March 23, 2019

Volume 30 Number 47 • March 23, 2019

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The Weekly News Source for Wyoming’s Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net

A Look Inside Grazing plans require understanding of supply and demand, says Stam. . . . . . . . . . . Page A5 Bull sales are in full swing, and results are being reported from around the region. . Pages A8-9 Mark McCully looks at the cost of improving beef quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page B2

Industrial hemp production discussions begin in Wyo Gov. Mark Gordon signed House Bill 171/House Enrolled Act 110 following the General Session of the Wyoming Legislature this year, and since then, activity related to hemp has geared up in Wyoming.

In the wake of the bill,

Lynn Harlan shares her experiences talking with sheep shearers around the world. . . Page B6

the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) continues to develop a plan, rules, a fee schedule, applications and other necessary documents to implement a regulatory program for industrial hemp.

WDA began working on these documents during the session.

“With the signing of HB 171/HEA 110, WDA had 30 days to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to request delegated authority for the regulation of industrial hemp,” says WDA. “With the passage of the

2018 Farm Bill and the work of the legislature throughout the session, we have been working hard on the industrial hemp program to make sure we are ready when the time comes to implement a program here in Wyoming,” said Please see HEMP on page A7

BUILDING THE BEST

Sunny Okanogan Angus continues traditions of high-quality bulls

Wolf Comment

Omak, Wash. – In 1961, the Vejraska family launched Sunny Okanogan Angus, and for the last 46 years, they’ve sent bulls to Midland Bull Test for performance testing.

Lou and Elda Vejraska started the operation with the purchase of a few Angus cattle, and Sunny Okanogan Angus has flourished since then.

“Sunny Okanogan Angus Ranch is a runaway 4-H project,” explains Craig Vejraska, Lou and Elda’s son. “I started raising a few Angus cattle after

Red Meat

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.17 billion pounds in February, up 3% from the 4.06 billion pounds produced in February 2018.

Beef production, at 1.99 billion pounds, was slightly above the previous year.

Cattle slaughter totaled 2.45 million head, up 2% from February 2018. The average live weight was down 16 pounds from the previous year, at 1,352 pounds.

Fire Law

A new federal law aims to protect wildland firefighters by requiring agencies to outfit crews with GPS locators and deploy drones to scout and map blazes. The Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) was signed by President Donald Trump last week after sailing through both chambers of Congress with large majorities.

Tariff Report

A new study shows tariffs impacting U.S. equipment manufacturers will cost the U.S. GDP $29 billion a year for 10 years, or $290 billion total, if continued. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) funded and coordinated the release this week of a new report showing the impact of tariffs on the equipment manufacturing industry and the broader U.S. economy.

talking to my relatives in the Midwest and Nebraska who all had Angus.”

What started as a few purebred heifers for 4-H quickly grew into Vejraska’s career, and his family continues to raise high-quality bulls today.

“We’re in north-central Washington, 30 miles south of the Canadian border,” he says. “We’re in a dry part of the state with an annual rainfall of six to 10 inches – and we see six inches more than we see Please see BULLS on page A14

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Vejraska family - The Vejraska family’s tradition of raising cattle extends back many generations, but Craig Vejraska and his parents started the registered operation in the 1960s with the purchase of a few registered cows for a 4-H project. Today, Craig and his wife, his sons Scott and Todd and their families run Sunny Okanogan Angus in Omak, Wash. Courtesy photo

Blizzard impacts rise Early estimates show the blizzards the week of March 11 and flooding may impact the agriculture industry in Nebraska to the tune of nearly $1 billion.

AgriTalk’s Chip Flory said, however, that real impacts will be tough to estimate for the next several weeks.

“The Platte River got wider and deeper than it’s ever been,” says Flory. “When we think of the amount of timber, pasture and Platte River ground that supports the cowherd out in Nebraska, it’s really concerning.”

He adds, “I think it’s going to be pretty eye-popping when the numbers all come together,” says Flory.

Nebraska Cattlemen is working to assist cattle producers impacted by natural disasters by launching a new disaster relief fund. One hundred percent of all donations received will be distributed to Nebraska cattle producers affected by natural disasters, including recent wet weather events. Anyone wishing to donate hay, feed stuffs, fencing materials, volunteer help or equipment or producers seeking assistance should call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 800-831-0550.

Additionally, monetary donations can be made for the relief effort through the Nebraska Cattlemen. Make the check payable to the Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund and mail it to 4611 Cattle Drive, Lincoln, NE 68521.

Donations to the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation can be mailed to P.O. Box 80299, Lincoln, NE 68501-0299. Donations to NFB also can be made online at nefbfoundation.org.

Anyone who has information about where to send donations are asked to e-mail roundup@wylr.net. We will continue to post updates on where to send support on our Facebook page at facebook.com/wyolivestockroundup.

Importance of water Monitoring water quality is critical in cattle production

Quick Bits The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday said it will publish its plan to remove federal protections for wolves in the Federal Register on Friday, giving the public until mid-May to comment on the proposal. The plan, first promised last June and announced again last week, would have the most impact on Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan where established populations of wolves currently exist but where a court order has retained Endangered Species Act Protections for them.

Photo by Madeline Robinson, Lucky Lyn Photography

“Water is the most undervalued and forgotten about nutrient when it comes to livestock,” said Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture Livestock Specialist Leah Clark.

Clark was featured in a Canadian Beef Cattle Research Council webinar titled “What’s in your water? Water quality and the economics of pump systems.”

Importance of water “Water is the most important essential nutrient for the biological function of animals,” Clark said. “Water intake and quality will affect feed intake, absorption of other nutrients, general health, weight gain, milk production and productivity.”

Clark noted limiting the availability of water to cattle will depress production rapidly and severely because there is a direct relation between feed and water intake.

“Poor quality drinking water is often a limiting factor of feed intake and ultimately weight gains,” according to Clark. “There are a lot of factors that can affect the safety and palPlease see WATER on page A10

Coccidiosis presents health challenge Coccidiosis is an intestinal disease is caused by protozoa, picked up by the calf from the environment. Most cattle have encountered these protozoa and have developed some immunity but may continue to shed a few oocysts – the egg form of the protozoa – in their feces, which can then contaminate feed or water.

Calves are most vulnerable to this disease because they don’t yet have much immunity, and if they ingest a high number of protozoa in a dirty environment, they may break with coccidiosis.

Dr. Gary Zimmerman, veterinary researcher in Livingston, Mont., says there are several species of coccidia that affect cattle.

“There are also different susceptibilities in the individual animals to the various coccidia. If new animals are brought into the herd, they may bring new coccidia that the rest of the herd has not yet been exposed to,” he says.

Infection All cattle have subclinical infections of coccidian, held in check by the host immunity, Zimmerman says.

“There is no cross-species immunity that works against all species of coccidia. A calf that has been exposed to one species and developed immunity will not have immunity to the others,” he explains. “Some coccidia seem more pathogenic than others.”

While researchers can’t look under a

periodical

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Please see CALF on page A6

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Speciesism The other day, I came across a new word “speciesism,” and if you raise animals, you’re probably not going to like it.

An article written by Emily Atkin – who doesn't agree with From the speciesism – basically talked Publisher against the movement to establish Dennis Sun rights to all animals, and of course, it involved the group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). This is a group that, just by hearing the name, raises the blood pressure of most in the agriculture communities.

As the article stated from the Twitter account of PETA, “The tweet in question set out to enumerate the linguistic sins of ‘speciesism,’ the practice of discriminating against living things based on their species affiliation.”

“Words matter” the group wrote, “and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it.”

PETA had attached a chart of common phrases such as, “kill two birds with one stone” that, by the group’s opinion perpetuate such discrimination and normalize violence against animals, said Atkin.

Most animal activists believe it is wrong to kill any animal, and they say all animals have the same basic rights that humans should. This belief has shut down a number of circuses. They are now after rodeos, horse racing and other entertainment involving animals. As the one activist said, “Circuses take wild animals and make them tame, rodeos take tame animals and make them wild.”

The Los Angeles City Council has taken a number of real aggressive actions limiting any entertainment avenues using animals which has may stop any circuses or rodeos from coming to that city. The California State Legislature has recently introduced a bill that may also have the same effect.

In the past, animals, especially domestic livestock, have always been expressed as one of the causes of climate change, degraded water quality and our planet going to the dumps. Domestic livestock are easy to pick on, as they are managed, and no one ever mentions wildlife because they are not.

It’s too bad that during the “bomb cyclone” event, and with all of the flooding in Nebraska and the region, we don’t have statistics to prove how many animals were saved or protected from dying by livestock owners and others. Producers risked their lives by getting out of their warm houses to protect those livestock. They, as others do, realize their responsibility to take care of these animals or any animals, no matter who owns them.

Is this movement really about the animals, or is it just about money it will bring in? Do they really care about try to find a good home for an abandoned animal or do they just want to take a picture or video to use in an advertisement to solicit money from those that agree with them? It is peoples’ right to donate dollars and agree with any organization or platform. It’s their money and their beliefs, but I just think they are misinformed, and there are a lot of better places for one to donate money to.

Again, those in agriculture just have to tell their story. First, nobody can tell it like ranchers and farmers do, and producers are believable.

GUEST OPINIONS What to Consider When an Oil and Gas Company Wants to Buy or Lease Your Minerals

By Bethany A. Gross, The Falen Law Offices, LLC Selling or leasing minerals may seem like an easy way to earn some income from the land. This may be especially true when the oil and gas company tries to entice a mineral owner with a bonus payment in the thousands or even millions of dollars.

Frequently, what appears to be a substantial sum of money is in fact less than what the mineral owner could have received. Generating competition by seeking bids is often the best way to know what the minerals are really worth.

Nevertheless, presented with what seems like a substantial amount of money, a mineral owner might sign whatever document the oil and gas company provides.

The company may represent that what they are providing is what everyone else signs and is nothing to worry about.

For the unwary mineral owner, problems may soon arise.

Selling minerals In the mineral acquisition context, an oil and gas company typically presents a simple purchase agreement and mineral deed.

Such purchase agreement and mineral deed will almost always provide the company unfettered access across the surface to produce minerals and may also provide the company with the right to remove property or improvements.

These terms may be especially problematic for a mineral owner that does not also own the surface. The more rights to the surface a mineral owner grants, the more likely the mineral owner will end up in a lawsuit brought by the surface owner.

Warranty clauses The purchase agreement and mineral deed presented by an oil and gas company will also usually provide that a landowner will “warrant and defend” title to the minerals sold against any person who asserts an adverse claim.

The same warranty clause is also usually included in mineral leases. It is part of a company’s due diligence to investigate title to minerals before acquiring or leasing them, and it has the funds to do so.

Mineral title problems are common and the mineral owner who agrees to “warrant and defend” title to minerals can spend significant time and money in court attempting to clear title for the company.

Such a situation could be avoided by negotiating for a quitclaim deed or a no warranty clause.

Leasing minerals In the mineral leasing context, an oil and gas company typically presents a very simple mineral lease, and if the mineral owner also owns the surface, may also present a very simple surface use agreement. The company will generally include terms as discussed above. Other common terms that typically appear in an oil and gas company lease and surface use agreement include the right to use any and all roads, easements, ditches, waterways, etc. without compensating for such use; the right to produce anything that can be considered a “mineral” and that in the event of dispute, the losing party pays the winning party’s attorney fees.

Damage caused by the oil and gas company to roads, Please see OIL on page A5

SBA Administrator Linda McMahon’s Ignite Tour Proves Entrepreneurship is Alive and Well in America

By Dan Nordberg, SBA Region VIII Administrator This year marks Administrator Linda McMahon’s third year leading the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and I am proud of the great work that she and our whole agency have accomplished over the past few years in advocating for America’s small businesses.

One of Administrator McMahon’s greatest accomplishments was her highly successful national IGNITE tour, where she visited and toured all 68 SBA District Offices. I had

the honor of joining her in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. Each of these visits was informative, substantive and allowed the small business community’s chief advocate to hear directly from entrepreneurs on their home turf.

Since 2017, Administrator McMahon has met with more than 800 small business owners nationwide, and she did media interviews in every city she’s visited. Some of her local highlights include

a fly-fishing demonstration in Montana, a tour of the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, Colo., a chip-sampling at a tortilla factory in Salt Lake City, a business roundtable in Casper, a tour of a small manufacturing plant near Sioux Falls, S.D. and a walking tour of small businesses in downtown Fargo, N.D. The economic diversity her tours have showcased, along with the innovation of our small business owners, proves the entrepreneurial spirit of this coun-

try is alive and well.

Part of Administrator McMahon’s mission is to relay small businesses’ unique needs to Congress and the President. At the same time, she has been optimizing performance internally by leading the SBA team to focus on the consistent delivery of services across all district offices, to work towards one aligned mission and to improve customer service messaging and materials.

Beginning in 2017, the Please see SBA on page A16

Wyoming Livestock Roundup Reporting the News by the Code of the West

Wyoming Livestock Roundup (USPS # 005-774) is published weekly by Maverick Press, Inc. P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Periodicals postage paid in Casper, WY Fax: 307-472-1781 • Email: roundup@wylr.net

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Subscription Rates: 1 year: $50; 2 years: $75; 3 years: $110 Postmaster: Send address changes to: andrea@wylr.net Wyoming Livestock Roundup • P.O. Box 850 • Casper, WY 82602 Member: Wyoming Stock Growers Association Wyoming Wool Growers Association • Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Wyoming CattleWomen • Wyoming Horse Council Livestock Publications Council • United States Cattlemen’s Association National Cattlemen’s Beef Association • Fremont County Cattlemen's Association Green River Valley Cattlemen's Association • Wyoming Angus Association Converse County Stock Growers Association • Carbon County Stock Growers Association

This publication is © 2019 by Maverick Press, Inc.

62nd Annual Bull Sale Offering 60 Purebred Yearling Bulls 205 day ww’s over 800# with no creep • TSI’s over 220 Unconditional first year breeding guarantee Free delivery or $100/bull rebate if you haul sale day

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 • 1 P.M. (MST) at Belle Fourche Livestock Market • Belle Fourche, SD

1007 Kingsbury | Belle Fourche, SD 57717 605.892.4366 | Cell: 605.580.2393 timreich@rushmore.com

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

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Sheep, lamb losses up

NEWS BRIEFS Small Business Day set Gov. Mark Gordon signed a proclamation designating March 20 as Small Business Development Center Day in Wyoming. On March 21, Wyoming entrepreneurs joined thousands across the country in sharing their success stories thanks to assistance from their local Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Last year, #SBDCDay was one of the top trending hashtags on Twitter.

For 24 years, the Wyoming SBDC Network has helped entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses through nine regional offices across the state.

In 2018 alone, the Wyoming SBDC Network assisted 1,366 entrepreneurs, resulting in 111 new businesses, 1,402 jobs created or saved and a capital impact of more than $10 million for the state’s economy.

“The Wyoming SBDC Network has assisted and supported over 47,000 Wyoming residents during the last 24 years,” said Jill Kline, state director of the Wyoming SBDC Network. “We love this work for several reasons, we serve the great citizens of the state, we are able to offer confidential support at no cost and every day we know we have a positive effect in the entrepreneurial ecosystem statewide.

SBDC Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate Wyoming’s small businesses and their successes as well as making sure we reach as many entrepreneurs as possible to let them know we are here to help them succeed.”

SBA proclamation - Gov. Mark Gordon signed a proclamation designating March 20 as Small Business Development Center Day. Courtesy photo

Feeder cattle prices off A March 20 report from the Daily Livestock Report (DLR), noted feeder cattle prices so far this year have averaged below a year earlier.

“This has been the case for both cash and futures markets, with cash 700- to 800-pound steers generally averaging close to $10 per hundredweight below a year ago in the Southern Plains,” said DLR. Feeder cattle futures prices have not been down as much as cash prices with the average decline of only five dollars. The lower prices can be rationalized from the supply side of the market by more calves born last year than in prior years.

“From the demand side, slaughter cattle prices this quarter will be similar to what they were a year ago while the cost of feed, mostly corn and hay, is more expensive,” said DLR.

Sheep producers hit D.C. The crowd should have erupted into cheers, but most were simply caught off guard on March 12 as Dr. Scott Hutchins, the nominee for U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics, casually mentioned President Donald J. Trump’s budget for Fiscal Year 2020 had removed the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station from the proposed closure list.

“This is the first time in several years that the station hasn’t been on that list,” said American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) President Benny Cox, who joined more than 50 sheep producers and industry executives from 16 states in meeting with USDA and Department of the Interior officials during ASI’s Spring Trip to Washington, D.C., this week.

“This is a great step to get the station back on the research track with the ability now to hire scientists and tackle major resources and production topics for our industry. We also appreciate our friends in Congress who have helped keep the station open through the years as we worked to get it removed from the closure list.”

The group heard from USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach, who confirmed plans are moving forward on the Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank, scrapie eradication and more with regard to the American sheep industry.

Sheep producers from several states also had the opportunity to meet with Wildlife Services Associate Deputy Administrator Martin Mendoza and Western Regional Director Jason Suckow to discuss issues specific to their states.

Soil seminar set The University of Wyoming Extension will host a seminar on soil moisture monitoring techniques beginning at 10 a.m. at the Albin Community Center, on April 3. Come get current research updates and talk to sales reps about what options they have to offer.

Vivek Sharma, University of Wyoming Extension irrigation specialist, will discuss his current research efforts and recent findings. Caleb Carter, University of Wyoming Extension area educator based in Goshen County, will discuss ways to incorporate this technology into your irrigation strategy.

Lunch will be provided, after which sales reps from Irrometer, Crop Metric, John Deere and AquaSpy will be on hand to discuss and answer questions on their soil moisture monitoring technology.

Cost for the seminar is $15 and includes lunch. To RSVP for a lunch count or for more information, contact Caleb Carter at the Goshen County Extension Office at 307-5322436.

NOAA outlook forecasts flood Mountain snowpack and associated snow water equivalents (SWEs) across most of Wyoming were generally above average by the middle of March.

SWEs at the peak snowmelt runoff elevations, between 8,500 and 10,000 feet, were the highest across the Little Snake, Upper North Platte and Laramie basins at 120 to 130 percent of median. The Tongue Watershed had SWEs at 80 to near 90 percent of median at the peak snowmelt runoff elevations.

Moderate potential for snowmelt runoff flooding is forecasted along the lower portions of the Upper North Platte River Basin near Saratoga and along the lower portions of the Laramie Watershed near Laramie.

Moderate potential for flooding due to snowmelt is also expected over a few tributary basins along the Snake River Drainage.

All other of headwater basins across Wyoming can expect a generally low potential for flooding due to springtime snowmelt runoff.

The next outlook will be issued by late April.

In a March 15 release, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Wyoming sheep and lamb producers lost 38,500 animals to weather, predators, disease and other causes during 2018, representing a total value of $7.24 million.

This study was undertaken at the request of the Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division, who also provided funding.

The total number of sheep and lambs lost was 4,500 head more than last year, and the total value of inventory lost was 15 percent more than a year ago.

Lambs lost before docking during 2018 was 16,000 head.

Sheep and lamb deaths for 2018 amounted to 6.4 percent of the 2018 sheep and lamb supply.

The number of sheep and lambs lost to all predators totaled 19,400 head, up 1,600 head from last year. Lamb losses by all predators amounted to 16,200 head, up 15 percent from last year.

The number of sheep lost to all predators totaled 3,200 head, down 500 head from a year ago.

Predators caused an estimated $3.58 million in losses in 2018, up 10 percent from the previous year. Losses due to predators amounted to 3.2 percent of the 2018 sheep and lamb supply and 50 percent of all sheep and lamb deaths.

Coyotes remained the largest predator for both sheep and lambs. Coyotes accounted for 61 percent of the predator caused losses and 31 percent of all death losses in the state. The value of losses attributed to coyotes was $2.16 million.

Banking confidence drops A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows bankers are losing confidence in the future of the region’s farm economy in the wake of falling farm income and rising floodwaters.

The Rural Mainstreet survey for March shows the survey’s confidence index dropping to 45.7 from February’s 48.5. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Creighton University Economist Ernie Goss, who oversees the survey, says March floods, tariffs, trade tensions and anemic farm income “negatively influenced the economic outlook of bank CEOs.” The survey shows more than half of supply managers reported negative economic impacts from flooding.

The overall index expanded to 52.9 from 50.2 in February.

W I LS O N R A N C H 239 Mona Rd. • Alva, WY 82711 www.WilsonSimAngus.com

9th Annual Wilson Ranch Bull Sale NO FEEDLOTS HERE! March 29, 2019 • 1 p.m. • St. Onge Livestock • St. Onge, SD

Only Range-Raised, Athletic, Black Bulls

Selling 44 SimAngus and 2 Purebred Angus Bulls. All bulls are black, smooth polled, moderate birth weight yearling bulls raised on the range and developed post weaning in a 60 acre pasture.

