News Update
August 24, 2012
Consign NWSS Angus Bulls Now and Save
The American Angus Association is now accepting consignments for the 2013 National Western Angus Bull Sale held in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo. The sale is set for Wednesday, Jan. 16, and producers can save $50 by acting now.
Consignments received on or before Sept. 15 are $400 per head. From Sept. 16 through the Oct. 1 entry deadline, the fee is $450 per head. Consignments must have Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®) performance information to be eligible.
"The NWSS Angus Bull Sale is an excellent venue for Angus breeders to showcase their programs," says David Gazda, sale manager and Association regional manager. "This sale annually attracts some of the region's top purebred and commercial producers who come to the stock show to select their next herd sire prospects."
All bulls born before Jan. 1, 2012, must have passed a complete breeding soundness examination (sometimes referred to as a BSE), including both physical and semen, within 30 days of the sale.
The Angus Bull Sale Show will kick-off Angus activities at noon on Jan. 16, where prospective buyers will have the opportunity to preview the bulls before the sale begins. A panel of three judges will evaluate the bulls using a composite system to establish a sale order. Judges are Jake Scott, Gordon, Neb.; Bill Davis, Sidney, Mont.; and Dan Shike, Champaign, Ill.
Attendees will be invited into the showring to inspect bulls after the grand and reserve grand champions have been selected.
Following the bull show, the 2013 Angus Foundation Heifer Package will sell in the Beef Palace Auction Arena at the Stock Show Complex. Immediately after, the National Western Angus Bull Sale will begin.
Eddie Burks, Park City, Ky., will serve as auctioneer during the sale, which is the only sale managed by the Association.
For more information contact Gazda at 706-296-7846. For entry forms contact the Association at 816-383-5100.
Retail Beef Prices Reflect Changing Consumer Preferences
Although the retail beef supply is expected to grow, along with relaxed prices in the short term, consumer preferences for pricier cuts may change.
Already, sales of bone-in ribeye have been reduced dramatically to 17.5 million pounds (lb.) in the second quarter of 2012 from 21.5 million lb. a year ago — an 18% drop. The same goes for the Porterhouse, which dropped to 9.1 million lb. from 11.6 million lb., a 21% drop. This is according to the latest "Top 10 Cuts Lists" released by the Beef Checkoff.
Updated quarterly, the list reflects the most popular cuts in a variety of categories, from middle meats to lean cuts to pot roasts to steaks.
Boneless ribeye still leads the pack in the overall beef category, with 30 million lb. sold in the second quarter, up from 27.4 million the same time last year.
The list is released in the wake of USDA's new beef production figures, which were raised for both 2012 and 2013 due to higher expected placements in feedlots and increased dairy cow slaughter in late 2012 and during 2013.
Cattle prices have been reduced from last month with the expectation of larger fed cattle marketings in both 2012 and 2013. However, prices are likely to remain strong in 2013, as total meat supplies are tight.
For more regional and national retail sales data on cuts from eight different categories, click here.
Heart Of Texas Tour To Help Landowners Improve Habitats For Wildlife, Livestock
Improving habitats will be the focus of Texas AgriLife Extension Service's Heart of Texas Range and Wildlife Tour set for 8 a.m. Sept. 24 on the Phillips Ranch east of Lohn on County Road 314, in central McCulloch County.
The multi-county tour is a joint effort among the AgriLife Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources Committees in Coleman, Mason and McCulloch counties.
Vance Christie, AgriLife Extension agent in McCulloch County, said the tour will highlight several result demonstrations that have been conducted on the Phillips Ranch for years.
Christie said improving rangeland and pastures for increased carrying capacity for livestock and wildlife continue to be major concerns for Central Texas landowners. In recent years, the carrying capacity of existing rangeland and pastures has been reduced by drought, loss of habitat and invasive species.
"The Phillips family has worked hard to overcome as much diversity as possible, given the climatic circumstances in recent years," Christie said.
Christie said much of the method demonstration work on the tour focuses on reducing invasive species such as mesquite, yucca and prickly pear.
"The Phillips family strives to balance livestock production with habitat for deer and turkey, but most recently they have placed a great deal of emphasis on improving the ranch's quail habitat," he said. "As a result, sightings and frequent calls of both adult and juvenile quail over the past few months are showing their efforts are paying off, even during the drought."
For more information contact Christie at 325-456-9687, vschristie@ag.tamu.edu, and for the full release, click here.
ICGA Applauds USDA Allowing Haying and Grazing
The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is applauding the decision by the USDA to allow for emergency haying and grazing of cover crops for livestock producers in response to the current drought.
For the 2013 crop year, USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) intends to file special provision statements to allow haying or grazing of cover crops without impacting the insurability of planted 2013 spring crops. This flexibility will help farmers plant a cover crop without risking crop insurance coverage in 2013.
"The ICGA asked the USDA to move forward on this special provision for farmers and livestock producers," said Kevin Ross, ICGA president and a farmer from Minden. "We applaud the USDA RMA decision which will allow for more critically needed feedstocks to be available for livestock producers here in Iowa and across the country."
3-Day Artificial Insemination School in Calhoun, GA
The ABS Global Artificial Insemination (AI) Management School offers students the opportunity to learn AI techniques and herd management under skilled supervision. The course includes three days of classroom and hands-on breeding focusing on the most up-to-date cattle artificial insemination methods at the Calhoun Stockyards in Calhoun, Ga. The curriculum includes anatomy and reproduction; reproduction and fertility; heat detection; nutrition; principles of genetics and sire selection; herd management success; proper semen placement; and insemination practice. Also, synchronization of beef cattle and planned breeding of dairy heifers will be introduced. This is a comprehensive course consisting of 24 hours of instruction: 14 hours in the classroom and 10 hours in lab working with cattle.
The registration fee is $350 for adults and $300 for college and high school students. This covers the cost of supplies and practice cows used at the school. This program is limited to 15 students in order to ensure as much one-to-one help during practice as possible. Therefore, registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. We offer a $50 discount on the second or third attendee from the same family or farm operation.
For more information, contact Allen Southard at 678-617-2945, or Chris Franklin at 706-263-2008 or chris@feonow.com.
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