News Update
April 17, 2012
BIF Symposium to be Webcast Live
Those who can't attend the 44th Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Research Symposium & Annual Meeting April 18-20 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Houston, Texas, can watch a live webcast hosted by Liveauctions.tv at www.BIFconference.com. To view the webcast, viewers will need to sign in with a Liveauctions.tv username and password. If you do not have an account, you can sign up for one at www.BIFconference.com or http://liveauctions.tv.
Sessions will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, with keynote speaker Larry Cundiff, retired director of the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), discussing the impact of Bos indicus genetics on the beef industry.
Thursday morning's general session begins at 8 a.m. and will focus on different aspects of fitting cattle to the environment. After the morning break, presenters will address economically relevant traits for commercial cow-calf production, addressing longevity, selection tools for temperament, reproduction, and weight and carcass merit.
The afternoon will feature concurrent technical sessions of the Emerging Technologies Committee and joint session of the Cow Herd Efficiency and Selection Decisions committees. The latter will focus on some of the current industry discussion on feed efficiency and will be included in the webcast.
Ron Gill will host a stress-free cattle-handling demonstration Thursday evening at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, beginning at 7 p.m.
Friday's general session, which begins at 8 a.m., will address what the National Beef Quality Audit means to different segments of the beef retail chain. Speakers will represent the cow-calf, feedlot, beef processor and retail segments. After the break, presenters will focus on epigenetics and fetal programming.
Three committees — Producer Applications; Live Animal Carcass and End Point; and Genetic Predictions — will host concurrent technical sessions to conclude the conference program. Angus Productions Inc. (API) will offer live coverage of the Producer Application session.
The symposium will include two awards luncheons. Thursday's luncheon will feature the naming of the Commercial Producer of the Year, Roy Wallace Scholarship Award winners, and BIF Ambassador and Continuing Service Award winners. Friday's luncheon will feature the naming of the Seedstock Producer of the Year, the Frank Baker Essay Contest winners, and BIF Pioneer Award winners.
API will provide comprehensive coverage of the symposium at www.BIFconference.com. Following the event, visit the newsroom for summaries, PowerPoint presentations, proceedings papers, audio and videos. Visit the awards page for announcements of winners, and the photos page for photo galleries from the meeting and post-symposium tours.
This year's meeting is hosted by Texas A&M University (TAMU) AgriLife Extension Animal Science and the American Brahman Breeders Association (ABBA). Walk-in registrants are welcome. For more information on the BIF symposium, contact Joe Paschal at j-paschal@tamu.edu or 361-265-9203, or Chris Shivers at cshivers@brahman.org or 713-349-0854. For questions regarding the website, contact Shauna Hermel, API editor, at shermel@angusjournal.com or 816-752-0089.
Market Dynamics Affects Summer Stocker Prospects
Record-high stocker prices this spring have producers and their lenders nervous about the financial exposure of summer stockers. Feeder prices have dropped the last month but the change has actually decreased the stocker margin, i.e., the value of gain for summer stockers. Moreover, the changing price relationships have changed the implications for stocker production and marketing.
In mid-March, the price of 475-pound (lb.) steers in Oklahoma City was about $203 per hundredweight (cwt.), which is an initial stocker value of $959 per head, using the actual weighted average prices and weights. At that time, the price of 725-lb. steers was $160 per cwt. or a per head value of $1,165. This implied a value of gain of 81¢ per pound for 250 lb. of gain. Using last week's Oklahoma auction averages, the 475-lb. steer price was $190 per cwt., or $905 per head. The 725-lb. steer price was $151 per cwt. with a per head value of $1,095. This implies a value of gain of 76¢ per pound.
During the last month, a sharp price break has developed in the 600-700-lb. weight range, such that there is currently about a $20 per cwt. price break over that 100 lb. The value of gain in that range is less than 40¢ per pound. This means that stocker gains are being valued at 80¢-$1 per pound up to about 600 lb. (for steers) followed by very low value gains for the next 100 pounds or so and then by higher value gains again between 725 and 875 lb. Using last week's actual prices and weights, gains up to 619 lb. were worth $1.07 per pound, but the next hundred pounds, up to 726 lb. were worth only 35¢ per pound. Gains above this level, up to 875 lb., were worth 70¢-75¢ per pound.
