Angus — The Business Breed


Sign up!

Quick links:

Share the EXTRA

Connect with
our community:

Follow us on twitterJoin us on Twitter





















































































































Bookmark and Share
heifers

Developing Heifers

When it comes to management systems, one size does not fit all.

"A system only works great in that particular system,” said John Hall, superintendent of the University of Idaho’s Nancy M. Cummings Research, Extension and Education Center in Carmen, Idaho. Hall spoke on the topic of heifer development at the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) symposium in Manhattan, Kan., Aug. 29-30. He encouraged his audience to concentrate on certain concepts and build their own systems to meet their unique needs.


A heifer needs to calve at 2 years of age; produce a calf every 365 days for eight to 10 years; and provide a calf that is big enough, healthy enough and quality enough that she pays for herself, Hall said. He encouraged producers to “think outside the box” regarding management strategies to help achieve that goal. Read more.


Mark Sims

Mark Sims

Association Perspective

Does Fort Worth ever cross your mind?

When Fort Worth does cross your mind, I would bet your first thought is of a Longhorn steer. Rightfully so, as Fort Worth was one of the stops on the Chisholm Trail, along which Longhorn cattle were driven north in hopes of capturing higher prices. The city has a rich history in the cattle business. It is home to the Fort Worth Stockyards, which at one time was one of the largest stockyards in the United States. Right across the street from the stockyards were the Armour and Swift packing companies, both of which set up shop in the early 1900s and thrived for more than half a century.


Longhorns do not walk the Chisholm Trail anymore, Armour and Swift have closed, and only a few pens remain in the stockyards for historical purposes. The landscape of Fort Worth has changed. Skyscrapers tower over the city, the 16th largest in the United States. More than 850,000 Americans call it home, and millions of tourists come to visit. The city plays host to several events, conferences and trade shows throughout the year. One in particular will be of interest for commercial cattlemen — the 2017 Angus Convention and Trade Show Nov. 3-6. Read more.


Hurricane Harvey Angus Impact Summary

Hurricane affects more than 150 Association members, 1.2 million cattle.

On Aug. 25 historic Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the coast of southeast Texas and parts of Louisiana. The impact of Hurricane Harvey is projected to last months, if not years, due to the torrential flooding and devastating wind damage to homes and businesses across the region. The Category 4 hurricane was the first of its strength to hit the United States since Hurricane Charley hit Florida’s shores in 2004. More than 2 feet of rain fell to the ground in a 24-hour period, while wind gusts approached 130 mph, according to the Weather Channel. The last Category 5 hurricane to make landfall was Hurricane Andrew, which threw a devastating blow to Florida in 1992. Impacts of both prior hurricanes are no match to Harvey’s estimated $190 billion recovery price tag. Read more.


Finding Profit

Analysts make predictions at Feeding Quality Forums In Omaha and Garden City.

Opportunity. It’s there, but you may have to look a little harder for it.


That’s what this year’s Feeding Quality Forum (FQF) attendees learned during the daylong meetings Aug. 29 in Omaha, Neb., and repeated in Garden City, Kan., Aug. 31. AgResource Co. kicked off the forum with market predictions.


Its president, Dan Basse, told Omaha attendees, “Ag is not at its bottom yet, but I think the worst is over.”


In the next few months, the analyst predicted fed-cattle prices will hit bottom at $100 to $104 per hundredweight (cwt.), then improve into the first quarter of 2018. Read more.


What’s Inside …

In this September edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month’s entire offering by category. A few select features include:



News Briefs …

The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry, as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive available in the API Virtual Library.


Putting Farm Safety into Practice

U.S. Ag Centers’ YouTube channel ready for National Farm Safety Week and beyond.

Farm SafetyThe U.S. Agricultural Safety and Health Centers’ YouTube channel provides the quickest way of “Putting Farm Safety into Practice,” the theme for this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 17-23. While Farm Safety Week will be almost over at this issue’s publication, the resources and lessons are relevant year-round.


The 11 U.S. Agricultural Centers, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), have posted 100 safety and health videos related to agriculture, forestry and fishing. The videos, many in both English and Spanish, can be used by extension agents, agricultural science teachers, producers, first responders, families and others interested in ag safety best practices. Read more.


 

Your Health

Piglets Might Unlock Keys to In Vitro
Fertilization in Humans

Discovery could decrease cost and increase efficiency of IVF in both cattle and humans.

It is estimated that parents seeking to have children through in vitro fertilization (IVF) spend between $12,000 and $15,000 each session plus the cost of medications, which could average between $3,000 and $5,000. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science have made a discovery that could decrease the costs associated with IVF in humans — and it all started with piglets.


R. Michael Roberts, an MU Curators distinguished professor of Animal Sciences and an investigator in the Bond Life Sciences Center, and Randall Prather, Curators distinguished professor of Animal Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, work with pigs to research stem cells and the mechanisms these cells use to proliferate, communicate and grow in the body. During an attempt to improve how they grow these cells, researchers in their labs discovered a method that uses a special liquid medium and improves the success of IVF in pigs. Read more.