POWDER RIVER BASIN

Friday, May 5 to Saturday, May 6 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Field below the Rockpile Museum

Gillette, Wyoming

This FREE event will focus on the historic and modern culture of working sheep in the Powder River Basin from the 20th century Scots and Basques to the modern Quechua Sheepherders. Festival will include Basque cultural presentations by David Romtvedt, hands-on sheepwagons, sheep dog demos, petting station, cultural foods and more! Friday evening at 6:30pm will also include a special guest, Dr. Alison Krogel, who will give an introductory lecture on the Quechua/Peruvian sheepherders throughout Wyoming.

For more information:

Brittney Elsasser at 307-682-5723 www.rockpilemuseum.com

LAMBS continued from page 1 an increased risk of experiencing dystocia and/or pregnancy toxemia, so a BCS of three to 3.5 is ideal.

A Feb. 4, 2020 article published by Scarsdale Vets, one of the largest providers of veterinary care across the East Midlands region of England, notes nutrient demands vary by weight, age and the amount of lambs a ewe is carrying.

In fact, according to the article, ewes carrying twins experience a 50 percent increase in energy demand on top of their already high nutrient requirements. Therefore, producers may want to consider supplementing ewes with a high-quality concentrate, containing up to 18 to 20 percent crude protein.

University of Wyoming Extension Sheep Specialist Dr. Whit Stewart agrees.

In a March 11, 2022 article previously published in the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, Stewart explains approximately 60 to 70 percent of all glucose produced by a ewe is used for the growing lamb in late pregnancy.

“And, when the glucose account overdrafts, pregnancy toxemia results,” he says. “Whether a producer is hanging on to ewes longer, recently purchased aged ewes or are seeing an increase in resource issues raised by the state in its appeal.

“Resources or issues identified for further inspection include aquatic invasive species, fisheries and recreational settings. The preliminary EA does not consider future decisions regarding potential uses of the land, but rather further evaluates the environmental impacts associated with BLM’s decision to purchase the land,” BLM explains.

Public comment

According to Acting BLM Casper Field Office Manager Ben Bigalke, BLM is currently seeking public comments specific to potential impacts which could result from property changing from private to public hands.

“The public and our partner agencies will substantially contribute to the future management of the property during the land use planning process, which we plan to undertake in the near future,” he says.

Gordon also called on Wyoming citizens to provide comments on the EA.

“Embracing multiple use principles, which in this case includes increased public access on public lands, has many benefits to the public and Wyoming. This is why I did not oppose this project but opposed the process used,” Gordon states.

“Meaningful public input and environmental their twin or triplet percentage, then supplementing an additional pound to a pound and a half of grain will go a long way in preventing clinical problems.”

Additionally, mineral requirements of a ewe increase during gestation.

Stewart suggests producers provide mineral supplementation prior to lambing so storage pools can be mobilized as stages of pregnancy advance.

“Significant proportions of the flock, more than 25 percent will under consume, over consume or not consume the free-choice mineral at all,” he says. “Monitoring consumption and calculating estimated mineral intake across the flock takes some math, but it can tell us if a group of ewes are over-consuming or under-consuming.”

To do this, Stewart says to divide the total amount of mineral fed by the number of days it took for the amount to be consumed, then divide by the number of ewes consuming the mineral.

“If intake is far above or below manufacturer recommended levels, consider palatability issues due to weathering or location of the mineral feeder. We can’t manage what we don’t measure, but we can enjoy peace of mind from good nutritional management,” he states.

Facilities should be clean and prepped

Blackmon notes a second step to preparing for lambing season is to ensure lambing facilities are cleaned and prepped for the arrival of newborn lambs.

For producers lambing in a barn, she suggests identifying and eliminating any drafts while also ensuring good ventilation.

A space of 12 to 14 square feet per lamb should be planned in order to avoid overcrowding, and if producers are using jugs, they should enclose a four foot by four foot space, with fencing at least three feet high.

Dry, clean bedding should be provided, and lightbulbs and heat lamps should be double checked to ensure they are working properly.

For operations with pasture-lambing flocks, Blackmon suggests moving ewes to clean pasture with access to shelter.