307 WILSON MR 435F

307 WILSON MR 546F

LOT 1 ASA#: 3451173 • DOB: 3/19/18 CED: +9.6 BW: +2.1 WW: +79.8 YW: +117.0 API: 129.4 TI: 79.5 BW: 94 Act. WW 11/2/18: 890 Sire: CLRS DETROIT 804D • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

307 WILSON MR 434F

ASA#: 3451235 • DOB: 4/18/18 CED: +15.2 BW: +0.5 WW: +71.5 YW: +110.3 API: 135.3 TI: 77.8 BW: 80 Act. WW 11/2/18: 720 Sire: CLRS DETROIT 804D • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

307 WILSON MR 601RF

307 WILSON MR 603F

LOT 14 ASA#: 3451104 • DOB: 2/28/18 CED: +10.3 BW: +0.1 WW: +68.0 YW: +107.9 API: 120.3 TI: 74.8 BW: 82 Act. WW 11/2/18: 670 Sire: J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

LOT 9

LOT 4

LOT 20 ASA#: 3492260 • DOB: 3/8/18 CED: +14.6 BW: -1.2 WW: +62.6 YW: +101.3 API: 129.0 TI: 76.7 BW: 76 Act. WW 11/2/18: 790 Sire: J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

ASA#: 3451138 • DOB: 3/14/18 CED: +12.9 BW: +0.0 WW: +72.7 YW: +111.7 API: 126.7 TI: 78.5 BW: 80 Act. WW 11/2/18: 830 Sire: J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

307 WILSON MR 608F

LOT 21 ASA#: 3451162 • DOB: 3/17/18 CED: +15.2 BW: -0.3 WW: +65.6 YW: +102.5 API: 151.2 TI: 81.4 BW: 88 Act. WW 11/2/18: 810 Sire: J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z • 5/8 Simm, 3/8 Angus

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

307 WILSON MR 008F

Wayne Wilson (307)467-5550 • (307)290-0092 (cell) Kellen Wilson (307)290-0688 or visit our website at www.WilsonSimAngus.caom

LOT 22 ASA#: 3451143 • DOB: 3/15/18 CED: +14.1 BW: +0.2 WW: +65.0 YW: +101.9 API: 136.4 TI: 76.0 BW: 86 Act. WW 11/2/18: 830 Sire: MR CCF 20-20 • 1/2 Simm, 1/2 Angus

Visit www.WilsonSimAngus.com to view videos of the bulls.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

NEWS BRIEFS CWD working group forming The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is addressing increased concerns about chronic wasting disease (CWD) through a new public working group and is asking for membership applications.

CWD is widely distributed across Wyoming and is fatal to deer, elk and moose. The working group, through facilitation supported by the Ruckelshaus Institute, Haub School of Environmental and Natural Resources with the University of Wyoming, will develop recommendations to revise Game and Fish’s CWD management plan.

Applications to the group open on March 19 online.

Nutrition challenge starts FitEx, a national Extension program to help improve fitness and nutrition, opens for registration March 25.

“We are excited to offer the FitEx program again this year,” said Laura Balis, University of Wyoming Extension nutrition and food safety educator.

Individuals can register teams of four to eight, ages 5 and up, and compete against other teams across the state.

Register at fit-ex.org.

It’s a fun and easy way to eat better and move more with the support of your team, said Balis.

The program runs April 1 to May 25. Teams can set goals and track minutes of activities and fruit and vegetable intake.

Past participants have commented FitEx made them more aware of what they were eating and encouraged them to walk more, said Balis.

Colo. River plan complete Seven states that rely on a major waterway in the U.S. West have finished a years-long effort to create a plan to protect the Colorado River amid a prolonged drought, the federal government declared on March 19.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman commended Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming for reaching a consensus on the Colorado River drought contingency plan (DCP).

Now the states are seeking approval from Congress to implement it.

“It is time for us to work with our congressional delegations to move forward to make sure we can implement DCP this year,” Burman said on a call with reporters.

The Colorado River serves 40 million people and 7,812 square miles of farmland in the West.

Under the drought plan, states voluntarily would give up water to keep Lake Mead on the Arizona-Nevada border and Lake Powell upstream on the Arizona-Utah border from crashing. Mexico also has agreed to cuts.

Grouse changes proposed Furthering the administration’s goals of restoring trust with local communities and responsibly developing America’s natural resources while easing regulatory burdens, on March 15, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued Records of Decision (RODs) amending land use plans for Greater sage grouse habitat management on public lands, providing special protective measures for nearly 60 million acres of sagebrush steppe.

The decisions received bipartisan support from the governors who sought revisions to the plans that guide conservation of sagebrush steppe habitat on BLM-administered public lands in their respective states. The goal was to better align BLM plans for managing habitat with state plans for conserving the species.

“I appreciate all of the diligence that went into these plan amendments and how responsive the Department of Interior has been to Wyoming’s approach. I believe the updates are surgical and recognize that the Greater sage grouse is a statemanaged species,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said. “A diversity of perspectives have gone into building Wyoming’s conservation strategy that include ranchers, conservation groups, oil and gas, mining companies and hunters. Thanks to this well-established, balanced approach and the BLM’s plan amendments, Wyoming will continue to conserve sage grouse and provide predictability to the state’s economy.”

Trump declares emergency To help residents, farmers, and ranchers affected by the devastation caused by recent flooding, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to aid people in their recovery efforts.

USDA staff in the regional, state and county offices are responding and providing a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to residents, agricultural producers, and impacted communities at large.

“Recent flooding in the Midwest and along the Missouri and Mississippi River Valleys has caused devastating impacts across the region, and USDA has personnel and resources devoted to helping farmers and communities recover after this storm,” Secretary Perdue said. “I encourage area farmers and ranchers to contact their local USDA Service Center so we can work with them to identify the resources and tools needed to reestablish their operations. While farmers and ranchers in the area are resilient, the pain is real. We will do everything in our power at USDA to be as helpful as we possibly can.”

On March 21, President Donald J. Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the Nebraska counties of Butler, Cass, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Nemaha, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington.

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Hinkhouse leads team Wyoming’s Jennifer Hinkhouse has been selected to chair the Joint Forestry Team (JFT) for 2019. Hinkhouse is the district manager of the Campbell County Conservation District and serves as a supervisor for neighboring Crook County Natural Resource District.

Hinkhouse was formally introduced as this year’s chair during the JFT’s annual in-person meeting, held March 11 in Washington, D.C. “It’s a tremendous honor,” Hinkhouse said. “I’m excited to help the Joint Forestry Team manage this year’s set of priority tasks.”

“We’re proud to have Jennifer represent the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) on the JFT,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “I’m confident she’ll do an outstanding job this year.”

ALB seeks members USDA is seeking nominations for four vacancies to serve on the American Lamb board starting in 2020 – a producer with less than 100 lambs, a producer with more than 500 lambs, an at-large feeder and a first handler.

The American Lamb Board, established in 2002, is a national promotion, research and information organization whose purpose is to increase awareness and demand for American Lamb and increase the value of American Lamb for all segments of the industry. The board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and represents all sectors of the industry. The work of the American Lamb Board is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the board’s programs are supported and implemented by the staff in Denver, Colo.

The 13-member board represents all sectors of the industry – six producers, three feeders, one seedstock producer and three first handlers. The Board also represents all geographic regions and sizes of production.

Judge blocks drilling On March 19, a district court judge in Washington, D.C. blocked new oil and gas drilling across nearly 500 square miles in Wyoming.

“This short-sighted decision by a judge in Washington, D.C. will not only damage Wyoming’s workforce and economy, it also sets a dangerous precedent for the future,” U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) said. “Leasing public lands is vital for our continued efforts to keep energy prices low and create energy independence for the nation. Instead of trying to manipulate our judicial system to stop energy development, we should be focused on innovative technological solutions to help ensure our energy development is affordable, reliable and cleaner.”

“This bad decision will hurt workers in Wyoming, reduce revenue for the state and slow America’s energy production,” said U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). “Wyoming is a leader of protecting our environment and responsibly developing our natural resources.”

Idaho Power moves from coal Idaho Power is making moves to divest from coal, according to recent report from The company already has plans to exit its co-ownership arrangements with coal plants in Nevada and Oregon and is now exploring getting out from under the Jim Bridger plant outside of Rock Springs.

Despite a growing demand for electricity over time, the company has managed to substantially decrease its reliance on coal as an energy source.

Ten years ago, coal-fired electricity made up 38.2 percent of the total energy Idaho Power required for its customers. Last year, coal sources made up only 17.5 percent of its energy portfolio.

Meanwhile, the company has replaced that energy source with purchased power and long-term contracts for renewable energy. Natural gas has also grown over time as an energy source.

Plant immunity targeted

A global research team including scientists from La Trobe University have identified specific locations within plants' chromosomes capable of transferring immunity to their offspring. The findings could lead to new ways of preventing disease in crops to the potential benefit to farmers.

Led by the University of Sheffield (UK), the research team identified, for the first time, specific locations (loci) within a plant's chromosomes that impart disease resistance to their offspring by undergoing a reversible biochemical modification known as DNA methylation, in response of pathogen attack.

Published in the journal eLife, the research identifies four DNA loci that control disease resistance against a common plant pathogen called downy mildew. Importantly, this resistance was not associated with any negative effects on growth or resistance against other environmental stresses.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

A5

Stam emphasizes knowledge of supply and demand in developing grazing plans “When we think about grazing plans, we have to think about the supply and demand of our pastures,” says University of Wyoming (UW) Northwest Region Range Extension Specialist Barton Stam.

Stam explains the supply and demand of a pasture relates to the supply of usable forage and the demand of the livestock grazing it.

Determining supply “UW has a variety of tools ranchers can use online to help figure out the pounds of forage in a particular pasture,” Stam notes.

“The old-school methods such as throwing the hoop or measuring height just aren’t feasible in range environments.”

Stam notes while more traditional methods have a place with smaller and more uniform pastures, they aren’t always the best with range environments because there would need to be such

a large sample to get a statistically accurate estimate.

“The online tools aren’t reinventing the wheel,” says Stam. “We are applying old math and formulas and making it easy to use for everyday producers.”

“The most popular tool on the website uses past use to determine pounds of forage per acre,” Stam explains. “For this calculator, producers need specific data for the number of head grazed, average weight per head, days in pasture, acres in pasture and an estimate of utilization.”

Stam notes ranchers more often overestimate their utilization and believes this is in an effort to give a conservative estimate.

“For producers with cow/calf pairs trying to use this calculator, remember, if the calf is still very young and relying on milk more than grass, to just add pounds to the mother and not add another head,” he explains.

“So, if we have a cow with a moderate size calf, add 200 pounds to her weight to take the calf into consideration.”

He adds, “This method will also work for sheep nursing lambs.”

Stam notes the tool may not be suited for everyone but is the most popular.

He recommends ranchers visit wyoextension.org/ ranchtools to explore other tools to use to determine forage supply.

Determining demand “Determining demand is much simpler in theory,” Stam says. “This estimate will help determine how much forage livestock needs.”

“To determine demand, we need to consider the weight of the cows and at what point in the reproductive cycle they are in,” he says.

Stam notes cattle in different phases of reproduction have different needs. Those later in their pregnancy or

nursing young calves have much greater needs than those early on in pregnancy or open.

“Once we determine our demand, we need to look at our pastures and figure out how to achieve this need,” says Stam. “From here, we can make adjustments to our management plan.”

Stam notes if a rancher feels as though they need to supplement their stock in some way, there are also tools to determine the economic return on these investments. These tools can also be found at wyoextension. org/ranchtools.

“One of the contributors to the ranch tools website is an economist, which was super helpful,” Stam notes.

“These tools allow ranchers to determine if additions such as mineral, water and fencing are economically viable.”

Improving stocking rates “Once we know the supply of our pastures and

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“Close the gates. Improving usage of the land can really be this simple.” – Barton Stam, University of Wyoming Extension demand of our livestock, we can talk about stocking rates,” says Stam. “There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding how we can improve stocking rates.”

“The first thing we need to clear up is the difference between resting a pasture and deferment,” Stam notes.

“In my opinion, there are very few situations where actual rest is needed.”

Stam explains the professional range management community defines rest as a full 12 months of no grazing. In comparison, deferment refers to deferring grazing to a later time within a 12-month period.

“More often than not, deferment will work just fine in improving pasture health and ultimately stocking rate,” Stam comments.

“Close the gates,” Stam stresses. “Improving usage of the land can really be this simple.”

He also notes the placement of attractants such as mineral and water should be places where cows don’t normally congregate.

“Place water and mineral somewhere away from ideal grasses and locations to get the cows to spread out and better utilize the whole pasture,” Stam says.

Stam presented on grazing management at the annual Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days in Riverton. The two-day event is held annually in February.

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

OIL continued from page A2 etc. can be significant for the landowner to remediate. Without a definition of what a “mineral” is, the company could be entitled to valuable dinosaur fossils or other materials the landowner would not anticipate as being considered a “mineral.” It is also far more preferable for a landowner to cover its own attorney fees, than to risk having to pay the company’s $900 per hour attorney fees.

Typically, an oil and gas lease will provide the company the right to pool or unitize lands into a drilling and spacing unit. Without language in an oil and gas lease that releases lands not being held by a well’s production after expiration of the lease’s primary term, the minerals can be tied up without payment for a substantial period of time if the company is not obligated to commence drilling in the drilling and spacing unit.

Surface use agreements For surface use agreements, oil and gas companies typically offer very low or no compensation for building new roads, installing pipelines, installing transmission lines, for damages to crops and livestock, and for damages to fences and/or gates.

The company may offer to reclaim the land once operations cease in accordance with applicable law in conjunction with its required permit to drill. However, an oil and gas company can sometimes persuade the governmental agency to waive certain reclamation obligations.

Also, applicable law may not adequately provide for a landowner’s unique needs.

Other negative consequences If a landowner fails to limit liability, he or she could be liable for millions of dollars in damages and

lost profits if the landowner accidentally plows into an oil or gas pipeline.

Indemnity is also important because a landowner should never be liable for the activities of the oil and gas company. Failing to limit liability and indemnity means that a landowner is taking on an industrial-sized risk that no landowner could afford and is well beyond what a landowner’s insurance policy would cover.

Toxic produced water might be disposed onto the land or into a landowner’s pore space if a surface use agreement does not prohibit it. Noisy compressor or pump stations could be constructed if a surface use agreement does not provide that such facilities are subject to a separate agreement. Further, if an oil and gas company has the right to assign agreements in whole or in part, without having to at least provide notice to the mineral owner, the mineral owner may find it very difficult to figure out whom to hold accountable for any breaches.

In conclusion, these are only some of the potential issues a mineral owner could encounter in agreeing to an oil and gas lease and surface use agreement. It is impossible to list all of the issues in detail in this article. Given the amount of money at stake, the potential liability at stake and various negative consequences, it is advisable that a mineral owner discusses a proposed oil and gas lease and/or surface use agreement thoroughly with a qualified attorney.

Although it may cost money up front, it could save thousands or millions down the road.

Bethany A. Gross is an associate attorney with the Falen Law Offices, LLC with a primary focus on property, environment and natural resources law.

A6

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

CALF continued from page A1 microscope and determine which species is worst, Zimmerman says, “There is something inherent in that particular coccidia that is more virulent to the host.”

Zimmerman also adds that coccidia are host specific, with only a few strains that are pathogenic to cattle.

“Some producers think cattle can get coccidiosis from birds, but this is not true,” he says.

Environmental presence The coccidia in cattle are continually shedding oocysts into the environment.

“The oocysts accumulate on the ground and become infective to other cattle,” Zimmerman explains.

“The oocysts are long-lived.

They are resistant to varying degrees of heat and cold.

Introduction of new animals into a location where there are coccidia they have not encountered before could result in disease.”

Immune response The immune system is

continually battling parasites.

“For a parasite to survive in an otherwise immunocompetent host, it must have evolved some mechanism to avoid, evade or suppress immunity. Otherwise the host’s immune system would kill them,” Zimmerman explains.

He continues, parasites can suppress the host’s immune response directed against them, however or create a generalized immune suppression.

“This is one reason why animals that have parasites can be more susceptible to other pathogens,” he says.

“The parasite may be knocking down the entire immune system, in addition to causing problems with the host’s ability to absorb nutrients.”

Parasites can also cause a decrease in the host’s response to vaccine.

“When we vaccinate populations of animals or humans, not all of them will have a positive response to

the vaccine. This is not due to vaccine failure but to the inability of some individuals to develop a protective response,” he explains.

Zimmerman adds, “Some children are always sick, because they do not have a completely optimal functioning immune system.”

Development of coccidiosis Some of the things that allow coccidiosis to develop include factors that increase the risk.

“Various stressors like weaning, poor nutrition, poor feeding practices such as confining the animals and feeding them where oocysts might be present, etc. can increase the risk,” Zimmerman comments.

As an example, he notes producers often feed hay in the same place every day.

“Feeding round bales in feeders, even if feeders are periodically moved, concentrates cattle in the same area.

The big bale lasts longer, so cattle are in that same spot longer, and it builds higher concentration of oocysts,” he

says.

The presence of other pathogens, change in diet, inadequate colostrum for a newborn calf and more are all factors that may play a role.

Environmental factors could include use of permanent buildings and small pastures used year after year, crowding, poor hygiene, adverse weather, transport, frequent regrouping of calves and bringing in new animals.

Exposure and development If a group of calves becomes exposed to a high level of contamination, they all will be infected, but only some show clinical signs.

There may be only a few that break with diarrhea, but in some instances, morbidity – or the proportion of the group showing disease – may be as high as 75 percent.

“Morbidity and mortality rates of coccidiosis are quite variable, depending on herd factors such as overall health, as well as nutritional and immune status, and on external factors such as crowding, weather, exposure to other

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“Even if none of the animals die, the economic impact of coccidiosis can be devastating.”

– Gary Zimmerman, Livingston, Mont. disease agents and other stressors,” Zimmerman says While the mortality rate in a group of cattle is usually much lower than morbidity, it can be as high as 24 percent.

“Even if none of the animals die, the economic impact of coccidiosis can be devastating,” he adds.

Treatment There is no vaccine for coccidiosis. Prevention or treatment still consists of traditional products that kill or hinder the coccidia.

The drugs for treatment include coccidiocidal compounds like amoprolium or sulfas that kill the organism.

There are also drugs for prevention, and these are called coccidiostats because they hinder the multiplication of coccidia. These include decoquinate and ion-

ophores like lasolocid and monensin.

European countries and other places in the world have some additional drugs that are not used in cattle in the United States.

“Most of the time coccidia are held in check by the host, but sometimes we must resort to treatments. Times of year when we tend to see coccidiosis are in young calves after three weeks of age, especially when environmental stressors play a role or when weaning age calves are stressed. We often do things at the worst time, such as calving or weaning during cold or wet weather,” says Zimmerman.

Heather Smith Thomas is a correspondent for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Grizzly activity begins As winter subsides and spring begins, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) reminds outdoor recreationalists and rural homeowners in northwest Wyoming to be bear aware while enjoying the outdoors Wyoming has to offer.

WGFD Bear Wise Coordinator Dusty Lasseter said, by this time of year, some bears have emerged from their dens.

“Typically, male bears emerge from their dens in midMarch and early April, while females and young-of-the-year cubs emerge in late April and early May. With grizzly bears being active in the Greater Yellowstone Area and black bears be being active statewide, now is the time to be bear aware and take the necessary precautions to avoid potential conflicts,” he explains.

WGFD strives to manage conflict resolution between people and large carnivores, as well as quantifying and evaluating how situations occur.

“In most conflict situations, bears do not interact with people. Rather they go after food attractants like unsecured human foods, livestock or pet foods, garbage or birdseed,” Lasseter said.

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Mostly tractor & implement and some of them on rims • White, model 28, 18’ off-set disk • MF 520 14’ Tandem disk • 20’ off-set disk w/ hyd. Folding wing • A-C 16’ tandem disk • Miller 14’ tandem disk • Owatonna Hay Mill, tub grinder set up for grinding square bales • JD 10’ dozer blade • JD 158 loader SN EZ0158020288W • new chain link meadow harrows Balers, Hay & Harvest • JD 535 Round Baler. Net wraps, used in 2018 haying season.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

HEMP continued from page A1 Doug Miyamoto, director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture. “If we are legally able to do it, we are anxious to start a hemp program in Wyoming to provide more opportunities for our producers and processors with this productive, diversifying permitted crop across the state.”

