MANAGEMENT...
Smaller Isn’t Always Better
Dan Shike discusses calf size, gestation optimums in Angus University Workshop.
There is no “one size fits all” in the cattle business. So it is with calving ease and birth weight, too, said Dan Shike, University of Illinois animal scientist. He presented on finding the optimums during an Angus University Workshop sponsored by Merck Animal Health Nov. 6 at the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind.
Cow size, calf size and shape, and presentation all figure into calving season success.
“We could approach and address calving-ease problems by making our cows bigger,” he said. “There’s probably not a lot of people interested in that as a primary approach.”
Read more.
Understanding the New Veterinary Feed Directive
Learn the new rules regarding feed-grade antibiotics.
As of Jan. 1, 2017, beef producers must comply with a new rule regarding use of antibiotics in feed. This veterinary feed directive (VFD) is aimed at better management of certain antibiotics considered medically important to humans — putting them under more veterinary supervision. This is part of a larger movement to minimize development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule changes how these antibiotics can be legally used in livestock production. The VFD is a written statement from a licensed veterinarian authorizing the producer to purchase and use certain antimicrobial drugs in livestock feed. It does not apply to antimicrobial drugs injected into individual animals for treatment of disease or to medications added to drinking water. Read more.
Accountability On the Rise
Embracing change for cattle care, drug use means opportunity for profit in cattle feeding.
Antibiotic use hits cattle feeders as a cost, but a less direct system of accounting may affect treatment decisions going forward.
Robin Falkner, Zoetis technical services veterinarian, explored that concept at the Feeding Quality Forums (FQF) this summer in Grand Island, Neb., and Amarillo, Texas. He called attention to Wal-Mart’s 2015 notice that it will require sustainable transparency from its meat suppliers, with public reporting on animal welfare and antibiotic use.
“Nobody knows exactly what this will look like yet,” Falkner said. Reporting would likely not involve “publishing it in a newspaper, but you’d put it out there for everybody to see, and I think that makes us all a little uncomfortable.” Read more.
Five Tips for Beef Herd Winter Supplementation
Fall is an ideal time to evaluate body condition and then match feeding program needs.
Now that fall is here and the first blast of winter weather is quickly approaching, have you thought about what that means to your cow herd? Keeping cattle in good condition through the fall and into early winter ultimately helps insulate the animal and minimize the amount of feed required later in the winter season.
Kevin Glaubius, director of nutrition and technical sales at BioZyme Inc., says now is the time to take an honest evaluation of body condition and match your feeding program to the needs of your cows. Saint Joseph, Mo.,-based BioZyme manufactures vitamin and mineral supplements for a variety of livestock. Read more.
Kris Ringwall
Beef Talk
The bottom line is finding a way to control costs.
My pondering thought for the day: Larger cattle have a 10% advantage when a cattle system is evaluated based on calves as the unit of production, but when based on acres as the unit of production, smaller cattle have a 10% advantage.
This oversimplified thought is a foundational question for the future of beef. Embedded in that question is the need to control costs. However, the fiscal focus points do change, depending on in what phase of the beef system an individual is involved. These focus points are very evident when the differences between the acre-based cow-calf producer are compared with the individual animal-based point of harvest. Read more.
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 December herd management tips from cattle experts across the nation. Advice separated by region.
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