANNE WEBB S.C. Charolais Association

I hope everyone is surviving the heat and storms. We had another lightning hit that fried my home phone and modem, again. I am getting really good at hooking up the modem and getting it running after all these lightning hits.

Calving season is in full swing here. I have been holding my breath to see what kind of calves I have with the new bull, but I can breathe easy because they are hitting the ground with no problem and lots of vigor. Of course, they are mainly bulls. I have one heifer so far. Must be something in the water around here.

The S.C. Junior Beef Round-Up was August 2-4, and congratulations to Kelsi Bradshaw for her grand champion Charolais. She also placed fifth overall out of 177 head. This is Kelsi’s first year showing cattle so watch out in the future.

The reserve champion was shown by

Ethan Dalton of Georgia.

Congratulations are in order to Michelle Johnson. She finished her FINAL chemo treatment in July! She has to start radiation treatments now.

Michelle, you have got this girl, and we still have you in our prayers.

For those who do not know, Dr. Richard Clark of Tennessee had a stroke at the end of July. He is home now with 24-hour care. Send him a funny card and let him know that we are all thinking of him. His address is in the Charolais Journal. Keep him in your prayers and send him a card to cheer him up.

Nothing much is going on except getting cattle ready for the Southern Connection Sale at the end of October. I will give info on the sale in next month’s article. I might even post some pictures for you to look at.

“Preventing trich is one of the best ways to protect profits,” said Eric Metteauer, DVM, a veterinarian in Beaumont, Texas. When Dr. Metteauer moved to southeast Texas in 2013, numerous herds in his client base were infected with trich. Now, with intense management, he hasn’t had a bull test positive in two years.

“Trich can be devastating from an economic standpoint because of the high calf crop losses,” said John Davidson, DVM, senior associate director of beef cattle professional services, Boehringer Ingelheim. He has seen decreased calf crops in trich infected herds of up to 50 percent.

“The economic impact of this venereal disease in a cow herd is felt through lower weaning weights due to delayed breeding, testing of potentially infected bulls, and replacement of infected cattle,” Dr. Davidson added.

“Beyond replacing cattle, ongoing surveillance to ensure the herd is trichfree plus vaccination of the herd cost money, too.”

“The first trich infected herd I dealt with had 36 of 50 bulls test positive,” noted Dr. Metteauer, who provides service to beef herds in a 100 mile radius of his clinic, ranging from 20-cow herds

to 8,000-cow herds. “We’ve seen trich in a wide array of herds with all kinds of management practices.”

When herds have problems with conception rates and lower pregnancy rates, trich is often the diagnosis, but testing must be done to confirm. “If pregnancy rates are reduced by a large amount, we want to palpate the cows and determine if they have had long term damage to their reproductive tract, or if they are carrying mummified fetuses,” Dr. Metteauer explained. “If this is the case, then we have to attack trich from the cow side and not just the bull side.”

“The trich vaccine can help cows fight the disease and save a pregnancy with proper timing, although pregnancy is not a determining factor for infection in all cows,” said Dr. Davidson. “The vaccine has been proven to reduce the shedding of Tritrichomonas foetus, the disease causing organism, thereby helping to reduce the spread of the infection throughout the herd.”

When the vaccine is given the first time, Dr. Davidson stresses the importance of giving a booster two to four weeks following the first dose. The second dose needs to be given 30 days prior to breeding season. This helps exposed animals fight the organism

causing the disease. Cattle that have previously been vaccinated only require one dose.

“The problem with trich is there is no legal treatment in food animals,” Dr. Davidson asserted. “Bulls become permanently infected and need to be disposed of properly. While cows can develop an immune response to the disease, about five percent are permanently infected, and the others often don’t have a viable pregnancy.”

He continued, “Leased bulls can be a problem as they are often not tested in between movement of cow groups. I recommend that a 30-day trich test be done on all bulls prior to turnout.” When a herd tests positive and some bulls test negative, he said it is important to retest the negatives two weeks later to ensure their status. Herd bulls should also be tested after breeding season to help with surveillance of the disease.

“Running virgin bulls can help, but I even recommend testing them just to double check and prevent any problems,” Dr. Metteauer advised. “Testing bulls going to slaughter can help with surveillance of trich as well.”

Drs. Davidson and Metteauer agree that every herd is different and talking with the herd veterinarian to develop

The Carolina Cattle Connection

a preventive plan or a plan to fight the disease is the best option.

Reference 1 Parker G. What is bovine trichomoniasis? University of Nebraska– Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. 2008. Available at www.beef.unl.edu/cattleproduction/ trichomoniasis2008. Accessed April 1, 2019.

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.

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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How to Stop Flukes. Tips to break the fluke life cycle in cattle. If you’re grazing cattle in coastal areas or river bottom pastures, then your cattle may be at risk for picking up liver flukes. It’s important to consider control measures as conditions in these areas support the fluke life cycle.

Why - Liver flukes can negatively impact the overall health of cattle, so understanding the life cycle is key to treatment timing. Mild, wet spring and fall weather bring more significant amounts of water and snail populations.

The common liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) is a parasite that requires both — water and a snail host — to complete its life cycle.

In the Arkansas River Valley, Cy Shurtleff, DVM, owner of Morrilton Veterinary Clinic in Morrilton, Ark., has seen more fluke issues in recent years.

“We’ve been running fluke finder tests because cattle do not seem to be responding to dewormers as well,” he said. “We realize flukes are out there, and a fluke finder is an easy test we can run in-house. It’s a ten minute test, so you can do several fairly easily.”

In addition to a slower response to treatments, liver flukes can cause: • Lack of appetite • Pain in cattle in the early infection stage • Slow, steady weight loss How - The most important factor for effective liver fluke control is timing: Flukicides only kill adults.

There is an opportunity to catch adult flukes before they begin laying eggs, but this window of opportunity is small. It takes 10-12 weeks from the time fluke larvae are ingested until they become adults. New larvae availability stops for a few months as snails go dormant into the mud. But then, the fluke cycle and transmission starts again.

For effective fluke control, time treatment to when snails are dormant in the mud and adults are most prevalent — thereby breaking the fluke life cycle. This timing occurs primarily in summer, and particularly in August and September, for producers in Gulf Coast and southeastern states. For producers in the Pacific Northwest region, treatment should be about three months after the wet areas dry down because it takes three months for the fluke to mature in the animal.

If you’re in one of these regions

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or grazing cattle in wet areas, work with your veterinarian to learn if flukes might be an issue and to help develop an effective control program.

You have a window of opportunity to break the fluke life cycle by administering a product that is labeled to help remove and control adult liver flukes at the right time. If you use a product that helps control liver flukes, in addition to other major parasitic worms, then you won’t have to add another product into your rotation.

Flukes are one challenge, but they aren’t the only challenge you might have.

“In our area, we have about ten months of possible parasite transmission,” Dr. Shurtleff said. “We have many years when we don’t get our first heavy frost until late November or early December, so cows and young calves start to graze and pick up parasites. Parasite control is the cornerstone of our herd health program at our clinic. If animals are being challenged by parasites, even the greatest vaccine program in the world will fail.”

For more information about solutions from Zoetis, visit www.GetLessParasites. com.

Tackling the economics of young calf respiratory disease. Protecting calves from respiratory disease can be a positive for animal well being and bottom line. Calving season is approaching in fall calving areas and getting those calves off to a healthy start is top of mind for cattle producers. Preventing respiratory disease is not only best for overall animal health and productivity, but recent studies demonstrate there can be an economic benefit for the cow/calf operation.

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) recently published a study based on a survey of cow/calf producers in multiple states. The study evaluated and compared the costs of vaccines and vaccine administration to calves for disease protection with the medication and labor costs of treating a calf with respiratory disease.1 The JAVMA study showed, in many cases, the costs associated with prevention — vaccine costs plus the labor cost to administer vaccines — were considerably less than the medication and labor costs to treat disease. The median vaccine cost per calf in the surveyed herds was $6.25, while labor costs were $5 for administering a vaccine to calves.

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Medicine cost to treat a sick calf averaged $11, while treatment labor costs were $15 per calf.1 This study reveals that the cost per calf to treat respiratory disease is more than twice the cost of preventing respiratory disease.

A proven approach to the young calf ’s immune system - A young calf’s immune system is unique in how it responds to viral and bacterial challenges. Calfhood vaccinations can complement what the dam provides through colostrum and help give a calf every chance to be healthy and perform to its potential. Timing and type of vaccine administration play key roles in managing the young calf’s immune response.

A Montana study looked at the impact of timing and sequence of vaccination on the immune response in nursing calves. The study demonstrated that the intranasal vaccine works with the calf’s immune system to prevent respiratory disease caused by bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and helps prevent respiratory disease caused by infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and parainfluenza 3 (PI3) virus.2 “The Montana study and research out of North Dakota demonstrated that vaccination at birth can improve future responses to vaccination while helping provide protection against respiratory diseases from birth to weaning,3”said Victor Cortese, DVM, Ph.D., director of immunology and biologicals with Zoetis.

The Montana study helps support the Zoetis recommendation to use INFORCE 3® at birth followed by a second dose of INFORCE 3 and One Shot® BVD to protect against BRSV, IBR, PI3, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Types 1 and 2, and Mannheimia haemolytica, before heading to pasture.2 Cortese concluded with three

things a cow/calf producer will see from implementing young calf respiratory vaccinations:4,5 • Lower pneumonia rates • Lower death loss • Greater weight gains.

To develop a vaccination protocol for your young nursing calves, visit with your local veterinarian, or visit www.

CompleteCalfProtection.com to learn more about solutions from Zoetis.

References 1 Wang M., Schneider L.G., Hubbard K.J., et al. Beef producer survey of the cost to prevent and treat bovine respiratory disease in pre-weaned calves. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2018;253(5):617-623.

2 Data on file, Study Report No. 16CARGBIO01, Zoetis Inc. 3Stokka G.L., Neville B., Seeger J.T., Stoltenow C., Dyer N., Gaspers J.J. Evaluation of the serologic effect of concurrent IBR, BRSV, PI 3, and Mannheimia vaccination and time interval between the first and second dose on the subsequent serological response to the Mannheimia toxoid and BRSV fractions on spring-born beef calves in North Dakota. North Dakota Beef Report 2014;40-42.

4 Perino L.J., Hunsaker B.D. A review of bovine respiratory disease field efficacy. Bov Pract. 1997;31:59-66.

5 Mosier D.A., Confer A.W., Panciera R.J. The evolution of vaccines for bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis. Res Vet Sci. 1989;47:1-10.

The Fight Against BRD Starts in the Cow Herd. Reducing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) starts with preventing bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in the cow herd. It’s estimated that nearly nine percent of beef cattle operations have a calf persistently infected (PI) with bovine viral diarrhea

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virus (BVDV). 1 This might seem like a small percentage, but the presence of BVDV can mean a risk for something more. A study found producers are 43 percent more likely to need to treat bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in feedlot calves exposed to a BVD-PI animal.2 Reducing exposure to BVDV is an important place to start in the battle against BRD: • Step 1: Vaccinate the cow herd before breeding. Only 28 percent of operations report vaccinating cows for BVDV.1 Yet, a nonvaccinated cow herd is

like an uninsured driver out on the road.

No contact and you likely won’t have any issues, but any contact and you could have a costly disaster.

- Modified live virus (MLV) vaccination program: BVDV is most commonly spread by a PI animal acting as a carrier for the virus, so using MLV vaccines that offer protection against BVD-PI calves is the most effective way to protect the cow and unborn calf.3,4 Look for a specific statement on the vaccine label that the vaccine prevents calves from being persistently infected

National Cattle Evaluation Update Carcass Weight/Ribeye. International Genetic Solutions (IGS) recently discovered that weights from animals without carcass records (either ultrasound or carcass) were not being included in the evaluation that produces the carcass weight and ribeye area EPD, so those animals’ own growth records were not included as they should have been. This issue was updated, and the EPDs that are currently live reflect the changes made by IGS. For NALF, this has resulted in an increase of 4-5 pounds on carcass weight EPDs at the 50th percentile for various classifications of Limousin and Lim-Flex cattle on active sires, dams, and nonparents. This change has also resulted in a slight increase to REA. In addition to the IGS fix, there is more actual carcass phenotype data being submitted by the NALF membership, which is impacting carcass trait EPDs on represented sires of submitted progeny. This is causing an increase in the accuracy on carcass traits in the evaluation as well.

These changes are currently reflected in the production run that is live on DigitalBeef. If you have questions on the current updates, please feel free to contact the NALF staff.

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 Livestock Auction in November. As of the present time, the auction is scheduled for November 21, 2019. 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, 2019. The video deadline is November 11, 2019. 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 maximum price for the consignment, spring calving windows should be no longer than 28 days. Potload lots are highly recommended. A potload 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.

with BVD Types 1 and 2 viruses.

- Alternative vaccination program: If you can’t implement or maintain a pregnant cow MLV vaccination program, research demonstrates there’s an effective alternative. Heifers can be given two prebreeding doses of Bovi-Shield Gold FP® 5. This can be followed by either annual revaccination with the same MLV vaccine or CattleMaster Gold FP® 5, which a combination inactivated BVD vaccine containing a temperature sensitive infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) component. The study demonstrated effective protection against BVD or IBR exposure with both cow herd vaccination program options.5 • Step 2: Test and remove PI calves.

While producers are generally aware of BVDV, a study shared only 4.2 percent of operations reported testing calves for persistent infection with the virus.1 However, 70-90 percent of BVD infections are subclinical — so most PI calves appear normal — but these animals continually shed the virus and pose a constant risk of exposure to nonprotected cattle.3 - Test all calves before bull turnout and any incoming cattle, including heifers, cows, bulls, and calves born from purchased pregnant cows or heifers.

Dams of any positive calves also need to be tested.

• Step 3: Protect young calves from BVDV. Protecting the unborn calf with a cowherd vaccination program is step one.

Another important step is implementing an effective young calf respiratory program that protects against bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), IBR, parainfluenza 3 (PI3), BVD Types 1 and 2 viruses, and Mannheimia haemolytica. BRD has many causes and complexities, but BVDV Types 1 and 2 are two of the major viral causes of BRD. BVDV also suppresses the immune system, which can lead to secondary infections from BRD pathogens.

- BRSV vaccination at birth with an intranasal vaccination followed by a booster vaccination at branding may have some disease sparing effects during summer exposure to BRSV, according to a study in Montana.6 - Vaccination on arrival at the feedlot alone with Inforce 3® and One Shot® BVD (no antibiotic on arrival) has been shown to significantly reduce (p = 0.01) second and third treatments for BRD when compared with another vaccination protocol.7 These steps to help control BVDV in the cow/calf operation can reduce the potential of a BVD-PI animal, improve overall cattle health in your herd, and help reduce the risk for BRD in the calves you sell.

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For more information on controlling BVDV in your cow/calf operation, work with your herd veterinarian or visit www.

FetalCalfProtection.com for information on a complete range of cow herd vaccinations from Zoetis. For more information and articles about managing BRD, visit www.

BRD-Solutions.com/Insights.

References 1 U. S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Prevalence and Control of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus on U.S. Cow/calf Operations, 2007-08. www. aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/ beefcowcalf/downloads/beef0708/ Beef0708_ir_BVD.pdf. Published August 2010. Accessed May 1, 2019.

2 Loneragan G.H., Thomson D.U., Montgomery D.L., Mason G.L., Larson R.L. Prevalence, outcome, and health consequences associated with persistent infection with bovine viral diarrhea virus in feedlot cattle. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;226(4):595-601.

3 Khodakaram-Tafti A, Farjanikish G.H. Persistent bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) infection in cattle herds.

Iran J Vet Res. 2017;18(3):154-163.

4 Newcomer B.W., Givens D. Diagnosis and control of viral diseases of reproductive importance: infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and bovine viral diarrhea. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2016;32(2):425-441.

5 Walz P.H., Givens M.D., Rodning S.P., et al. Evaluation of reproductive protection against bovine viral diarrhea virus and bovine herpesvirus-1 afforded by annual revaccination with modified live viral or combination modified live/ killed viral vaccines after primary vaccination with modified live viral vaccine. Vaccine. 2017;35(7):1046-1054.