Understanding hemp “Hemp is a very interest-

ing topic, and it’s very timely right now in light of changes in the farm bill,” says University of Wyoming Extension Educator Caitlyn Youngquist.

“Hemp has not been legally grown in the U.S. since 1970.”

Hemp, or Cannabis sativa, is an herbaceous flowering plant that comes from eastern Asia, and Youngquist

Readers submit photos Last week, we asked our readers to send in photos of what agriculture looks like in their corner of Wyoming. Photos will be accepted and printed through the end of April. mail submissions

to roundup@wylr.net or mail them to PO Box 850, Casper, WY 82602.

Here are a handful of submissions we have received so far, with insight into the far corners of the state.

Looking forward to summer – On the eastern plains of Niobrara County, Sharon Cardwell says, “This is what life looks like on the eastern plains of Niobrara County when the Good Lord blesses us with lots of moisture.” Sharon Cardwell photo

A7

says there are many different cultivars with a variety of different compounds.

“We have a variety of things in this plant that can be used in a variety of ways,” she continues. “We have cultivars that produce fiber, ones that produce seed for either food or oil and other cultivars that produce cannabidiol, which is a health and therapy product.”

In addition, recreational Cannabis species are high in tetrahydrocannabinol, which provides the “high.”

“Generally, when we talk about industrial hemp, we’re talking about plants that produce fiber, seed or cannabidiol oil,” she says.

Hemp products are used in livestock feed and seed, fibers, ropes, health products, animal beddings, fabric, insulation, building products, as bioplastic and more.

Youngquist explains, “There are a lot of different uses of this plant, depending on what cultivar is grown and how it is processed.”

Hemp plants are dioecious, meaning they have both male and female plants.

The male and female plants have different uses because of different characteristics of the plant.

Marketing “We don’t have an open market in this country,” Youngquist says. “The 2014 Farm Bill opened up the ability to grow hemp at research institutions through states.”

At that point, several states began growing hemp under research authority from USDA. The handful of states with authority have some data on the value of each variety.

“The average wholesale price, in dollars per pound, of the fiber, seed and flower is very different,” she says.

“The flower, which we get cannabidiol (CBD) oil from, has an average price of $28 a pound. Seed is only worth about nine dollars a pound, but fiber is only worth 10 cents a pound.”

Younquist continues, “We see through all states that the flower is the most valuable to sell, but the plant, of course, would produce more pounds of fiber than flowers.”

Data on hemp product sales imported from China and Canada show that personal care products take up approximately 25 percent of sales. CBD accounts for about 20 percent, and industrial applications have approximately the same sales.

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Textiles account for 14 percent of imported hemp, and 20 percent goes to food.

“It’s interesting to look at where hemp goes in this country,” she says Growing hemp Trials done at Colorado State University showed that hemp grows rapidly, with plants beginning to emerge in late May. The plants grow rapidly, with flowers beginning to emerge by July. Harvest is traditionally in late August.

“The male flower is highly attractive to pollinators,” Youngquist says.

She continues, “The agronomics of hemp includes a little bit from Canada and a little bit from those states that are producing hemp, but it is pretty limited.”

Hemp can be grown on marginal ground with low inputs, but low yield results.

“If we want to get a maximum yield for the crop with inputs, we need to treat it like corn, according to what we have gathered,” Youngquist says. “It could be used mixed in with cover crops or forage crops, and it has some soil building potential.”

Next steps With WDA working on a plan, USDA recently stated they will hold state plan sub-

missions until their rules are promulgated in the fall of 2019 and that states may continue to operate under the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill.

The state is currently assessing our legal authority to issue permits prior to USDA review of our industrial hemp plan.

“Since USDA is not approving state plans until the fall, the most important thing right now is to make sure we have the legal authority to permit and regulate hemp under the provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill and existing statutes in Wyoming,” said Miyamoto. “We are working with the Attorney General’s Office and Gov. Gordon’s office to answer this question but will continue developing the program, so we are ready to go when we are legally able to start permitting.”

In the meantime, WDA will continue the rulemaking process for the program, working toward obtaining and installing testing equipment at the WDA Analytical Services Lab and training employees for regulating this new permitted crop.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net

Lex Madden: 307-532-1580 Michael Schmitt: 307-532-1776 Chuck Petersen 307-575-4015

www.torringtonlivestock.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2019 - YEARLING & CALF SPECIAL FEEDERS Boyd & Cheryl Yeik 235 Fancy Blk few Brockle Strs & Hfrs, 635-650#, Weaned a long time, Hay Fed with some Beet Pulp, Full Vac. Program, Hfrs Bangs Vac. Lazy A 1 LLC 200 Blk/Bwf few Rd/Char Strs, 650#, Weaned in Nov., Running Out on Cornstalks, Been on Ground Hay; Little Silage and Corn, Full Vac. Program Charles & Donna Skavdahl 70 Blk, few Bwf Hfrs, 600-650#, Running Out, Bunk Broke, Complete Vac Program William & Judy Hageman Living Trust 25 Blk Hfrs, 625#, Ran Open, Weaned since Nov. 1, Been on a Grower Ration, Full Vac. Program, Bangs Vac. CALVES VF Limited L.L.C. 200 Blk/Bwf few Char-x Strs & Hfrs, 500-700#, Weaned in Nov., Running out and supplemented with Long Stem Hay, Comp Vac. Prog, Green Paul & Nancy Landeck 171 Hereford/Bwf few Rwf Hfrs, 525-700#, Weaned a long time, Running Out, Hay Fed, Complete Vac. Program, Home Raised Mike & Chris Tobin 90 Blk/Rd Strs, 450-550#, Weaned on Sept. 20, Running Out, Hay Fed, Cake Broke, On Lick Tubs, Branding & Precond & Booster Shots, Green J & J Baling 70 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 600-700#, Weaned since Oct. 20, Bunk Broke, Hay Fed along with Beet Pulp and Silage (No Grain), 2 Rounds of Shots Cody & Cheri Thompson 50 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 400-500#, Weaned 60 days,Been on a Grower Ration, 2 Rounds Modified Live Vac. Program, June Calves Neil Forgey 42 Mx Strs & Hfrs, 450-500#, Weaned a long time, On a Grower Ration, Complete Vac. Program, Wintered for grass Pending 42 Mx Strs, 700-725#, Weaned a long time, Hay Fed, Complete Vac. Program, Wintered for grass Mike Wollert 20 Blk Strs & Hfrs, 450-550#, Weaned a long time, Branding Shots: 7-way, Express 5, No Implants, Hay Fed, Wintered for grass, Good Flesh

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2019 - BRED COW SPECIAL & ALL CLASSES Caught – After a string of chicken fatalities on their ranch, Sue Thoman snapped this shot of a bobcat caught in a jump trap.

Although he was the culprit, Thoman said the bobcat looks majestic poised on the fence post. Sue Thoman photo

BRED COWS Linda Nichol 100 Red Angus/Red Angus-x Cows, 8 yr olds and Older, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: April 20th, Been on a Complete Vac. Program, A Complete ScourGuard Program, Poured this Fall, Home Raised Stuart McLaen 15 Red Angus Cows, Mx Ages, Bred to Red Angus Bulls, CF: Now, Complete Vac. Program, Scour Guard, Poured this Fall BRED HEIFERS Andy Barnett 75 Blk/Bwf Hfrs, Bred to Arrow Crown & Ochsner Calving Ease Bulls, CF: April 20 for 20 days, Complete Vac. Program as Calves, Pre-breeding Shots, PregGuard 10, Poured

FOR SALE BY PRIVATE TREATY

SALE RESULTS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 - 2788 HD

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DEALER INQUIRY INVITED

Waddell Ranch Waddell Ranch 9 H Ranch LLC Donald Simmons Donald Simmons Donald Simmons Booth Cherry Creek Ranch Waddell Ranch Donald Simmons Donald Simmons Donald Simmons Lanphier Inc Main Canyon Ranch Main Canyon Ranch Main Canyon Ranch Main Canyon Ranch 9 H Ranch LLC Platt Cattle Co Powell Bros Kerbs Four Bar Ranch Main Canyon Ranch Main Canyon Ranch Terrence Bruns Platt Cattle Co Henry & Rachel Borchardt Waddell Ranch Waddell Ranch

10 Black Bull 24 Red Bull 8 Black Steer 58 Black Steer 140 Black Steer 31 Black Steer 12 Black Steer 4 Red Steer 81 Black Heifer 132 Black Heifer 17 Black Heifer 72 Mixed Heifer 32 Black Steer Calf 32 Black Steer Calf 79 Black Steer Calf 41 Black Steer Calf 103 Black Steer Calf 31 Black/Red Steer Calf 55 Mixed Steer Calf 83 Black Heifer Calf 85 Black Heifer Calf 22 Black Heifer Calf 45 Black Heifer Calf 20 Black/Red Heifer Calf 47 Red Heifer Calf 17 Black/Red Bull Calf 48 Red Bull Calf

738 752 765 782 859 971 1072 817 728 813 892 784 422 346 493 585 650 519 682 496 512 582 629 486 513 543 641

140.00C 139.50C 149.50C 145.75C 143.50C 132.00C 116.50C 139.00C 138.75C 135.25C 125.50C 132.50C 213.50C 207.00C 191.00C 177.50C 171.50C 189.00C 158.00C 170.50C 165.50C 157.00C 151.00C 164.00C 165.00C 161.00C 159.00C

Lot 1907 - 300 Mostly Blk/Bwf, few Red Cows; 3 to 6 years old; Black Cows are Bred to Hereford Bulls; Red & BWF Cows are Bred to Black Angus Bulls; CF: March 10th for 60 days; Complete Vac Program; High Elevation; Owner is moving out of state; Located in Southeast Wyoming Lot 1903 - 500 Blk/Bwf Bred Cows; 3, 4 & 5 year olds; Bred to 90% Black Angus & 10% Charolais Bulls; CF: February 1st for 90 days; Safeguard & Poured in the Fall; Take all or gate cut; Located in Central Wyoming

TORRINGTON LIVESTOCK AREA REPS

Cody Thompson - Lusk, WY 307-334-3388 or 307-340-0150 Ty Thompson – Lusk, WY 307-340-0770 Zach Johnson Lingle, WY –307-575-2171 Jeff Ward – Laramie, WY 307-399-9863 Tam Staman – Crawford, NE 308-631-8513 or 308-665-1332 Lander Nicodemus – Cheyenne, WY 307-421-8141 Danny Nicodemus – Cheyenne, WY 307-632-4325 Chris Williams - Greybull, WY 307-272-4567 Artie Johnson - Lusk, WY 307-216-0117

Call Lex at 307-532-1580 for more information on Private Treaty

2019 CCV SALE SCHEDULE High Plains Showcase - Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019 Goshen County Rendezvous Center - Torrington, Wyoming Deadline: Friday, June 14th Oregon Trail Classic - Tues, Aug 6th & Wed, Aug 7th, 2019 Gering Civic Center - Gering, Nebraska Deadline: Friday, July 19th Sandhills Roundup - Thursday, September 5th, 2019 Goshen County Rendezvous Center - Torrington, Wyoming Deadline: Friday, August 16th www.cattlecountryvideo.com

“Like Us” for Sale Updates, Results and News

High Plains Hay Exchange

Hay for Sale

Direct Seller to Buyer Sales Contact Thorpe Thompson 308-430-0248

www.highplainshay.com

(307) 532-3333 - www.torringtonlivestock.com

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

45th Annual Loosli Bull Sale

SALE REPORTS Diamond Peak Cattle Company Seventh Annual Diamonds in the Rough Bull Sale Reported By: Cody Negri, WLR Field Rep March 16, 2019 Riverton Livestock Auction, Riverton Auctioneer: Ty Thompson 106 Registered Angus and SimAngus Bulls Avg. $4,540 Top Sellers Lot 81 – 8418 – Price: $6,750 DOB: 4/7/18 Sire: GDAR Leupold 298 Dam’s Sire: Rito 6G1 of Rita 2V30 4S6 EPDs BW 0.5, WW: 70, YW: 119 and Milk: 23

Buyer: Miller Estate, Rawlins Lot 92 – 8619 – Price: $6,750 DOB: 4/21/18 Sire: GDAR Leupold 298 Dam’ Sire: Rito 6G1 of Rita 2V30 4S6 EPDs BW: -0.9, WW: 60, YW: 100 and Milk: 22 Buyer:

Miller Estate, Rawlins Lot 119 – F488 – Price: $6,750 Diamond 1/4 Blood SimAngus Sire: RB Indeed 02-4514 EPDs BW: 3, WW: 8, YW: 8 and Milk: 7 Buyer: Larsen Ranch, Meeteetse Lot 75 – 8618 – Price: $6,500 DOB: 4/21/18 Sire: RB Regal Duty 3215 Dam’s Sire: KMK Alliance 6595 I87 EPDS: BW: 3.2, WW: 66, YW: 112 and Milk: 26 Buyer: Bill Brown, Pioche, Nev. Lot 105 – 8123 – Price: $6,250 DOB: 3/13/18 Sire: RB Indeed 02-4515 Dam’s Sire: KM Broken Bow 002 EPDS: BW: -2.1, WW: 62, YW: 108 and Milk: 26 Buyer: Petersen Ranches, Ely, Nev.

First Lady fights against hunger As part of her passion for fighting childhood hunger in Wyoming, First Lady Jennie Gordon will help pack meals as part of Friday Food Bag Foundation's effort to help ensure kids who receive free or reduced lunch at schools in Laramie County School District can eat over the upcoming Spring Break.

“Childhood hunger has serious and potentially lasting consequences, impacting kids’ health and school performance,” the First Lady said. “I applaud efforts like Friday Food Bag Foundation which are taking action to combat childhood hunger in our communities.”

The First Lady will join volunteers on March 25 from 5-7 p.m. at the Friday Food Bag location in Cheyenne. Entirely donor and grant funded with no staff, the Friday Food

Bag Foundation provides over 34,000 bags of food to students to tide them over the weekend during the school year. Despite the number of food bags already filled and delivered, the foundation estimates that it is only getting bags to around 40 percent of students in the district who receive free or reduced meals at school. Monday’s event is an additional effort by this nonprofit to ensure these students eat over the holiday week. To learn more, visit cheyenneffbag.org.

Gordon is working on developing her initiative, part of which will focus on spotlighting organizations in Wyoming that help fight childhood hunger. In Wyoming, one in six children struggle with hunger, according to No Kid Hungry.

Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor March 12, 2019 Loosli Red Angus, Ashton, Idaho Auctioneer: Kyle Colyer 90 Yearling Red Angus Bulls Avg. $3,882 78 Registered Yearling Red Angus Heifers Avg. $1,826 Top Sellers Bulls Lot 3 – Loosli Relevant 819 – Price: $15,500 DOB: 1/22/18 Sire: 5L The Real Deal 1687-143B Dam’s Sire: Basin Future Direction 7303 EPDs: BW: -0.2, WW: +72, YW: +125 and Milk: +24 Buyer: Seeger and Rusch Red Angus, New Salem, N.D.

Lot 2 – Loosli Reddington 803 – Price: $11,000 DOB: 1/14/18 Sire: Loosli Riverside 414 Dam’s Sire: Andras Frontier A084 EPDs: BW: -0.8, WW: +83, YW: +133 and Milk: +18 Buyer: Ressler Land and Cattle, Cooperstown, N.D. Lot 16 – Loosli Real Deal 8183 – Price: $10,000 DOB: 4/9/18 Sire: 5L The

Montana Performance Bull Co-op™ with Basin Angus Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor March 15, 2019 Midland Bull Test Sale Facility, Columbus, Mont.

Auctioneer: Joe Goggins 120 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $4,506 Top Sellers Lot 1 – Basin Paycheck 8016 – Price: $25,000 DOB: 1/21/18 Sire: Basin Paycheck 5249 Dam’s Sire: V A R Discovery 2240 EPDs: BW: -0.4, WW: +72, YW: +123 and Milk: +39 Buyer: EZ Angus, Poterville, Calif.

Lot 99 – Basin Deposit 8112 – Price: $15,250 DOB: 2/24/18 Sire: Basin Deposit 6249 Dam’s Sire: Basin Yuma 4286 EPDs: BW: +3.3, WW: +70, YW: +119 and Milk: +26 Buyer: Scott

Angus Ranch, Owanka, S.D. Lot 3 – Basin Paycheck 8468 – Price: $12,500 DOB: 1/25/18 Sire: Basin Paycheck 5249 Dam’s Sire: Summitcrest Complete 1P55 BW: -0.4, WW: +58, YW: +114 and Milk: +25 Buyer: Elk Meadows Ranch, Deary, Idaho Lot 14-Basin Payweight Plus 8001 – Price: $11,500 DOB: 1/7/18 Sire: Basin Payweight Plus 6048 Dam’s Sire: V A R Discovery 2240 BW: -2.6, WW: +75, YW: +131 and Milk: +35 Buyer:

Real Deal 700-183D Dam’s Sire: Loosli Fort Douglas 332 EPDs: BW: -1.5, WW: +68, YW: +107 and Milk: +19 Buyer: Tracy Hawker, Blackfoot, Idaho Lot 7 – Loosli Tremendous 824 – Price: $9,500 DOB: 1/25/18 Sire: Brown Tremendous Z7326 Dam’s Sire: Loosli Conrad 724 EPDs: BW: -2.2, WW: +64, YW: +96 and Milk: +22 Buyer: AN Red Angus, Midvale, Utah Heifer Lot 120 – Miss Loosli Maverik 826 – Price: $5,250 DOB: 1/27/18 Sire: Loosli Frontier 608 Dam’s Sire: Buf Crk The Right Kind U199 EPDs: BW: -1.2, WW: +68, YW: +109 and Milk: +27 Buyer: Dille Jackson, Filer, Idaho Blackford Ranch, Thedford, Neb. Lot 8 – Basin Monumental 8015 – Price: $10,000 DOB: 1/19/18 Sire: EXAR Monumental 6056B Dam’s Sire: WR Journey-1X74 BW: +0.9, WW: +73, YW: +124 and Milk: +20 Buyer: Lundgren Angus, Grove, Kan. Lot 76 – Basin Monumental 8057 – Price: $10,000 DOB: 2/14/18 Sire: EXAR Monumental 6056B Dam’s Sire: Gardens Wave BW: +1.0, WW: +64, YW: +115 and Milk: +28 Buyer: Brent Cattle and Hay, Woodrow, Colo.

Lot 15-Basin Payweight Plus 8008 – Price: $10,000 DOB: 1/15/18 Sire: Basin Payweight Plus 6048 Dam’s Sire: EXAR EZX 3772B BW: -0.8, WW: +60, YW: +111 and Milk: +41 Buyer: Blackford Ranch, Thedford, Neb.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

SALE REPORTS Wheeler Mountain Ranch Annual Bull Sale March 14, 2019 Wheeler Mountain Ranch, Whitehall, Mont.

Auctioneer: Roger Jacobs 120 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $4,065 75 Commercial Angus Yearling Heifers Avg. $1,148 Top Sellers Lot 46 – WMR Coach 8268 – Price: $10,500 DOB: 3/2/18 Sire: MR Coach 20003 Dam’s Sire: S O Focus 8052 EPDs: BW: -1.0, WW: +49, YW: +73 and Milk: +20 Buyer: Chelsea McDonnell, Three Forks, Mont.

Lot 29 – WMR Rito 896 – Price: $10,000 DOB: 1/29/18 Sire: WMR Rito 707 4136 Dam’s Sire: WMR Windy 340 EPDs: BW: +3.4, WW: +67, YW: +112 and Milk: +17 Buyer: MR

Angus, Wheatland Lot 8 – WMR Coach 8145 – Price: $7,500 DOB: 3/5/18 Sire: MR Coach 20003 Dam’s Sire: W M R Dateline 210 EPDs: BW: +3.9, WW: +72, YW: +124 and Milk: +25 Buyer: Russeff PK Ranch, Olive, Mont.

