Small Herd, Big Impact

There's a right way to do things, regardless of scale. As a career soil scientist, R.C. Brinlee tries to follow the book; and that extends to his small farm near Wilburton, Okla. In 1988, Brinlee retired from the Soil Conservation Service at 56 and devoted all his technical attention to the cow herd. The Oklahoman has since spent the last 15 years building a lifetime of quality and performance into his herd. Read more.

What's Inside …

The April Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA features several valuable articles, including specific sections devoted to management, marketing, and health and nutrition information. Select from the tabs above to access this month's entire information-packed edition, a portion of which includes the following:

• Special Section — Herd Genetics: Selection Decisions for Your
  Next Calf Crop
• Beef Talk: The stress and the strength of the prairie
• 7 Ways to Sink Your Family Beef Operation
• Alternative Grazing Systems
• Trichomoniasis Control
• To Deworm or Not to Deworm?
• Exports Approach Pre-BSE Levels

Is Your Cattle Operation an Easy Target for Thieves?

Most cattle producers understand that it's not just the stuff of old movies and television Westerns. Cattle rustling really happens, and lately it appears to be happening more often. During the past few months, cattle thefts have been the subject of numerous articles published in newspapers and posted on web sites. And the stories usually quote law enforcement personnel who claim reports of stolen or missing cattle are on the rise. Read more.

News Briefs ...

• USDA Forecasts Higher Beef Output, Lower U.S. Meat Production

• FDA Delays Feed Ban

• Research Shows Potential of Feeding Cull Cows

• Caterer Promotes Carbon Footprint Through Less Beef

• ACRE Program Enrollment Opens April 27

• Readers submit viewpoints, win prizes

Ty Groshans

Association Perspective

What's a bull worth?

Selecting bulls for a breeding season can be both exciting and stressful. While looking through sale books at various pedigrees, performance records and photographs, cattlemen begin to analyze which bulls will work in their operation and which bulls will meet their goals relative to positive directional change. The way a producer markets calves in terms of selling calves at weaning vs. retaining ownership will make a big impact on the traits that should have the most emphasis. Read more.

Neuropathic Hydrocephalus: Test on Its Way

Researchers identify mutation, source of neuropathic hydrocephalus (NH). American Angus Association says test is in the pipeline. Read more.

To understand more about simple recessive inheritance, click here.

$17M in Grants Available for
Beginning Farmers, Ranchers

While visiting with farmers in Lathrop, Mo., April 7, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making more than $17 million in grants available under the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. Vilsack also described recent initiatives, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), designed to help producers and keep farmers on the land.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers — specifically those who have been farming or ranching for 10 years or less.
Congress authorized the fiscal year (FY) 2009 funding for this program in the 2008 Farm Bill, with another $19 million in mandatory funding for FY 2010. Under the program, USDA will make grants available to state, local, tribal, regional, nonprofits, community based organizations, academic institutions, and networks of appropriate private and public organizations to design programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers.

The projects will be limited to 3 years. Budget requests in the proposals, which are due May 13, 2009, must not exceed $250,000 per year. For more information about the program click here.

Apply for the National Stocker Award

You or someone you know could be the next National Stocker Award winner. Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 National Stocker Award, which recognizes stocker operators and backgrounders for their contributions to this segment of the beef cattle industry. The application form is now available at www.nationalstockeraward.com. Completed forms are due May 1. Read more.

Feeding & Feedstuffs Web Site Debuts

The annual cost to feed the herd these days can be mind-boggling. Increasing pasture rents, competition for feedstuffs and increasing input costs certainly complicate efforts to control the feed bill.

Yet experts agree, nutrition is not an area in which cattlemen can afford to skimp. With this in mind, Angus Productions Inc. (API) has created the Feeding & Feedstuffs site to provide a portal to information to help you efficiently meet the nutritional needs of your herd. Click here to access the site.

For more information on other upcoming industry meetings, use the link in the right-hand column of this page.