“In this case, it’s still a good idea to set up jugs for problem births, and if possible, plan to rotate pastures after a period of time to keep new lambs separated from older lambs to prevent infection,” she says.

Stock up equipment and supplies

Prior to lambing season, producers should take inventory of their lambing supplies and stock up on things they may be running low on.

Blackmon notes it is important to have disinfectant, iodine, castration rings, feeding tubes and bottles, marker sprays or chalk, sterilization equipment and medicine, including antibiotics, anti-inflammatory injections, propylene glycol and calcium injections.

According to Scarsdale Vets, one of the most important supplies to have on hand is milk and colostrum replacer. They recommend producers keep colostrum from ewes with a single lamb to use later in the season when problems arise.

“Colostrum can be stored in a clean container in the fridge for up to seven days or frozen in Ziplock bags to be easily defrosted,” they explain. “However, it is worth checking the quality first, as there is no point in storing poor-quality colostrum.”

“When defrosting colostrum use hot water –not boiling water – rather than a microwave so there is no damage to the immunoglobulin proteins which are sensitive to high temperatures,” they continue.

“Consider buying a BRIX refractometer with a zero

Increased requirements – to 32 percent scale to make more informed decisions about whether to feed, store or discard colostrum.” analysis are critical steps in any federal land acquisition process, and this public comment period is necessary to fulfill the agreement between BLM and the state of Wyoming,” he adds.

Ewe health and nutrition is perhaps the single most influential factor for lambing success.

Nutritional requirements for a ewe increase during late gestation and depend on age, weight and number of lambs the ewe is carrying.

Additionally, Scarsdale Vets encourages producers to have lambing ropes, disposable gloves and lubricant on hand.

Producers should also consider making or purchasing a warming box for hypothermic lambs.

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

Gordon continues, “I encourage interested members of the public to take advantage of this time to be involved. I also appreciate the cooperation and communication with the Wyoming and Casper BLM offices, who have ensured our state agencies were consulted during the supplemental analysis. I look forward to the future land use planning process and seeing what opportunities the future of this land may hold.”

Comments will be accepted by e-mail to m75robin@blm.gov or through the BLM’s ePlanning website at eplanning. blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ project/2018049/510. The preliminary EA can also be viewed at this website.

Hardcopy comments can also be mailed or hand delivered to the BLM Casper Field Office, Attn: Mike Robinson, 2987 Prospector Dr., Casper, WY 82604.

For more information, call the Casper Field Office at 307-261-7600.

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

Leachman Grass Time Sale

By Jaycie Arndt, UW Extension Educator

Leafy spurge is a creeping invasive perennial forb. Those who have been lucky enough to never see leafy spurge before, can learn to recognize it by the yellowgreen, heart-shaped seed pods and bluish-green leaves and stems.

When seeds have matured, the pods will burst open and “throw” seeds up to 15 feet from the parent plant, which stands one to three feet tall and has umbel flowers. Broken stems will exude a milky- white latex which can help distinguish it from other weeds prior to flowering.

Belowground, leafy spurge produces extensive root systems. These rhizomatous roots can extend down, up to 15 feet and spread laterally, up to 15 feet per year, producing new shoots along the way.

The extensive root system provides nutrient reserves allowing the plant to easily recover from environmental stresses. This makes effective control difficult to attain.

Impacts

Leafy spurge is an extremely invasive species which outcompetes desirable native forage.

It emerges early in the spring and utilizes limited water and nutrient resources before desirable vegetation. Flowering primarily occurs in early spring – April and May –but some plants will continue to flower throughout the fall.

Without proper control, leafy spurge will reduce cattle grazing capacity by 50 to 75 percent.

Besides reducing desirable forage, leafy spurge compounds grazing impacts as it contains a toxic substance called euphorbon, which is an alkaloid causing skin irritation in humans. When consumed by livestock, it can cause excessive salivation, vomiting, colic and diarrhea.

Producers should simply remove livestock from leafy spurge if symptoms arise.

Sheep and goats are more resistant to the negative impacts of leafy spurge toxicity.

Management

Prevention is the best form of control for leafy spurge. Having healthy native grasses and forbs can help prevent leafy spurge from establishing into new sites.