Lot 1 – WMR Pay Dirt 885 – Price: 7,000 DOB: 1/29/18 Sire: Apex Pay Dirt 005 Dam’s Sire: Apex Windy 078 EPDs: BW: +1.6, WW: +74, YW: +133 and Milk: +23 Buyer: Carlson Land and Cattle, LLC., Twin

WBCIA 34th Annual Bull Test Sale Reported by: Cody Negri, WLR Field Rep March 15, 2019 WBCIA Bull Test Facility, Shoshoni Auctioneer: Lander Nicodemus 37 Registered Angus Bulls Avg. $2,904 2 Commercial Black Angus Avg. $2,500 22 Registered Red Angus Bulls Avg. $2,932 2 Commercial Red Angus Avg. $2,000 1 Registered Hereford Bull Avg. $2,874 Top Sellers Angus bulls Lot 846 – Cherry Crk Payweight F165 – Price: $6,750 DOB: 2/3/18 Sire: Cherry Crk Payweight C232 M Dams Sire: KM Broken Bow 002 EPDS: BW: 0.5, WW: 47, YW: 88 and Milk: 22 Buyer: Zac Roberts, Daniel Lot 820 – Klein Black Granite – Price $5,250

DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: Deppe Black Granite 693 Dams Sire: DB Confidence 393 EPDS: BW: 1.3, WW: 51, YW: 88 and Milk: 25 Buyer: PR5 Ranch, Wheatland Lot 806 – Klein Blaster – Price: $5,250 DOB: 1/26/18 Sire: Bruns Blaster Dams Sire: S A V Thunderbird 9061 EPDS: BW: 1.3, WW: 76, YW: 118 and Milk: 27 Buyer:

Bridges, Mont.

Lot 3 – WMR Pay Dirt 82 – Price: 7,000 DOB: 1/10/18 Sire: Apex Pay Dirt 005 Dam’s Sire: Harrison True Grit 3344 EPDs: BW: +2.1, WW: +81, YW: +142 and Milk: +24 Buyer: Dingwall Ranch Company, Drummond, Mont.

Lot 11 – WMR Coach 88 – Price: $7,000 DOB: 1/18/18 Sire: MR Coach 20003 Dam’s Sire: WMR Timeless 20 EPDs: BW: +1.0, WW: +65, YW: +111 and Milk: +23 Buyer: Russeff PK Ranch, Olive, Mont.

Lot 45 – WMR Coach 618 – Price: $7,000 DOB: 3/4/18 Sire: MR Coach 20003 Dam’s Sire: Apex Windy 078 EPDs: BW: +1.8, WW: +73, YW: +117 and Milk: +24 Buyer: Russeff PK Ranch, Olive, Mont.

Bob Honken, Laramie Red Angus bulls Lot 932 – Six New Destination F75 – Price: $5,000 DOB: 3/9/18 Sire: DBL Tree New Direction 1510 Dams Sire: Six Sundown X32 EPDS: BW: -1.8, WW: 57, YW: 91 and Milk: 22 Buyer: Orchard Ranch, Ten Sleep Lot 930 – Six Outlook F107 – Price: $4,750 DOB: 3/30/18 Sire: Six Outlook A11 Dams Sire: Six Cheyenne S7 EPDS: BW: 2.2, WW: 69, YW: 110 and Milk: 23 Buyer: Martin Wardell and Son, Big Piney Lot 925 – Six Outlook F45 – Price: $4,250 DOB: 2/28/18 Sire: Six Outlook A11 Dams Sire: SLPC Fire Up Y72 EPDS: BW: 0.9, WW: 58, YW: 92 and Milk: 24 Buyer: Russell Ag, Coalmont, Colo.

A9

Sitz Angus Annual Spring Bull Sale March 13, 2019 Sitz Angus Ranch, Dillon, Mont.

Auctioneers: Joe Goggins and Greg Goggins 278 Yearling Angus Bulls Avg. $6,498 Top Sellers Lot 37 – Sitz Accomplishment 720F – Price: $80,000 DOB: 1/24/18 Sire: Poss Achievement Dam’s Sire: S A V Resource 1441 EPDs: BW: -0.1, WW: +72, YW: +125 and Milk: +23 Buyer: ABS Global, De Forest, Wis. Lot 5 – Sitz Barricade 632F – Price: $50,000 DOB: 2/1/18 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: Sitz Superior 10971 EPDs: BW: +3.3, WW: +75, YW: +134 and Milk: +23 Buyers: Hoffman Ranch, Thedford, Nebraka, Rancho Casino, Denair, California and Genex Beef,

Shawano, Wis. Lot 74 – Sitz Vaquero 739F – Price: $37,500 DOB: 1/21/18 Sire: HA Cowboy Up 5405 Dam’s Sire: Sitz Upward 307R EPDs: BW: +0.0, WW: +69, YW: +132 and Milk: +31 Buyer: Leadore Angus, Leadore, Idaho Lot 2 – Sitz Stellar 699F – Price: $21,000 DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: A A R Ten X 7008 S A EPDs: BW: +0.4, WW: +74, YW: +131 and Milk: +26 Buyer: R Bar N Angus, Deer Lodge, Mont.

Lot 121 – Sitz Invasion 670F – Price: $21,000 DOB: 1/30/18 Sire: Sitz Invasion

Pine Coulee Bulls, LLC Angus Bull Sale Reported By: Curt Cox, WLR Field Editor March 11, 2019 Wagon Box Ranch, Hardin, Mont.

Auctioneer: Ty Thompson 162 Angus Bulls Avg. $4,820 Top Sellers Lot 18 – Pine Coulee Cattleman F300 – $22,500 DOB: 12/28/17 Sire: PF Broadview 5009 Dam’s Sire: S A V Resource 1441 EPDs: BW: -0.1, WW: +64, YW: +113 and Milk: +21 Buyer: Dave Dahlberg, Clearbrook, Minn.

Lot 43 – Pine Cou-

lee Renown F333 – $14,000 DOB: 1/12/18 Sire: S A V Renown 3439 Dam’s Sire: Sitz Alliance 6595 EPDs: BW: +0.4, WW: +62, YW: +109 and Milk: +26 Buyer: Lisco Angus, Douglas Lot 83 – Pine Coulee Capitalist F339 – $10,000 DOB: 2/8/18 Sire: LD Capitalist 316 Dam’s Sire: Pine

574D Dam’s Sire: Mohnen Substantial 272 EPDs: BW: +0.3, WW: +72, YW: +132 and Milk: +22 Buyer: Vermilion Ranch, Billings, Mont.

Lot 108 – Sitz Powerball 693F – Price: $20,500 DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: Raven Powerball 53 Dam’s Sire: Sitz Upward 307R EPDs: BW: -0.1, WW: +73, YW: +134 and Milk: +33 Buyer: Walker Land and Cattle, Mountain Home, Idaho Lot 3 – Sitz Stellar 456F – Price: $20,000 DOB: 2/27/18 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: Sitz Vance 6372 EPDs: BW: +0.9, WW: +68, YW: +118 and Milk: +31 Buyer: SHB Angus, Reardon, Wash.

Lot 4 – Sitz Stellar 707F – Price: $20,000 DOB: 1/26/18 Sire: Sitz Stellar 726D Dam’s Sire: Sitz Bullseye 10594 EPDs: BW: -0.4, WW: +69, YW: +125 and Milk: +29 Buyer: Colton Hamilton, Innisfail, Alberta, Canada

Coulee Powerhouse W112 EPDs: BW: +1.3, WW: +55, YW: +93 and Milk: +28 Buyer: Connely Angus, Valier, Mont.

Lot 28 – Pine Coulee Cowboy UP F306 – $9,000 DOB: 1/4/18 Sire: HA Cowboy Up 5405 Dam’s Sire: S A V Net Worth 4200 EPDs: BW: +3.0, WW: +60, YW: +102 and Milk: +21 Buyer: NorthWay Cattle Company, Cleardale, Alberta, Canada Lot 148 – Pine Coulee Uproar F399 – $9,000 DOB: 1/28/18 Sire: Bruin Uproar 0070 Dam’s Sire: S A V Final Answer 0035 EPDs: BW: +0.0, WW: +61, YW: +115 and Milk: +20 Buyer: Bret Lesh, Ekalaka, Mont.

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*50 2-Yr-Old Bulls *180 Yearling Bulls *65 Calving Ease Heifer Bulls *120 Fancy Replacement Heifers

Jim & Lori French: 307-762-3541 Email for Prices & EPDs: bulls@claycreek.net

A10

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

WATER continued from page A1 pability of water.”

Clark lists some of the factors affecting production as hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, nitrates, sulfates, iron, algae and sodium, among others.

“If we just look at the sheer volume of water in cattle, mature cows are 75 percent water, and calves are 80 percent water,” said

Clark. “The range of water needs is determined by lactation and heat.”

Total dissolved solids TDS is a sum inorganic salts dissolved in the water, according to Clark.

“The most abundant of these solids are sodium, calcium, chloride, magnesium, sulfates, nitrates and iron,” said Clark. “There are others but these are the

To view this water quality webinar, visit beefresearch.ca/resources.

most often seen in livestock scenarios.”

“The tolerance level for livestock depends on the species,” she said.

“Beef cattle have a max tolerance up to 5,000 milligrams per liter.”

She noted cattle exposed to too much TDS will experience diarrhea and overall decreased gains.

Total dissolved solids can be tested for using lab analysis or handheld meters, according to Clark. The handheld meters don’t actually measure TDS. They measure conductivity and use a conversion method.

“It’s important to understand these handheld meters can be a good screening tool if accurate,” she continued. “Lab tests are still the gold standard when it comes to accuracy.”

“When test methods were compared, it was found the handheld meter readings did not show as much TDS as the lab test of the same water,” Clark explained. “We also found the previously held belief of a 64 percent conversion of conductivity was wrong and 97 percent was more accurate.”

Sulfates Clark explained intake

Raile Charolais and Red Angus 30th Annual Production Sale

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40+ years of performance data. 15+ years of ultrasound data!

MONDAY, APRIL 8, 2019 1 p.m. CST St. Francis Auction Market • St. Francis, KS Selling 80 deep bodied, thick February/March Yearlings

40 Charolais • 25 Red Angus 15 Char/Red Hybrids Also selling: 28 yearling heifers, 8 Charolais, 8 Red Angus heifers and 12 Char/Red Hybrid heifers - all heifers are the top end of the replacement pen.

Raile Charolais/ Red Angus

1965 Road 7 • St. Francis, KS 67756 Cliff and Judy Raile 785-332-2794 (home) • 785-332-6084 (mobile) Email: railebeef@gmail.com • www.railebeef.com

Sale animals can be viewed on our website and at DV Auction Sale will be Broadcast Live on

Sale Consultant: Kristian Rennert • 308-440-9463

POSTPONED TO FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019

“If we just look at the sheer volume of water in cattle, mature cows are 75 percent water and calves are 80 percent water.” – Leah Clark, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture of sulfates in excess can also wreak havoc on the health of beef cattle.

“Excessive sulfate intake may cause direct toxicity,” she said. “But the detrimental effects are associated with metabolic interference.”

She noted sulfur will also interact with trace minerals in the animal.

These interactions can lead to a deficiency in certain necessary trace minerals.

“Excessive sulfur impairs thiamine synthesis,” Clark explained.

“This particular impairment can lead to polio in cattle.”

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommend beef cattle have a suitable ration of 0.15 percent sulfate in their total diet. Max levels shouldn’t exceed 0.5 percent, according to Clark.

“What we have to remember about these recommendations is they are encompassing the entire diet, not just water intake,” Clark noted. “As we start thinking about these things we need to look at both the diet and water of the cattle.”

“Causes of excessive sulfate include diet, rumen environment and mineral status among others,” said Clark The implications of high sulfate levels include reduced fertility and weight gain as well as immunity and skin issues, as per Clark.

“With fertility, cows and heifers can have delayed cycling or skipped cycles,” she said. “Bulls

will experience decreased production of sperm.”

She noted weight gain can be affected due to changes in metabolism and decreased feed and water intake.

Algae and Bacteria “In the summer months, we also need to be monitoring bacteria and algae in our cattle’s water supply,” Clark stressed.

She explained algae can function as an indicator of water quality. It thrives in nutrient-rich, stagnant water.

“Smelly bacteria can persist in the winter months where there are anaerobic bacteria and nutrients present,” said Clark.

Clark explained cyanobacteria can produce neuro or liver toxins that can be fatal in cattle.

She noted cyanobacteria are bacteria and not true algae, contrary to what the appearance suggests.

“Cyanobacteria is planktonic free floating in the water column,” Clark said. “It has a green to dark brown appearance and looks similar to grass clippings or pea soup.”

“Neurotoxins are fast acting and cause paralysis of the skeletal and repertory system,” Clark explained. “This type of toxin will kill cattle very quickly and symptoms include scours, mental derangement, muscle tremors and stiffness.”

“Hepatotoxins can also be fatal but take longer to kill cattle in comparison to neurotoxins,” Clark noted. “These toxins affect the liver.”

Decreasing algae and bacteria Clark explained issues with algae and other toxins can be magnified in the summer. Due to the heat, cattle demand more water and therefore will consume more.

Because of the dry weather, there is no way to recharge sources so poor water only gets worse.

“Identification is key,” Clark said. “Some bacteria and algae look very similar but are treated quite differently.”

She noted some algae are beneficial so identifying whether or not the algae is harmful or not is very important.

“There are commercial products available to treat algae and bacteria,” Clark noted. “But proper management can help minimize these issues.”

“We have the ability to deal with some problems in water quality,” she said. “But doing so requires a commitment of time and resources from producers.”

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

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How we educate the future starts with understanding the learning process of current producers “We can no longer rely on the deficit model of education to get people on board with genetic technology,” says University of Missouri Geneticist Jared Decker.

Decker describes the deficit model as continuously pouring information onto people about a subject.

“This model of education has never been successful,” he explains. “There have always been road blocks with this model.”

Theory and technology “Instead of simply pouring information on people, we should look to the united theory of acceptance as we approach education and attitudes about genetic technology,” says Decker.

“There are a number of factors that influence the behavior intention and use of new technology,” he continues. “Somethings that affect intention and use include gender, age, experience and voluntary nature of use.”

“Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facil-

itating conditions will all determine behavior intention,” Decker notes. “Facilitating conditions will ultimately determine use behavior.”

Applied curriculum “Institutions should be utilizing an applied curriculum,” Decker explains.

“When students are sitting in the classroom, there has to be a real-world application to what they’re learning, not just academic or research applications.”

Decker and his colleagues have been working towards creating an undergraduate curriculum that encompasses real-life scenarios experienced by beef cattle producers.

“We have six main course objectives to guide the course and teach students real-life beef management skills,” says Decker.

He notes the objectives begin with evaluating beef cattle production scenarios and recommend breeding objectives based on each scenario. Students then learn to interpret EPDs,

To keep up to date with new genetic technology, visit steakgenomics. blogspot.com.

select indices and DNA tests used in the beef industry.

According to Decker, students use all available information to select herd bulls and replacement heifers. From there they will design effective crossbreeding strategies based on producer goals and production scenarios.

Decker also wants students to become well informed about new and emerging technologies in the beef cattle breeding industry and understand where to find information in the future.

To round out the curriculum, students learn how to disseminate accurate and understandable beef cattle information to consumers via social media.

“The curriculum is really aimed at real-world beef production,” says Decker. “One of the student suggestions for an assignment included evaluating a family farm and writing about how materials presented in the class could be

applied to the operation.

Beef producer survey To better understand how beef cattle producers use genetic technology and where they retrieve information about these technologies, Decker and his team surveyed producers in person and electronically.

While most of the participants were from Missouri, some online responses represented other states.

“We wanted to get a better grasp on how everyday producers are using genetic technology to make decisions in the herd, if they are using the technology at all,” says Decker.

The guiding questions of the study began with determining what sources of information were valuable to cattleman when choosing breeding stock, according to Decker. They went on to ask to what extent producers utilize the information make purchasing decisions.

“If producers indicated they used genetic information to any extent, they were asked how they prioritize

“Institutions should be utilizing an applied curriculum. When students are sitting in the classroom, there has to be a real-world application to what they’re learning, not just academic or research applications.” – Jared Decker, University of Missouri genetic information when making purchasing decisions,” Decker notes.

“We also wanted to know how producers learn about new breeding technologies and what roadblocks keep producers from using current genetic producers,” says Decker.

Results After data was collected, the producers were divided into cow/calf and seedstock groups.

As a whole, data indicate seedstock producers use genetic technology more often than their cow/calf counterparts. For example, 41.4 percent of seedstock producers use genomic tests in comparison to 15.4 percent.

“There were also large discrepancies in how these

different types of producers learn about new techniques and technologies,” says Decker. “However, both groups used Extension resources and local agriculture teachers the least often in comparison to other resources.”

Decker notes this information was concerning for Extension educators, ag teachers and veterinarians as they the three were ranked surprisingly low.

“This information was a little troubling,” he says. “As Extension educators, we have to be more aggressive about having an impact.”

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019 March 27

CALENDAR Submit your events to: Editor, Wyoming Livestock Roundup, P.O. Box 850, Casper, WY, 82602, or e-mail to roundup@wylr.net.

EVENTS March 25 March 25 March 25 March 25 March 25 March 25 March 26 March 26 March 26 March 26 March 26 March 27

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Lovell, Fire Hall, 6 p.m. Contact WFGD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Mountain View, Uinta County School District #4. Contact WFGD at 307-7774600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Newcastle, VFW Post 2516., 7p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Sundance, Crook County Courthouse, 4 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-7774600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Thermopolis, Bighorn Federal Bank, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Wheatland, Platte County Library, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Evanston, Uinta County Library, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Pinedale, Game and Fish Office, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Rawlins, Jeffrey Memorial Community Center, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Torrington, Platte Valley Bank, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Douglas, Converse County Library, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

WGFD Public Meetings for Proposed Hunting Season and Regulations, Green River, Game and Fish Office, 6 p.m. Contact WGFD at 307-777-4600.

SALES March 23-25 Leachman Cattle of Colorado Spring Bull and Female Sale, at the Leachman Bull Barn, Ft. Collins, Colo., 970-568-3983, leachman.com March 25 Axtell Cattle Company Annual Production Sale, Sterling Livestock Commission, Sterling, Colo., 970-383-2332, 970-554-1132, axtellcattlecompany. com March 26 Northwest Wyoming Angus Association 41st Annual Sale, Riverton Livestock Auction, Riverton, 307-868-2595 March 26 Obsidian Angus selling at the Northwest Wyoming Angus Association 41st Annual Sale, Riverton Livestock Auction, Riverton, 307-272-4911, 307868-2595, greatbearreflection.com March 26 Cardinal Charolais selling with Horse Creek Charolais at Winter Livestock, LaJunta, Colo, 970-847-3345, 970-380-1355, cardinalcharolais.com March 27 CAF Cattle Company Fifth Annual Lim-Flex Bull and Heifer Sale, Sterling Livestock Commission, Sterling, Colo., 970-580-0550 March 27 NJW Polled Herefords Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Sheridan, 307-6723248, njwherefords.com

Big horn Basin LIVESTOCK AUCTION LLC

March 21, 2019 - 383 Head Cows Steady • Bulls $2 to $3 Lower Feeders and Bred Cows No Test EWES Haley, John - Shell 3 BKF Ewes, avg. 198# .............................. $5400 Joyce, John - Manderson 5 WF Ewes, avg. 146# ............................... $5000 GOATS Haley, Dale - Manderson 1 Brown Goat ........................................... $13500 BULLS Eggleston, Sue - Worland 1 Blk Bull, 1335# ...................................... $13500 Riley, Michael - Burlington 1 Red Bull, 1825# ....................................... $8450 1 Red Bull, 1825# ....................................... $7850 Durbin Creek Ranch - Thermopolis 1 Hrfd Bull, 1660#....................................... $8150 1 Hrfrd Bull, 1450# ..................................... $7950 DeVries, Raymond - Thermopolis 1 Blk Bull, 1390# ........................................ $7600 COWS Innes Ranch LLC - Gillette 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1015#.............................. $9000 Ingalls, Jasper & Ronja - Riverton 33 Blk Cows, avg. 1001#............................ $8900 2 Blk Cows, 1028# ..................................... $8800 3 Blk Cows, avg. 1048#.............................. $8700 1 Blk Cow, 1245# ....................................... $7450 1 Blk Cow, 1300# ....................................... $7450 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1093#.............................. $7400 3 Blk Cows, avg. 1127# .............................. $6850 1 Blk Cow, 1195# ........................................ $6150 1 Blk Cow, 1350# ....................................... $6100 1 Blk Cow, 1210# ....................................... $6100 1 Blk Cow, 1225# ....................................... $6050 3 Blk Cows, avg. 1298#.............................. $5350 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1453#.............................. $5350 3 Blk Cows, avg. 1340#.............................. $5250 2 BWF Cows, avg. 1318#........................... $5200 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1260#.............................. $5200 DeVries, Raymond - Thermopolis 2 Blk Cows, avg. 1243#.............................. $8900 1 Blk Cow, 1370# ....................................... $7800 3 Blk Cows, avg. 1375#.............................. $7500 1 Blk Cow, 1245# ...................................... $6500 1 Blk Cow, 1215# ....................................... $5650 1 Blk Cow, 1285# ....................................... $5600 Frias, Ramon - Powell 1 Blk Cow, 1500# ....................................... $5650 Herman Livestock LLC - Hyattville 1 Blk Cow, 1305# ....................................... $5500 Jacobson, Wade - Sun River 1 Blk Cow, 1280# ....................................... $5400 Goton, Michael - Shell 1 BWF Cow, 1345# .................................... $5400 Acord, John - Meeteetse 1 Blk Cow, 1185# ........................................ $5200 Dooley Livestock LLC - Worland 1 Blk Cow, 1230# ....................................... $5050 Wallingford, Shiloh - Thermopolis 1 Blk Cow, 1130# ........................................ $5000

