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Angus Productions Inc.

September 20, 2012


MANAGEMENT...

0912mg_fallcalving

Drought Can Cause Early Calving

In drought, watch fall-calving cows early, says MU vet
who studies nitrates.

Owners of fall-calving cow herds should start watching early as calving time approaches, says a University of Missouri (MU) veterinarian. Drought stress and high nitrate levels in a cow's forage ration can trigger early calving, stillbirths and abortions.

"Nitrates may be causing itty-bitty calves," says Tim Evans of the MU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, Columbia. Read more.


Ron Torell with his wife, Jackie
Ron Torell with his wife, Jackie

Cow Camp Chatter

I have a beef about my beef purchase!

There is a growing popularity for consumer-direct sales of locally grown, grass-finished, hormone-free, all-natural freezer beef. Many consumers, however, are in the dark when it comes to understanding the yield loss of a 1,200-pound (lb.) grass-finished steer after harvesting. The entire steer carcass — cut and wrapped to specifications for a family of four — will fit into about eight cardboard boxes once it has been harvested, aged and processed. Baffled by this, consumers want to know what happened to the rest of their beef. Read more.


Success Lies in Planning, Tracking, Evaluating

While it seems simple for many beef producers, the secret to success and profit lies in knowing the operation's objective and mapping out a plan to get there.

At the recent 2012 K-State Beef Conference at Kansas State University (K-State), Chip Ramsay, general manager of Rex Ranch in western Nebraska, advised producers to inventory their resources and consider the end goals of their operation before making management decisions. Read more.



Should I Feed Cattle This Year?

An uncertain corn market and short feeder-cattle supply contributes to challenging decisions on feeder-cattle purchases for this coming year.

It is important for producers and growers to calculate what they can afford to pay for feeder cattle given the expected higher corn prices, forecasted sale prices next winter and spring, beef yardage values (production costs) and desired level of profitability.

A 550-pound (lb.) steer purchased at $129.00 per hundredweight (cwt.) would cover production costs only (breakeven; no profit) when corn is priced at $8.00 per bushel (bu.). The same steer purchased at $145.00 per cwt. with a $7.00-per-bu. corn price would just cover production costs. Given the volatility in projected corn yield and price, it will be challenging to decide what to pay for various classes of livestock.

To assist with this decision, a fact sheet entitled "What can I afford to pay for feeder cattle during 2012-2013?" presents multiple tables on breakeven purchase prices and expected returns to management for cattle sold and fed corn at different prices.

Breakeven purchase price and return to management are presented for beef steers (with purchase weights of 550, 800 and 950 lb.), beef heifers (with purchase weights of 475, 750 and 900 lb.) and Holstein steers (with purchase weights of 300, 600 and 900 lb.).

 

Editor's Note: This article was provided by MSU Extension. For more information, visit www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).


Kris Ringwall
Kris Ringwall

Beef Talk

Who said change would be easy?

Is the cattle industry really changing? The industry may or may not be changing, but at the Dickinson Research Extension Center (REC), the cow business has changed. Business as usual is no longer around.

Why? That is what the Dickinson REC has set out to resolve. Read more.


Manage Grain Quality from Harvest Through Storage

Consider four critical steps to maximizing corn quality after a challenging growing season.

The 2012 growing season has been synonymous with challenge. Many different faces of extreme weather have negatively affected the quantity and quality of corn that will be harvested this fall. While many of these factors alone can be detrimental to a corn crop, when they happen at the same time, the result can be a complete crop loss if not handled properly.

"Everyone putting grain in a bin must be vigilantly proactive this year to avoid devastating losses," explains Gary Woodruff, Grain Conditioning Technology Manager with Grain Systems Incorporated (GSI). Read more.


Slow Down for Safety During Harvest

Think safety for the whole family during National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 16-22, 2012. Coloring contest can help start conversation with children.

The hustle of harvest is upon us, and farmers and ranchers across the country are or soon will be working at full speed to get the work done. Harvest undoubtedly requires a speedy execution, which increases the risk of injury for tractor operators. Kubota Tractor Corp. reminds all tractor and heavy equipment users to slow down and invest the time to create safe operating habits in observance of the National Education Center for Agriculture's "National Farm and Safety Health Week," Sept. 16-22, 2012.

"At Kubota, safety is a top priority, and this harvest we are encouraging all those who operate tractors and heavy equipment to take a step back and talk to the entire family about slowing down for safety," said Greg Embury, vice president of sales and marketing, as the company offered tips for a safer harvest. "There's no such thing as talking 'too much' about safety with your family. These conversations could prevent a serious injury or fatality due to an unfortunate accident." Read more.


Message from USDA to Baled Hay Producers,
Sellers, and Buyers

USDA has created an industry alert titled “Questions and Answers for Producers, Sellers, and Buyers of Baled Hay Moving from Areas under Quarantine for Imported Fire Ant.” This publication contains useful information to help respond to questions from farmers, ranchers, hay growers, and suppliers as they work to respond to adverse weather conditions and find important feed sources for livestock. Its goal is to help support commerce and the movement of hay, while guarding against the further spread of the imported fire ant. Click here to open the industry alert.

New Products

Industry affiliates provide a wide array of products and services to assist you on the farm and ranch. Here's an assortment of new products to hit the market recently.


Angus Advisor

Click here for September herd management tips from cattle experts across the nation. Advice separated by region.

 

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