Producers should be vigilant for hay and seed contaminants and continuously survey their land to find leafy spurge populations when they are small.

Management is easier and cheaper when leafy spurge has not developed large root systems or extensive patches.

Grazing leafy spurge will provide some control but will not remove all leafy spurge.

Sheep and goats will eat spurge but may also lose weight without consuming other vegetation due to poor forage quality. Horses and cattle will avoid leafy spurge to avoid toxic impacts.

Fire and mowing can reduce growth and help limit seed production. Both can cause stress to the plant and help deplete root reserves but will not provide complete control.

Also, be aware of possible damage to desirable vegetation when burning or mowing.

Chemical control requires proper timing of herbicide applications. Applications should be made in the spring when true flowers appear or in the fall.

Spring applications will cause more damage to seed production and to plants while they are pulling nutrient reserves from the roots, leading to a lower chance of recovery.

Fall applications can control vegetative regrowth and also allow for herbicides to translocate into the roots as the plants pull nutrient reserves underground for the winter.

Several herbicides can be used to control leafy spurge with varying efficacy, including Tordon; Plateau; Paramount; 2,4D; Roundup and Venue.

Be sure to read the label for safety information, application rates and timing recommendations.

A single herbicide application will not control spurge. Repeat applications and using different herbicide groups each year will improve leafy spurge control.

For example, repeat Tordon applications may lead to rapid microbial breakdown of the herbicide leading to reduced efficacy. Changing herbicide applications between years can prevent this and improve control in the long term.

There are numerous biological control methods for leafy spurge as well.

The black flea beetle, black dot flea beetle, brown dot flea beetle, brown-legged flea beetle, copper flea beetle, leafy spurge tip gall midge, redheaded stem borer and hawk moth are known to control spurge via root feeding or foliar feeding.

Producers should contact their local weed and pest office for guidelines and resources before considering these biological control insects.

Integrated pest management will provide the best control of leafy spurge.

Don’t be afraid to use multiple management strategies and continued monitoring to improve adaptive management long term.

Jaycie Arndt is a University of Wyoming Extension educator. She can be reached at jarndt1@uwyo. edu.

Top Sellers

Angus

Lot 19 – Price: $13,000

– DOB: 4/11/22 Sire:

STAG Good Times 201

ET Dam’s Sire: Herring

Hobart 4 EPDs: BW: +2, WW: +46, YW: +79 and Milk: +21 Buyer: Castle

Peak Ranch, Walden, Colo.

Lot 36 – Price: $11,000

– DOB: 3/25/22 Sire: Cir- cle L Gus Dam’s Sire:

Combination EPDs: BW: -0.7, WW: +51, YW: +86 and Milk: +19 Buyer:

Atkinson Land and Livestock, LLC, Garrett

Lot 49 – Price: $9,000

– DOB: 3/24/22 Sire: Cir- cle L Gus Dam’s Sire: Sinclair Mountain Pass EPDs:

BW: -0.8, WW: +54, YW: +91 and Milk: +20 Buyer: Big Creek Ranch, Encampment SimAngus Lot 88 – Price: $9,500

– DOB: 4/5/22 Sire: Something About Mary Act. BW: 85 Act. and WW: 675 Buyer: Y Cross Ranch, Horse Creek. Lot 89 – Price: $8,500 there are a million different ways a landowner can subdivide something they own.

– DOB: 3/31/22 Sire: Something About Mary Act.

McDonald and Bingham explain over the years WSGA and MSLF have worked on several cases related to private and public lands. In some cases, its similar to a tenant renting an apartment.

“For example, I’m a renter not a homeowner so I own my lease,” explains McDonald. “Since I don’t own the property, I can’t make structural alterations to the property, but I can choose who to exclude and who to admit, including my landlord.”

In reference to the Upper Green River, environmentalists are trying to take away ranchers’ rights to their leases or permits, explains Bingham.

Magagna notes it’s important to understand key principles when it comes to land ownership patterns in the West.

“The Western U.S. is very much split into private land, state trust lands and federally managed lands – it’s all intermingled,” he says.

He mentions in the West, ranchers think about these land ownerships or leases as a unit and want to best manage the unit to enhance the resources they need to take care of their livestock. In some of these cases, conflicts arise.