6 Data on file, Study Report No. 16CARGBIO01, Zoetis Inc. 7 Krehbiel C.R., Hixon C., Step D.L., et al. Evaluation of commercially available multivalent modified live viral vaccines on health and performance in feedlot cattle. JJ Vaccine Vaccination.

2015;1(3):1-8.

NOTICE

Letters to the editor are welcome and we appreciate your input.

HOWEVER, letters that are not signed will not be considered for publication. q SEPTEMBER 2019

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NEWS

AAVMC’s DiVersity Matters Program Receives a National Award of Excellence From 44,000 Member ASAE. The AAVMC recently received a national 2019 “Power of A” Silver Award from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for its DiVersity Matters program. The ASAE includes 44,000 members and 7,400 member organizations.

The AAVMC launched DiVersity Matters in 2005, partly in response to a widely acknowledged lack of diversity in veterinary medicine. Several years ago, a leading magazine characterized veterinary medicine as the “whitest” profession.

DiVersity Matters works to help member institutions recruit and retain underrepresented persons as students, faculty, and staff members. The program also works to share best practices and inspire and recognize programs in member institutions and develop broader awareness throughout the profession and society about the need and the value of creating diverse and inclusive environments within the profession.

“For 14 years now, our staff has diligently worked to advance diversity and inclusion, with an enterprise wide emphasis, creative programming, and leading initiatives,” said AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “We are passionate about this work, and it’s gratifying to earn this recognition, which also honors the work being accomplished by countless volunteers at our member institutions.”

Led by the AAVMC’s Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill, DiVersity Matters has increased awareness and helped facilitate a substantial increase in the number of racial and ethnic minorities entering the profession. At the launch of the program, there were 951 students of color in the colleges. Presently, there are 2,614 students of color in the colleges - a 275 percent increase.

There is a modest increase in the percentage of racial/ethnic minority tenure track faculty at the U.S. colleges, as well as an increase in the number of women administrators and research faculty.

In addition, most of the colleges now have a dedicated staff person responsible for diversity programming for students and faculty. Many of the colleges now offer curricula on diversity, inclusion,

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cultural competence and humility, and several schools have mandatory requirements in this area of coursework.

Others have developed certificate programs or sponsor students and faculty to participate in the Purdue University Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine program (the AAVMC sponsors scholarships for members wishing to enroll faculty and students in this program). Many colleges also use the AAVMC’s podcast, Diversity and Inclusion on Air, to supplement relevant content on campus.

Finally, AAVMC climate studies have encouraged colleges to provide additional resources into student organizations and climate-enhancing programming on campus.

ASAE’s “Power of A” Awards, the industry’s highest honor, recognize the association community’s valuable contributions on the local, national, and global levels. The “Power of A” Awards reward the outstanding accomplishments of associations and industry professionals who work tirelessly to solve problems, and strengthen lives, the workforce, the economy, and the world.

The “Power of A” was created in 2009 as a campaign to educate the presidential administration and Congress about associations, their role in society, and the expertise they lend to the policy making process.

National Veterinary Scholars Symposium Highlights Student Research and Careers. The National Veterinary Scholars Symposium (NVSS) July 24-27 drew 673 attendees from throughout North America and Europe to focus on veterinary medical student research. The conference was organized and hosted by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and held at Worcester State University in Massachusetts. Attendees included 600 veterinary medical students from more than 40 schools who are involved in research, faculty members/mentors and distinguished researchers from academia, industry, and government.

The symposium, which is widely recognized as the premier national meeting for veterinary student research, is the culmination of many student summer research programs, including the Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Program, multiple programs funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH),

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the colleges of veterinary medicine. The symposium highlights the ways veterinary scientists advance basic and applied research to support global health and serves as an incubator for many students who pursue careers in scientific research.

First or second year veterinary medical students who were mentored by university faculty members in established

laboratories presented scientific posters on their hypothesis driven research projects.

Themed “Engaging Veterinarians to Advance Animal and Human Health,” the symposium was presented with support from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, the NIH, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the American Veterinary Medical Association/American Veterinary Medical Foundation, and the Association

NEWS Texas A&M University and Beefmaster Breed Join Forces. Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, Tex., is making a change in direction for their beef cattle herd. They have made the decision to upgrade with two new breeds, Beefmaster and Red Angus. Beefmaster Breeders United has been working with TAMU leadership since the fall of 2018 on this project.

This partnership demonstrates that Beefmaster cattle are being recognized for outstanding maternal traits, growth, efficiency, and adaptability not just in Texas, but globally.

“There are multiple reasons why we decided to initiate a herd with Beefmasters,” said TAMU Animal Science Department Head Dr. Cliff Lamb.

“Globally, about 70 percent of the world’s beef cattle are in tropical or sub-tropical regions. It is certainly a reason to have a breed that is associated with the ability to adapt to those climates.”

Dr. Lamb is determined to make the Texas A&M Beef Center a highlight for the Animal Science Department. Lamb and his team would like to create the best possible cow herd for teaching, research, and demonstrations, as well as be a place for visitors and international guests.

“We made a decision early on that we were going to establish a reputable Beefmaster herd, along with a Bos taurus based breed, so we could use this as the front door to our department,” Dr. Lamb stated.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the Beefmaster breed to become a part of a leading agricultural university’s quest to build a premier Beefmaster herd.

Beefmaster breeders are currently in the process of nominating their embryo donations. Embryo selections from the pool of nominated genetics will be made by TAMU personnel. Their goal is to source at least 120 embryos of high

genetic merit, based on the approved EPD parameters, to build an early spring calving Beefmaster herd. Their second new herd of Red Angus cattle was initiated last fall and has been set up as a fall calving herd.

“The Beefmaster cattle are going to be at our Beef Center, and we are going to utilize those Beefmasters to not only teach classes and educate producers, but we are also going to utilize that herd to do some cutting edge research that will have a positive impact on not only livestock producers in Texas, but around the world,” stated Lamb.

According to Lamb, the Beefmaster females in their herd will be of high genetic merit, and with these animals, they will investigate some fundamental research associated with reproduction, genetics, and carcass based traits. The department’s goal is to be able to identify things that they can take into their other larger cattle herds that belong to the department and utilize those ideas they developed, then further expand those technologies on a larger scale somewhere else. Ultimately, distributing that information out to livestock producers.

“We certainly are excited about this, and we certainly value what the Beefmaster breed is doing in terms of helping us get this herd established,” said Lamb.

For more information about Beefmaster cattle, please contact the office at 210-732-3132 or visit www. beefmasters.org.

About Beefmaster Breeders United.

Beefmaster Breeders United, located in Boerne, Texas, is a not-for-profit breed registration organization that provides programs and services for its members.

Beefmaster, Beefmaster Advancer, and E6 cattle are selected on the “Six Essentials” of disposition, fertility, weight, conformation, milk production, and hardiness.

of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).

Dr. M. Sawkat Anwer, Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the Cummings School, described the symposium as highlighting “the importance of collaborative research conducted by veterinarians, physicians and basic scientists,” adding that, “Such collaborations are essential to understanding, preventing, and treating diseases affecting animals as well as humans.”

The symposium provided students with exposure to a variety of topics at the intersection of animal and human health through presentations and panel discussions. Breakout sessions highlighted advances in emergency and critical care, antimicrobial resistance, regenerative medicine, oncology, and infectious diseases and pathways to research career development.

Distinguished speakers presented on topics that ranged from “Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics” to “Understanding Cancer Biology” and “How Reengineered Antibodies from Camelids May Be the Antibody Therapeutics of the Future.”

Sample student research topics included: defining causes of intramammary infection in dairy cattle using a novel sampling technique; the use of MR spectroscopy to differentiate canine brain masses; development of a laser scalpel neurosurgical approach to treat focal neocortical epilepsy, and defining causes of intramammary infection in dairy cattle using a novel sampling technique.

Networking opportunities included a closing reception followed by a banquet.

A AV M C S u m m e r M e e t i n g Features Briefings from Federal Officials, Others. Briefings from federal government officials and leaders from academic veterinary medicine and other associations highlighted the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ (AAVMC) Summer Meeting in Washington, D.C. on August 3.

Kicking off the event attended by about 50 deans and other guests, AAVMC President Dean Michael Lairmore outlined the progress of the AAVMC’s current strategic planning process. Lairmore said a series of concept papers exploring top issues in academic veterinary medicine had been developed by staff, board members, and volunteers.

The plan is on schedule for completion in early 2020.

A broader take on the future of academic veterinary medicine was then detailed by Texas A&M Dean Dr. Eleanor

Green, who is leading the Veterinary Futures Commission. Comprised of representatives from the AAVMC, the AVMA, and other profession leaders, the commission is nearing completion of a major report on the future of veterinary medicine. In the draft phase, that report is expected to be broadly released throughout the profession in several months.

Dr. Scott Angle, Director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), then spoke to the group about the status of NIFA’s relocation to Kansas City. The Trump administration’s decision to move NIFA and the Economic Research Service (ERS) to Kansas City generated a great deal of concern from Congress and a variety of stakeholders.

While the move is on track for the September 30 deadline, Angle said, only about 25 percent of the agency’s 700 employees are expected to make the move, precipitating a vast “brain drain” and loss of institutional knowledge. Angle said the agency is approaching the move as an “opportunity for change.”

Dr. Stephane Martinot, President of the European Association for Establishments of Veterinary Education (EAEVE), then outlined some of the current issues and operations of that group, which includes 96 members from 34 countries.

An update from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) was then shared by Executive Director Dr. Sally Rockey. Created by the 2014 Farm Bill and initially funded with $200 million, FFAR operates as a public/ private partnership that funds promising research in food and agriculture. In their roughly three years of operations, FFAR has funded more than 100 proposals and established relationships with 344 funding partners. FFAR, along with the AAVMC, offers a summer fellowship program for veterinary students called the FFAR Vet Fellows. These fellowships allow veterinary students to pursue research at the intersection of global food security and sustainable animal production.

Dr. Douglas L. Steele, Vice President for Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources with the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), presented an overview of that organization’s current operations and priorities. The AAVMC has recently partnered with APLU on the establishment of the National Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRE).

The meeting wrapped up with questions and comments from the audience following a presentation on the Veterinary Business Management

Association by President Ricky Walther and Vice President Emily Farmer.

About the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect and improve the

health and welfare of animals, people, and the environment around the world by advancing academic veterinary medicine. Members include 50 accredited veterinary medical colleges in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia, Asia, and New Zealand.

N.C. Forage & Grassland Council Forage Spotlight

By BRAD MOORE Alamance Soil & Water Conservation District

Lessons We Learn Over the years, I have discovered that many of the best lessons I have learned in life have come from some sort of mistake or failure I made, and learning about forages has been no different.

Several years ago, after attending a soil health workshop, I was motivated to plant my first multi-species cover crop.

I purchased seed and blended the fourway mix perfectly, rented a no-till drill, set it to all the proper depths, and then guessed at setting the seeding rate. After planting about half of the field, I checked on the seed in the drill and discovered I was not putting our nearly enough. This led to replanting the same area again, lost time, higher rental fees, and less than desired results. Since that time, I have learned how to calibrate a drill in about 15 minutes with a $20 electronic scale, a sandwich bag, a clothespin, two flags, and a 100 foot tape. Now when I drill, I seldom have more than a coffee can worth of seed leftover simply because I took a few minutes to calibrate. It reminds me of the famous car insurance commercial that

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says, “Fifteen minutes could save you a lot,” and it holds true for proper drill set up as well.

This past spring, the Soil and Water Office planted a multi-species demonstration plot in a local park for soil improvement and pollinator support. We had edible seeds, proper drill set up, excellent weed control, and timely moisture that led to good crop establishment. A few weeks later, we checked on the plot and saw that wildlife had eliminated four of the five species and left a solid stand of grain sorghum.

Although the single species that was left did not meet our goal of crop diversity or pollinator feed, the field was still covered to prevent erosion, and living roots were present to promote good soil health.

In this case, we learned that planting a multi-species mix is a good way to hedge risk in the event that one species fails for one reason or another.

Look for the lemonade in our mistakes to hone in on your success when planting forages in the future.

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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BRAHMAN NEWS New $BULL and QUEEN Selection Indexes. On August 15, ABBA added multi-trait selection indexes to its EPD portfolio. These indexes came from extensive work by the ABBA Research and Breed Improvement Committee (commonly known as the Performance Committee) and renowned geneticist, John Genho.

An Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) is the prediction of how future progeny of an animal will perform; specifically, EPDs predict the genetic transmitting ability of an animal to their offspring. EPDs are expressed as units of measure for the trait, plus or minus the average of the animal’s group.

While EPDs are a valuable tool, they have two major deficiencies.

1. First, because they are expressed in the units of the trait, it is difficult to compare EPDs from different traits to each other. If we could either increase the average weaning weight of a herd by one pound or increase the average marbling score of the herd by one point, which should we do? Which has more value? In the end, this is an economic question that breeders must consider with the relative value of the two traits.

2. A second drawback to EPDs is they focus on traits individually. The animals we are trying to improve are a biological system; when we change metabolism, growth, mature size, carcass quality, docility, or any other of the host of traits we can select for, there are repercussions. Some of these repercussions are expected, i.e.; they make the cattle weigh more, and they will get taller. Others are unexpected, and these can have more of an unintended consequence.

Economic selection indexes overcome these two drawbacks to single trait EPDs by considering the relative economic value of each trait in a holistic rather than segmented approach. The resulting tool allows breeders to analyze multiple traits for a specific breeding objective through a single value. As a bonus, index values are expressed in the units of dollars, meaning animals with higher values have a greater potential to be profitable. This makes indexes more user friendly than single trait EPDs – everyone knows a higher dollar value is better!

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The $BULL Index is a terminal index focused on selling animals through grid pricing with carcass weight weighted most heavily of all traits. There is a considerable positive correlation to frame score and all weight traits, meaning animals selected using this index will tend to be larger framed, growthier animals. This index identifies cattle that have low birth weight (BW), good calving ease (CE), and good spread from BW to weaning weight (WW).

The $BULL index also includes scrotal circumference and docility with moderate carcass influence on the index. The goal of this index is to identify cattle which would work well to produce bulls which could be marketed easily to commercial or purebred breeders.

The QUEEN index is a maternal index which focuses on a more balanced approach to cow selection. Frame score, milk, and back fat all have no correlation to the index, meaning that selecting replacement heifers for this index will not increase the mature size of the herd or have an impact on milk production.

Scrotal circumference, docility, and calving ease are weighted more heavily than in the $BULL index since these traits are indicators of puberty and manageability. In summary, the QUEEN index is an indication of ideal cattle to be raised for replacement heifers.

When looking at selection indexes, it is more important to consider the correlations between the index and the traits than the weightings/coefficients of the index. As an analogy, we could consider the component parts of a pickup truck, studying its suspension, motor, transmission, etc., or we could just consider how fast it drives and how much it can pull. The weightings and coefficients are the component parts of how an index is built and are important details, but the correlations determine the rate at which we will make changes to animals.

Often, traits which have no weighting in the index have a correlation and, at times, certain traits have a positive correlation with an index but a negative weighting (or vice versa); this is because of the genetic correlations between the traits. Remember, we have a biological system of many traits, not a collection of individual traits. For instance, carcass

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

weight and calving ease are both included in the $BULL and QUEEN indexes with a positive weighting on carcass weight (i.e., more pounds equals more money) and a positive weighting on calving ease (more unassisted births is a good thing).

However, the biological reality is that these two traits work in opposition to each other (larger calves are not born as easily). The result of this tug of war is that BW has a positive correlation to the $BULL index but has virtually no correlation to the QUEEN index.

An important part of the development of these indexes was studying their correlations to each trait to ensure that selection was going in the intended direction.

ABBA is proud to offer these selection indexes to Brahman breeders as additional tools to evaluate cattle. This information will be published on www. brahman.org for future reference.

About the American Brahman Breeders Association. The American Brahman Breeders Association is the world registry for Brahman cattle, the #1 beef breed for efficiency, hybrid vigor, and environmental adaptability.

ABBA provides an array of member services, educational opportunities, and a wide array of programs to assist the profitability of its members. For more information about the American Brahman breed or the many opportunities offered by the ABBA, visit www.brahman.org.