These price patterns have implications for summer stockers. The current price breaks may favor early intensive stockers which utilize more lightweight animals and less total gain per head compared to season-long stockers that put on slow gains late in the summer and which would produce little value in the current market structure. The good news is that feeder futures have not dropped as much, only down about $2.50 per cwt. in the past month for the August contract. At the current time, it is still possible to lock in value of gain in the mid-$80 per cwt. range. Summer stockers have potential for decent returns but market conditions may have implications for both production and marketing considerations.
Prebreeding Vaccination Key for Reproductive Success
Vaccinating cows and heifers prior to spring breeding has proven to be a sound management practice that provides several benefits for cows, calves and producers. Cows have better pregnancy and conception rates. Calves are heavier, healthier and more uniform. Producers end up with better weaning percentages, a higher-value calf crop, less sickness and low medicine costs.
According to H. Nielsen, professional services veterinarian, Novartis Animal Health, ensuring breeding females have protection from respiratory, reproductive and clostridial diseases at this critical juncture sets the stage for a successful and efficient reproduction program.
"Ultimately, the goal is to ensure a healthy calf from every cow," said Nielsen. "Vaccinating cows before breeding elevates their immunity levels, which protects them from diseases that undermine reproduction. And increasing immunity levels in cows right before breeding season can also help to achieve a shorter breeding cycle and more uniform calf crop."
Nielsen said that one of the biggest obstacles to a well-managed prebreeding vaccination program is a long calving season. He suggests producers work towards a calving season no longer than 75 to 80 days.
Time and available labor can also become an issue for some producers, especially when the prebreeding period does overlap with calving. But Nielsen said sticking with a prebreeding vaccination regime is less of a burden when producers use vaccines that don't carry a lot of usage restrictions or complicated labels.
"The key to maintaining and complying with a vaccination program is convenience for the producer," said Nielsen. "The more convenient we can make it for producers, the more likely they are to stick with a program and make sure cows get those vaccinations at the right time."
Nielsen also advises producers to vaccinate against Lepto hardjo-bovis as part of prebreeding in the spring. "Choosing a five- or six-way vaccine that includes Lepto hardjo-bovis has proven to be a highly effective strategy for reducing reproductive failures," Nielsen says. "And the vaccination pays for itself if it prevents just one calf loss."
When Novartis developed Vira Shield® 6+VL5 HB, it chose to focus specifically on the L. hardjo-bovis isolate that originated in the U.S. Ready to use without being reconstituted, Vira Shield 6+VL5 HB can be used on any animal, including pregnant cows, calves and nursing pregnant cows.
"Producers who want a combination of maximum flexibility and efficacy have found Vira Shield 6+VL5 HB to be a simple and effective way to prevent disease at prebreeding and significantly improve reproduction success rates," said Nielsen.
MO Beef Running Team Proves Power of Protein at the Go!
St. Louis Marathon Weekend
The Power of Protein was on display at the Go! St. Louis Marathon Weekend April 13-15 in downtown St. Louis.
As a major sponsor, the Missouri Beef Industry Council (MBIC) staff spent the weekend promoting beef at the various Go! St. Louis activities, including all the races and the Health and Fitness Expo where runners registered on Friday and Saturday. A 5K and a children's run took place Saturday, while the half marathon, marathon and marathon relay kicked off during a Sunday morning sunrise over the St. Louis Arch. More than 25,000 runners participated throughout the weekend.
The two-day expo at Chaifetz Arena gave runners the opportunity to visit running-related booths. At the Team Beef booth, MBIC staff and Team Beef volunteers spoke with runners about the nutritional benefits that lean beef provides.