Throughout his career, Magagna says the industry has frequently gone back and forth to determine whether property rights on federal public lands is a right or a privilege.

“It’s a privilege only in one sense – it’s granted by the government,” shares Magagna. “It can be taken away by the government for abuse, regulatory non-compliance and under certain proper procedures. It can also be taken away or diminished if the resources can no longer support it.”

He adds, “But, so long as the ranchers holds the lease, as far as we’re concerned, it is a property right.”

In many cases, ranchers who hold grazing permits span across five to six generations. They have stability within the federal land management process and certainly necessary stability and contribution to the integrity of the ranching population, Magagna explains.

Scale of federal land ownership

In Wyoming, the federal government controls and manages 48 percent of the land base, according to Magagna.

He mentions there seems to be a public misconception about lands in the West.

“There tends to be lack of understanding that somehow private property rights mean something less if a person owns large areas of undeveloped land and if they own a very small acreage of developed land,” he says. “One of the challenges is delivering this message.”

Bingham mentions nobody cares more about sustainability than somebody who owns lands and wants to pass it down to their children.

“Ranchers don’t claim to own public lands, but they do take ownership responsibility for the management of those lands because they depend on them year after year, and their kids and grandkids depend on them for the sustainability of their ranching operation,” mentions Magagna. “Ranchers treat public lands with the same ownership responsibility of the lands they legally own.”

Status of right to use

According to McDonald, property rights are threatened in the U.S., but they are not in danger.

“It’s very rare for the government to seize property,” he says. “It’s rare and expensive, but what is occurring more commonly is the changing of regulations or ʻred tape,ʼ which will ultimately impact ranchers who utilize federal grazing lands.”

In closing, the problem is systemic, says McDonald.

“There are a lot of good people working in these agencies who are trying their best,” he says. “A lot of the environmentalists see the world differently than we do. Maybe not as respectful as we would like, but a lot of it is systemic.”

He adds, “A lot of this comes down to fighting against the structures of how things are built up within this system of laws and regula- tions, and it’s not necessarily about people being evil, wrong or wanting to do harm so much as we’re trying to inform people so they know what is going on. We also want to align these incentives and make sure the few bad actors have limited reach.”

Bingham says, “The federal government is more afraid of environmentalists than they are of pro-liberty organizations, and this is just because there’s a vast disparity in funding. The only way the government’s calculation about who they are more afraid of is ever going to change is if people continue to support MSLF and our allied organizations in these fights.”

Brittany Gunn is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

April 29 Small Pork Producers Conference, 9:30 a.m.-3.30 p.m. Montana ExpoPark’s Family Living Center, Great Falls, Mont. For more information or to register, e-mail Rose Malisani at rose.malisani@montana.edu or call Montana State University Extension at 406-454-6980.

April 29 University of Wyoming Extension Honey Tasting and Educational Program, 8:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Agricultural Learning and Resource Center, Casper. For more information or to register, visit the Natrona County Extension Office or call 307-235-9400.

May 1 Emergency Relief Program Phase 2 Free Webinar, 12 p.m. Online. For more information and to register, visit farmers.gov

May 3 Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 2023 Dead Animal Compost Seminar, 10 a.m. Moorcroft Town Hall, Moorcroft. To register, visit deq. wyoming.gov/shwd/solid-waste/ and click on the “Training” tab. For more information, call Craig McOmie at 307-473-3487 or Jody Weikart at 307-777-3501.

May 4 Wyoming Beef Council and Montana Beef Council Joint Meeting, 1 p.m. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody. For more information, contact Ann Wittmann at ann.wittmann@wyo.gov or call 307-777-6399.

May 4 Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 2023 Dead Animal Compost Seminar, 10 a.m. Torrington City Hall, Torrington. To register, visit deq. wyoming.gov/shwd/solid-waste/ and click on the “Training” tab. For more information, call Craig McOmie at 307-473-3487 or Jody Weikart at 307-777-3501.