Hanen Automatic Cattle Feeder Model LSF-12 Engineered to Expand for Future Cattle Herd Growth Service Line, Inc. announces new increased functionality of their Hanen Model LSF-12 Automatic Solar Powered Cattle Feeder designed for feeding twelve cattle. In response to customer requests for an economical way to accommodate future herd growth, the Hanen Model LSF-12 Automatic Solar Powered Cattle Feeder basic platform can now operate as a master power unit capable of driving additional feed hoppers as needed.

The Hanen Automatic Solar Powered Programmable Cattle Feeder is designed to dispense the correct levels of nutrition to livestock, up to six feedings per day. Unlike a creep feeder, the Hanen Automatic Cattle Feeder feeding cycle is totally programmable, and animals respond to the audio signal in an orderly fashion.

The Hanen Automatic Solar Powered Programmable Cattle Feeder Model LSF-12 is engineered to be an affordable system for those working ranchers looking for the features and benefits that an automatic cattle feeder can provide, including reduced labor costs, lower wasted feed, programmed grain rationing, enhanced nutritional value for their livestock, and more free time for other activities. Easily connect two LSF-12 systems to feed 24 cattle. Additional benefits of the solar powered model include remote unattended feeding and reduced energy costs.

New options for the Hanen Automatic Cattle Feeder Model LSF-12 include a frame kit for increased stability when connecting multiple hoppers and a farm rated trailer kit with wheels for mobility.

Hanen Automatic Programmable Cattle and Livestock Feeders are available in solar powered or AC powered configurations and include the Model LSF-12 Twelve Head Feeder. There are two AC powered models intended for indoor use: Model LSF-2 Two Head Feeder and Model LSF-4 Four Head Feeder.

Manufactured in the USA, the durable feeders are constructed of heavy gauge steel and are 100 percent powder coated for extreme conditions. Dave Barney, president of Service Line, Inc., says, “I am dedicated to providing controlled nutrition that results in high quality animals.” The Hanen Automatic Solar Powered Programmable Cattle Feeder is ideal for the working ranch, cow/calf operations, seed stock production, and small acreage cattle producers.

About Service Line, Inc. Service Line, Inc. manufactures Hanen Automatic Solar Powered Cattle Feeders, Renegade Parts Washers in automatic or manual, top load, front load, and pass through configurations for general repair and industrial production process cleaning and Renegade detergents and additives.

Service Line, Inc. products are manufactured in Reedsburg, Wis., and are available in the U.S. and international markets. To learn more about Hanen Automatic Solar Powered Cattle Feeders, visit www.automaticcattlefeeder.com.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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International Brangus Breeders Association News Staff Changes and Position Openings. The International Brangus Breeders Association has had some staff changes that I want you to be aware of.

Also, at the bottom of this article, I have summarized two open positions at the association. Whenever possible, I would like to fill open positions with people who have some Brangus background and some dedication toward the breed.

Emilio Silvas has announced his resignation from the International Brangus Breeders Association. Mr. Silvas has spent a total of 9 years in service to IBBA, covering two separate engagements. He is well known for his work with the software programs used to warehouse data, perform registrations, and compile and manage performance data submitted by Brangus breeders.

Emilio has been a valuable asset to IBBA. We are very sad to see him leave but are excited for him on a personal level as he embarks on a new career with tremendous upside opportunity.

Emilio assembled a very competent team and has led them well. Fortunately for IBBA, the team of Dan Ross and Andrew Sicotte will remain on the job with a laser focus on bringing the final functional components of “regstr” online in the very near term. We have all waited for the day when the basic functions work well so that we can begin adding on the

convenience features and data access tools IBBA members want and deserve.

It has been quite a ride, but we are nearly there, thanks in large part to Emilio’s vision and dedication.

Andrew Sicotte will serve as Product Manager for “regstr,” working with Dan Ross, software engineer. Members who have used the new registration page on the system have been highly complementary. This is an example of the work quality of Andrew and Dan. They are a very capable team.

We are also very pleased to have Mary Douglass working with us again on a part time basis. Mary brings a wealth of experience and a burning passion for Brangus cattle and IBBA members. IBBA staff is determined to get back to the quality of service that members expect and this great breed of cattle deserves.

Having Mary on board, even on a part time basis, is just one indication of my commitment to member service.

Jessica England is managing registration services. Jessie has previous experience in this role and has hit the ground running. Commensurate with this change, Marissa Murphy has resigned from her position as registration specialist.

IBBA is seeking to fill two open positions, summarized below: Communications and Media

Coordinator (with upward potential to become Director of Marketing and Communications) - Critical skills include exemplary writing and composition skills, organizational skills necessary to manage the logistics of publishing the Brangus Journal and the Frontline Beef Producer. Experience with social media and creative design is highly desired.

The position will also include committee staffing responsibilities for the Promotion Committee and possibly another committee consistent with the applicant’s experience and interest.

Registry Specialist - The person in this position assists members in registrations, transfers, performance data input, and data extraction for marketing purposes. The Registry Specialist will also help teach members how to make the best use of the “regstr” system online.

Attention to detail and professional telephone and communication skills are essential. A deeply held innate desire to ensure that every interaction results in a satisfied customer is a skill that cannot be taught, but is essential to this position.

If you know of people who might be interested or have any if you have questions, concerns, or ideas, please contact Darrell Wilkes, Executive Vice

President, at dwilkes@gobrangus.com or 210-696-8231.

Electronic Certificates?! As some of you have seen by now, the default for the new REGSTR system is to store all certificates electronically. That means the office is no longer sending out certificates unless you request them and/or you set your preference to “NO” for electronic certificates. For the time being, if you would like paper certificates mailed to you, make sure you select “NO” on each registration that is done.

If you have any questions/concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at the IBBA office. We are here to help! Give us a call at 210-696-8231.

About the International Brangus Breeders Association. The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), headquartered in San Antonio, Tex., strives to provide the commercial cattle industry, domestically and internationally, with the best genetics possible. Founded in 1949 as the American Brangus Breeders, the organization has since evolved into the IBBA. The IBBA’s purpose is to enable its members to produce quality beef for the commercial cattle industry and its consumers. For more information about IBBA, visit www.gobrangus.com.

Be a winner!

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

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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NCBA NCBA Takes the Fight to Fake Meat at Summer Business Meeting.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) leaders recently redoubled their efforts to push back against deceptive and erroneous marketing and nutritional claims by plant based and lab created alternatives to real beef.

In the opening General Session of the cattle industry’s annual Summer Business Meeting, Government Affairs Senior Vice President Colin Woodall and Global Marketing and Research Senior Vice President Alisa Harrison highlighted how NCBA is continuing to educate consumers and policymakers about the benefits of real beef and the often oversold claims of fake meat products.

“While meat substitutes have certainly attracted a lot of media hype over the past couple of years, data shows that real beef maintains 99.5 percent of the retail market vs. only 0.5 percent

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News

for meat substitutes,” Harrison pointed out. “Meanwhile, real beef consumption continues to grow, and even consumers who sometimes choose to buy plant based alternatives continue to eat real beef as often as they always have.”

Woodall focused on the need for the federal government to ensure that beef nomenclature is protected in the marketing and labeling of fake meat. He also said the organization will continue to educate consumers about what exactly is in the plant based fake meat that is available in supermarkets and restaurants.

“When consumers buy a steak or a pound of ground beef, they’re buying one ingredient: beef,” Woodall said.

“But when they buy one particular fake meat product, they’re buying pea protein isolate, expeller pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, cellulose from bamboo, methylcellulose, potato starch, maltodextrin, yeast extract, vegetable

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

glycerin, dried yeast, gum arabic, citrus extract, ascorbic acid, beet juice extract, acetic acid, succinic acid, modified food starch, and annatto. Anyone who thinks that these fake meat products are more nutritious or more natural than real beef is very mistaken, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure people know that.”

Over the course of the 2019 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting, various NCBA policy committees met to discuss and set policy positions for the next year.

NCBA Launches Cattlemen’s Call Podcast. NCBA launched a new podcast during the 2019 Summer Business Meeting to focus on the stories and producers that make the beef industry great. The podcast, Cattlemen’s Call, will feature a new episode each month to share the stories and ideas from cattlemen and women across the nation. The first episode focuses on young producers entering into the family farm or ranch and the challenges that come with it.

Each month, the podcast, which is hosted by Montana rancher and broadcaster Lane Nordlund, will bring a “coffee talk” style to the country, allowing listeners an inside look at the issues cattle producers are facing while sharing the stories of their lives and businesses.

“Cattlemen and women of all generations have stories to tell and advice to share. The podcast is capturing the conversations that happen each day down at the local café, the stockyards, or the kitchen table,” said Nordlund.

“By sharing real, authentic stories of our peers in the cattle business, listeners will no doubt relate to what’s discussed.

We can all learn from the guests on the show, share a laugh with them, and know that we are all facing challenges in the countryside. There are many stories out there, and we can’t wait to share them with you.”

For more information, to listen and subscribe to the podcast, go to NCBA. org/CattlemensCall.aspx.

Trade, Consumer Demand, Impending Corn Crop Among Critical Issues for U.S. Cattle Industry.

CattleFax’s Randy Blach Outlines Situation at Summer Business Meeting.

Herd expansion, export markets, corn crop expectations, and swine fever ramifications are among the factors that will have an impact on the upcoming U.S. cattle market, Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, told more than 700 attendees of the 2019 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting. Blach was the keynote speaker at the Opening General Session of the meeting, a gathering for leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef

Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, American National CattleWomen, and National Cattlemen’s Foundation.

Blach told the group that U.S. cattle herd expansion had slowed to a crawl, with the lion’s share of growth behind the industry. That slowing had been expected, he said. Record beef, pork, and poultry supplies are having an impact on the market. For that reason and with record meat consumption expected next year, it’s critical for export markets to be opened and trade policy questions to be answered, he said.

However, consumers have responded well to the increased quality of beef production in this country, Blach said.

There has been a 50 percent increase in prime and choice production over the past 15 years, and 80 percent of U.S. beef is now Prime and Choice. Beef has captured an additional seven percent of market share of meat spending from poultry and pork. “It’s a great, great success story,” Blach said. “We have to continue to be the highest quality protein provider, delivering products we can stand behind that consumers love.”

Blach pointed out that the average consumer works only 12 minutes to be able to pay for one pound of high quality Choice beef. “That’s a bargain,” he said.

Corn crop uncertainty centered around the number of acres planted and yield potential is also of concern, as the impact of wet weather in grain producing segments of the country will be unknown until the middle of August, Blach said.

Furthermore, ramifications of swine fever in China will add some unknowns to the equation. “We’re looking at a lot of volatility as a result of what’s happening in that part of the world,” he said.

“We have to remember that only 4 percent of the world’s consumers live in this country,” Blach added. “Currently 14 percent of beef and beef byproducts are exported. More than 20 percent of the value of every fed steer is generated by exports.

We need to have more outlets for not only our beef, but our poultry and pork.”

Blach said that while an economic recession could have some serious repercussions on the beef cattle industry, the bottom line for producers is profitability, which, in general, the industry has seen in recent history.

“If we’re not profitable, we’re not sustainable,” he said. “I do believe we’re going to stay profitable as we go through this cycle.”

Blach’s comments reflected information shared with CattleFax members in a Long Term Outlook produced recently. The Outlook provides an up-to-date look at the factors influencing the U.S. cattle market and its

producers.

The Summer Business Meeting gives industry leaders a chance to meet and discuss the direction of programs for 2020. Beef Checkoff committees made up of members of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and directors on the NCBA Federation Division met to assess authorization requests submitted by checkoff contractors, submitting their suggestions to the Beef Promotion Operating Committee, which meets in

September. The BPOC will develop a plan and budget and submit its recommendation to the full Beef Board for authorization. The 2020 program must be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture before it can begin October 1.

Meanwhile, NCBA policy committees met to develop a game plan for the organization’s efforts to support and protect the U.S. cattle industry in Washington, D.C., and across the country beginning in January of 2020. These

North Carolina Native Chosen for National Advocacy Training The Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) Program, funded by the Beef Checkoff, recently held its ninth session of the Top of the Class Training (TOTC) Program. The Top of the Class Training Program is for MBA graduates who seek advanced advocacy training. The training took place on June 11-13 at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association headquarters in Denver, Colorado.

North Carolina’s own Lauren Langley was chosen, along with eight other advocates from Kansas, California, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, to receive the training of a lifetime. She is the first person selected from North Carolina to participate in the training. Lauren is probably most well known in her role as the Livestock Extension Agent in Alamance County, but she also helps her father manage their cow/calf and commercial broiler farm in Snow Camp, North Carolina. Lauren is very active in the community and is often found sharing her message about beef and beef cattle. She also blogs in her spare time and shares her advocacy message across social media.

TOTC participants received training on hot topics such as sustainability, nutrition, and animal care. Additional training included

consumer insights, marketing, social media, handling tough questions, and culinary demonstration skills. This type of training is designed to give participants the tools necessary to be better prepared and so they can take their advocacy efforts to the next level.

Participants were given a recipe and filmed doing a short cooking demonstration. Lauren Langley is on the right.

Since the start of the MBA Program in 2009, over 13,000 people have participated with only 49 advocates having been selected and trained through the TOTC program.

TOTC alumni are utilized as both national and state advocates and spokespeople for the beef industry throughout the year.

Follow Lauren Langley’s advocacy efforts online at www.3bcattlecompany.com or on Instagram @lauren.b.langley.

2019 TOTC participants - Lauren Langley is second from the left.

include livestock marketing, federal lands; agriculture and food policy, cattle health and well being, property rights and environmental management, and international trade.

NCBA Hails Increased Access to European Markets for U.S. Beef.

Jennifer Houston, NCBA President, recently joined President Trump and other NCBA officers at a White House signing ceremony for an agreement that will establish a duty free quota for high quality American beef in the European Union (EU).

Houston released the following statement after the event: “Today is a good day for America’s cattlemen and cattlewomen. President Trump and his trade team deserve a lot of credit for standing up for America’s cattle industry and securing this important market access to Europe. For many years it has been difficult for us to sell our high quality U.S. beef to European consumers because of the restrictive tariff and nontariff barriers, but the establishment of this 35,000 metric ton duty free quota sends the signal to America’s cattle industry that Europe is ready for U.S. beef. All across America, our beef producers go to great lengths to raise safe and delicious beef products that are enjoyed by consumers around the world.

It is exciting to know that European families will enjoy more of the delicious U.S. beef that we feed our families. And this would not have happened if it were not for the effort of President Trump and his trade team.”

BACKGROUND: The Office of the United States Trade Representative announced the signing of an agreement with the European Union to establish a duty free quota for high quality U.S. beef from non-hormone treated cattle.

Once implemented, the annual quota will increase from 18,500 metric tons in year one to 35,000 metric tons in year seven.

The country specific quota will benefit U.S. beef producers who participate in USDA’s non-hormone treated cattle program that was established in 1999. USTR estimates that this quota will increase annual U.S. beef sales in Europe from $150 million to $420 million in year seven.

National Cattlemen’s Foundation Now Accepting Applications for W.D. Farr Scholarships. Grants Support Graduate Students Who Will Advance Beef Industry. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for the W.D. Farr Scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year. Two annual $15,000 grants will be awarded to outstanding graduate students who demonstrate superior achievement in academics and leadership and are

The Carolina Cattle Connection

committed to beef industry advancement.

The awards will allow the students to further their studies in fields that benefit the industry.

The scholarship was established by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation to honor the successful career of the late W.D. Farr. Farr, a third generation Coloradan, pioneer rancher, statesman, and banker was known for his extraordinary vision. His dedication to improving agriculture, livestock, and water development has resulted in significant changes in farming methods that have influenced the practices of ranchers and farmers throughout the nation.

To apply for the scholarship, graduate students planning to pursue a career in the beef industry should submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, description of applicant’s goals and experience, and statement of belief in the industry, as well as a review of the applicant’s graduate research and three letters of recommendation.

Applications close at midnight MDT on Friday, September 13, 2019. For more information and to apply, visit www. nationalcattlemensfoundation.org. All applications must be submitted online.

About the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 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.

Don’t put your cart before your horse...advertise that sale ahead of time! You’ll see positive results. q SEPTEMBER 2019

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New Opportunity Offers Southeastern Ranchers More Profit, Less Risk A unique partnership gives Southeastern cattlemen a pasture-to-plate opportunity. The winds of opportunity are blowing through the Southeast, and at the heart of the whirlwind is a new partnership providing a win-win situation for beef producers.