Worland, WY

Sale Barn: 307-347-9201 Danny Vigil: 307-388-0781 HEIFERS 3 F LLC - Worland 2 RWF Hfr Clvs, avg. 348# ....................... $16500 Schmidt, Blake - Burlington 1 Blk Hfr Clf, 480# .................................... $15000 3 BWF Hfr Clvs, avg. 537# ....................... $14400 1 Blk Hfr Clf, 660# ................................... $13400 Frias, Ramon - Powell 2 Blk Hfr Clvs, avg. 553# .......................... $14100 1 Blk Hfr, 910# ............................................ $9100 Thompson Cattle Co. Inc. - Billings, MT 1 Blk Hfr Clf, 805# .................................... $11800 Bonita Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 4 Blk Hfrs, avg. 805# ................................ $10200 Bjornestad Land & Cattle - Manderson 2 Blk Hfrs, avg. 950# ................................ $10100 1 Blk Hfr, 880# ............................................ $9100 1 Blk Hfrette, 1395#.................................... $5750 Ingalls, Jasper & Ronja - Riverton 1 BWF Hfr, 955# ......................................... $9200 1 Blk Hfrette, 935#...................................... $9000 2 Blk Hfrette, avg. 990# .............................. $9000 1 Blk Hfrette, 1015#.................................... $9000 Galloway Ranch LLC - Ten Sleep 1 Blk Hfr, 1075# .......................................... $9100 1 Blk Hfrette, 1300#.................................... $5700 Mills, Gary - Ten Sleep 1 Blk Hfr, 855# ............................................ $9100 1 Blk Hfr, 1065# .......................................... $8850 Jacobseon, Wade - Sun River 1 Blk Hfr, 955# ............................................ $8950 1 Blk Hfrette, 960#...................................... $8400 1 BWF Hfrette, 1050#................................. $8400 1 Blk Hfrette, 1100# .................................... $7500 1 Blk Hfrette, 1310#.................................... $6200 Innes Ranch LLC - Gillette 1 Blk Hfrette, 1130# .................................... $7700 1 Blk Hfrette, 1420#.................................... $5600 1 Blk Hfrette, 1630#.................................... $5350 Geo Sinn & Sons Inc - Worland 1 Blk Hfrette, 1330#.................................... $6700 Mastre, Gust & Sharon - Worland 1 Blk Hfrette, 1180# .................................... $6650 Arrow S Ranch - Burlington 1 Blk Hfrette, 1315#.................................... $6400 Eggleston, Sue - Worland 1 Blk Hfrette, 1445#.................................... $5700 STEERS 3 F LLC - Worland 2 Blk Str Clvs, avg. 393# .......................... $20600 2 RWF Str Clvs, avg. 500# ....................... $18800 Schmidt, Blake - Burlington 2 Red Str Clvs, avg. 393# ........................ $20200 1 Blk Str Clf, 500# .................................... $17900

• Upcoming Sales • March 22 - Horse Sale March 28 - All Class Cattle April 4 - All Class Cattle April 11 - Grass Calf Special April 18 - All Class Cattle, Sheep & Goats April 25 - All Class Cattle April 26 - Horse Sale

McCumber Angus Ranch Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Rolette, N.D., 701-246-3366, 701-871-9800, 701-246-3847, mccumberangus.com March 27 Richard E. Haun Trust Retirement Auction, Riverton, 307-851-9379, 800937-3558, bigiron.com March 28 Schuler Red Angus 37th Annual Bull Sale, at the ranch, Bridgeport, Neb., 308-262-0306, schulerredangus.com March 28 Gartner-Denowh Angus Ranch Sale, at the ranch, Sidney, Mont., 406-7983355, 406-798-3375, 406-798-3541, gdar-angus.com March 29 Wilson Ranch Ninth Annual Bull Sale, St. Onge Livestock, St. Onge, S.D., 307-467-5550 307-290-0092, wilsonsimangus.com March 29-30 Montana Western’s Colt Challenge and Sale, LaCense Arena, Dillon, Mont., 406-925-1499, facebook.com/coltchallengeandsale March 30 Diamond Peak Cattle Company Bull Sale, Western Slope Cattleman’s Livestock Auction, Loma, Colo., 970-326-8620, diamondpeakcattle.com March 30 Seventh Annual Lockman Genetics Riverton Elite Show Pig Sale, Fremont County Fairgrounds, Riverton, 970-590-2242, 970-397-5168, 970-5902149 March 30 Sidwell Ranch Production Sale, Sidwell Barn, Columbus, Mont., 406-8614426, 406-670-4227, sidwell-land.com March 30 Beaman X6 Ranch Annual Bull Sale, Producers Livestock, Greeley, Colo., 970-284-5075, 970-371-8559, 970-371-0095, x6ranch.com March 30 Blackburn Equipment Dispersion Auction, Douglas, 307-532-4976, 307534-5156, mcnameeauctioncompany.com March 31 Final Drive Focused Custis Show Pigs 14th Annual Sale, Carbon County Fairgrounds, Rawlins, 307-760-0327 April 2 Webo Angus Annual Turning Grass into Greenbacks Bull Sale, at the ranch, Lusk, 307-334-3006, 307-216-0090, weboangus.com April 4 Bar 69 Angus 31st Annual Production Sale, Belle Fourche Livestock, Belle Fourche, S.D., 605-892-2875, bar69angus.com April 4 Arntzen Angus Ranch 43rd Annual Production Sale, at the ranch, Hilger, Mont., 406-462-5557, 406-462-5553, arntzenangus.com April 4-5 Midland Bull Test, Columbus, Mont., 406-322-5597, midlandbulltest.com April 5 Utah Angus Association All Breeds Bull and Female Sale, Weber County Fairgrounds, Ogden, Utah, 801-369-1030, 801-391-6993, utahangus.org April 5 Kammerer Livestock 13th Annual Bull Sale, St. Onge Livestock, St. Onge, S.D., 605-923-6381, 701-898-1583, 308-665-1163 April 5 Hot Shoe Red Angus Bull Sale, Producer’s Auction, Salina, Utah, 435-8519594, hotshoeredangus.com April 6 Platte Valley Producers Spring Consignment Auction, Goshen County Fairgrounds, Torrington, 307-532-4976, 307-534-5156, mcnameeauctioncompany.com April 6 Big Country Genetics Bull Sale, Northwest College Ag Complex, Powell, 231-878-1908, xlranch.org April 6 Casper College 39th Annual Lamb and Pig Sale, Grace Werner Agriculture Pavilion, Casper College Campus, Casper, 307-268-2525, 307-268-2417, caspercollege.edu

POSTCARD from the Past

Compiled by Dick Perue rrichardperue@gmail.com

The Unimproved Highway

By HG Andrews I am the unimproved highway. My name is mud. The feet that pattered in primeval slime gave me birth.

Unchanged while the ages passed, I have endured. Time has but served to increase my infinite variety. Earth born and without a soul yet have I lived. From the beginning have I been man’s enemy.

A dust colored python am I, stretching my length across the

hills, waiting my time to crush endeavor.

I have snared caravans that left bleaching bones in lands now desert. Empires have fallen because of me.

I have turned victories into routs; I have trapped mighty leaders and have crushed armies.

I am without faith; and those who trust me I deceive.

Today I am fair to look upon, tomorrow a steaming bog. I add difficulty to distance.

Impassible roads – According to the “History Nebraska” website, “Mud was the curse of pioneer travel and of pre-pavement rural and city life.” The cutline under this picture notes, “Getting a driver unstuck near Bancroft, Neb., ca. 1910. Tire chains and a tow chain were standard equipment for rural auto travel. Few roads were even graveled in the early twentieth century.” With all the flooding and mud slides in Nebraska and South Dakota, we extend our sympathy and concern to our neighbors to the east and downstream from several raging rivers which originate in Wyoming. Photo and information courtesy of “History Nebraska Blog” on the “History Nebraska” website, Historical Reproductions by Perue

With isolation do I conspire to un-joint the endeavors of man. I tug at the wheels of the grain cart that bread may be dear. I mire the healer on his rounds and delay the coming that the little ones may die.

I am a disrupter of home. I speed the firstborn to the cities when I am fair to see; and when he would return, I face him with my forbidding depths. I minister to bitterness and lay a tax on all the world. There is none that lives that do not pay me tribute.

When men plowed with a crooked stick, I was there. When the ancients covered me with stones I slipped away to other lands. I am the oldest lie that lives today.

Men count me cheap. I know the price they pay who count me so.

I am the unimproved highway. My name is mud.

Thus reads a frontpage article in the March 1, 1917 issue of “The Saratoga Sun.” History notes that the winter and spring storms of 1917 were the worst recorded in the Upper North Platte River Valley of south-central Carbon County. After the wet, heavy spring storm which hit Wyoming last week, we can now look forward with apprehension to – mud, mud and more mud. But, hopefully Wyoming can avoid the flooding that is taking place in Nebraska and South Dakota.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

BULLS continued from page A1 10.”

Vejraska, with his sons Todd and Scott, runs Sunny Okanogan Angus on the high mountain plateau country, which is home to a herd of registered Angus and commercial cows.

Bull testing Almost 50 years ago, the Vejraska family started bringing bulls to Midland Bull Test.

“We were taking bulls to Midland back when they used to haul the bulls into Billings, Mont. to the Public Auction Yards (PAYS) for the sale,” Vejraska says. “We were using artificial insemination (AI), so we sent two or three different sire groups of bulls just to see how they would perform.”

Over time, Craig’s father and Leo McDonnell’s father became close friends. McDonnell and his family run Midland Bull Test today.

“It really became a family deal,” Vejraska says. “Now, Sam and Leo McDonnell and my wife Mary Kay and I travel all over the country together.

We’ve always had good

luck testing at Midland, and we have become close personal friends.”

Using results Sunny Okanogan Angus focuses on feed efficiency and carcass performance, and they use the information in making their breeding decisions from year to year.

“We like to send sire groups to get a feel for whether we want to use a bull again,” Vejraska explains. “We try to select sires that are high efficiency as far as rate of gain, and we focus on how the cow performs.”

Vejraska comments that some years, they do really well at Midland, but others they don’t. Either way, the information is valuable for the ranch.

“We had a stretch where three out of five years, we had top sire groups,” he explains.

“Sometimes our bulls light the world on fire, and sometimes they don’t.

Taking bulls, however, gives us an idea of what they will do.”

Vejraska adds it is also profitable because they have the information

Find Sunny Okanogan Ranch online at sunnyokanoganangus.com.

available when selling bulls.

The best bulls When Vejraska is selecting bulls, he uses Basin Payweight 107 as the model.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to own what I consider the perfect bull,” he says. “I bought Basin Payweight 107, and he left a lot of wonderful daughters in our cowherd.”

With good milking ability and strong growth traits, Vejraska says his steers also finish well in the feedlot.

He adds, “Basin Payweight is the best bull I’ve ever owned, and he has a strong influence in our herd.”

On the ranch Back in Washington, Vejraska says a good bull is important, and as a range operation, they need efficient sires that go to work.

“We’re a real range operation, and our cows run on 400,000 acres of Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and private ground,” he explains. “They have to be range-worthy.”

Every year, calving begins in early January, and they aim to get all the cows bred in the first 30 cycle. Ideally, calving will wrap up before February snowstorms hit.

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months, the cattle are turned out onto rangelands, where they stay until mid-September,” Vejraska says. “We start riding our range ground to gather cows the second week of September, and we hope to have them all home by Christmas.”

Everyone helps ride to gather cows, and Vejraska says three generations help on the ranch today.

Passion for ag Ranching runs deep in the Vejraska family, and today, Todd and Scott work alongside their father to run the operation.

“Todd manages the ranch now,” explains Vejraska. “He’s our geneticist and selects which cows get bred which way.”

He continues, “Scott’s the keep-everything-running guy. He also does a lot of feeding and rides with us, but that’s where they like to be.”

In addition to the cattle, Sunny Okanogan Angus raises alfalfa hay and triticale hay, as well as corn silage.

The Vejraska family has also owned and operate Okanogan Livestock Market since 1980.

Though they don’t host a regular sale today, the sale barn is open for bull sales and several sales each year.

He looks at his history ranching and raising cattle

“Raising bulls is just a part of who we are and what we do.” – Craig Vejraska, Sunny Okanogan Angus and says ranching is all he ever wanted to do.

“This is what Vejraskas do – raise bulls,” Vejraska comments.

“When families sit down at Christmas or Easter dinner, a lot of people end up talking about the weather.

We talk about cows. Raising bulls is just a part of

who we are and what we do.”

“We’ve been at it for 50-some years now, and near as I know, we intend to keep doing it,” he says.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Rangeland cattle production - Sunny Okanogan Angus is based in Omak, Wash., but Craig Vejraska says the ranch sit in the high mountain plains, meaning they see very little rain each year. The registered and commercial cattle run on rangelands, grazing across 400,000 acres of desert and high mountain country. Courtesy photo

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

EXTENSION EDUCATION

By Jay Norton, UW Extension Soil Specialist

Is It Possible to Increase the Soil Organic Matter Content of your Soil?

Is it possible to increase the soil organic matter content of your soil? Yes, but be patient.

Soil organic matter (SOM) content is so important that many soil scientists consider it to be nearly synonymous with soil health. But as I’ll discuss here, increasing SOM can take a very long time, even for those devoted to soil health management principles of reduced disturbance, crop rotation and continuous soil cover.

In fact, total organic matter content is not always a good measure of trends caused by changing management practices.

Understanding SOM SOM is made up of decomposed plant and animal residues, plant-root exudates and microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. It is a defining element of soil health even though it only makes up a small proportion of the soil, up to six percent by weight in the top six inches of tallgrass prairie soils, down to a fraction of a percent in desert soils.

SOM releases plant-available nutrients as it decomposes, it glues fine soil particles together to form aggregates that increase water infiltration and water holding capacity, and it has electrostatic properties that hold water-soluble nutrients, releasing them for plant uptake. Perhaps most importantly, SOM content is the soil property most affected by land management, and we know that heavy tillage, extreme overgrazing and other forms of drastic disturbance can reduce it by half or more in a matter of years.

But SOM content is a soil property that reflects the environment in which the soil forms. Over the long term, SOM content levels off at an equilibrium controlled by the climate and inherent soil properties like soil texture, slope steepness and the type of plant community. This steady-state amount can be thought of as the potential SOM content.

When SOM content is far below the potential, it accumulates fairly rapidly at first but then slows down as it

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approaches the steady-state amount.

Building SOM An example of the time frames involved for increasing SOM after improving management is provided in the textbook I use for my Soil Fertility class at the University of Wyoming (Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, J. Havlin and others, 8th Edition).

This example emphasizes the important role of soil nitrogen in the formation of SOM. A farmer wishes to increase SOM content from 1.5 to two percent, which seems like a reasonable, even conservative goal, by adopting soil health management practices in a dryland grain rotation. The top six inches of soil, called the plow layer, weighs about 2 million pounds, so 1.5 percent amounts to about 30,000 pounds of SOM. The farmer wants to add 0.5 percent, about 10,000 pounds of SOM per acre. How long will that take?

SOM losses With reduced tillage, about one percent of organic matter decomposes due to microbial activity each year, representing a loss that needs to be replaced by conserving crop residues.

This is a relatively low amount that increases with any type of soil disturbance, and amounts to a loss of about 300 pounds of SOM per acre per year for this example.

SOM gains This gets complex, and it’s easier to calculate in terms

of soil carbon (C) than SOM. At yields of around 30 bushels, the crops produce about 5,000 pounds of residue per year, which is about 40 percent, or 2,000 pounds, C. Grain residues have a carbonto-nitrogen (N) ratio (C:N) of about 80:1, meaning that the residues contain about 25 pounds of N. About 80 percent of N in residue, about 20 pounds, typically ends up as N in SOM, with much of the rest becoming available to plants. Soil typically has a C:N of 10:1, so 20 pounds of N would accompany about 200 pounds of C in new SOM every year.

Now we can convert back to SOM, which is about 50 percent C. So the farmer is adding about 400 pounds of SOM each year. Subtracting the 300 pounds lost annually to decomposition, we would gain about 100 pounds of SOM per year. The goal of adding half a percent of SOM, or 10,000 pounds per acre, would take 100 years.

Long view I often talk about taking the long view toward developing resilient farms and ranches, but 100 years for half a percent? It’s easy to see that if you only add 500 pounds of residue per year, by changing rangeland management for example, it would take a very long time to change the SOM content on a level that would be even detectable above background variability. That’s extreme even for long-range thinkers.

up?

How can we speed that

Adding compost might be one way. What happens if we add 10,000 pounds – or five tons – of compost per acre per year with a 20:1 C:N and about 50 percent carbon?

Using the same assumptions, that would net about 3,700 pounds of SOM per acre per year. So, it would take just under three years to reach the goal.

While that may be overly optimistic because the annual decomposition rate will increase as SOM content nears its potential, adding compost will clearly increase SOM content much more rapidly than just cycling crop residues. But compost is very expensive to buy, haul and apply. Annual additions may not be possible at large scales.

Another approach is to assess soil properties other than total SOM as measures of management improve-

ments. The C and N in SOM exists in a large range of compounds, most of which are quite stable and contribute to the slow increase in total SOM. But between one and 30 percent or so of the C and N is in living, changeable and soluble forms that can rapidly improve soil structure and nutrient cycling properties. Measuring those forms or the properties like aggregation that they affect can also indicate positive but hard-todetect changes in total SOM content.

While increasing total SOM content is an ultimate goal of soil health management, measuring other soil properties that respond more rapidly often gives better feedback on the sustainability of management practices.

Identifying which of those properties provide the best, most repeatable information at low costs is a main pursuit of soil science right now.

Soil health - Improving soil health often involves building soil organic matter, and Jay Norton explains this can be done, though farmers often must be patient. Photo by Madeline Robinson, Lucky Lyn Photography

Annual WEBO Angus April 2, 2019

Turning Grass into Greenbacks Bull Sale

At the Ranch - Lusk, WY • 1 pm - Lunch at noon 8 miles east on Hwy 20 to Node, then 0.6 miles south on Pfister Rd

17 PAP Efficiency-tested Two-year-old Angus Bulls : g n i l Sel 70 Yearling Angus Bulls • 4 Broke Horses from Manning Ranch

Lot 830 WEBO Paycheck 830 Sire Basin Paycheck

Lot 835 WEBO Paycheck 835 Sire Basin Paycheck

Lot 869 Sired by Conquest

77# BW * +10 CED epd top 20% BW: 79# * WW: 713# * WW top 15% * YW top 20% BW: 77# * WW: 747# * 3.21 WDA * Marbling Top 25% +.5 BW epd top 30% 3.32 WDA * WW top 3% Marbling top 15% * $W top 35% * $B top 35% WW top 10% * YW top 15% * $W top 20% * $B top 25% YW top 10% * $W top 10% $* 4 star Heifer Bull HP top 40%

17 Head of NEVER before offered for sale virgin 2 Year Old Bulls, Tested for Feed Efficiency PAP Tested at 20+ months of age

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Lot 8166 WEBO Conquest 8166 Sire Connealy Conquest

BW 80# * +9 CED * +.7 BW Epd * 3.25 WDA CED top 30% * WW top 25% * YW top 35% HP 30% * $W top 25% * Covers all the bases.

Featured AI Sires:

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Lot 7211 WEBO Consensus 7211

BW 72# * ADG 2.87 * 28.53 DMI -.57 RFI (lbs) * -0.3307 DMI epd -0.1764RFI epd * PAP 38

Blaze is an 11-yr. old sorrel gelding. He is a big stout boy looking for his next job. He can be a little watchy on the ground but is broke to ride when you get on him. He has a fancy stop like a horse should have. He has been ranched on. You can open gates, swing a rope and get any ranch job done on him. He is big enough you can take him on the big circle and still have horse power left when you get done. He has never offered to buck. Even when being ridden after being on full feed.