May 4-5 2023 Animal Ag Alliance Stakeholders Summit, Arlington, Va. For more information, visit whova.com

May 5 Regional Cowboy Poetry Contest, 7 p.m. Rollin ‘Red’ Vandever Memorial Park, Fredonia, Kan. For more information or to enter, visit cowboypoetrycontest.com

May 5-6 Powder River Basin Sheepherders Festival, Rockpile Museum, Gillette. For more information, visit rockpilemuseum.com or call Brittney Elsasser at 307-682-5723.

May 6 Campbell County Artificial Insemination Class, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Campbell County Extension Office, Gillette. For more information, contact Kim Fry via e-mail at kim.fry@campbellcountywy.gov or call 307-682-7281.

May 6 Fremont County Artificial Insemination Class, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fremont County Extension Office, Riverton. For more information, contact Chance Marshall via e-mail at cmarsha1@uwyo.edu or call 307-332-1018.

May 8 Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 2023 Dead Animal Compost Seminar, 10 a.m. Park County Building, Cody. To register, visit deq.wyoming.gov/shwd/solid-waste/ and click on the “Training” tab. For more information, call Craig McOmie at 307-473-3487 or Jody Weikart at 307-777-3501.

May 13 Bureau of Land Management and Wyoming Honor Farm Mustang Adoption Event, 8 a.m. Wyoming Honor Farm, Riverton. For more information, visit blm.gov/whb

May 16 2022 National Beef Quality Audit Virtual Event, 9 a.m., online. For more information e-mail Wendy White at wwhite@beef.org. To RSVP for the event, visit forms.office.com/r/qZQiXxP77V

May 17-18 Animal Damage Management Board Meeting, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Regional Office, Casper. For more information, visit wyadmb.com or contact Jerry Johnson at 307-777-6781.

May 19 Regional Cowboy Poetry Contest, 6 p.m. Hays Public Library, Hays, Kan. For more information or to enter, visit cowboypoetrycontest.com

May 19-21 Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show, Sheridan. For more information, visit leathercrafterjournal.com

May 24-26 U.S. Meat Export Federation’s 2023 Spring Conference. Minneapolis. For more information and to register, visit usmef.org

May 25 Casper Alcova Irrigation District Board Meeting, 2-5 p.m., 745 Connie Street, Mills. For more information, call 307-234-8690.

May 28 19th Annual Cowboy Carnival Fundraiser, Hyattville. For more information, visit hyattville.org/cowboy-carnival.html

Big horn Basin

Worland, WY

Visit Cattle USA for broadcasting and online bidding – auctions.cattleusa.com

15 CharX Hfr Clvs, avg. 573# $21500 Hillberry, Dee - Thermopolis

Sales

May 1 Finger Buttes Ranch Auction, Moose Lodge, Belle Fourche, S.D., 307-7609510, 406-697-3961, 406-853-1523

May 4 J Spear Cattle Company Annual Production Sale, Belle Fourche Livestock Auction, Belle Fourche, S.D., 605-685-5964, 605-279-1026

May 10 Amdahl Angus & Hereford Bull and Female Spring Production Sale, at the ranch, Rapid City, SD, 605-929-3717, 605-999-6487, amdahlangusandhereford.com

May 19-20

Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission Ranch Horse Competition and Spring Spectacular Catalog Horse Sale, Salina, Kan, 785-8250211, 785-826-7884, 785-493-2901, fandrlive.com

May 27 Full House Horse Sale, Newcastle, 307-746-5690, 307-684-0789, fullhousehorsesale.com

June 7-8

June 22-23

Superior Livestock Auction Corn Belt Classic, The Marriott South Sioux Riverfront, South Sioux City, Neb., 800-422-2117, superiorlivestock.com

Northern Livestock Video Auction Early Summer Special, 866-616-5035, northernlivestockvideo.com

July 6 Cattle Country Video High Plains Showcase Sale, Goshen County Rendezvous Center, Torrington, 888-322-8853, cattlecountryvideo.com

July 10-12

July 10-14

July 24-26

Western Video Market, Silver Legacy, Reno, Nev., 530-347-3793, wvmcattle.com

Superior Livestock Auction Week in the Rockies, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 800-422-2117, superiorlivestock.com

Northern Livestock Video Auction Summertime Classic, 866-616-5035, northernlivestockvideo.com