Meat packer and feeder François Léger is building a conception-toconsumption supply chain of high quality, Angus beef. On the genetic side, he is teaming up with long time cattlemen Virgil Lovell and Lee Leachman of Ankony Farms in Clarkesville, Georgia. To supply the product, the team is seeking cattlemen within a 600 mile radius of Augusta, Ga., to set up multiplier herds that could deliver several thousand calves per week into the FPL Food’s/Châtel Farms’® system.

From left - François Léger of FPL Food and Châtel Farms, Augusta, Ga., is announcing a new partnership with Virgil Lovell of Ankony Angus, Clarkesville, Ga., to build a conception-to-consumption supply chain of high quality, Angus beef in the Southeast.

A French Farmer Brings a Rare Perspective to the U.S. Meat Industry - FPL Food’s and Châtel Farms’ owner François Léger grew up in France on a beef, pork and poultry farm, where he learned the intricacies of how each species was raised. One of the youngest of a family of ten kids, Léger knew he couldn’t stay on the farm, so he took a position in a beef plant. From carrying meat on his shoulder to boning, he worked his way through the ranks at the plant before working with two different French retailers to gain additional training. He then began an 18 year career with Keystone Foods, which took him to Australia and South America before bringing him to the United States.

In 2004, Léger acquired the processing facility in Augusta, Ga., from Keystone Foods, and founded FPL Food. FPL grew to become the largest family owned processor of fresh beef products and ground beef selections in the region. Léger is now designing plans to streamline and modernize the plant to accommodate the new product line.

In 2011, Léger started Châtel Farms in Reidsville, Ga., to maintain supply for FPL Food. He expanded the farm with

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three state-of-the-art, environmentally conscious barns to feed out cattle for the plant with forage and silage grown onsite.

Léger ’s involvement on the processing side of the beef industry lends him a more direct line of communication with consumers than most ranchers, and he is intensely listening.

“What the beef industry is lacking today is transparency at both the producer side and the retailer end,” Léger said.

“We can’t produce what we want to produce and force it through the chain to the consumer. We have to produce what the consumer wants.”

Léger said consumers increasingly want to know what they are eating. “One hundred years ago, most of the population was from a farm and agriculture,” he added. “Sixty years ago, we started talking about people having less connection to the farm, but people still had grandparents or cousins that farmed.

Today, people have no connection to the farm. They have food on their plates without knowing how it was produced.

“The customer wants high quality beef, and they don’t want to be disappointed,” he said. “To get high quality beef, you need consistent, high marbling, tender, flavorful meat.”

To satisfy this customer demand, Léger developed True to Nature™, a brand that will soon be available in retail outlets. Châtel Farms® Angus Beef is the high quality signature line of FPL’s Never Ever Angus brand, True to Nature™, an all natural, hormone free, antibiotic free beef product that is born, raised, and processed in the Southeast. Léger’s aim is to improve efficiencies and expand production, to eventually make the quality product available to consumers across the Southeastern states.

Joining Cattlemen with the Meat Company - “It’s obvious that I cannot make this product alone,” Léger said.

“We need the help of ranchers to develop a supply chain in the Southeast.

To supply the brand with superior, traceable genetics, Léger is announcing a new partnership with Ankony Farms. Léger chose to partner with Ankony because of the ranch’s reputation for carcass traits and outstanding marbling and its location in the Southeast. He searched the country for the best partner for his branded beef line and found a common root — many of the best Angus herds traced back to Georgia’s own Ankony genetics.

Another allure to the Ankony herd was their use of an index called $Profit.

The $Profit index was developed

by Lee Leachman, who took his economics degree and third generation

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

cattle background to develop a birthto-harvest index that evaluates more than 20 financially important traits and boils it down to a value that indicates the difference in profitability that will be generated between bulls in your herd. The 15-year-old index has evaluated more than 1.1 million head in the Leachman database. “$Profit finds the animal that simultaneously improves the quality of your cow herd while increasing the quality of your feedlot and slaughter cattle in a balance closer to what most ranchers want,” Leachman said. The index helps identify cattle with traits that are usually antagonistic, such as maternal ability and carcass merit. “Combining animals that excel at those antagonistic factors is really important when you are trying to build a supply chain from the commercial herd to the consumer,” he said.

The index is simple for cattlemen to use. With an assumption that a bull will have 100 calves, a rancher can determine the difference between Bull A with a $Profit value of 25,000 and Bull B with a 20,000 value to be a $5,000 difference, or $50/calf on those 100 calves, Leachman said.

The results are already apparent in the Ankony herd. Ankony’s use of the $Profit matings propelled the herd to produce a significant percentage of the top 50 non-parent females in the United States in the EPD recalibration performed by the American Angus Association in June. This included the #1 and #3 nonparent females on the $Combined Angus index that is slated for release in 2020.

With the new partnership in mind,

Lovell said Ankony is now striving to produce a volume of bull pregnancies from these top performing females that will be mated to the highest carcass trait Angus bulls.

These bulls will then be leased or sold to multiplier herds with the intention of putting a buyback contract in place with Châtel Farms for the calves produced by these bulls. After agreeing to breed a certain number of cows, the multiplier herd will sell back the resulting calves to the program for a premium.

Premiums from the buyback are expected to all but pay for the cost of the bulls for the rancher. Ranchers will also have the option to retain ownership of the calves.

To get started, Châtel Farms will evaluate a commercial cow herd’s genetic merit using historical data and DNA. Once the contract is set up, Châtel Farms will have Ankony bulls available for immediate turnout. Given the intended size of the supply chain, Châtel and Ankony are encouraging other Angus breeders to produce high $Profit bulls.

Ankony Farms will offer eligible genetics at its upcoming sale on September 26. A “who’s who” of elite cow families will be offered at the sale and will represent cattle in the top one-tenth to one percent of the Angus breed for $Profit.

Prior to the Ankony sale, an educational seminar will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 26. This will be an opportunity for commercial ranchers and seedstock breeders to hear from François Léger directly about the FPL/Châtel programs. Leachman said the seminar will

Ankony Farms of Clarkesville, Ga., has been supplying Angus genetics to breeders from coast to coast for 80+ years. In the June EPD recalibration by the American Angus Association, Ankony genetics held a significant percentage of the top 50 non-parent females in the United States.

Consumers are demanding consistent, high marbling, tender, flavorful meat. FPL Food, Châtel Farms, and Ankony Farms aim to give them the highest quality, most consistent eating experience offered today.

discuss important drivers for commercial producers. “We are going to help them better understand $Profit and better understand how selecting for this index will improve their profitability and build better beef cows, but we are also going to talk about the opportunity for them to be part of this high quality value chain, and earn premiums based on that participation.”

Lovell said that the seminar will be a good opportunity for cattlemen who haven’t necessarily followed the fast pace of reproduction and genomics, but want to have quality animals, and sell into a food chain for higher returns.

The Win-Win Benefits for Southeastern Cattlemen - The program offers Southeastern ranchers a unique opportunity to build equity in the future of their business while minimizing some

of the risks they have normally faced.

This program brings fed cattle back to the Southeast, Leger said. “There’s no reason why we cannot feed these cattle in the Southeast. The goal is to produce the best beef and to avoid sending the cattle to the Midwest, avoiding shrink and freight, which is a more sustainable approach. Our supply chain will satisfy consumer preferences for more locally raised beef.”

Lovell added, “This opportunity is perfect for ranchers in the Southeast who want to produce a quality product and make more with their cattle by taking them to a higher level of production and efficiency. The program will give breeders a peace of mind that someone wants to buy their cattle or joint venture with them.”

If you would like more information about this exclusive partnership opportunity, make plans to attend the educational seminar and Angus female sale held at Ankony Farms in Clarkesville, Ga., on September 26. More information about the event will be posted at www. ankonyfarms.com. For more information about the $Profit index, visit www. leachman.com or call Lee Leachman at 970-219-8519. For information on the Châtel Farms’ program, contact Brad Chandler at 706-910-9397 or brad. chandler@fplfood.com.

“Well, It looks like it would be simple enough to operate” The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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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: Out-of-State Denny Dieckhaus – Southern Prairie Cattle Co. – Missouri Buncombe County Seth Austin – AAA Farms Chris Pegg – Pegg Farms

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Craven County Jason Jones – S&J Farms Harnett County Ricky Kimberlin – River Crest Angus Johnston County Will Edwards – Lake Wendell Cattle Co. William Farmer Mitchell County Steve Wilson Sampson County Tim Williams Stokes County Durk Prillaman – Spring Water Farm Wilson County Robert Simpson Jr. – Simpsons Angus Farm

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Alliance releases report from 2019 Animal Rights National Conference.

Speakers discuss strategies and tactics to create a “vegan world by 2026.” The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report detailing observations from the Animal Rights National Conference, held July 25-28 in Alexandria, Virginia. The event was organized by the Farm Animal Rights Movement and sponsored by Mercy for Animals, The Save Movement, Compassion Over Killing and The Humane League, along with other animal rights extremist groups.

“Animal rights extremists are becoming increasingly aggressive in their efforts to end animal agriculture,” said Kay Johnson Smith, Alliance president and CEO. “Releasing reports from major activist conferences enables everyone in animal agriculture to prepare for strategies and tactics targeting their livelihood.”

Similar to last year’s conference, speakers made it clear their vision is animal liberation, not promoting animal welfare. “There is no such thing as humane slaughter, and anyone who tells you differently is simply lying,” said Michael Budkie of Stop Animal Exploitation Now. “We need to say that all animal agriculture is cruel and wrong,” said Karen Davis of United Poultry Concerns. Demetria Atkinson of Redefine Your Mind argued, “Animals are people too.”

A key theme of the conference was the desire to create a vegan world by 2026 to save the environment, but many activists had doubts. “Activism is so sad right now; when I look at our movement, I am incredibly disappointed,” said Lauren Ornelas of the Food Empowerment Project. “We vegans carry a heavy burden. No matter how hard we work, we will likely never see the end of it,” said Melanie Joy of Beyond Carnism.

“We are not even close to being on the cusp of global veganism,” said Bruce Friedrich of The Good Food Institute.

Attendees at the conference were encouraged to pressure restaurants and retailers and make it seem like a lot of people are asking for vegan meals by blitzing companies on social media, by mail and in-person. “Make sure you tag [brands] in the photo so that all they see is consumer demand for vegan [products],” said Laura Cascada of Compassion Over Killing. Cascada also urged conference

NEWS

attendees to write postcards so they could have “several hundred postcards to dump on the front step of [one restaurant chain] at some point.” In a workshop at the conference, The Humane League asked attendees to write birthday cards to the CEO of a major restaurant chain saying, “This will be the meanest card you’ll ever write.” While talking about corporate campaigns, Kelly Myer of The Humane League said, “We surround buildings so that employees have to see and feel guilt anytime they leave” and “An incremental approach is used to gradually switch companies over to veganism.”

Speakers also focused on the use of “undercover” videos and the media to damage the reputation of animal agriculture and reach their goals. “Investigations are the single most powerful tool to expose the inherent cruelties in large-scale animal agriculture,” said William Rivas-Rivas of Animal Equality. “Make sure you start with something dramatic...That’s much more likely to go viral,” said Jane Velez-Mitchell of Jane UnChained News Network.

Also speaking at the conference were: Erica Meier and Mike Wolf of Compassion Over Killing; Sean Thomas of Animal Equality; Jennifer Barkley of The Humane League; and Chris Berry and Daniel Waltz of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.

The 2019 Animal Rights National Conference Report, which includes personal accounts of speaker presentations and general observations, is available to Alliance members in the Resource Library on the Alliance website. The Alliance also has reports from previous animal rights conferences accessible to members on its website.

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.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

UPDATE

Study Shows Premium in Cattle from BQA Certified Producers.

While producers have traditionally participated in Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) because it’s the right thing to do, there is sound research that indicates BQA certified producers can benefit financially as well. According to a recent study by the Beef Checkoff funded BQA program and conducted by Colorado State University (CSU), results show a significant premium for calves and feeder cattle sold through video auction markets.

The research study “Effect of Mentioning BQA in Lot Descriptions of Beef Calves and Feeder Cattle Sold Through Video based Auctions on Sale Price,” led jointly by CSU’s Departments of Animal Sciences and Agricultural and Resource Economics, was conducted to determine if the sale price of beef calves and feeder cattle marketed through video auction companies was influenced by the mention of BQA in the lot description.

Partnering with Western Video Market, CSU reviewed data from 8,815 video lot records of steers (steers, steer calves, or weaned steers) and heifers (heifers, heifer calves, or weaned heifers) sold in nine western states from 2010 – 2017.

The result was a premium of $16.80/head for cattle that had BQA listed in the lot description. This value was determined by applying the $2.71/ cwt premium found in CSU’s statistical analysis to the average weight of cattle in

the study data. When the BQA premium was constant on a per head basis, it implied higher weight based premiums for lighter cattle (for example $3.73/cwt at 450 lbs/head) and lower premiums for heavier cattle ($2.24/cwt at 750 lbs/head).

“This study was a first of its kind opportunity to utilize advanced data analysis methods to discover if there was a true monetary value to participate in BQA,” said Chase DeCoite, director of Beef Quality Assurance. “Study results clearly show that participation in BQA and BQA certification can provide real value to beef producers. It means that the initiatives within the industry are rewarding cattlemen and women who take action to improve their operations and our industry.”

Additional study findings show that over the past ten years, consistent frequency of BQA mentions have been included in the lot descriptions of cattle selling via video auctions. In some states, like Montana, the frequency of mentions has been fairly sizable and upwards of ten percent or more of all lots of calves/yearlings offered for sale. Even without documentation of a premium in the past, the results imply that over time, many producers have proactively chosen to highlight and emphasize their participation in BQA when marketing their cattle.

“The value of a seller being BQA Certified can really only be captured

when information is shared between seller and buyer, which is consistently done via the sale of cattle by video auction companies,” said Jason Ahola, Ph.D., and professor of animal sciences at CSU. “By sharing the BQA status of the owner or manager of a set of cattle, the buyer can access information that is generally otherwise difficult to find in traditional marketing channels. This was a big reason for us to conduct the study, as it became clear that data on sellers’ BQA status were available on a large number of cattle sold through video auctions as well as other traits associated with the cattle.

This information affected the ultimate selling price of the cattle.”

The results of the BQA value study emphasize the importance of transferring information from sellers to buyers as well as the importance of collecting BQA certification information during the auction process. Daniel Mooney, Ph.D. and assistant professor of agricultural and resource economics at CSU, said a lot of information is transmitted from buyers to sellers in video auctions which made it ideal for the analysis.

“In addition to the BQA mention, our study controlled for other factors – such

as lot characteristics, cattle attributes, and value added practices like age/source verification and natural certification – that also influenced beef calf and feeder cattle sale prices. Importantly, the BQA premium existed even after accounting for these influential variables,” Mooney said.

“Our cow/calf and stocker consignors represent family operations from throughout the western United States who make their living in the cattle business.

Profit margins in these sectors can be very marginal. Finding ways to enhance the marketability of cattle by adhering to best practices is a low cost means of improving the quality and consistency of the cattle they market,” said Holly Foster, video operations manager of Western Video Market. “By sharing our historical data with researchers at CSU, we felt it would help our sales representatives and consignors as they try to understand the different attributes that cattle buyers are looking for to meet end user requirements.”

For more information on the study or to complete online BQA training, go to www.bqa.org/certification. For more information on the BQA program, contact Chase DeCoite at cdecoite@beef.org.

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336-927-5370 • sethchurch@charter.net The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

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A Guide to Pinkeye in your Herd.

Pinkeye is a highly contagious infectious disease that impacts cattle across the world. According to a University of Nebraska Veterinary website, pinkeye costs U.S. beef producers between $150300 million per year. Economic hits can come by way of decreased gain and decreased milk production, therefore decreasing the overall value of your cattle, as well as an increase in treatment costs.

Don’t let pinkeye attack your herd, costing you performance and health.

Especially prevalent through the spring, summer, and fall, pinkeye can be a big detriment, although not usually fatal. With proper control and management, you can help prevent pinkeye in your herd.