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Buttons York & Family P.O. Box 848 • Lusk, Wyoming 82225 Button’s Cell (307) 216-0090 • Odessa’s Cell (307)340-1182 Elly’s Cell (307) 340-1499 For horse information: ManDee Moore (307) 216-0236 • Alvie Manning (307) 216-0310

A16

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

SBA continued from page A2 SBA launched major, customer-focused efforts to ensure the agency delivers a consistent experience to its small business customers and program providers. Working as one, the agency has produced new products and services, as

well as refreshed marketing materials, to increase awareness and make the information we provide more hands-on and useful to the small business community.

Under the administrator’s leadership, the SBA

team worked tirelessly to respond to unprecedented natural disasters and provide dedicated economic recovery resources to those in need. Since 2017, the SBA’s disaster program has helped more than 173,000 disaster survivors with home and business loans totaling $8.8 billion in federal assistance.

Our other lending programs also remain strong.

By providing small businesses with vital access to capital, they spur continued job creation and growth in communities across the nation.

In the last two fiscal years, SBA has provided more than $60 billion in loan guarantees, support-

ing more than 1.2 million jobs. And due to the administrator’s emphasis on process improvements, particularly in our capital access programs, by the end of 2018 the agency was able to reduce its loan processing times by half. Small loans are now being processed within two to three days and regular loans within seven days.

I am honored to serve with Administrator McMahon and especially honored to serve the small business communities in Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. A strong leader at SBA is good for busi-

ness, especially small businesses located in rural areas. It remains true that small business continues to drive our nation’s economy.

For more information on SBA’s programs and services please visit sba. gov, and remember to follow us on Twitter @ SBARockymtn.

Dan Nordberg serves as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Region VIII Administrator and is based in Denver, Colo.

He oversees the agency’s programs and services in Colorado, Montana, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

FARM & RANCH SALES griffithfarmandranchsales.com FAIRVIEW FARM – Pavillion: 242.34+ total deeded, 221+ irrigated.

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RIVERTON LIVESTOCK AUCTION Tuesday, March 19, 2019 Market Report • 1,217 Head Sold Representative Sales COWS PAVILLION 1 Cow, 1100# ................................... $68.00 RIVERTON 3 Cow, 1140# ................................... $62.00 LANDER 8 Cow, 1364# ................................... $61.00 3 Cow, 1158# ................................... $58.00 LYSITE 2 Cow, 1237# ................................... $56.00 CROWHEART 2 Cow, 1415# ................................... $55.00 BULLS CASPER 1 Bull, 1020# .................................. $110.00 FARSON 2 Bull, 1075# .................................. $105.00 THERMOPOLIS 1 Bull, 1490# .................................... $99.00 3 Bull, 1585# .................................... $88.00 RIVERTON 1 Bull, 1885# .................................... $84.50 ARAPAHOE 2 Bull, 2137## .................................. $80.50 THERMOPOLIS 2 Bull, 1835# .................................... $78.00 RANDOLPH, UT 1 Bull, 2025# .................................... $75.00 STEERS MT. VIEW 12 Steer, 430#.................................. $198.00 MT. VIEW 10 Steer, 493#.................................. $190.50 FARSON 20 Steer, 420#.................................. $190.00 CASPER 3 Steer, 506#.................................. $188.00 LANDER 23 Steer, 538#.................................. $184.00 FARSON 46 Steer, 563#.................................. $182.50 OTTO 20 Steer, 631#.................................. $168.50 LOVELL 2 Steer, 640#.................................. $166.50

FARSON 31 Steer, 690#.................................. $152.00 LOVELL 11 Steer, 707# .................................. $149.50 CASPER 3 Steer, 715#.................................. $145.50 SHOSHONI 136 Steer, 878#.................................. $134.10 HEIFERS DANIEL 11 Heifer, 318# ................................ $172.50 MT. VIEW 26 Heifer, 410#................................. $171.00 FARSON 12 Heifer, 464#................................. $163.00 LANDER 5 Heifer, 506#................................. $161.00 SHOSHONI 48 Heifer, 514#................................. $160.50 BIG PINEY 87 Heifer, 615#................................. $159.00 OTTO 27 Heifer, 585#................................. $156.00 RIVERTON 19 Heifer, 598#................................. $145.50 MIDWEST 12 Heifer, 690#................................. $139.50 EVANSTON 6 Heifer, 720#................................. $131.00 PAVILLION 20 Heifer, 804#................................. $127.75 BRED COWS FARSON 18 Bred Cow, 1157# (SM) ............. $1,675.00 17 Bred Cow, 1286# (SM)............. $1,675.00 13 Bred Cow, 1344# (SS) ............. $1,000.00 20 Bred Cow, 1238# (ST) ................ $885.00 7 Bred Heifer, 1093# ................... $1,400.00 HEIFERETTES FARSON 2 Heiferette, 932# ............................ $96.00 CASPER 1 Heiferette, 990# ............................ $90.00 LANDER 5 Heiferette, 1108#........................... $88.50

Early Consignments TUESDAY, MARCH 26 BRED COW SPECIAL W/ NORTHWEST WYOMNG ANGUS ASSOCIATION BULL SALE (1 PM) & SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 8:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS Northwest WY Angus Bull sale - 50 Yrling Angus Bulls 4 Two Yr Old Angus bulls. PAP & Semen tested.

Bulls sired by high quality Angus bulls.

Z/C Livestock - 10 Blk Ang Yrling Breeding Bulls. Sired by Registered Ang bulls. High elevation.

1 2 Yr Old Angus Breeding Bull. Virgin bull.

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Applequist Ranch - 90 Blk Ang & AngX Strs 550-600#. Weaned 11/15. Rec Pyramid 5 + Presponse, 7-way. Hay fed. One brand, high desert.

Leroy Shumway - 10 ST Red Pairs w/ Blk calves Vern Black - 10 Running Age Pairs. Big, stout Fall calves at side!

Miller Land & Livestock - 1 load of test cows

TUESDAY, APRIL 2 FEEDER SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS Ray & Janet Foxworthy - 30 Blk Ang & AngX Hfrs 700-750#. Comp vacc, wormed & poured. Bangs vacc. Replacement quality, fancy!!

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 FEEDER SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, APRIL 23 BRED COW SPECIAL, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, BREDS @ NOON

TUESDAY, APRIL 30 FEEDER SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES & SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 8:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, MAY 7 BRED COW SPECIAL, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, BREDS @ NOON

TUESDAY, MAY 14 FEEDER SPECIAL W/ ALL CATTLE CLASSES, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS

TUESDAY, MAY 21 BRED COW SPECIAL, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, BREDS @ NOON

TUESDAY, MAY 28

TUESDAY, APRIL 9

FEEDER SPECIAL W/ SHEEP & HORSES START TIME 8:00 AM W/ SHEEP & WEIGH UPS

BRED COW SPECIAL, START TIME 8:00 AM W/ WEIGH UPS, BREDS @ NOON

www.cattleusa.com

Contact: Riverton Livestock Auction (307) 856-2209 • Jeff Brown (307) 850-4193 • Tom Linn (307) 728-8519 • Mark Winter (580) 747-9436 • www.rivertonlivestock.com • Also watch our live cattle auction at www.cattleusa.com

1490 South 8th Street East • River ton, WY 82501 • (307) 856-2209

®

Increasing quality can be achieved with relatively low cost, according to McCully In looking at the cost and value of quality, Certified Angus Beef’s Mark McCully says just the use of the term “quality” can mean many things.

“When we talk about quality, we can talk about wholesomeness, freshness, color and other attributes that shape quality,” he comments.

“As a industry, we often talk about beef quality in terms of quality grade ‒ and more specifically marbling.”

Quality grade is the beef industry’s best predictor of consumer eating satisfaction, and the trait is primarily determined by the intramuscular fat in the carcass.

Consumer focused McCully says today’s beef consumer is persnickety.

“They’re pretty finicky, and they want a lot of different things,” he says. “Consumers want to know about how we raised cattle and what we’ve done related to antibiotic use.

They also want to know about traceability and more.”

“The one thing we don’t want to lose sight of, though, is the number one demand driver of beef, which is taste,” McCully emphasizes. “We can’t lose sight of that point.”

As marbling continues to increase, the odds of a great eating experience for consumers increases, he continues.

“We know when we get into the Premium Choice and Prime categories, the odds of a bad eating experience goes away,” he says. “Consumer satisfaction goes up as we increase marbling and increase quality.”

Improvement At the same time consumers demand more in terms of eating experience, McCully says the beef industry has seen tremendous advancements in terms of quality.

“For many years, we didn’t make a lot of progress,” he explains. “As we got into 2008-09, we started seeing some trends.”

McCully continues, “In the last 10 years, we have made enormous progress in the quality of our product.

That comes from a lot of different things.”

Genetics, he explains, are the primary reason for improvements. Cattlemen’s diligence in continuing to improve marbling in beef cattle has paid dividends.

“Until we aligned genetics with our management and mindset and until we learned how to reach the genetic potential of these cattle in the last 10 years, we didn’t see improvement take off,” McCully comments.

Additionally, camera grading and use of technology in assessing product quality have improved the industry’s ability to consistently grade carcasses.

“We have better tools to use on the genetic side, and ultimately, we have produced a higher quality end product,” McCully says. “As an industry, we need to feel good about that, because it is driving the demand for the product we produce.”

Production In 2010, U.S. cattlemen produced nearly 13 million pounds of Prime carcasses each week. By 2018, production reached over 33 million pounds each week, with 158 percent improvement.

“That’s just in eight years, which is incredible when we think about how slow our industry traditionally moves,” McCully says.

Just over 50 million pounds per week of Premium Choice beef was produced on average in 2010. That number increased to 96 million pounds a week in 2018 ‒ a near doubling from where the industry was less than a decade ago.

These increases come from several areas. First, the beef industry has shifted the percentage of cattle that grade higher.

“We’re also harvesting

Consumer signals

To assess the value of quality, Certified Angus Beef’s Mark McCully says the cutout indicators are his primary tool.

“Every day, when packers sell their products, through Mandatory Price Reporting and other mechanisms, we get aggregate prices of each cut, and that data is rolled up into value of carcass,” he explains. “I think of it as the wholesale value of a carcass.”

In comparing the differences for quality grade cutouts, McCully notes the value of that increase in quality grade can be determined.

The Choice-Select spread is a consistently measured indicator. In 2018, the Choice-Select spread was $10.60.

“It’s important to understand the spread because it is important for our profitability,” McCully says. “Over time, trends in spreads can be assessed.”

The Choice-Select spread has remained constant over many years. However, in the last several years, the PrimeChoice spread has been more volatile, compressing a little bit.

“The weekly production of Choice and Prime tells that story. We’ve increased Choice and Prime production by 26 percent,” McCully explains. “When we put these two numbers together, we’re putting a lot of product on the market.”

He adds, “We should keep an eye on the Prime-Choice spread.”

McCully continues while the spread is lower today, he believes it will continue to be important moving forward.

more cattle, too,” McCully explains. “We have a couple years where we’ve chewed through a lot of inventory.”

McCully adds, “The big shift has been on the bottom end, though. We have produced much less of the lower end of our product, from a quality standpoint.”

Over the last decade, the beef industry is producing 50 million pounds less of Select beef. Additionally, an insignificant amount of Other or Standard beef is produced.

“This all ties to value,” McCully says. “The real question is what is this improvement worth and what does it cost us.”

Shifting markets Despite the fact that the phrase paradigm shift is often overused, McCully comments, “I think we have seen a paradigm shift in our business.

We’ve gone from being com-

modity minded to producing with the consumer in mind.”

“This is a result of a very intentional focus by cattlemen to produce a higher quality end product and respond to signals that have been sent,” he says.

Cost While value is often emphasized, McCully says the cost side is not often an area of focus.

“Producers know, however, that it’s all about the bottom line and value in relation to the cost,” he explains. “We probably need to have a better understanding of what the cost of increasing quality has been.”

Recent data provides optimism for the ability to develop high-quality cattle at a relatively low cost.

Five Rivers Feedyard compared their high-grading pens to low-grading pens.

“We can breed cattle and build cattle today that meet consumer satisfaction, produce a highquality product and do it very efficiently.” – Mark McCully, Certified Angus Beef High-grading pens were about 90 percent Choice and Prime, while low-grading pens were 60 percent Choice and Prime.

“From a feedyard performance standpoint, we found that the high-grading cattle were heavier,” McCully explains, noting the days on feed were similar for cattle.

“We also didn’t see any differences in average daily gain or cost of gain.”

In achieving quality at a low cost, McCully says the beef industry must be careful about overfeeding and management.

The secret, he says, comes in genetic and breeding decisions.

“We also have to make sure we don’t over-select for leanness and end up with harddoing cows,” he explains. “It’s a challenge for us to get better, but we can breed cattle and build cattle today that meet consumer satisfaction, produce a high-quality product and do it very efficiently.”

McCully spoke during the 2019 Cattlemen’s College, held during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Cattle Industry Convention and Trade Show.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Corporate partners CHS Inc. and New Generation Supplements in partnership with the University of Montana Western present:

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Changing consumer demands will affect producers long-term, according to Cargill Growing food awareness amongst consumers is causing producers to shift their strategies for marketing their products, according to Nathan Pike, Cargill strategic marketing and technology leader.

Sustainability defined “Sustainability is a much bigger deal than what it used to be,” explains Heather Tansey, Cargill sustainability director.

“When I think of sustainability and where the conversation really began, I think of the 1980s,” she notes. “During this time, we defined sustainability as developing crops to the best of our ability today without compromising our future generations’ ability to do so.”

“Starting in the 1990s, there was a major shift in thinking about sustainability,” she explains. “Instead of defining sustainability as simply preserving land

for the future, it became about trade-offs.”

Tansey explains these trade-offs in the modern idea of sustainability include factors such as the environment, health and economics.

“We operate under the question of, how we are going to feed an evergrowing populating going into the future?” says Tansey. “We have to ask ourselves how we progress towards more people than ever and what trade-offs do we sacrifice to do so.”

She notes consumers are considering sustainability now more than ever before.

“Customers want to know where their food came from and at what cost, and as producers, this is something we have to consider,” Tansey notes.

Future of the beef supply Vice President of Cattle Procurement at Cargill Bill Thoni explained the

shift in consumer preferences using data collected from nearly 5,000 American and Canadian consumers.

“We surveyed 2,600 Americans and 2,400 Canadians in regards to how they go about purchasing beef products,” Thoni explains. “Participants in the study couldn’t be involved in the livestock industry, food industry, work for the media or in research.”

Thoni explains beef quality and price consistently ranked as top priorities among the 5,000 surveyed participants.

“When we think about beef sales, we have to remember beef is often a celebratory type meal,” Thoni notes. “People want to buy Prime quality steaks and ribs to celebrate things such as birthdays, promotions and other major life events.”

“Beef quality is as

BECKTON’S 7 4 th Anniversary BULL andHEIFER SALE Tuesday, April 9 , 2 0 1 9 Selling 3 0 0 RedAng us

HERD STAYABILITY Beckton is the #1 Herd in the Red Angus breed for Stayability, and has been for many years. 1 0 of the top 2 0 sires in the breed for Stayability EPD are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires.

High reproduction rate and cattle that work for their owners, rather than the other way around. These are the cattle that stay in your herd.

LOW MAINTENANCE ENERGY This has also been the #1 Herd for Low Maintenance Energy requirements for many years. 1 2 of the top 2 0 sires in the entire Red Angus breed for lowest Maintenance Energy EPD are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires. No other cattle will do a better job cutting your cowherd feed requirements and saving you money.

2 5 0 Bulls and5 0 Heifers

1 :0 0 pm at ou r ranch 1 0 miles west of Sh eridan Deliv ered free anywh ere inth e continental U.S. Videoof sale animals will be av ailable onou r website.

Direct line teleph one bidding will be av ailable.

www.becktonredangus.com becktonwyo@gmail.com 3 7 Beckton Drive • Sheridan,WY 8 2 8 0 1 3 0 7 -6 7 4 -6 0 9 5 • 3 0 7 -6 7 4 -8 1 6 2 - Evenings Fax: 3 0 7 -6 7 2 -7 2 8 1 Cam and Trish Forbes

Th e Becktonranch office – ph otog raph ed in1899 wh enit was Georg e Beck’s orig inal h ome

BecktonJu lianB571

“Beef quality is as high as it’s ever been. Ten years ago, we might have seen one to two percent of cuts grading at Prime, and today, we see seven to 10 percent of cuts grading Prime.” – Bill Thoni, Cargill before,” says Pike. “We have to take into account today’s generation is an average of two generations removed from the farm, so this knowledge isn’t common.”

He explains many consumers have begun to associate labels such as antibiotic ‒ and hormone ‒ free as being higher quality.

“Studies have shown consumers rank claims such as antibiotic- and hormone-free as very important,” Pike says.

“The problem is, they rank price above these two things but expect these products to be priced the same as conventionally produced products.”

“Basically, what producers are asking for is a specially produced product that is still priced the same, if not better, than a conventionally produced product,” says Pike.

“So, as producers, we have to ask ourselves how we can meet all these consumers wants and needs,” Pike comments.

He explains unconventional production such as grass-fed beef makes up only a fraction of the market, around three percent, but it is growing. These products, however, are priced accordingly.

“Retailers have begun differentiating the supply chain,” Pike explains.

“They have this balancing act of appeasing their consumers, as well as their

suppliers.”

The new generation Bridgett Wasser, director of meat science and supply chain outreach at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, stresses again how far removed the modern consumer is from the farm in comparison to previous generations of consumers.

“Sustainability is more important to these new consumers than it ever has been in past generations,” says Wasser. “Many consumers report changing their diets to fit the needs of sustainability.”

They also report they are more willing to pay for these benefits than previous generations.

“This is going to be very interesting when this new set of consumers becomes the majority of the market because they are so different than past consumers in that they are willing to pay for sustainability and unconventional production,” says Wasser.

“This trend of really wanting to get to know the food system has the ability to help producers out in the future,” Wasser states.

This panel was featured at the National Cattleman’s Beef Association Cattleman’s College held in New Orleans, La. in late January 2019.

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

EASY CALVING Beckton has long been the #1 Herd for easy calving, with the best average Calving Ease EPD of any major herd. 1 6 of the top 2 0 sires in the breed for low Birth Weight EPD are Beckton sires, or descended from Beckton sires, and 4 1 of the top 5 0 . No other genetics come close.

Call, write or email for a catalog

Trish and Cam Forbes

high as it’s ever been,” says Thoni. “Ten years ago, we might have seen one to two percent of cuts grading at Prime and today we see seven to 10 percent of cuts grading Prime.”

He notes improvement of genetics and an overall decrease in corn prices have also contributed to the increased quality of beef we see on the market today.

“While people want quality, they also rank marketing schemes such as grass-fed or antibioticfree as very important,” according to Thoni. “The ranking of importance of these labels doesn’t coincide with the preference of price considering these programs represent less than five percent of the market.”

Unconventional claims “People are more concerned about the learning the ins and outs of the food system now than ever

HERDBUILDER 1 6 of the top 2 0 highest ranking sires on the Red Angus Herd Builder Index are Beckton sires or descended from Beckton sires.

In our annual bull sale on Tuesday, April 9 , 2 0 1 9 , most of the 2 5 0 bulls and 5 0 heifers selling will rank near the top of Red Angus breed.

Indu stry leading genetics and the highest qu ality Red Angu s 74 Years of Satisfied Cu stomers

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Heath Hornecker at 307-268-2525, or hhornecker@caspercollege.edu Jeremy Burket at 307-268-2417, or jburkett@caspercollege.edu

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

B3

Lab-grown meat production continues to advance while USDA, FDA regulations develop “Beef producers work hard every day to produce the safest, most nutritious, affordable protein,” says Danielle Beck, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association director of government affairs. “They’re really proud of everything that the term ‘beef’ stands for because it’s associated with that legacy.”

She continues, “We set out last year looking to protect an even playing field for all products to compete moving forward.”

Regulators Today, USDA and the Food and Drug Administration are the key players in regulating lab-grown meat products, but all “barnyard” trade association – ranging from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the North American Meat Institute to American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and more ‒

have all engaged.

Traditional protein companies, Silicon Valley, animal rights activists and consumer groups are also involved.

“This conversation has made strange bedfellows, too,” says Beck, who notes that common ground has been found between traditional protein producers and consumer safety groups seeking truth in labeling.

Formal agreement On March 7, a formal agreement was announced

by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that lays out the framework under which the agencies will share regulation of cell-cultured products.

Under the agreement, FDA “oversees cell collection, cell banks and cell growth and differentiation. A transition from FDA to FSIS oversight

To view the formal agreement between USDA and the Food and Drug Administration on regulation of cell-cultured meat, visit fsis.usda. gov/formalagreement.

