Volume 32 Number 38 • January 16, 2021
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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Thin cow management during winter months discussed.......... ...................................... Page 6 Feeding moldy hay can put livestock at risk.............. Page 8 Test your knowledge with this month’s crossword puzzle......... ...................................... Page 9
Producers should keep efficient cow costs in mind “The average cow cost in the late 80s and early 90s was about $365 each year,” says Ranch Economics Practitioner with the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management Stan Bevers during a Jan. 5 University of Nebraska-Lincoln
(UNL) Beefwatch podcast, hosted by UNL Beef Extension Educator Aaron Berger. “Today, my clients’ average cow cost is $956 per cow each year. How in the world did annual cow cost get from $365 to $950 in a matter of 30
years?” Bevers shares major pitfalls of raising cattle are maximum productivity limitations and rising costs. While margins are tightening for cattle producers, typically, managing cow costs can help in the
highly capitalized business. Three major costs “Typically, the first of the top three costs will be labor and management involved in raising cattle,” Bevers notes. Second is the depreciation Please see COSTS on page 5
Tree care myths debunked by Wyoming expert.......... Page 13
Quick Bits Runoff Update Spring runoff volumes for Wyoming are expected to be around 80% of normal. The state still has two to three months of snow production for basins west of the Continental Divide as well as the spring months to see what happens across basins east of the Continental Divide. The new water year began with very dry antecedent soil moisture conditions, so initial runoff flows could be lower due to infiltration and percolation into the very dry soil profiles.
Spring calving preparations Spring calving operations can start preparing for calving season now One of the busiest times of the year is quickly approaching for producers with spring calving herds, and as the season grows ever nearer, Dr. Gregg Hanzlicek, director of production animal field investigations at the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, notes there are a few practices producers should keep in mind to help them be successful. During a recent episode of KSU’s Agriculture Today podcast, Hanzlicek offered suggestions on how to prepare cows for the upcoming spring calving season.
Late-term nutrition One of the most important aspects of a successful calving season is proper late-term nutritional management. “During the last trimester, tissues such as the fetus, placenta, uterus and udder are growing very rapidly. At the same time, a cow’s ability to eat is decreasing because as their calf is getting bigger, the rumen has less room,” explains Hanzlicek. “Also, in the third trimester, the metabolic demands on Please see CALVING on page 7
SWE Update Snowpack and snow water equivalent (SWE) averages are still generally below average along many Wyoming basins for this time of year. Many basins had small decreases in snowpack and SWE in the past week with only a few basins having small SWE increases.
APHIS Data The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is posting it’s Fiscal Year 2020 enforcement activity summary data, which provides information about enforcement efforts in the areas of biotechnology, agricultural quarantine inspection, animal and plant health, animal welfare and horse protection. The Fiscal Year 2020 data is available at aphis.usda.gov.
Finance Class University of Wyoming (UW) Extension is offering a free, five-session online class to learn about personal finances, held on Tuesdays, Feb. 9 through March 9 at noon. Topics include financial basics, managing money, investing, retirement and insurance and life events. To register and for information about the classes, visit moneytalkwyo.eventbrite. com or call 307-733-3087.
Ready in advance – Despite knowing the exact date calves start hitting the ground in spring, producers should be ready in advance. Hannah Bugas photo
Predator control ASI provides nonlethal predator control research updates “Sheep producers across the U.S. and worldwide deal with a litany of challenges, and one of those challenges, which has remained a constant thorn in the side of sheep producers throughout history, is predator control,” states Jake Thorne, host of the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) Research Update podcast. In the November and December episodes of the podcast, Thorne sits down with Dr. John Tomececk of Texas A&M University and Dan Macon of the University of California Cooperative Extension for a two part series on lethal and nonlethal predator control research projects. The first episode of the series focuses on nonlethal predator control. Coyote territories Tomececk begins the discussion by explaining some of his current research, which looks at how and why predator territories are established. “Essentially, producers usually have some traditional knowledge about predator territories. But, I caution folks in the West because they like to lump their knowledge about coyote territories with their knowledge about wolves, and they are not the same,” he states. Please see ASI on page 19
Governor addresses issues Gov. Mark Gordon addressed the leadership and members of the 66th Wyoming Legislature during the one-day virtual legislative meeting Jan. 12. The ongoing pandemic, energy issues and considerations for a reduced budget were emphasized in his speech. COVID-19 pandemic Wyoming has been resilient in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, said Gordon. Although precautions have continued, Wyoming saw record levels of business for those involved in tourism, and hunting and fishing remained at near-record levels. “Beyond the significant drought throughout much of the state, agriculture faced daunting challenges this year,” said Gordon. “But, as always, our farmers and ranchers were able to persevere through their skill and determination.” He continued, “Wool growers and meat processors in particular had to deal with the pandemic’s extraordinary impact on markets and their workers. But, their difficult experience has given us some good ideas to potentially help support and expand these important industries.” Gordon explained the state of Wyoming secured $1.25 billion of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding and delivered nearly all of it to small businesses, schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals, first responders, local governments and communities. “Because of all the aid and incredible effort, we find ourselves on much more solid footing than other states Please see GORDON on page 13
2020 sheep and goat markets varied Disruptions caused by COVID19 had varying effects on U.S. markets across the board, especially in the agriculture industry, and sheep and goats are a prime example. While the U.S. sheep industry saw a price rollercoaster, the lowest storage values in several years and the closing of one processing plant, followed by the opening of another, goat markets saw little negative effect from COVID-19 disruptions. Sheep markets In the U.S., two of the largest lamb markets are restaurant sales and the Easter holiday and the worldwide pandemic had a negative impact on both.
“After starting out above 2019 prices, 2020 prices were trending above the fiveyear average and seemed to be growing stronger until March,” explains an article co-authored by Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Texas A&M University. Then, according to the two institutions, prices for 60 to 90 pound feeder lambs in a three-market average including Colorado, Texas and South Dakota, saw a 35.2 percent decline from March to April, which plummeted prices to an annual low of $1.57 per pound. OSU and Texas A&M note lamb prices remained low throughout the
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Please see MARKETS on page 9