What is Pinkeye? Pinkeye is often caused by the bacteria Moraxella bovis (M. bovis). However, other organisms have been isolated from eyes with infections resembling pinkeye. It is unclear if those organisms are primary pathogens or opportunistic, secondary invaders. Pinkeye is caused by a

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NEWS

combination of factors. Other factors instrumental in causing eye irritation, thereby allowing for invasion of M. bovis and subsequent disease, are excessive ultraviolet light like sunlight, environmental vectors including wind, dust, seed, pollen, and flies and a marginal nutrition program.

Watering eyes are typically the first signs of pinkeye. Once the animal’s eyes start watering, you will likely notice the animal start squinting or closing its eyes regularly to shield the sun out. Pinkeye will usually last up to two weeks and has four distinct stages.

During stage one, cattle have excessive tearing and increased sensitivity to light.

They blink frequently, and there is redness along the eyelids. Cattle seek shade, which decreases their grazing time. Pain associated with pinkeye also decreases their feed intake. Stage one progresses to a small ulcer in the center of the cornea, which appears as a small white spot.

During the transition to stage two, the clinical signs of stage one continue,

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

but the ulcer spreads across the cornea.

As inflammation occurs, the cornea grows increasingly cloudy. Some of the dark color of the iris can still be seen. Blood vessels from the outside portion of the cornea begin to grow across the cornea to help with healing. These blood vessels make the cornea appear pink, which is how the disease received its name.

In stage three, the ulcer covers most of the cornea, and the inflammation continues to spread into the inner parts of the eye. The inside of the eye fills with fibrin, a pus like substance that gives the eye a yellow appearance versus the typical brown appearance.

During the final stage, the ulcer extends completely through the cornea, and the iris may protrude through the ulcer. The iris will become stuck in the cornea even after healing. This may lead to glaucoma or persistent swelling of the eye. This eye will be partially or completely blind. The eye may completely rupture and will develop a shrunken appearance or enlarge if glaucoma (increased eye pressure) is present.

An Ounce of Prevention - The best way to stop the spread of this nuisance disease is to control it through the combination of a good management and nutrition program. Eliminate any carrier animals from the herd since the disease is so easily spread through nasal and ocular discharge, through the air, from infected equipment, and from fly transport.

Speaking of flies, make sure you control all flies: horn, face and stable, using various methods that work for your operation. Generally speaking, a combination of two fly control methods work the best for combating flies. You can use a spray, dust bags, ear tags, a feed through mineral with IGR and a natural mineral solution that contains garlic, like VitaFerm HEAT. VitaFerm HEAT contains garlic, considered a natural insect repellent. It also contains a combination of plant extracts, research proven to lower body temperature to help with performance in extreme temperatures, and fescue situations. It also includes Vitamin A, organic zinc, and copper to help prevent hoof challenges as well as pinkeye. Finally, as with all VitaFerm products, it contains Amaferm, a precision based prebiotic, research proven to impact intake, digestion, and absorption, so your animals will get the most nutrients possible from their feed.

Reduce any eye irritants as much as you can, including dust, wind, pollen, direct sunlight, and any nuisance weeds.

Although wind, dust, and pollen often work together, if you provide your animals some type of shade and/or windbreak, that can help eliminate some

dirt and sun from getting directly in your animals’ eyes. You can also help eliminate the dust by reducing overcrowding in dry lots or bunks where you feed.

Finally, if you do have cattle that show signs of pinkeye, segregate them immediately from the rest of the herd, in hopes of eliminating future spreading.

Treatment Time - You will want to start treating pinkeye at the first signs, not only to provide comfort to the animal but also to help prevent the spread of disease. There are various treatment methods available including topical sprays, ointments, and powders, long acting tetracyclines can be given through a shot, and you can inject penicillin and dexamethasone into the bulbar conjunctiva, the thin membrane that covers the white portion of the eye.

Also, consider an eye patch or suturing the third eyelid over the eye, or suturing the eyelids shut to add comfort to the eye by reducing the sunlight and keeping other irritants out. Anytime you consider injections or suturing around the eye, be sure to have a veterinarian or someone trained in this come do the procedure, as you don’t want to cause more harm to the livestock. As always, consult your veterinarian for the best treatment plan for your cattle in your area.

Pinkeye is a cattle disease that is easy to get and easy to spread within your herd. However, with some good nutrition and a management plan, it can be kept under control, especially if you already have a good fly control plan in place.

Work ahead and work smart, so you don’t have to treat pinkeye in your herd.

A Guide to Healthy Weaning.

Weaning time in the cattle business is ultimately the most stressful time in the calf’s life. However, with proper preparation and a good management plan, you can decrease the stress incurred on your calves, their mamas, and yourself at weaning time, all while keeping both the cows and their offspring in peak performance.

When preparing for weaning and developing a management plan, there are several conditions to contemplate.

You’ll need to plan for the best time to wean, the best method to follow, and a health management protocol to keep both the cows and calves their healthiest.

In addition, you’ll want to consider the environmental factors that you’ve faced during the year, such as precipitation and temperatures, which impact feed availability, calf age and size, cow condition, and the market to know if there will be strong demand for your calves when you are ready to sell them.

Timing is Everything - The industry average for weaning calves is six to eight

months old, with most weaned between seven and eight months old. The age you decide to wean will likely be dependent on feed resources available and the condition of the cows. Remember, by the time you are weaning that cow should be already bred and into her next gestation, trying to grow and develop her next progeny, not just continue to grow the current calf at side.

In addition to cow condition and feed availability, keep a close watch on calf supply and demand in the marketplace. If you think there might be an upcycle in the market and demand is going to increase when your calves are closer to the six month mark than eight, then it might be wise to wean and sell them when you can get the most profit.

Early weaning is an option that does have its advantages. Typically, early weaning occurs when the calves are three to five months old. Weaning early is the easiest way to help manage a cow’s condition, and you won’t have to put as much feed or hay back into her to get her condition back if you pull a big calf from her early on.

Weaning Methods Impact Stress It is impossible to wean without causing some stress to both the calf and the cow; however, particular strategies will cause

less stress on both parties and are more calf friendly.

Fenceline weaning is the least stressful weaning method. With fenceline weaning, you separate the calves from their mothers and then pen them across the fence from one another where they can still see and hear one another.

Research has proven that calves will eat more and put on pounds faster when using the fence line method.

Another commonly used approach is abrupt weaning, where the cows and calves are separated but remain on the same land. The cattle might be able to hear each other, but they can’t see each other, so the calves become accustomed to being alone, while still hearing the sound of their mothers, and vice versa.

Two other less common practices that are still engaged on cattle operations are day weaning and slat or nose weaning.

Day weaning is a gradual weaning where the cow and calf are separated during the day and reunited in the evening for a window of time so the calf can nurse in the morning and evening. This method is most common with livestock exhibitors who are getting calves broke and ready to show. Another strategy is nose or slat weaning, where a plastic slat or guard is inserted into the calf’s nose to prevent

it from nursing. The pairs are still run together, and the calf can still drink water and eat grass; however, it can’t nurse, and after a week to two weeks will not have the desire to suck.

Perhaps the most stressful weaning method is one that is still used quite regularly. Many producers will wean calves, load them in the trailer, and take them directly to the sale barn. This method is usually used when space and labor are in short supply.

Be Proactive with Health, Nutrition - Keep young calves as healthy as possible prior to weaning. It is best to give calves their proper vaccinations or vaccine boosters about a month prior to weaning. Because each geographic location and situation is slightly different, consult with your veterinarian on what exactly you need. Most pharmaceuticals offer a 7-way or 5-way vaccine to treat multiple bugs. You will also want to worm calves when you vaccinate them.

Nutrition is crucial to eliminating your calves’ stress and continuing their post weaning performance. It is vital to keep their diets somewhat consistent with what they have been accustomed to. If the calves have been on a total grass diet, you don’t want to feed them much grain; however, you do want to offer them a

The Carolina Cattle Connection

high quality hay or forage, to continue them on a consistent diet. And if you’ve had them on creep feed while they were still with the cow, continue the same creep feed for a two to three week period post weaning while transitioning them to a grower ration.

Not only is the calf stressed and in need of a high plane of nutrition, the maternal instinct of the cow kicks in, and she too is stressed by the removal of the calf she has been caring for. Although she is also in the early stages of gestation, the initial period post weaning is considered her maintenance period, but it is still vital to provide her with a balanced vitamin and mineral package.

You can help eliminate some of the calves’ weaning time stress with the Vita Charge line of products, specifically designed to support digestive health and promote feed and water intake during times of stress and recovery. With Amaferm and MOS to trap and expel pathogens, limiting their ability to do harm, the Vita Charge products offer a winning combination to promote health to those freshly weaned calves.

Vita Charge comes in a cattle drench, designed to be administered the

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BioZyme New continued from the previous page first day of weaning, and a Stress Tub, a convenient way for the calves to get their daily dose of Vita Charge for 14-21 days post weaning. It is not a complete mineral supplement but does work in concert with your mineral. New this year, is the Vita Charge Stress Tub with HEAT for those times when you are weaning in temperatures of 70ºF and above. The Stress Tub with HEAT also contains plant extracts, research proven to help maintain the animal’s normal body temperature, and garlic, a natural insect repellant.

Weaning. Don’t make it stressful on you, your calves, or their mamas.

Keep your calves healthy and happy, be prepared, create a plan, and be sure to have your Vita Charge on hand prior to the separation day.

How to Get Weaned Calves a Healthy Start. Freshly weaned calves are a lot like small children starting their first day of preschool. They’re learning a new routine in a different environment and eating from a new menu all while being without their mamas for the first time.

That equals a lot of stress, which can lead to sickness, going off feed and water, and overall loss of performance.

But just like those small children, newly weaned calves can thrive in their new environment if producers take a proactive approach prior to weaning or receiving calves. They need to consider the pen layout, provide adequate water, and feed a balanced diet fortified with the nutrients the calves require to stay healthy and grow.

Feeding Fundamentals - For a calf that has predominantly survived on three nutrition sources during its lifetime – milk, grass, and water – being taken

N.C. Weekly Auctions Report

Feeder Cattle - Medium and Large 1-2 (Week ending AUGUST 9, 2019) Kind Avg. Wt. $/lb Steers 300-400 $110.00 - 162.50

400-500 $124.00 - 150.00

500-600 $120.00 - 145.00

600-700 $121.00 - 143.00

700-800 $113.00 - 130.50

800-900 $-------- - -------Heifers 300-400 $104.00 - 128.00

400-500 $106.00 - 132.00

500-600 $106.00 - 125.00

600-700 $ 95.00 - 114.00

700-800 $-------- - ------- 800-900 $-------- - -------Slaughter Cows: (over 850 lbs) Breakers (70-80% lean) $54.00 - 67.00 Boners (80-85% lean) $50.00 - 72.00 High Dressing (70-85% lean) $60.00 - 84.00 Source: N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services - USDA Market News, Raleigh, N.C. • 919-707-3156

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away from two of those and moved to a dry lot for any amount of time can be rather alarming. Make the transition to a weaned calf diet as smooth as possible by introducing familiar feedstuffs first.

“On day one, you need to consider what you are going to feed the calves. You want to do the best you can to minimize new and unusual feed, like silage,” said Kevin Glaubius, Director of Nutrition for BioZyme Inc. “You are better off to use long-stem grass hay for 2-3 days and then transition them to silage.”

Putting the grass hay in the bunks will help teach the calves to come to the bunks for their feed. It will also be more similar to the forages they have been grazing in the pasture. Putting something out with an unfamiliar aroma, taste, and texture, like silage, will likely deter the calves from going to the bunks, thus not finding the source of their nutrition.

Once the calves have found the hay, start adding silage or whatever you choose to feed to the hay and transition their diet gradually.

If your calves are accustomed to eating creep feed or grain, you might be able to start them on a more concentrated diet more quickly. Remember that protein has been an important part of their diet, as milk is about 20 percent protein. The impact of stress will cause calves to eat about one-third of what they need, so consider keeping a high protein diet for the first few weeks they are on feed, then move their protein down to 13-14 percent.

Set-up for Success - One way to make sure that calves find feed bunks and water sources is to plan your pen arrangement. Calves are notorious for circling the perimeter of the fence bawling, looking for their mothers or for a way out, so make sure you have bunks, waterers, and mineral placed accordingly.

Glaubius recommends placing your bunk perpendicular to one of the outer fences to form a “T” so when they are circling the fence, they eventually will run into the bunk. It is also wise to have a mineral source – tub or feeder – about six to eight feet out from the fence, so the calves will also “stumble” into the mineral, sniff at it, and hopefully get some nutrition.

Since water is so important to both the health of the animal and promoting feed intake, making sure a fresh, clean, accessible water supply is vital. If you are in an environment where you have a ball in your tank to prevent it from freezing, that fresh-weaned calf might not understand how to push the ball down to get water. If you can, remove the ball

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so the calf can readily see and hear the water. You don’t want your water source to be too loud, but the sound of running water will draw calves to it.

Invest in Health - “Your ultimate goal with new calves should be to get them into a pen, get them eating and drinking. They will still have stress, but don’t compound it with nutritional stress,” Glaubius said.

One of the best ways to make sure your calves get off to the best start possible is with a three step approach from VitaFerm. Within 48 hours of receiving or post weaning, give your calves an initial dose of Vita Charge Cattle Drench to support digestive health and promote feed and water intake. Vita Charge Drench will jump start feed and energy intake while stimulating the immune system. It also allows maximum effectiveness of vaccinations.

Next, provide your calves with Vita Charge Stress Tubs to help them level out consumption. Glaubius recommends one 50 pound Stress Tub per 15 head of calves and suggests keeping them out for 14-21 days. Vita Charge Stress Tubs are also available with HEAT to help combat heat stress anytime the temperature is 70ºF and hotter.

“The Stress Tubs are important to get them eating, and I would place them around the perimeter of the pen so the calves will find them easily. The Stress Tubs with HEAT are great for late summer and early fall and help reduce another layer of stress,” Glaubius said.

Finally, choose the VitaFerm Gain Smart mineral that is right for your situation. Gain Smart is a line of vitamin and mineral supplements with the Amaferm advantage that promotes economically produced pounds by maximizing the natural energy and protein available in forage. VitaFerm and VitaFerm Gain Smart are recognized

by Superior Livestock Auctions as the first and only nutrition programs in their line of value added programs. Gain Smart Stocker is ideal for calves going onto grass, while Gain Smart Wheat is designed to balance basic nutrient needs for maximized efficient gain on wheat or small grain pasture. Gain Smart Balancer RU1600 is designed for cattle being fed a grain diet.

For those producers who are leery of investing in their calves early on, Glaubius reminds that it should be the goal to keep calves healthy and reduce as much stress as possible prior to the time they reach the feedlot phase.

“It is better to spend money up front

and save money at the back end of your program. Get them off to a healthy start because right now gain shouldn’t be as big of a priority as keeping them healthy.

Money spent at the beginning is money spent wisely,” he said.

Planning a good health and nutrition program will get your calves off to the best start possible. Preparing for changes helps reduce stress and increase performance.

A Key for Success at All Stages of Production. The RBC Ranch is situated in Southwest Arkansas, where lifelong cattle producer Steve Groves runs his SimAngus cows. Through trial and error, he’s discovered the best way to make a living – keeping his herd healthy and productive. However, one thing he learned early on is to never skimp on a nutrition program.

Although he has always been a believer in feeding a good mineral program to his cow herd, he realized that sometimes those top line minerals were missing something when he made the switch to the BioZyme products several years ago. That missing ingredient: Amaferm.

“Amaferm is one of the greatest things that I would hate to do without. A lot of people look at a bag of mineral as a bag of mineral. They don’t realize the value. And this value we’re speaking of is backed with science. It isn’t something y’all just convinced me of,” Groves said.

“I really believe that the Amaferm that is in this mineral is one of the greatest benefits in digestive value, and better digestion enhances the absorption. And, keeps the immune system revved up to a certain extent.”

Groves feeds a variety of BioZyme minerals, based on the time of year and the stage of production his cattle are in.

The common denominator for all minerals he feeds is they contain Amaferm, which increases efficiency within his herd and ultimately helps him save some expenses.