LETTERS Submit your letters to: Editor, Wyoming Livestock Roundup, P.O. Box 850, Casper, WY, 82602, or e-mail to roundup@wylr.net. We reserve the right to edit letters.

It is the policy of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup that we do not print letters attacking individuals, groups or organizations within the Wyoming agricultural community.

We celebrate #OurFarmers To the Editor: Farmers and ranchers are the backbone of America. They grow food to feed us fiber to clothe us, and fuel to run our homes and cars.

Their hard work and dedication provide economic stability across the nation – stability that supports rural economies and creates muchneeded jobs in local communities. No matter who we are, where we live or what we do, we all have a reason every day to celebrate and thank #ourfarmers.

March 14 was designated as National Ag Day. Today and every day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Wyoming join fellow agencies, non-profits, private industries and consumers in thanking our agricultural producers for their contributions to our nation and beyond.

This year’s National Ag Day theme, Agriculture: Food for Life, spotlighted the hard work of American farmers and ranchers who diligently work to provide food and fiber for the United States and countries around the world.

At USDA, our driving commitment is to support them as they put food on America’s tables.

USDA works with millions of rural producers through a network of local service centers that serve every county. Our farmers face challenges each day, and we’re proud to offer a variety of programs to help them fund their operations, manage risk, conserve natural resources and recover from natural disasters.

On behalf of USDA, we would like to thank #ourfarmers for feeding our nation and the world. To our farmers and ranchers – we are here to support you every step of the way.

Visit your local service center for one-on-one support with USDA programs and services, or learn more at farmers. gov.

On National Ag Day, and every other day of the year, we celebrate you.

Sincerely, Lois Van Mark, Wyoming Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Astrid Martinez, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist

will occur during the cell harvest stage. FSIS will oversee the production and labeling of human food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.”

“We recognize that our stakeholders want clarity on how we will move forward with a regulatory regime to ensure the safety and proper labeling of these cell-cultured human food products while continuing to encourage innovation,” said Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response. “Collaboration between USDA and FDA will allow us to draw upon the unique expertise of each agency in addressing the many important technical and regulatory considerations that can arise with the development of animal cell-cultured food products for human consumption.”

Cell-cultured meat The American Meat Science Association put out a paper in 2017 seeking to set

standards for lab-grown or cell-cultured meat.

“To be considered meat, these products must be comparable in composition and sensory characteristics to meat derived naturally from animals,” reads the paper. “In particular, the essential amino and fatty acid composition, macro and micro nutrient content and processing functionality should meet or exceed those of conventional meat.”

“This is probably the best scientific assessment that we have on hand, but these products are yet to be vetted under a microscope,” Beck emphasizes. “I think it’s critically important that science is driving this debate and the regulatory framework governing these products.”

While requests have been made to analyze samples, cell-cultured meat products have not been microscopically examined.

Producing cell-cultured meat The first cell-cultured

“That cost of production has gone down a lot, from $300,000 to $11 for the same burger.” – Danielle Beck, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association burger was unveiled in the European Union in 2013, and it cost $300,000 to bring to the table.

“That cost of production has gone down a lot, from $300,000 to $11 for the same burger,” Beck says. “The technology is continuously evolving.”

At one point, cells were collected from a recently slaughtered animal. Then, they were collected from a biopsy of a live animal.

“Cells can now be collected from the tip of a chicken feather or hair plucked from a hog’s back,” Beck says.

She continues, “The growth medium used to be a fetal bovine serum, and now, that is a plant or algae-based liquid medium.”

Cells are put in a bioreactor, where they replicate upon

themselves, explains Beck.

“Again, this technology is rapidly evolving,” she says.

“We can expect the first product onto the market to be a chicken nugget. I’m sure the first beef-like products will be a meat crumble or meatball, but I’m sure they will also eventually be able to produce muscle-like cuts.”

Larger scale production is forecasted by 2019, according to industry participants, and Beck says, “The regulatory framework is the biggest thing holding this up so far.”

Beck spoke during the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans, La. on Jan. 30.

Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

B4

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo draws big crowds, top teams in annual contest Winnemucca, Nev. – The 2019 Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo included 33 teams who competed for over $17,000 in cash, along with buckles, prizes and bragging rights.

C7 Ranch of Gooding, Idaho won the 2019 rodeo, and Owyhee Guys of Beowawe, Nev. came second. Jim Ranch of Owyhee, Ore. came in third place, followed by the Badlands Gang of Burns, Ore. In fourth and TL Ranch from Bruneau, Idaho in fifth.

Top hand for the event was Junior Harney from the Owyhee Guys in Beowawe, Nev. Courtney Frazier of Jim Ranch won the Steer Stop. Dalton Jim of Jim Ranch won the Saddle Bronc Riding.

The Branding and

Mugging events were both won by C7 Ranch, and Bar W Ranch of Winnemucca, Nev. won the Ranch Doctoring and Trailer Loading events.

TL Ranch won the Team Roping.

Ranch Hand of the Year Jack Warn was honored as the 2019 “Ranch Hand of the Year” during the event’s 30th anniversary celebration.

It’s a worthy tribute for the longtime northern Nevada resident, cowboy, rancher, brand inspector and more, according to Agricultural District No. 3 President Kent Maher.

“Jack Warn has been a longtime fixture in the ranching community,” said Maher. “He deserves this honor and the chance to stand alongside our other

greats who have strengthened our local ranching heritage.”

Cowdog trials During the 2019 Winnemucca Cow Dog Trials, the Brace Champion award went to Pat Browning with Jack and Roy. Clint Johnson and Drover were Open Champions.

The Intermediate Champion was Alvin Young with Bo, and Jake Christensen and Frank won Ranch Champion honors.

Tom Richards and Del won the Nursery Champion Award.

Stock Horse Challenge 2019’s Stock Horse Challenge was well attended, as well, with winners from across the region.

The Open Ranch Horse Champion was Handy N Gotta Gun, owned and ridden by Flint Lee. The same horse and rider also won Open Two Rein/Bridle.

Nibbles, owned and ridden by Jymme Dominguez, was the Open Snaffle Bit/Hackamore Champion.

The Non-Pro Snaffle Bit/Hackamore Champion was Chip, owned and ridden by Jake Brennan.

Chubs, owned and ridden by Rolly Lisle, was the Non-Pro Two-Rein/ Bridle Champion.

Limited Non Pro Bridle was won by Cats Gotta Pepto, owned and ridden

by Bea Lee. For more information on next year’s event, visit winnemucca.com.

Ranch Hand of the Year - Jack Warn was recognized as the 2019 Ranch Hand of the year at the 2019 Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo on March 2. Warn was called a “longtime fixture in the ranching community,” and Agricultural District No. 3 President Kent Maher added, “He deserves this honor and the chance to stand alongside our other greats who have strengthened our local ranching heritage.” Courtesy photo

BULL AND FEMALE SALE SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2019

At producers | Greeley, CO 12:30 p.m. MST | Complimentary Lunch: 11 a.m.

21601 CR 40 | LaSalle, Colorado www.X6Ranch.com

Selling

45 Bulls: A large selection of true calving-ease bulls with growth and an outstanding set of cow-power bulls.

20 Heifers: Open & ready to be bred. A nice group of Altitude daughters in this offering.

A Few Select Pairs.

SON OF ALTITUDE

SON OF EDI

SON OF ALTITUDE

EE

SON OF ALTITUDE

Selling sons of McConnell Altitude 3114 - PAP 38 SAV Pedigree. Musgrave Mediator. McConnell Avalance H.A. Cowboy Up. McConnell Rito 4600 - PAP 37 X6 Elation 619 DAU

TE OF A ALAN

Top hand - Junior Harney of the Owyhee Guys out of Beowawe, Nev. was presented with the Ranch Hand Top Hand Award and buckle at the 2019 Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo. Courtesy photo

E

Call or email to request a catalog or visit the ranch to view the catalog at any time.

Ranch: (970) 284-5075 • Scott (970) 371-8559 • Chuck (970) 371-0095 • E-mail: X6Ranch@gmail.com

Top team - C7 Cattle from Gooding, Idaho won the 2019 Winnemucca Ranch Hand Rodeo this year, and Mike Eiguren and Delbert Jim won the calcutta, as a result. The winners, including (back row, left to right) Mike Eiguren, Matt Azevedo, Candida Eldridge, Casey Brunson, Delbert Jim, (front row, left to right) Dan Webb and Jared Parke, were presented with hand-tooled rope cans, in memory of Garley Amos and Tim DeLong and donated by Jim and Mary Sue Davis. Courtesy photo

Grouse meeting set The Bates Hole/Shirley Basin Sage Grouse Working Group will hold a meeting on March 28 to discuss the Governor’s Executive Order for sage grouse and to introduce the new Wyoming Game and Fish Department Sage Grouse Coordinator Leslie Schreiber to the working group. Gov. Gordon intends to revise and update the Executive Order and is asking for input from local working groups.

However, it should be noted the core area boundaries will not be revised at this time.

The Bates Hole/Shirley Basin Sage Grouse Working Group is one of eight regional working groups statewide. Each group is composed of citizens representing groups interested in sage grouse conservation.

The meeting will be at 10 a.m. on March 28 at the Casper Wyoming Game and Fish Department office.

The meeting is open to the public.

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

B5

Communication is critical in managing farm and ranch labor for productive operation The challenges of managing farm operations can be mitigated by taking a more formal, corporate -type approach according to John Hewlett, University of Wyoming Extension farm and ranch specialist.

Hewlett cites the Farm Labor survey, noting there are 31,000 agriculture workers in the Mountain Region encompassing Wyoming.

The Census of Agriculture, which is conducted every five years, was last completed in 2012. Though the 2017 census is the most recent, the data is yet to be sorted.

The 2012 survey concluded there were 3,100 farms in Wyoming with over 10,000 workers employed by these farms.

Roles of the employer “We need to step back and figure out what we are trying to accomplish with our business as a whole,” says Hewlett. “We need to sit down and set goals before we ever go about trying to manage people.”

He notes managers should figure out exactly where labor fits into their business, whether it be relatives on a family operation or outside employees.

“There are various ways we can manage people to meet our goals,” Hewlett says. “Some people take a more philosophical approach to look at this, and the book we recommend, Ag Help Wanted: A Guide to Managing Ag Labor does take a philosophical approach to labor management.”

Hewlett explains it is also the duty of the employer to understand the regulations associated with the type of work they require of their laborers.

“It is our job as employers to ensure we are within the law when it comes to labor and are providing the proper workmen’s compensation in accordance with labor laws,” says

Hewlett.

Organizational planning “Organizational planning takes the broadness of the roles of an employer and gives some direction to it,” says Hewlett. “Having direction helps people accomplish the goals we set.”

“As we plan on how we are going to accomplish tasks and keep or acquire labor, we have to figure out how we are going to keep those people from quickly burning out,” says Hewlett.

“We don’t want to have to replace the same position over and over again.”

Hewlett notes employers need to think broadly about what people need to accomplish to help the business become successful and think about how we can effectively use labor to put this in action.

“We have to determine how exactly we use labor to put these things into action,” says Hewlett.

He also notes conflict between managers often only hurts the laborer.

Something as simple as a predetermined job description can alleviate such issues.

“At the very beginning of this process, employers need to set out specific job descriptions with all those involved in the hiring process,” says Hewlett. “This description should accurately describe what type of work is expected of the position and can clear up any confusion as well as establish a basis of understanding to ask questions.”

“It is crucial that everyone involved in the hiring process or supervising employees be on the same page,” Hewlett stresses.

Staffing Hewlett explains in situations where the operation is staffed by family members, deciding who does what job can be much more complicated.

“It might be even more important to have a struc-

tured system of staffing in family operations,” Hewlett notes. “A systematic approach to taking in people’s skills, interests and status will minimize issues.”

Hewlett explains no matter if the operation employees strictly family members, outside help or a mix of both, there must be a systematic approach to staffing.

“This goes back to the need for a job description,” says Hewlett. “There needs to be an established approach and everyone involved in hiring or firing needs to be on the same page.”

He continues, “Treating employees differently will invite the question of discriminatory practices, which can have severe legal implications.”

“How we treat people will follow us, and if we don’t respect people, no one will want to work for

us,” he says.

Hewlett notes in any type of operation, it’s critical to consider what the employee will gain from the position in addition to wages.

“It needs to be very clear if the employee has the possibility of earning a higher wage,” Hewlett explains.

“We also need to figure out how we orient new employees,” Hewlett says.

“This can be really casual or formal, but there needs to be a process.”

He explains an established process for orienting new employees will help determine the capabilities and interests of new employees.

Potential issues “Employers need to look at their entire process and determine the best way to give feedback to employees,” Hewlett notes. “Whether it be positive or negative, feedback

“We need to step back and figure out what we are trying to accomplish with our business as a whole. We need to sit down and set goals before we ever go about trying to manage people.” – John Hewlett, University of Wyoming is absolutely necessary.”

He explains people need to know if what they’re doing is right or wrong, and many employers fall into the habit of only discussing one or the other.

“There needs to be a structured way to provide feedback, whether it be a written letter or a sit-down conversation,” he notes.

“It’s critical to have an annual performance evaluation to take stock of where we’ve gone in the past year and where we want to be,” he says. “Discuss this with the employee and have a plan for improving their performance to fit the goals of the operation.”

Hewlett notes a good

strategy is to compile an employee handbook laying out conflict management, appeals processes and other established protocols.

“At the end of the day, this all comes down to interpersonal communication skills,” he stresses.

“If we can’t communicate properly with our employees and partners, nothing will get done.”

Hewlett was a featured speaker at the annual Fremont County Farm and Ranch Days held in Riverton each February.

Callie Hanson is the assistant editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup.

Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Spring Herdbuilder Bull Sale

Orion Beef Group

April 1 3 , 2 0 1 9

Selling 2 0 0 Red Angus and Red Hybred Bulls Weschenfelder Development Center • Shepherd, MT • 1 :0 0 PM MST

Reputation Red Angus and Hybreds 8239F REG# 3 9 2 5 1 5 9

COMMANDER X NIGHT CALVER X EXT 5 2 3 3

2 0 9 HB, 5 1 GM, 1 7 CED, -4 .8 BW, 6 3 WW, 1 0 6 YW, 2 4 MK, 0 ME, 1 2 HPG, 1 2 CEM, 1 7 STAY, 0 .6 9 MB, - 0 .1 4 RE

Stacking Three of the Best Maternal Bulls in the Breed!

8 0 0 5 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 6 9 9

8 0 6 8 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 8 2 5 DECLARATION X REDEMPTION X EXPEDITION 2 4 9 HB, 5 3 GM, 1 3 CED, -1 .4 BW, 6 5 WW, 1 1 4 YW, 2 1 MK, -4 ME, 1 0 HPG, 7 CEM, 2 3 STAY, 0 .5 9 MB, -0 .2 1 RE

Awesome Stayability and Herdbuilder Bull!

8 0 8 0 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 8 4 9 DECLARATION X IMPECCABLE X DENIRO 2 2 1 HB, 5 3 GM, 1 9 CED, -2 .8 BW, 6 9 WW, 1 1 8 YW, 2 6 MK, -3 ME, 1 3 HPG, 1 1 CEM, 1 7 STAY, 0 .4 4 MB, 0 .1 8 RE

DEFENDER X REDEMPTION X WARRIOR 2 1 0 HB, 5 4 GM, 1 5 CED, -2 .6 BW, 7 1 WW, 1 1 6 YW, 1 4 MK, -7 ME, 1 3 HPG, 7 CEM, 1 6 STAY, 0 .9 6 MB, 0 .0 4 RE

One of the Best Prospects to Sell All Spring!

Incredible Caving Ease bull with Growth!

For additional labor management resources, visit aghelpwanted.org.

DGA solicits comments The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), invites the public to register to attend the first meeting of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory (DGA) Committee. The meeting will be held at USDA headquarters in the Jefferson Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on March 28-29. Visit DietaryGuidelines.gov for registration details.

“USDA is committed to ensuring the process for developing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is transparent and data-driven,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “We are looking forward to kicking off the committee’s review of the scientific evidence, along with public engagement throughout the process. The comment period is open, and we encourage everyone to visit the redesigned Dietary Guidelines website.”

The next edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will continue to focus on what Americans eat and drink as a whole to help prevent disease and keep people healthy. The 2020 guidelines will include recommendations for pregnant women and children from birth to 24 months.

8 1 0 8 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 9 0 5 DEFENDER X INDEPENDENCE X EXT 8 6 2 8 1 9 2 HB, 5 3 GM, 1 4 CED, -2 .8 BW, 6 3 WW, 1 0 4 YW, 1 9 MK, -3 ME, 1 5 HPG, 6 CEM, 1 6 STAY, 1 .1 0 MB, 0 .1 3 RE Solid Defender with Lots of Class!

8 1 5 2 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 9 9 1 DEFENDER X EXT 7 4 5 5 X NORSKI 2 0 7 HB, 5 1 GM, 1 9 CED, -4 .1 BW, 6 2 WW, 1 0 2 YW, 1 8 MK, -3 ME, 1 5 HPG, 9 CEM, 1 6 STAY, 0 .6 5 MB, 0 .0 8 RE Big Time Calving Ease Sire!

8 0 2 8 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 7 4 5 GOLD MINE X REDEMPTION X FAT TONY 1 9 7 HB, 5 1 GM, 9 CED, -0 .9 BW, 7 5 WW, 1 2 4 YW, 1 7 MK, -7 ME, 1 4 HPG, 6 CEM, 1 8 STAY, 0 .4 8 MB, 0 .1 8 RE The Best Goldmine Son to Date!

8 1 8 1 F • REG# 3 9 2 5 0 4 5 COMMANDER X TITONKA X CONQUEST 2 1 4 HB, 5 2 GM, 1 7 CED, -4 .4 BW, 6 8 WW, 1 0 6 YW, 2 0 MK, 0 ME, 1 1 HPG, 1 0 CEM, 1 7 STAY, 0 .5 4 MB, 0 .0 5 RE Over $ 1 9 ,0 0 0 $ Profit in this Stud!

8 1 2 9 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 9 4 5 PLATINUM X ROCKET X P7 0 7 2 3 7 HB, 5 5 GM, 1 6 CED, -1 .1 BW, 6 9 WW, 1 1 7 YW, 1 7 MK, -3 ME, 1 5 HPG, 8 CEM, 1 9 STAY, 0 .9 1 MB, 0 .0 5 RE The Bull to Check out in this year's Lineup!

8 0 2 7 F • REG# 3 9 2 4 7 4 3 PLATINUM X OVERTAKE X EPIC R3 9 7 K 2 0 5 HB, 5 6 GM, 1 2 CED, -1 .2 BW, 7 6 WW, 1 3 1 YW, 1 7 MK, -3 ME, 1 5 HPG, 5 CEM, 1 6 STAY, 0 .5 5 MB, 0 .4 4 RE The All Around Bull that Checks off all the Boxes!

www.lu d vig sonstoc k fa rms.c om Ryan Ludvigson (5 1 5 )4 5 0 -3 1 2 4 rl_ludvigson@hotmail.com

Park Ludvigson (7 1 2 )2 2 9 -3 4 3 1 parkludvigson@hotmail.com

Kellen Ludvigson (5 1 5 )3 1 4 -2 8 8 3 kellen@orionbeefgroup.com

Brian Brigham (9 7 0 )4 8 1 -5 1 9 2 brian@orionbeefgroup.com

B6

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

From the Kitchen Table

By Lynn Harlan

Shearing in Saudi Arabia We have a band of ewes near Casper, and despite the record snowfall at the airport on March 13, we started shearing on that following Friday. The shearers showed up the night before the storm, and Kate helped them set up the shearing trailer in the new Quonset.

The Kiwis – New Zealanders – sat out the storm in their campers for a couple of days. For most, it was their first Wyoming blizzard.

Thankfully, it was short lived.

I had a chance to visit with two of the crew one day.

Mere – pronounced Mary – is a lady shearer from the North Island of New Zealand.

This is her second year shear-

ing on this crew. She shears about 120 Wyoming range ewes a day, more in New Zealand, as they are smaller. She worked as a wool handler for 10 years and started shearing for the challenge and the better money. She bought a house in Queensland, Australia and is paying off that investment.

Mere is 27 and loves our American bacon.

William “Bill” is 54, and this is his first trip to America to shear sheep. I asked where else he had shorn, expecting the usual – Australia, the United Kingdom. He said he had been to Saudi Arabia to shear sheep. Sheep in Saudi Arabia? I wanted to hear more of this story.

First, a little history.

