Forced Forage Options
Farmers and ranchers seek forage options as drought cuts grass growth.
A shortage of forage is forcing some cow herd owners to chop trees to feed leaves, a method that was used in big droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
Damage to pastures comes from more than an intense drought, said Craig Roberts, University of Missouri (MU) forage specialist in a weekly teleconference.
The forage shortages started with dry weather last fall, said Roberts. Pastures were short then and hay harvest low. When bales ran out, herd owners turned cows out to pastures that had not grown many leaves. Winter overgrazing grubbed pastures down, and cattle ate the tillers needed for regrowth. Read more.
Kurt KangasAssociation Perspective
Are there programs you should enroll your calves in?
The summer video-sale season starts in earnest this week. In the next three and a half months, feeder calves, yearling steers and heifers will be offered in 18 sales hosted throughout the Rocky Mountain West. With everyone trying to get an edge marketing their calves, the list of acronyms one can attach to a load of calves is impressive. PVP, ASV, NHTC, NE3, GAP are just some of the examples of commonly used acronyms. But what do they mean? Read more.
Angus Value Discovery Contest Open
Entries to earn nearly $5,000 in cash and prizes are accepted until Sept. 7.
Entries are open for the second annual Angus Value Discovery Contest.
The competition highlights the partnership between genetic suppliers — breeders and artificial insemination (AI) companies — and their commercial customers. Winners will claim their share of nearly $5,000 in cash and prizes. This year commercial producers can register themselves. Read more.
Virtual Reality Ranch Tours
New 360-degree videos bring the cattle to the people with tours of a cow-calf operation, a feedyard and a public lands ranch to see how beef is raised and meet the people behind it.
In a first for the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner will offer attendees an on-site virtual reality ranching experience. Through this technology, attendees will have an opportunity to virtually visit a farm or ranch where they can explore how cattle are raised to produce high-quality beef. Following the Food & Wine Classic, the 360-degree videos will be available to the public to provide consumers with an in-depth look at cattle farming and ranching. Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this June 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:
- Bermuda Grass 101
- Tetanus in Cattle
- World Meat Congress Focuses on Consumer Trends, Production Technology
- Bio Cheatgrass Control
- Keep Records for Drug Withdrawal Times
- Beating BRD
- Weaning Fall-born Calves
- Risk of Blue-green Algae in Farm Ponds
- Beef Production Heats Up
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.
New Indiana Jr.-Sr. School Focuses on Ag
New Indiana school focuses on agricultural training; 600-acre farm to offer online and hands-on learning.
Online students in Indiana are about to get their hands dirty. Indiana Agriculture & Technology School (IATS) is a new tuition-free, charter school that couples online learning with labs and project-based activities down on the farm.
“Agriculture is a key to Indiana’s economic foundation,” says Allan Sutherlin, one of the school’s founders. “But many farmers are aging out, and the next generation needs more than just an apprenticeship. We’re at the dawn of a revolution in agricultural technology and innovation with data-driven solutions to precision farming. We must address that workforce challenge.” Read more.
Experts Remind Caregivers to Protect Children from Vehicular Heat Death
Ten ways you can keep children safe this summer.
With summer temperatures climbing to triple digits, now is a good time to remind parents, grandparents and caregivers of the dangers of children suffering heat stroke while left unattended in vehicles, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service passenger safety expert.
Bev Kellner, AgriLife Extension family and community health program manager in College Station, Texas, said it’s important to remember that as temperatures increase, so does the likelihood of heat stroke and death for children left in hot vehicles.
“Temperatures in parked vehicles rise very quickly, and a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, so the combination can be deadly,” Kellner said. “Children are far more vulnerable to heat stroke than adults.” Read more.