“Our expenses seem like they are increasing more than what our product is merchandised at, so we need to get more efficient to make it work because we can’t control our input on a lot of areas, but we can control our efficiency. One way is to try to keep the cost of that cow down per year. Any increase we can get in digestion, means less dollars we have to spend on that cow for either feed or grass. With Amaferm we get a 15 percent increase in digestion and absorption and

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BioZyme New continued from page 74 that helps a lot,” Groves said.

Cow Care Through the Year Groves describes the climate where he lives and manages his herd along the Red River as “tropical,” and he admits he doesn’t have any Brahman influence in his cows. He said the climate is most challenging about twice a year, and those times also coincide with the cows’ biggest stressors.

“We have two parts of our season that are difficult,” he said. “In January and February when we are calving and July and August when it is hot. The summer is really more stress than in the winter.”

About 60 days prior to calving, Groves revs up the nutrition program for his late gestating cows. He starts bunk feeding a silage based ration to them, along with VitaFerm Concept•Aid. In addition to the increased digestion and absorption, Concept•Aid is a freechoice vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle specifically designed for reproductive success when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post-breeding. Since switching to the Concept•Aid, Groves has noted a significant increase in his conception and calving rates, often achieving 100 percent in his calving groups.

Groves continues to feed the Concept•Aid through the time he turns the bulls out in March, until the weather really heats up. Then he turns to the VitaFerm HEAT mineral.

“You aren’t going to get around the heat stress, so we try to eliminate all the other stresses like parasites, whether it’s flies or worms. We stay on top of stressors we can manage. We have a pecan orchard for shade and try to keep the brood cows under pecan trees that get to 50-70 feet tall. The sun can’t get there; it’s just humid, so we make sure they have water available,” Groves said.

With the combination of good management and good nutrition, Groves has been able to tighten his calving window, and said that most groups of cows will calve within the 60 days he’s allotted for. In one pasture of 85 cows, all but four cows calved within 60 days, and those four calved just slightly later.

He said he’s had several groups of 45-50 cows that will calve within 50 days.

He also has a son who lives nearby him, who has started feeding the HEAT mineral with exceptional results. The son has no natural shade sources and practices intensive rotational grazing, moving groups of cows to graze about an acre per day with portable shade and water sources. Once Groves’ son started feeding

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the HEAT mineral, he was shocked to see his cows out grazing at 3:00 in the afternoon, but the bigger shocker was his calving rates.

“There’s been a time or two when he had 100 percent calf crop in 47 days, and those cows get fatter than they need to be every year. He’s a good grass farmer,” Groves chuckled.

Calf Care at Weaning Time - There’s no doubt that weaning is one of the most traumatic times in a calf’s life; however, with the help of good nutrition, even those stressors can be reduced. Groves weans in the fall and backgrounds calves on pastures, if grass is available.

Otherwise he bunk feeds them corn silage, and he markets those cattle in the spring. For maximum efficiency of his feed resources, he supplements with the VitaFerm Gain Smart Mineral. He previously was using a cow mineral on his weaned calves and yearlings and realized he could save some money and get the nutrition he needed with the Gain Smart mineral.

Groves said that since cutting out the Brahman influence in his herd, he has selected for more heat tolerant cattle that shed off better and have slicker hair coats, helping reduce the stress in both cows and calves. He also sees a premium for his SimAngus calves that he markets and can sell them at slightly heavier weights due to their increased gains.

Regardless of calving, breeding or weaning, Groves has discovered the benefits of the Amaferm advantage for all seasons and all stages of production. He knows that there is definite value in the science behind the BioZyme products and even when times get tough, won’t skimp on nutrition.

“When you go to cutting mineral costs, and she (the cow) doesn’t perform, you’re worse off,” he said.

To learn more about Vita Charge, Vitaferm HEAT, and the Amaferm advantage and the Gain Smart program, visit www.vitaferm.com.

Being Emotional About Selling Livestock is Okay. Just like any competitive hobby or lifestyle, showing market livestock is filled with outside perspectives and opinions. Those who don’t understand our industry only see that young people are raising livestock projects from an early age, caring for them deeply, and they are forced to sell them and say goodbye. These same critics gawk at the fact that we try to justify the tears we shed after parting ways with our animals, arguing that the emotional weight of raising and selling livestock

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is particularly demanding and crippling for young people who have not yet internalized the use of livestock animals in our culture.

But as livestock enthusiasts, because we have all done it and experienced the emotion, we know that the tears we shed are not brought on just by sadness. Yes, we feel sad to part ways with our animals, but we also feel content with months of memories and lessons, proud of our contribution to the livestock industry and, most of all, we know that we have grown through the experience. And with that in mind, we DON’T apologize for our display of these emotions, and here’s why: We are allowed to be sad - Months of building this relationship have ensued long before this day. We have spent early mornings, late nights, and long days in the barn with our animals, providing the best possible care and treatment we can in preparation for show day. Just like a break up, it is okay to feel some sadness when we have to say goodbye to something we have built a personal relationship with. Furthermore, shedding a tear does not mean that the emotional burden is too much to handle, it just represents a reflection and respect for our animals’ great life and the many memories we’ve shared together over the past several months. We have traveled many miles together, spent numerous hours in the barn listening to our favorite songs and walked through several show rings side by side, and that is something worth reflecting and being upset about saying goodbye to. But at the end of the day, as livestock raisers, we know that in every animal’s life there is a time to say goodbye, and stock show youth can be content knowing that in their lifetime, market animals have the highest quality of life we could possibly give them.

Being okay with what happens next is OKAY - Who’s to say our sadness and tears stem from being uneasy or not in support of our animals being used for food production? When young people invest in a market livestock project, they are investing in a larger part of production agriculture. They understand the undertaking and the commitment it takes to raise and care for a livestock project for an entire year. In addition, they understand the purpose of our livestock animals because it is a part of our agriculture culture, and that is a culture built upon respect for the animal. As young agriculturalists, we know we expect great things from our animals, and thus we make it our mission to never waiver in our level of dedication to that animal.

Those who do not come from an agricultural background may not understand this and claim that exposing young people to a “cruel reality” is wrong. However, whether you are in favor of it or not, raising livestock for food production is a part of our culture and economy and a way that we feed the world. Teaching our young people about this part of the industry at an early age is teaching them to hold animals in high regard and have valued respect for what they provide to us. That is an important virtue when you think about the sustainability of humane practices, and therefore, it is okay to be okay with saying goodbye to our animals.

This is a part of agriculture production we embrace - We don’t apologize for using livestock to raise our kids to love and value the agriculture industry. Showing market livestock provides youth the opportunity to take responsibility for another life and learn about ethical practices that deliver the best care for our animals every day. There is no question that show livestock live a pristine life with a much higher level of care than most other production animals, and that is because of our youth. They have a personal relationship and valued respect for their projects and thus strive to provide the best life possible. Years of providing that care to animals develop an attitude and habit of care. And as our young people progress in life, whether they choose a career in agriculture or not, they will carry that habit with them and will use it in tandem with their understanding of production livestock to fight to sustain safe and humane methods of raising livestock for production agriculture. From our perspective, shedding a tear for your animal is a sign of respect for their lives. If we didn’t devote our time, effort, and resources to providing a great life for these animals, then there would be no need for an emotional reaction. As our tears pour out, the care and time we poured into our livestock become more evident.

There is nothing wrong with being sad and crying over parting ways with your project, and it doesn’t mean the act of selling your animal is too much to bear.

It means you devoted your time, care, and love to that animal. It means you are grateful for your time with them and the memories you crafted with that animal.

It means you have an understanding and respect for the greater purpose. It means

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BioZyme New continued from page 76 that you CARE. To learn more about caring for your show animals every day with the Sure Champ line of products, visit www. surechamp.com.

How to Get the Maximum Value from Your Land. Farmers and ranchers are the original stewards of the land and with good reason. For centuries, these agriculturalists have provided their own families, the country and the world with safe and nutritious food as a result of caring for the land. For many, it is a passion passed down from one generation to the next; however, it is also part of the investment in their livelihood.

“A pasture resource is the single largest investment that a beef producer is ever going to make, whether it is leased land or deeded land,” said K.C. Olson, Ph.D., Professor of Range Beef Cattle Nutrition and Management at Kansas State University.

Caring for pastureland is vital, not only because it is an important investment, but also to ensure that the cattle have the resources available to them. Cow/calf producers and

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backgrounders rely heavily on native forages late spring through early fall to turn their cattle on, and the better care and management of the land, the better the land will take care of the cattle.

Understanding the Challenges - Dr. Olson said two major challenges exist in range management: overstocking and under resting. By definition, overstocking is simply putting too many animals on a given amount of land area for a given length of time. Under resting occurs when animals are allowed to return to a pasture or paddock before adequate forage regrowth has occurred and is a bigger challenge than overstocking.

To better understand how many animals a particular piece of land can hold for grazing for a particular time, producers need to first understand two very important terms - stocking rate and carrying capacity. According to Dr. Olson, carrying capacity is what is possible; stocking rate is what is actual.

Stocking rate is defined as animal intake potential per unit of area per unit of time. It is calculated by a fairly simple formula. You must know three facts

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to calculate your stocking rate – how much forage biomass is produced on an annual basis; what percent of that forage biomass is edible; and how much an animal unit (A.U.) is going to consume during a grazing bout of specified length.

Dr. Olson provides some long-used assumptions to help in the calculations.

He said the A.U. is assumed to be 1,000 pounds, originally based on the bodyweight of a mature cow. Although not many cows weigh 1,000 pounds anymore, take your total estimated pasture group weight and divide by 1,000, and you will have your number of A.U. Example: 20 cows at about 1,200 pounds each with 20 calves that weigh 450 pounds each. Total weight per pair is 1,650 pounds.

20 pairs x 1,650 = 33,000 / 1,000 = 33 AU Dr. Olson said that it is assumed the typical 1,000 pound animal unit will consume about 26 pounds of forage dry matter per day, so using the same example, 33 x 26 = 858 pounds of forage needed per day. Olson cautions cattle managers to remember that leaving some residual biomass behind following grazing is critical to rangeland health.

Historically, about 50 percent of annual forage production can be removed through grazing. The remainder should be left behind to allow plants enough photosynthetic area to replace root carbohydrate reserves and to allow normal plant growth in subsequent growing seasons.

Carrying capacity, on the other hand, has some elasticity. It is the maximum stocking rate you can maintain without driving an undesirable compositional shift in forage plants on your pasture resource.

“A farmer or rancher who spends time thinking about carrying capacity is doing the most valuable, most important job on the ranch,” Dr. Olson said. “This is an exercise that is all about sustainably leveraging a ranch’s most valuable resource for greater levels of income. For example, the more we do to get rid of bare soil, the more that we do to stimulate forage growth, the more that we do to control animal distribution across a given grazing resource, the greater our carrying capacity becomes.”

Covering Bare Soil - Several solutions do exist for pasture management that will allow producers to get the most value from their forages. Dr. Olson said the first step producers should take is to get rid of bare soil where cattle congregate, where cattle are thermally comfortable, such as where they are exposed to breeze in the summertime,

where they can seek shade, or where they can be near water or mineral or some other feedstuff.

“Where cattle congregate, they can expose soil. That’s obvious. But there are things we tend to overlook that can be even more devastating. Cattle travel in habitual paths; it’s really common to see a trail in a pasture, and that represents bare soil. It also represents a perfect channel for water that’s moving with some velocity to flow and create soil loss.

It’s actually very simple in most climates to get those trailed areas to revegetate to get those areas where cattle congregate and create localized overgrazing areas.

It takes a little bit of electric fence and a little bit of patience,” Dr. Olson said.

He suggests that during the growing season is the best time to fence off some of the travel paths and other areas where cattle are comfortable for protection, and those bare soil areas will tend to revegetate fairly quickly.

Other Solutions for Lazy Bovine He further reminds us that beef cattle can be lazy and will stay in areas where they are comfortable or where preferred plants grow. That is why cross fencing, time controlled grazing, and varied placement of water, mineral, or supplements can be an important tool for improving range and pasture health.

“There is an old dogmatic adage in range management: ‘take half and leave half.’ The half you take gets converted to high quality protein for human consumption; the half you leave is left behind to maintain soil health, to allow the plant to continue to photosynthesize and regrow, and to maximize its storage of carbohydrates. That is what keeps the plant healthy,” Dr. Olson said.

“When you use cross fencing and timed controlled grazing, your ‘take half, leave half’ paradigm can safely become ‘take 60 percent, leave 40 percent’ because you’re building in rest for plants during the course of the grazing season. That is one key way to leverage your grazing resources for greater carrying capacity.”

There are simple things you can do to motivate animals to move to new unexplored areas. In addition to cross fencing, you can do it with water development, placing water in points and areas that are underutilized by cattle. You can vary the placement of the mineral feeder or any supplement you might be offering. When you move those things around, you motivate cattle to move around and change grazing distribution.

If you own or lease pastureland that has a secure perimeter fence and

established water sources, additional labor and equipment cost to establish electric cross fencing and allow periodic rest for forage plants can result, after a few years, in the chance to safely and sustainably increase stocking rates.

“As a beef producer, I love to see the slow, subtle change in my grasslands with the seasons. I get great joy out of checking fences, checking water, looking at my cattle, looking at my grass.

That’s what the job pays me in personal satisfaction. It would be hard for me to put a dollar value on the time I spend doing those things,” Dr. Olson said.

Taking care of the land so it can care for your livestock seems pretty simple.

Don’t overstock or under rest it. Follow the advice of Dr. Olson and that same land that your grandfather ran his cattle on will be there for future generations. For more information about caring for your land in a specific region, contact your university extension office or the conservation.

BioZyme Inc. Promotes Jessica Judge to Marketing Brand Manager.

With an unwavering work ethic and the love of a challenge, Jessica Judge has been

promoted to Marketing Brand Manager at BioZyme Inc., in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Judge, who started her tenure as the Sure Champ Marketing Intern at BioZyme in the Summer of 2018, was most recently a Marketing Brand Coordinator.

“It’s very exciting, and I’m really grateful to be involved with a company that believes in young people and challenges them to take on something new,” Judge said. “I enjoy a challenge and I’m very thankful to take on this new role.

I’ve had some very good mentors and some extremely good teammates that I know will be very helpful as I take on this new challenge. The opportunity to take on a bigger role and to work with others on our team is very exciting for me.”

As the Marketing Brand Manager, her priority is helping implement marketing brand strategies across all product lines on a national level, with a focus on the end user market. She will work closely with the Marketing Brand Team to facilitate the organization and daily functions of the team, including making sure the strategies for each brand are aligned with overall goals for the company. She will ensure

PUBLIC LANDS COUNCIL NEWS NCBA, PLC We l c o m e Finalization of Federal Rules Modernizing ESA Implementation.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) recently welcomed the finalization of federal rules to modernize implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

This package from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) consists of three rules which improve the manner in which those agencies administer the ESA. The rules address Sections 4, 4(d), and 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which deal with listing and critical habitat, threatened species protection, and interagency consultation, respectively.

“The ESA affects cattle producing families across the country,” said NCBA President Jennifer Houston.

“We are grateful to Secretary Bernhardt

and the staff at FWS and NMFS for bringing this long awaited regulatory relief to American cattle farmers and ranchers.”

“With these new rules, commonsense will once again be inserted into the ESA process,” added PLC President Bob Skinner. “Among other things, prioritizing critical habitat designations on occupied territory, streamlining the consultation process, and rolling back the ‘Blanket 4(d) Rule’ demonstrates that the agencies are reaffirming their commitment to both conserve sensitive species and safeguard rural economies.”

Barring court action, the rules package will officially take effect following a 30-day objection period.

NCBA and PLC Accepting Summer 2020 Policy Internship Applications. The Summer of 2019 is going to keep the mercury rising for a while longer, but it’s never too early to plan for next summer. That’s why the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands

metrics are in place to measure her team’s effectiveness and to ensure the marketing efforts are helping grow the bottom line at the end of the day.

In addition to having more insight and involvement as to what other brands are doing from a marketing strategy perspective, Judge will continue to focus specifically on the VitaFerm, Vita Charge, DuraFerm, and Sure Champ lines as she did in her previous role.

“Jessie has been a rising star in the BioZyme organization from the day she became an intern, and we are overwhelmingly pleased with her amazing professional growth. She has proven to be a self starter, taken initiative in the face of limited supervision, all while coaching her peers along the way.