The Islamic rules of “Halal” require that the animal to be eaten be processed under specific Halal rules, the foremost being that the animal is alive and healthy. No frozen meat for Muslims.

Exports of halal meat from New Zealand began in the 1970s. Huge freight ships, mostly refurbished car carriers, began shipping live lambs to the Middle East. The lambs would be on the ships for about six weeks. Mortality could be high.

In 2003, New Zealand banned the shipment of live lambs after a disastrous trip to Saudi Arabia. The country rejected a shipment of 57,000 sheep, believing them to be diseased. The ship then spent two months at sea while the exporter tried to find a new buyer and nearly 6,000 sheep died.

Let’s back up even more.

Sheikh Hamood Al-Ali AlKhalaf, a well-connected Saudi tycoon, owned those lambs on the ill-fated trip.

He then invested millions in

farms – and sheep – on the North Island of New Zealand, on the understanding that the New Zealand government would resume live exports. This didn’t happen, and Hamood lost millions or so he alleged. This all leads to the “Sheep Gate” controversy.

To compensate Hamood, the New Zealand government spent $6 million to air freight 900 pregnant ewes and farming equipment to Hamood’s farm in Saudi Arabia to set up an “agribusiness hub.” This was all tied up with Hamood’s supposed influence in a trade agreement between the two countries.

Okay, we’re getting mired in New Zealand’s politics here. This backstory leads up to why Bill, our sheep shearer, went to Saudi Arabia to shear sheep.

Bill’s farm in the North Island of New Zealand was close to one of Hamood’s farms. Bill had actually met Hamood and had done some shearing for him. Bill has shorn sheep all his life, and

he managed a training school for shearers in New Zealand. With his knowledge, expertise and knowing the right people, he and another shearer were asked to fly to Saudi Arabia to shear the 900 ewes that were flown over.

The pregnant ewes were a variety of breeds, as the Saudis were hoping to ascertain which breed would do best in Saudi. I’m fairly certain nothing like our Wyoming Rambouillet range sheep would work. Their wool is too fine and tight, with not much breathability. The breeds that seemed to do best were a Suffolk and Awassi/Perendale cross. The temperatures could rise to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Many of the lambs born in Saudi perished. The workers didn’t know much about

sheep husbandry – feeding, lambing or mothering up lambs. The farm set up was doing well, though, due to pivot irrigation systems and shallow wells.

Bill and his fellow shearer stayed 10 days in all. He noted many cultural differences in Saudi Arabia, mostly the lack of women’s rights, which is still very true today. It is difficult to get information about the sheep operation in Saudi today, but Bill assures me that Hamood is still very active worldwide in the procurement of Halal lamb for the Middle East.

Bill has also shorn sheep in Italy, but that is another story. Bill also likes our bacon, but he is anxious to have a really good steak. I know where I can find one.

43rd Annual 1:00 p.m. • April

4, 2019 • at the ranch

A A R Outside 8732

Quality wool - After shearing, Bob Harlan stands with a line of topquality fleeces that are being packed in wool bags. Photo courtesy of Lynn Harlan and Larry Prager

Selling

215 Bulls

A A R Creed 8514

All bulls have genomicaly enhanced EPDs. LOT

3

LOT

Reg. 19250506

Creed x Ten Gauge Big performance with a great cow family.

CED BW WW Milk YW

+5

+1.4 +75

+22

+129

1

A A R Bankroll 8077

Outside x Leupold Curve Bender with a great cow.

CED BW WW Milk YW

+0.2 +69

+25

In the main parking lot of the Pavilion

+125 LOT

A A R Outside 8100

Bankroll x Outside Individual WR 118 and YR 121 CED BW WW Milk YW

+8

LOT LOT

2

Reg. 19232996

Justified x Matrix Standout embryo calf out of our elite donor Blackbird 904.

CED BW WW Milk YW

+6

+0.6 +81

+25

4

+10 +2.7 +84

+34

+154

A A R Frontman 8071

LOT

+139

Justified x Hellferstout Outstanding Dam posts 8 WR 112, 8 YR 105.

CED BW WW Milk YW

LOT

29

Reg. 19250618

+80

+26

12

Reg. 19250358

LOT

Consistent x Frontman Curve bending EPDs. BW WW Milk

+147

Reg. 19230988

28

Reg. 19231150

+0.9

+22

A A R Justified 8823

+4

+6

+1.4 +79

Outside x Ten X Top 1% WW, YW, $W and $F CED BW WW Milk YW

A A R Consistent 8536

CED

6

Reg. 19231088

A A R Justified 8244

Frontman x Justified Calving ease and growth.

Top 1% WW, YW, $W and $F. CED BW WW Milk YW

+10 YW

+134

-1.3

+82

+22

+146

g Also Sellin

20 ELITE REGISTERED HEIFERS

Platte Valley Producers Spring Consignment Auction Saturday, April 6, 2019 Starting @ 9 AM

Reg. 19250507

+5

~McNamee Auction Company Presents~

+0.3 +65

+28

+106

SIRES INCLUDED A A R Creed 5802 Ellingson Consistent 6235 KG Justified 3023 TEF Outside 514 A A R Frontman 3132 HA Outside 3008 A A R Thirty-Aught-Six A A R Justified 6708 S Foundation 514 McCumber Unmistakable 524 A A R Bankroll 5016 A A R Frontman 6073

@ the Goshen County Fairgrounds Torrington, Wyoming Tractors & Tillage Equipment & 3 pt. Misc • JD 4430 “1977, 130 Horse” model w Farmhand XL940 loader w/ Grapple (modified grapple will also quick attach to a skid loader) Power shift trans, has had eng. overhauled, air & heat, strong running unit 18.4-38 rear rubber that is 85% SN 065983R • MF 3525 tractor. 4594 hrs., cab w/ air & heat, 3 remotes, 3 pt., dual PTO SN K301210 • JD 4430. (1978) Low hrs. at 6198 & a nice tractor • Ford 8N w/ a bucket slip dirt mover & a scraper • 1980, Yanmar 336-D tractor • IH W9 gas tractor modified w/ Chrysler 383 eng. & a push button trans. Has a 20000# winch w/ 100’ of 3/8 cable, duals on back w/ wide front. Was used for docking boats • Allis-Chalmers WC motor grader, converted to hyd. • International 500 Series E Crawler tractor • Roto Press, Model 1022, 10’ diameter silage bagger • AC 8’ tandem disk • IH 14’ tandem disk w/ cylinder & tires • Ford, 4 bottom 14” plow • Big Ox pull type hyd. Lift, 8’ rotary mower • Back hoe that attaches to a tractor & has both 12” & 18” buckets Hay & Harvest • Hesston 4755 3’X3’ baler w/ auto lube, monitor. SN 475500353. Field ready unit • Gehl 1870 TDC 5X6 round baler. Twine tie and field ready • JD Model 700 Hyd. V rake • New Holland 144 windrow inverter • JD model 20 round bale accumulator • Gehl Model 750, 2 row 30” corn chopper w/ hay head Flatbed, Stock & Horse Trailers • 20’ Titan stock trailer. This trailer was completely gone through by Vaughn’s Trailer Repair & has new paint, floor, LED lights, breaks, sliding mid gate & is in excellent shape & on 265-75-16 • 04’ H&H 30’ flatbed w. 3 pc. HD ramp system. Tandem singles w/ 14K axels. Good floor, lights & breaks & twin jacks • 2014 30’ tri-axel flatbed w/ beaver tail & ramps • 2015 Hooker 7’X40’ triple axel GN, flatbed trailer w/ 7500# axels & a steel floor Vehicles, Tires & Parts • 2009 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab pickup, gas, auto trans, sells w/ 169K miles • 2005 Ford F350 Crew Cab w/ a Hydra bed • 2005 Volvo V70 Station wagon • 1994 Ford F250 Crew, w/ new 460 gas eng., 4WD, Man. trans • 96’ Dodge 2500 SC Diesel w/ flatbed. 4WD, 5 sp. Manual trans, 1 owner outfit Livestock Handling, Irrigation supplies, Shop Equipment, Plus more consignments BST View The Complete Listing on line @

View bulls and bid online

63 Years of producing cattle for the commercial cowman that excel in calving ease, maternal and structure.

Keith Arntzen (406) 462-5557 Doug Arntzen (406) 462-5553 577 Arntzen Lane Hilger, MT 59451 arntzen@mtintouch.net www.arntzenangus.com

www,mcnameeacutioncompany.com

McN A MEE AU C TI ON COMPA NY, L LC 6465 CR 39 – Torrington, WY 307-532-4976 or 307-534-5156

www.mcnameeauctioncompany.com

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

B7

OBITUARIES

Kristine Darlington

We welcome obituaries. Obituaries are printed free of charge and can be sent to roundup@wylr.net.

Aug. 30, 1943 – March 14, 2019

Mary Jane Bressler Oct. 5, 1936 – March 16, 2019

Mary Jane (Bunger) Bressler, 82, passed peacefully from this earth, in her home surrounded by family, on March 16 after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born Oct. 5, 1936 in Ellensburg, Wash., the daughter of dairy farmers John and Mary (Champie) Bunger. She attended local schools in Ellensburg and Bremerton and graduated from Grandview High School

in 1954.

In the summer of 1955, she met Robert L. “Bob” Bressler, and they were married three months later, on Oct. 1 in Grandview, Wash.

Upon Bob’s honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, they moved to Wyoming and started their family.

In 1965, they moved back to Casper to enter the ranching business with Bob’s father at 33 Mile Ranch, where he had grown up.

Jane worked side-byside with her husband on the ranch for 60 years as the chief bookkeeper and cook for the working men. She served as an election judge for several decades, was a talented artist, seamstress and cook. She loved to raise chickens and dogs and had great appreciation for music

and antiques. She embraced changing times and technology with vigor, always keeping up with her grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband of 63 years Bob; brother Jack (Pat) Bunger; children Cheryl (Steve) Degenfelder of Casper, Carla (Dave) Crawmer of Atlanta, Ga., Bryce (Denise) Bressler of Casper and Todd (Trina) Bressler of Pomeroy, Ohio; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; five siblings; and several beloved dogs and chickens.

A service celebrating her life was held March 21 at Newcomer Funeral Home.

To leave a special message for the family, please visit newcomercasper.com.

Clyde A. “Al” McKee

Kristine Jo Darlington, 75, of Upton went to rest with the Lord on March 14 in Rapid City, S.D. Kristine – or Nanny as we all know her – was born on Aug. 30, 1943 in Casper to Adolph and Mignon Thorson. She attended Osage School and then beauty school in Rapid City, S.D. Kris was united in marriage to the love of her life, Glen Darlington, on Aug. 18, 1965 during the wagon train on the Darlington Ranch, each bringing children to the union, including Clint, Toni, and Troy. The marriage was later blessed with a daugh-

ter, Nelda.

Kris enjoyed being a ranch wife and raising the kids while accompanying Glen to many rodeos and events.

In 1979, the couple moved to Fort Sumner, N.M to start their journey in the horse racing industry. Kris was active in helping around the barn, training race horses and taking in horses which she knew had potential or simply those that she was fond of.

In 1987, they returned to Wyoming, where Kris channeled her many talents providing the community with beautiful beadwork halters and clothing, horse paintings and grooming dogs – and an occasional cat, which didn’t go as planned. She was always game for taking on an artistic project even if she had never done such work. Kris had a talent for pulling it off.

Kris enjoyed camping and kayaking at Keyhole and spending time with her children, grandchildren

and great-grandchildren.

She was known for having a flair with her hair and her shoes and had a way of putting a smile on your face, all of which made her unique and an absolute joy to be around. Nanny will be greatly missed by all.

Kris is survived by her children Toni (John) Gipson, Troy Darlington, Nelda (Michael) Mills and step-son Clint (Becky) Pickrel; nine grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Kris is preceded in death by her husband Glen; parents Adolph and Mignon; brother Gilbert.

A memorial service was held on March 21 at the Upton Community Center. Memorial donations will be given to the Upton Fun Days Rodeo.

Arrangements are under the care of FidlerRoberts and Isburg Funeral Chapel of Sundance.

Online condolences may be written at fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com.

System Options

Trusted Quality

Jan. 14, 1943 – March 17, 2019

Clyde A. “Al” McKee, rancher and cowboy, passed away March 17 after a valorous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Al was born in Grover, Colo. to Clyde A. McKee, Sr. and Lottie Vanilla Miller McKee on Jan. 14, 1943; he was the youngest of nine children. In 1947, the family moved to Elk Mountain to continue ranching.

In 1960, Al com-

peted at the National High School Finals Rodeo in Hot Springs, S.D. Al joined the PRCA in 1963 and was a PRCA Gold Card member.

In 1961, Al married his wife of former years, Frankie Wells. Not long after, they moved to the Little Snake River to work with family on Al’s father’s ranch holdings. It was during this time that Al’s two sons, Casey and Cody, were born. In the early 1970s, Al ranched near Marlow, Okla., fueling his love for a good horse.

Al continued ranching upon his return to Savery. He enjoyed ranching in the big country south of Rock Springs. Al traded cattle from California to Texas, visited sale barns across the United States, Canada and Australia, meeting many great people and making lifelong

friends along the way.

Al was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters; two brothers; and his son Casey.

He is survived by his wife, companion and best friend Kaye Myers McKee; son Cody (Cindy); step-son H.D. (Jenny) Criswell; stepdaughter Cheryl (Eddie) Relaford; grandchildren Lilah and Nolan of Savery, Chaunce (Lilly) Criswell, Caelee (Kai) Schulze and Cashley Criswell, and Tyra and Cade Relaford.

A gathering of family and friends will be held June 22 in Torrington.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Casey McKee Scholarship Fund in care of LCCC Foundation at 1400 East College Drive, Cheyenne, WY 82007.

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

33rd Annual Yearling Commercial Angus Bull Sale Monday, April 8, 2019 • One Bar Eleven Ranch • Saratoga, WY John E. Rouse - Beef Improvement Center Lunch Served at 11:30 a.m. • Sale begins at 12:30 p.m.

s of Selling son o fo Black t, and Homeplace n o ti Ela

Herd Records from over 60 years - In-herd EPDs, Daily Gain and Much More!

Raised at 7200’ elevation, PAP tested by Tim Holt DVM, these calving ease bulls perform well at any altitude!

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For more information or to receive progress reports and a sale catalog, contact:

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

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Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

It’s the Pitts

by Lee Pitts

Watermelon People In today’s society, where up is down, right is wrong, man is woman and woman is man, the biggest lie of all is that the folks who live in huge, crowded cities with polluted air and constant noise are the environmentalists, but you, who lives under clear skies where the only noise is created by a cow, a cricket or a coyote, are somehow evil defilers of the environment.

What has the world come to when all you have to do to be green is write a check once a year to the Sierra Club, fret about the

ozone layer and have a bumper sticker on your car that says, “Bring back the bison, sing back the swan”?

We’ve turned into a nation of know-it-alls who live in multi-story concrete condominiums and consider themselves experts on the environment because they drive a Prius, probably powered by a battery that derives its energy from a coal-fired power plant.

When it comes to understanding nature, we find ourselves surrounded by greedy lawyers, small minds who live in big houses, pseudo-

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scientists and idiotic talk show hosts who think they are the salvation of mother earth. I think they are missing a few raisins in their trail mix, if you know what I mean. Their smart phones are more intelligent than they are.

Why is Leonardo de Caprio considered an environmentalist when his jet spews more noxious fumes into the air on one coast-tocoast trip from Hollywood to New York than a rancher does on his horse in his or her lifetime?

Why are the folks who leave tons of trash behind after celebrating Earth Day considered green but not the country folks who stayed home to tend their garden or water a few trees?

Why are folks called environmentalists who agonize over “paper or plastic,” but not the ranch wife who walks to her garden and car-

ries her food home in a reusable basket?

I don’t understand the people trying to outrun the smog they helped create who move to the country and then try to remake it into the image of the hell-hole they just left.

Why are they the environmentalists but not the good people who created the welcoming environment to begin with?

Frankly, I’ve had it with idiots raised on the pavement who move to the country and then want to fix the ecological imbalance by holding fundraisers for greedy green groups so they can evict ranchers who’ve been on the land for five or six generations and created the idyllic environment the greenies coveted. I swear, we’re living in an era of natural nonsense, enviro-twaddle and eco-blather spouted by ecomeddlers and limousine lib-

erals who step high over bugs to avoid squishing them and ride electric bikes and therefore know everything there’s to know about the natural world.

In my lifetime, I’ve visited the homes of hundreds of ranchers, and believe me, they were the ultimate recyclers long before that became trendy.

Nothing is wasted on a ranch. The hog gets the leftovers, and clothes are worn until even Goodwill won’t take them. Ranchers never throw anything away, as evidenced by the piles of old baling wire they use for fixing everything from a balky carburetor to a sagging fence. I’ve even seen ranch women weave fascinating fabric from old baler twine.

There’s always a row of old cars and trucks they’ve owned that ranchers steal parts off of until they become skeletons or the

price of scrap iron rises high enough to sell.

Ranch wives can vegetables and sausage in reusable Mason jars, and some even still hang their clothes on a clothesline to dry in the fresh air. For those born after 1970, a clothesline is powered only by sun and wind.

The rancher waters and feeds the elk and other wildlife. His cows fertilize the soil, eat down grass and weeds to lessen the available fuel for fire, and their hooves break up the soil to absorb more rainwater. They should be a greenies best friend.

So why do they hate us so much and call for a rural cleansing?

Because they are watermelon people – green on the outside but red on the inside.

They are socialists who need someone to be mad at, and you are it because you own land and they don’t.

How dare you.

BIG COUNTRY GENETICS 4.6.19 bull sale NORTHWEST COLLEGE AG FACILIT Y

POWELL, WY

1424E

1129E

716E

$API 169.7 $TI 92.2 LEACHMAN PROPHET J030Z x GW PREMIUM BEEF 021TS

863E

$API 147.0 $TI 77.5 NLC COW BOSS 160C x HOOKS SHEAR FORCE 38K

$API 150.1 $TI 72.8 GW GOLDEN EAGLE 015B x GW PREMIUM BEEF 021TS

1508E

736E

$API 134.1 $TI 73.2 NLC COW BOSS 160C x GW PREMIUM BEEF 019U

$API 150.2 $TI 80.2 NLC COW BOSS 160C x GW PREDESTINED 701T

selling

$API 143.5 $TI 79.0 GW MARSHALL 756A x GW PREDESTINED 701T

65 16+ MONTH OLD BULLS 30 YEARLING BULLS SIMMENTAL • SIMANGUS™ • ANGUS

Bred to perform on HARSH DESERT COUNTRY. Pasture developed in Powell, WY. All bulls sell with a one year breeding season, PAP guarantee and are BVD tested free.

Selling 100% possession and semen interest in all bulls.

rancher bulls ready to go to work

Marty Ropp Corey Wilkins

406-581-7835 256-590-2487

www.alliedgeneticresources.com

QUIN LAFOLLETTE Black Summit Cattle 307-899-3553

JIMMY STEWART Big Country Genetics 231-878-1908 bigcountrygenetics@gmail.com www.xlranch.org

Text, call or email to receive a salebook.

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5L

Wyoming Livestock Roundup • Volume 30 No. 47 • March 23, 2019

Calves that Convert More Efficiently Cows that Wean More Pounds per Acre No other proven Red Angus sire delivers as much Feed Efficiency and predicts as much Profitability for Cow/Calf producers who sell their calves at weaning as 5L Bourne 117-48A.

Ultimatum ranks better than the top 1% for $Profit and sired the top-selling sire group in our 2018 spring sale. This son is top 1% for GridMaster and ratioed 145 for IMF and 117 for REA.

Many WideBody sons and grandsons of Defender will sell! This Real Deal son ranks in the top 1% for $Ranch and the best 6% for Feed Efficiency, and he's out of a 106 MPPA Tradesman daughter.

Over 100 Sons & Grandsons Sell!

5L Bourne 117-48A

F:G EPD -.74 (Top 1/10th of 1%) $Ranch: 107 (Top 1/100th of 1%)

2019 Profit $eeker Bull Sale Friday, April 12, 2019 • Sheridan, MT All Sale Bulls Feed Efficiency Tested - WideBody Scored & PAP Tested Volume Discounts • 1st Season Bull Warranty • Free Bull Delivery (with min. purchase)

200 head of Hand-Picked Commercial Red Angus Replacements Pelvic Measured - Reproductive Tract Scored - Open & Ready to Breed

25 Registered Red Angus Open Yearling Heifers

The Larry Mehlhoff Family 5lranch@3rivers.net 877-5L-BULLS

5LBulls.com Calves that earn big carcass premiums & Cows that don’t eat all the Profits