"This is our fourth year representing Missouri Beef at the Go! St. Louis Marathon," said Ada Gallup, MBIC Team Beef and business manager. "This year we had our Team Beef members working with us in our booth at the expo and they were able to engage other runners and share their personal stories."
They also distributed lean beef sticks from Clouds Meats in Carthage, Mo., and recipe booklets with nutritional information, providing runners and their families with the resources to make lean beef a part of their balanced diet. Gallup said the Team Beef runners also talked about how lean beef plays a role in their training.
"Lean beef plays an important role in the recovery phase of exercise, the repair of muscle fibers and restoring energy that may have been utilized during endurance running," she said. "Team Beef does a great job of teaching by example that lean beef is a great tool to lean on in race training and active lifestyles."
Nearly 20 runners sported "Team Beef Missouri" jerseys throughout the weekend. Two runners participated in Saturday's 5K, 13 runners took on Sunday's half marathon four ran the marathon.
Team member Glendoria Elliott, a biologist from Florrisant who ran in the half marathon, is proud to wear the bright red "Team Beef" since some people have misunderstandings about beef.
"It's really healthy for you," she said, adding that she shares nutritional facts and recipes about lean beef in a healthy diet with her family and friends.
Following Sunday's race, MBIC hosted a family reunion tent where the runners could gather to relax and celebrate their accomplishments together. Runners noted that their jerseys received a lot of positive comments during the race. Feedback included fellow runners interested in finding out more about the team, and race observers shouting praise for beef and Team Beef as they ran by.
The Go! St. Louis marathon allowed MBIC to successfully target an audience who is physically active and health-conscious. Booth visitors were very receptive to the health benefits of lean beef and are interested in learning more about providing nutrient-rich beef to their families.
Monsanto Supports FFA with $850,000 Commitment in 2012
St. Louis-based Monsanto is providing more than $850,000 in funding to the National FFA Organization in 2012 to support national student leadership conferences, educational awards, awareness campaigns and more.
The majority of Monsanto's financial support of FFA in 2012 was behind the FFA Chapter Challenge, a competition among FFA chapters in 12 states to build relationships with local farmers that ended in March. More than 840 FFA chapters participated. Ten chapters in each state earned $2,500 each to pay for FFA supplies or costs associated with members attending national leadership conferences.
Monsanto is also sponsoring two national leadership conferences staged by FFA. The annual Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) spans seven weeks during the summer and draws thousands of students from throughout the country to Washington, D.C., who learn leadership skills and perform community service. The three-day National Leadership Conference for State Officers is a summertime conference during which FFA officers from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands learn advanced interpersonal communication strategies and presentation delivery techniques.
"Monsanto is a dedicated corporate supporter of the National FFA Organization's programs and services that develop youth into tomorrow's agricultural industry leaders," said Rob Cooper, executive director of the National FFA Foundation. "The company is a global force in the agricultural industry and with Monsanto's support, we can continue to grow and enhance our programs focused on students' premier leadership, personal growth and career success."
As special projects of the National FFA Foundation, this year Monsanto will also co-sponsor two National Association of Agricultural Education (NAAE) awards. Outstanding agricultural education programs in middle and high schools will be recognized with a 2012 Outstanding Middle or Secondary School Agricultural Education Program Award while NAAE will recognize current and retired NAAE members who have made significant contributions to agricultural education at the state, regional and national levels with an Outstanding Service Citation award.
"As a company whose only business is agriculture, Monsanto is committed to the support of educational programs that generate excitement about farming, choosing agriculture-related studies and pursuing careers in the industry," said Monsanto's customer advocacy lead Linda Arnold. "FFA members represent the next generation of agriculture leaders. Whether it's returning to the family farm or working in industry, these young people have exemplary leadership and communication skills that set them apart. We are proud to support FFA through the sponsorship of these development programs."
Monsanto's commitment to FFA in 2012 will also fund career development events, requirements in FFA that help students develop the abilities to think critically, communicate clearly and perform effectively in a competitive job market, and proficiency awards, which honor FFA members who have developed specialized skills that they can apply toward their future careers.
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