She is a natural leader, and we are proud and humbled to have her as part of the BioZyme team,” said Kevin Hayes, Director of Outreach.

Judge is a California native and a 2018 graduate from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s in Animal Science with a concentration in Ag Business. While at OSU, she was a member of the National

Champion Livestock Judging Team and earned the high individual honor at the 2017 North American International Livestock Exposition. Her hobbies include spending time with family and attending livestock shows. ºTo learn more about BioZyme, 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, Mo., 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.

Council’s government affairs office in Washington, D.C., is already accepting internship applications for the Summer 2020 semester. Positions for next summer (mid-May - early August 2020) include a public policy intern and law clerk. The deadline to submit an application for either position is December 6, 2019.

The internships give college students the opportunity to work alongside staff on a range of issues that impact U.S. cattlemen and cattlewomen. The interns will work closely with the lobbying team on Capitol Hill and assist with NCBA and PLC’s regulatory efforts, providing college students a one-of-a-kind view into the policy making process.

Producer led and consumer focused, NCBA is the nation’s oldest and largest national organization representing America’s cattle producers. PLC is the only organization in Washington, D.C., dedicated solely to representing cattle and sheep ranchers that utilize federal lands.

The organizations work hand-in-hand on many issues, sharing office space in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Public Policy Intern - The public policy internship will give students an opportunity to learn about career options and provide practical experience. From tax and trade to environmental and food safety regulations, interns will work on a variety of issues and have the opportunity to work

specifically in the area of their interest.

College juniors, seniors, and graduate students are encouraged to apply.

Law Clerk - The law clerk will provide support to NCBA’s Environmental Counsel on issues relating to environmental legislation and regulations that impact beef producers. The position will also work closely with the Executive Director of the Public Lands Council on issues relating to Federal lands management, grazing, and the Endangered Species Act. To apply for the law clerk position, students must currently be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school.

How to Apply - Applications for the full time internship and law clerk positions will remain open until December 6, 2019. To apply for the public policy internship or law clerk position, visit www.beefusa.org/ opportunitiesforstudents.aspx.

About the Public Lands Council.

The Public Lands Council (PLC) represents public lands ranchers in Washington, D.C. Since 1968, PLC has worked with Congress and the federal land management agencies to maintain a stable business environment in which livestock producers can conserve the West and feed the nation and world. Visit www. publiclandscouncil.org to learn more.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 79

How Feedlot Respiratory Viruses Behave Respiratory disease in feedlot cattle is caused by a mixed bag of pathogens.

Notable among the viral pathogens are bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) which causes infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and parainfluenza-3 virus (PI 3V). It would probably be easier to manage bovine respiratory disease (BRD) caused by these viruses if they behaved the same way, but Mother Nature has given them unique attributes that challenge their prevention and control to this day.

John Ellis, DVM, PhD, Dipl.

ACVP, Dipl. ACVM, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, says there are more differences than there are commonalities between bovine respiratory viruses and how they interact with the immune system.

“That’s a potential problem in terms of expecting similar vaccine efficacy,” he says. “Just because a viral vaccine has all of the agents in it, that doesn’t mean the requirements for immunity are the same for each. Looking at commonalities, BRSV and PI3V are both paramyxo viruses, so they are somewhat related in terms of their genetic makeup and biology. But there are significant differences between those two paramyxo viruses in that BRSV really only infects epithelial cells, whereas PI 3V also affects macrophages and has potential immunosuppressive effects.”

BHV-1, on the other hand, infects epithelium cells, lymphoid cells and also nerve cells. Ellis also believes coronavirus is a big player as well.

BVDV is a conundrum when grouping it with respiratory pathogens. “To me, a respiratory pathogen infects the cells of the respiratory tract, those being pulmonary or airway epithelial cells and not just macrophages,” explains Ellis. “I left BVDV for last because very few data indicate that most BVDV isolates infect the respiratory epithelium, but it’s included because of its more systemic effects and it is often included as a respiratory pathogen.”

Dan Givens, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl.

ACT, Dipl. ACVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, argues that while the effects of an infection with BVDV are mainly systemic, because of timing of infection, challenges, and other stress factors, resulting pathology normally shows up in the respiratory tract.

“So while it’s not a respiratory pathogen, the timing of exposure causes BVDV to be closely associated with respiratory disease, and in some ways often a baseline etiology that might have started the whole shipwreck,” Givens

PAGE 80

notes. “For example, the decrease in white blood cells caused by BVDV might be a key precipitating factor in the susceptibility to stress and other pathogens resulting in the respiratory disease that you see. I think BVDV plays a significant role there, especially as we look at the timing, stress, and exposure to other pathogens. It’s pretty amazing when you look at some of the drops in the white blood cell counts we can see with different strains of BVDV by themselves.”

What’s different about BVDV, says Ellis, are some of the protective immune responses. “A mucosal IgA response is going to be very effective against BRSV, PI3V and coronavirus, whereas maybe not so much against BVDV. With BVDV a systemic response is probably more important.”

BRSV and the immune system There’s a school of thought that says BRSV associated disease is in large part mediated by IgE, Ellis says.

“Part of the confusion relates to the similarity in the pathology between allergic respiratory disease and some of the things we see in BRSV associated with respiratory disease, and I think that’s maybe where some of the confusion stems from.”

Ellis says a lot of the BRSV information is based on studies in mice.

“They can’t be infected to any extent with BRSV. But much of the literature on BRSV examines disease enhancement, often associated somehow with IgE and TH2 responses, which I think has really muddied the waters in bovine research.

That’s not to say that in individual cattle there’s not that going on. There is some IgE probably made in the course of virtually every immune response. It’s a question of how much of a role that actually plays in the pathogenesis in most cattle. I think close to zero.”

Ellis says a large part of the disease is actually the inflammatory response to the virus.

“The virus, when you really look at it, probably isn’t that pathogenic per se,” he says. “A lot of the disease is the body’s response to that pathogen. It’s being recognized that much of the disease associated with paramyxo viruses is actually due to the inflammatory response that they cause. There is a really nice paper recently out of Iowa State looking at the up-regulation of Cox-2 following PI3V and BRSV in the infection of lambs, so that fits into the whole idea that a lot of the disease we see in BRSV, and for that matter PI3V, is due to the inflammatory response, which is different from an IgE mediated hypersensitivity reaction. It’s more of an innate immune response that’s probably contributing to the disease.”

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

Because of that, Kelly Lechtenberg, DVM, Ph.D., of Midwest Veterinary Services in Oakland, Neb., believes we should try to manage inflammation associated with respiratory disease. “I think we’re obliged to manage it from an animal care perspective.” The same is true with bacterial pneumonia, he says. “I remain convinced that we can and should make cattle more comfortable if we can decrease inflammation associated with BRD.” Viremia can affect cattle feeding and ultimately gain. Do we want to lessen it or is it a useful process? Viremia is a good proxy for incidence of disease, Givens says, so we would probably desire to lessen it. “However, there are some situations where I look at a viremia as a good thing. A significant viremia at the right time in a calf with minimal stress is likely to produce the greatest immunity.

So do we desire to lessen viremia in the feedlot? To do that we need to increase immunity. If we can increase immunity to an adequate level, such as with BHV-1, well vaccinated cattle exposed to BHV-1 will still shed nasal BHV-1 when they’re challenged but they are not exhibiting disease and their viremia is lessened. To me that’s an example of how effective immunity is decreasing the viremia and creating a scenario where we’re not seeing disease, even though there still is some degree of viremia.”

How feedlot viruses spread - It’s important to understand how these feedlot respiratory viruses exist in the environment and how they infect cattle.

“As documented in the human literature, your grandmother was right, you get colds in the fall, and there’s probably a reason for that because of the humidity and the temperature affect the stability of the virus in the environment,” Ellis explains. “But it’s really difficult to approach experimentally.

Some of it has been done in humans.

Fomites are recognized as very important in the transmission of RSV and human parainfluenza virus, but it has not been very well examined in veterinary medicine.”

Ellis says the sneeze and breathing the virus into the lung is probably very important in the rate at which disease happens.

“In research, we generally aerosolize a very low dose of BRSV in a closed, contained area. It’s somewhat similar to what happens in transport of cattle, and you’ve seen the pictures of the sneeze and how that spreads out. We have taken more than a thousand times more BRSV and put it up the nose, the same isolate, the same lot, and get virtually nothing, which to me says that the aerosolization of the virus and breathing it deep into the lung is important; maybe those are the animals

that get clinically ill.”

He adds that the reason for that might be that the micro-anatomy that prevents pathogens from getting into the lung is overridden in those cases. “I think those kinds of biophysical aspects are really difficult to measure but ultimately they are very important in transmission and the efficacy of transmission.”

Relatively speaking, cattle lungs are small for their body and as they get older that disparity becomes bigger.

“So anything that puts a stress on an already over compromised pulmonary system (such as a poor environment) is going to contribute to breathing pathogens down deeper into the lung,” Ellis says.

“It’s actually overriding the anatomical protection. Anything that does that is going to have a tendency to enhance transmission.”

Viral shedding is enhanced by close proximity, Lechtenberg says.

“Cattle coughing across a fence is probably adequate for horizontal transfer.

We can provide 500 square foot per head, but if it’s 100ºF with 95 percent humidity and you’ve got sprinklers, your effective pen density is just under ‘crawl on top of the next guy,” it’s just too hot and that’s the effective density that all of these deep breathing, ‘sucking-in-air-as-fast-as-theycan” cattle are going to experience for that period of time. That period of time might run from noon until 6:00 p.m., with just a little bit of pushing and shoving to see who’s going to get closest to the sprinkler.”

Exposure to viruses at the feedlot is clearly there, notes Shawn Blood, DVM, of Hitch Consulting Service in Guymon, Oklahoma. “We have no idea, looking at the cattle clinically, what that is, the amount of it, how long it lasts, etc. We know we’re going to have that natural exposure and we’re still going to use our core vaccination program.”

“My knee jerk response is that we’d want to minimize natural exposure at the feedlot the best we possibly can,” Lechtenberg adds. “We’ve got a bed pack farm that accounts for about 15–20 percent of our production and we poured 5-foot high concrete walls in that when we built it. One of the mistakes we made was we didn’t pour them 8 feet high.

Once we get a group of cattle brought in commingled, basically they are 300 head pens. We like to do everything we possibly can do to minimize the exposure of those cattle to any other cattle to the point where we’ve got an in-pen treatment system, where we actually treat those cattle in the pen, and we don’t share tanks. We don’t have enough numbers to know if we’re making a difference but there are certain things that we do that

you just intuitively know you’re doing the right thing.”

Lechtenberg says it can be done in the feedlot with double fencing and other management, and the virus shed risk in our hospital environments needs to be recognized.

“In our research application, it’s amazing how much biosecurity we can create simply by having an empty pen between groups of calves that are challenged and not challenged,” Lechtenberg adds. “We raise a lot of colostrum-deprived baby calves in huts and we’ve got feedlot cattle from numerous source farms at any given time within about 75 feet of these fragile calves. It is amazing how well we can maintain serologically negative calves during all weather conditions, despite that fact that feedlots have inherent risk factors such as flies, wind, and dust. If our crew does common things uncommonly well, we can make difference with respect to biosecurity.”

These common practices include changing gloves, boots and coveralls to minimize the chance of becoming the

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biological vector in the transmission of disease causing organisms in Lechtenberg’s unique situation. Common practices that can be considered in a feedlot production viral break include minimizing hospital pen mixing, consideration of shared fence lines and water tanks with respect to new cattle coming in. “This experience makes me realize that we may be able to more to minimize horizontal transmission during an epidemic between pens of cattle in our production settings,” Lechtenberg says.

It’s easy to see how viruses are passed around in a commingled, highdensity feedlot situation, but how are they maintained in the cowherd? That’s one of the “$64,000 questions” with PI3V and BRSV, Ellis says.

“Work in The Netherlands indicates that it’s probably not cow-to-cow transmission of acute infection that maintains it. It’s more likely to be persistent, not in the same way that BVDV is, but persistent within the individual animals. There are carrier

NEWS

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animals, but how that happens is unresolved. The cow-to-cow transmission that you think happens with most acute viral infections doesn’t really explain how BRSV is maintained in a herd, and that’s probably the same for PI3V.” Ellis doesn’t think the term “latent” describes this. “I wouldn’t use the term latent, or even persistence, which for most people implies immunological tolerance. I don’t know what term to use aside from maybe ‘carrier animals’.”

What can fevers tell you? The fever process can be misleading on a number of fronts. Cattle with fevers don’t necessarily look sick. Blood did some work with thermometer ear tags and consistently saw cattle with fevers of 105-107ºF fevers, but when the cowboys rode the pens they couldn’t identify those cattle. “They looked clinically normal,” he says. “It’s an interesting observation that the fever is not the depressing agent, it’s something else in the disease process such as toxemia.”

Calvin Booker, DVM, of Feedlot Health Management Services in Okotoks,

Alberta, agrees. “That would be consistent with our experience when we’ve temped a lot of cattle over the years. In the absence of abnormal clinical signs, rectal temperature by itself is not a very good predictor of risk or outcome. In the presence of abnormal clinical signs, especially with evidence of depression, rectal temperature has a really good relationship with what the subsequent outcome is going to be.”

Booker notes that there are probably a lot of things that cause rectal temperature fluctuations that aren’t infection related, such as 99ºF heat in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, especially with black hided cattle, for example.

Another confounder is disease caused by multiple pathogens. “The overlay of multiple pathogens in an experimental setting is very interesting, Givens says. “In work by Paul Walz and others, we see those high fevers when we’re looking at a pure viral infection, but

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Brookside-Agra.com or contact Chad Vaninger, General Manager, at 618-628-8300 Ext. 23 or chadv@ brookside-agra.com.

The Carolina Cattle Connection

Continued on the next page

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 81

How Feedlot Respiratory Viruses Behave continued from page the previous page if we overlay an endotoxemia on top of a viral infection, that’s when we start seeing the severe depression. We also see temps go down dramatically. It is experimental and not real world, but it’s very surprising to me when you overlay an endotoxemia on top of a viral infection you’ll push that fever down back to normal temperatures but the calf looks tremendously worse. With a viral infection alone, it can be standing up, eating, with a tremendously high fever and maybe a little bit depressed; with a viral infection and endotoxemia, it’s down and showing you signs of severe depression but the temp is normal. Multiple etiologies end up with some interesting disconnects between fever and depression.”

Environment can maintain viruses - As with every living organism, viruses can be susceptible to fluctuations in the environment. John Ellis, DVM, Ph.D., says there have been years where it’s been a mild fall in Canada and there seems to be much more BRSV in the calf population.

“BRSV tends to occur in the fall because it’s damp and not as sunny. Viruses don’t

Zoetis Establishes Research Lab at Colorado State University to Explore Immunotherapies for Livestock. Zoetis targets livestock immunotherapies as alternatives to antibiotics R&D incubator lab at CSU brings livestock health research, jobs to Fort Collins. Zoetis has signed an agreement with Colorado State University (CSU) to establish a research lab at CSU that will explore the livestock immune system and target new immunotherapies. The agreement is intended to pave the way for new alternatives to antibiotics in food producing animals. The new 3,000 sq. ft. Zoetis Incubator Research Lab will operate at the Research Innovation Center on CSU’s Foothills Campus starting in early 2020.

In this landmark R&D collaboration, Zoetis scientists will be co-located with CSU’s highly skilled scientists, core laboratories, research programs, and services to seed innovations for livestock animal health. While the Zoetis Incubator Research Lab will reside within CSU’s Research Innovation Center, it

PAGE 82

like ultraviolet light, either, so it’s cloudy and damp, and that’s when the virus seems to last longer in the environment.”

Kelly Lechtenberg, DVM, Ph.D., says respiratory disease can be associated with many situations but stressful environments such as cold, rainy weather are certainly predisposing factors.

“We can also have respiratory disease when we get the hot, dusty conditions. I think anything that’s stressful enough to where it’s immunosuppressive can lead us on a path to what we diagnose as BRD. Prolonged cold, wet conditions or hot, dusty conditions result in animals that for one reason or another aren’t finding it easy to get to the bunk, they’ve got some issues that are going to predispose them.”

Calvin Booker, DVM, says somewhere between 30-70ºF and dry is an ideal climate with lower disease pressure.

“We get that kind of weather from about the beginning of September to all the way through to December 1. There’s generally pretty good fall weather where the vast majority of the feeding industry

is located in southern Alberta. We get it again in the spring from the end of March through to the first week in June.”

Booker doesn’t see a lot of general respiratory problems in the spring, but one disease that does show up from time to time during the winter is IBR. “The IBR outbreaks that we’ve seen at the pen level or feedlot level in the last 20 years have all occurred in December, January, and February.”

Booker says there are a couple major confounders at that time.

“One is we’ve got huge calf placements in the fall and those time frames (December-February) tend to be when we get to 90, 100, 120 days on feed, which in theory, if you haven’t revaccinated, you’re going to get a population that’s at a higher risk of IBR.” It’s also a time generally associated with more crowding of cattle within the pen because it’s colder at that time of year. Cattle spend more time on the bedding pack and more time up against the wind shelter fences if the wind’s blowing. “I don’t know if that

affects the transmission dynamics within the pen or not, but it would seem to me that it probably does because our effective pen density is much smaller at that time of the year and this becomes important if we have an outbreak going on.”

Hot weather can exacerbate disease transmission because the heat puts stress on the respiratory system, says Ellis.

“If want to make disease, not just grow viruses, we definitely want to make it warm or even hot.”

The heat is an issue starting cattle in places like Oklahoma, says Shawn Blood, DVM. “We see some pretty profound decreases in consumption across the feedyard when it gets to those 100’F days. Another factor in there is wind. We usually always have a lot of wind, but there’s usually a day or two in there that the wind will be less than 20 mph.”

This information is from a Bovine Veterinarian roundtable sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health and moderated by Jessica Laurin, DVM, Marion, Kansas.

NEWS

for veterinary use only and novel, nonantibiotic, anti-infective treatments like those being pursued through the Zoetis Incubator Research Lab. Going where the science is - As part of the new lab, Zoetis expects to hire up to 20 livestock research scientists, immunologists, and cell biologists in Fort Collins beginning this fall.

“Zoetis is committed to continuous innovation and going where the science is. CSU is at the forefront of infectious disease innovation and animal health research in a vibrant biotech community, making it the ideal environment for our Incubator Research Lab,” said Chad Ray, senior director of Global Therapeutics Research for Zoetis.

For CSU, Goodrich added that the strategic new lab will provide multiple benefits for the campus community and the city of Fort Collins. It also bolsters CSU’s land grant mission, which includes setting the standard for public research universities in teaching, research, service, and extension for the benefit of the citizens of Colorado, the United States, and the world.

“The success of our efforts will have the potential to translate into products and services that may greatly improve the health and well being of farm animals and our agricultural communities,” he said.

About the CSU Research Innovation Center. The Research Innovation Center

at CSU is a life science company accelerator and is home to several startup companies with roots at the university, including SiVEC Biotechnologies LLC, which is developing antiviral applications for the rapid treatment and prevention of avian influenza. The center was originally designed to foster collaborations between private industry and CSU’s academic community. Learn more about the Research Innovation Center at www. research.colostate.edu/idrc/researchinnovation-center.

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.

will be part of the company’s global R&D organization. As a result, Zoetis may access a greater understanding of the livestock immune system, generating new candidates for further research and development. The initial focus of the Incubator Research Lab will be biotherapeutics for cattle, which could yield broader implications for pigs and poultry.

“Our agreement with Zoetis represents the beginning of an era of collaboration, cooperation, and innovation between public and private research leaders, all in the interest of improving animal health,” said Ray Goodrich, executive director of the Infectious Disease Research Center and a professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology at CSU. With few alternatives today for treating life threatening bacterial infections in animals, Zoetis supports the responsible use of antibiotic medicines in animals and in people, while ensuring veterinarians and livestock producers have new and enhanced solutions to better predict, prevent, detect, and treat disease in the animals under their care.

These include new classes of antibiotics

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

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williammcleod@ftc-i.net • www.blackcrestfarm.com

Walter D. Shealy III and Family

20977 US Hwy 76 • Newberry, SC 29108 Walter Shealy • 803-924-1000 Dixon Shealy • 803-629-1174 walter@blackgrove.com • dixon@blackgrove.com www.blackgrove.com

“Cattle with Something Extra”

#1, #2, #4, #7 Indexing Bulls • #1, #3, #4, #9 ADG Bulls

Keith & Pat Hawkins

2534 Howell’s Ferry Rd. • Hickory Grove, SC 29717 Email: khdenali@comporium. net • Cell: 803-230-1598

SPRINGFIELD ANGUS 104 Springfield Lane Louisburg, NC 27549

Phil Goodson: 919-880-9062 Rick Kern: 919-272-6124

RICHARD KIRKMAN, DVM 20416 US 64 West Siler City, NC 27344-0350

919-742-5500 • rdkirkman@centurylink.net

Carl R. Smith 2205 Finch Farm Rd. Trinity, NC 27370 336.475.1279

519 Morgan Mill Rd., Monroe, NC 28112 704-289-5083 • 704-289-1696 • 800-222-8638

Autryville, NC 28318 www.howardbrosfarms.com

Darryl Howard Cell: 910-990-2791

SENEPOL CATTLE FOR SALE Black & Red Available

Great for grass programs!

Heat Tolerant • Calving Ease Gentle Natured • Tender Carcass

H.J. WHITE FARMS

PO Box 215 • Bladenboro, NC 28320 910-648-6171 (day) • 910-863-3170 (night)

Let this space make $$$ for YOU !!!

Authorized Dealer

smithfarmtrailers@yahoo.com

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

INSURANCE AUTO • HOME • LIFE BUSINESS • FARM & RANCH

803-789-7000

SEXED SEMEN

The Josey Agency, Inc. Douglas Josey

Authorized Representative

Multi-Line Agent

Phone: 252-257-2140 Mobile: 252-430-9595 ®

2610 Kee Moore Drive Chester, SC 29706

On Your Side®

James S. Wills

555 West Church Street Batesburg, SC 29006

Inc. / Auctioneers

®

Agribusiness Primary Agent/Owner Master Farm Certified

3200 NC Hwy. 58 • Warrenton, NC 27589 NCAL #1468 • NC#C#4264 • VAL #146 • SCAL #3895 Email: ebharris@ebharris.com www.ebharris.com

OF

Cell: 803-385-8161 Email: djosey@truvista.net

Nationwide

AUCTIONEERING

I NDEX

For more information 803-645-3642

November 29, 2019 • 2:00 p.m.

TRAILER SALES

trailers • truck bodies • tool boxes

Carolinas Animal Health, LLC

Ask us about how our cattle perform and our “out of the box” formed genetic pool.

2013 Edisto Bull Test

426 Brier Patch Lane Warrenville, SC 29851

at the Alamance County Cattlemen’s Sale Facility

SMITH FARM

Jim Traynham Wingate, N.C. 704-233-5366 Cell - 704-292-4217

Brent Glenn, DVM Lancaster, S.C.

Ernest B. Harris President

* Registered Angus Cattle *

Tarheel Angus “Black Friday” Sale

C. A. H.

* Located in Greensboro, N.C. -- Serving North and South Carolina*

F. Ha niff Farms

• Performance Tested • Ultrasound and 50K Evaluated • Registered Angus Bulls

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

336-382-9635 • bkherefords@gmail.com

BLACK GROVE Breeding Registered Angus since 1962

A NIMAL HEALTH

Telephone: 800-557-3390 Cell: 864-554-4658 Fax: 803-532-0615 willsj1@nationwide.com

A DVERTISERS

11th Annual SimAngus Solution Bull & Replacement Female Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..….... 26 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 50 2019 Feeder Calf Sale Schedule …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 72 2019 Regenerative Agricultural Summit …..…..…..…..…..….. 11 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale …... 51 8th Annual Southeast Bull Expo and Sale …..…..…..…..…..…. 40 Alltech ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 69 American Angus Association ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 38 American National Insurance — The Josey Agency …..…..…. 83 Back Creek Angus ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 83 Beef Maker Bull & Female Sale — Fall Edition ….…..…..….... 48 BioZyme Incorporated — VitaCharge ….…..…..…..…..…..…... 73 Black Crest Farm …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 83 Black Grove Angus …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..… 83 Black Lick Cattle Company 12th Annual Commercial Bred Heifer Sale …..…..…..…..... 32 C-Cross Cattle Company Bull & Female Production Sale ….... 31 Carolinas Animal Health …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 83 Chadbourn Feed’s Fall Cattle Field Day ….…..…..…..…..…..….. 9 Circle F Farms 2019 Fall Production Sale …..…..…..…..…..…. 61 Conquest Insurance Agency, Inc. …..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 14 Double J Farms — Cattle For Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 47 Dura•Cast …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 78 E.B. Harris Auctioneers, Inc. ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 83 EBS Farms Select Bull & Female Sale ….…..…..…..…..…..….... 34 F. Haniff Farms …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 83 Forrest Polled Herefords 16th Production Sale …..…..…..….... 49 FPL Food, LLC …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 67 Fred Smith Company Ranch 3rd Extra Effort Sale ….…..…...... 23 Gallagher — Miraco ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 8 Gibbs Farms 14th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale …..…..…..... 25 GMC Farms First Female Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 36 H.J. White Farms ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 83 Harward Sisters Bull & Female Sale ……..…..…..…..…..…...... 64 Hawk’s Nest Ranch ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..... 83 Howard Brothers Farms ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 83 Hunt’s H+ Brangus ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 83 Hutton & Sons Herefords ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 83 International Brangus Breeders Association ….…..…..…..…. 62 John Deere ……..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 77 Kuhn Knight ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 24

Martin Family Farms Dispersal Sale …..…..…..…..…..…....….. 44 MultiMin USA ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….......…..….... 42 N.C. Angus Association Directory ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 33 N.C. Cattlemen’s Association Membership Application …... 68 N.C. Hereford Association …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 46 N.C. Simmental Association Directory ….…..…..…..…..…..…. 22 National Beef Checkoff/ North Carolina Cattle Industry Assessment …..…..…..….. 13 Pasture Management Systems, Inc. …..…..…..…..…..…..…..... 16 Pearson Livestock Equipment ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 6 Red Angus Association of the Carolinas Directory …..…..….. 53 Rusty Thomson & Family Cattle Fencing and Equipment ….. 30 Santa Gertrudis Breeders International …..…..…..…..…..…..... 7 Shrader Farms First Annual “F1 Baldy Bonanza” ….…..…..... 45 Smith Farm Trailer Sales …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 83 South Carolina Private Treaty Sale Checkoff Investment Form …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 20 Southeast AgriSeeds …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 15 Southeast Brangus Breeders Association Showcase Sale ….. 63 Southeast Livestock Exchange — Upcoming Sale Schedule …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…. 70 Southern States …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 55 Springfield Angus …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 83 Springfield Angus Bull Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 41 ST Genetics — Bill Kirkman …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…...... 83 Tarheel Angus — ‘Black Friday’ Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..….... 83 The Carolina Cattle Connection 2019 Spotlight Schedule ….. 21 The Carolina Cattle Connection — Advertising Rates and Sizes …..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 18 The Carolina Cattle Connection Rate Card No. 9 ….…...…...... 75 The Partners Sale ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 39 The Wax Company — Marshall Ryegrass …..…..…..…..…..….. 43 The Wax Company — Nelson Tetraploid Annual Ryegrass …... 2 UItralyx ….…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 10 Union County Cattlemen’s Association March Madness Replacement Female & Bull Sale …..…... 19 Virginia Herd Health Management Services — Pat Comyn, DVM …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 17 West End Precast — Feed Bunks …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 3 Whitehall Beefmasters …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….... 83 Whitestone Brand of Quality Angus Sale …..…..…..…..…..….. 35 Wilkes Livestock Exchange …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..….. 71 Yon Family Farms Fall Sale …..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…..…... 37

The Carolina Cattle Connection

q SEPTEMBER 2019

PAGE 83

VENTS ANGUS Sep. 28 — N.C. Angus Association Field Day, Olin, N.C. 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 — Whitestone Brand of Quality Angus Sale, Aldie, 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. Oct. 28 — GMC Farms First Female Sale, Frazier’s Bottom, W.Va. Nov. 2 — NCAA 2019 Down East Sale, Beulaville, N.C. Nov. 9 — C-Cross Cattle Company Bull & Female Production Sale, Biscoe, N.C. Nov. 16 — 8th Annual Southeast Bull Expo & Sale, Clinton, N.C. Nov. 16 — 11th Annual SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C. Nov. 16 — Southeast Bull & Expo Sale, Clinton, 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 — 44th Annual Union County Performance Tested Bull Sale, Monroe, N.C. Dec. 14 — Springfield Angus Bull Sale, Louisburg, 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. brahman Oct. 12 — Circle F Farms Production Sale, Baxley, Ga. brangus Sep. 28 — Southeast Brangus Breeders Association Showcase Sale, Brundidge, Ala. Oct. 19 — L.G. Herndon, Jr. Farms Best of the South Private Treaty Field Day Sale, Lyons, Ga.

IGHTER A tiger was walking through the jungle one day and saw two men relaxing under a tree. One was reading a newspaper, and the other was working feverishly on a manual typewriter.

The tiger leapt on the man with the newspaper, and ate him up. The tiger did not bother the other man at all. That’s because any predator knows that readers digest but writers cramp. * * * A man goes into a bar with his dog.

He goes up to the bar and asks for a drink. ]The bartender says “You can’t bring that dog in here!” The guy, without missing a beat, says, “This is my seeing eye dog.”

“Oh man,” the bartender says, “I’m sorry. Here, the first one’s on me.” The man takes his drink and goes to a table near the door.

Another guy walks into the bar with a Chihuahua. The first guy sees him, stops him and says, “You can’t bring that dog in here unless you tell him it’s a seeing eye dog.”

The second man graciously thanks the first man and continues to the bar. He asks

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for a drink. The bartender says, “Hey, you can’t bring that dog in here!”

The second man replies, “This is my seeing eye dog.” The bartender says, “No, I don’t think so. They do not have Chihuahuas as seeing eye dogs.”

The man pauses for a half second and replies, “What??! They gave me a Chihuahua??!” *

*

*

Three friends die in a car accident, and they go to an orientation in Heaven.

They are all asked, “When you are in your casket and friends and family are talking about you, what would you like them to say?

The first guy says,”I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time and a great family man.”

The second guy says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow.”

The last guy replies, “I would like to hear them say, “LOOK...HE’S MOVING!”

The Carolina Cattle Connection q SEPTEMBER 2019

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. 9 — C-Cross Cattle Company Bull & Female Production Sale, Biscoe, 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. 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. 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 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 Sep. 28 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas Annual Field Day, Raeford, N.C. 2020 May 8-9 — Santa Gertrudis Breeders of the Carolinas 47th Annual Sale, Chester, S.C. SIMMENTAL Sep. 6 — N.C. Simmental Association Annual Meeting, Union Grove, N.C. Sep. 7 — N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale, Union Grove, N.C. Oct. 12 — 2019 Edisto Forage Bull Test Sale, Blackville, S.C. Oct. 26 — Fred Smith Company Ranch Extra Effort Sale, Clayton, N.C. Oct. 26 — Yon Family Farms Fall Sale, Ridge Spring, S.C. Nov. 9 — Gibbs Farms 14th Annual Bull & Replacement Female Sale, Ranburne, Ala. Nov. 16 — 11th Annual SimAngus Solution Sale, Burlington, N.C.

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 Sep. 3 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Sep. 4 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction Sep. 5 — Value Added BQA Weaned Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 12 — Chadbourne Feed’s Fall Cattle Field Day, Lumberton, N.C. Sep. 12 — Feeder Calf Sale, Norwood, N.C. Sep. 14 — Gill-Starr Farms Heifer Sale, Starr, S.C. Sep. 14 — N.C. State University Beef System Field Day, Raleigh, N.C. Sept. 26-28 — 2019 Regenerative Agricultural Summit, Greeneville, Tenn.

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. 19 — Black Lick Cattle Company 12th Annual Commercial Bred Heifer Sale, Rural Retreat, Va. Nov. 5 — Southeast Livestock Exchange Video Auction Nov. 6 — Mid-Atlantic Cattle Sales Video Auction 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. 2020 Jan. 4 — EBS Select Bull & Heifer Sale, Norwood, N.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.