News Update
September 5, 2013
Corah Says Regardless of Corn Price, Producers Can Save Cost By Improving Cattle Disposition
Everybody’s wondering where the price of corn will end up. Some say the bumper crop will push it under $4 per bushel (bu.), but the late-summer heat wave had others expecting more than $5. The August Professional Cattle Consultants (PCC) newsletter says we now have cost of gains (COG) finally below $1.20 per lb. for the first time this year.
Could we get back to a 90¢ COG like we last saw in 2011? PCC analyst Shawn Walter says that’s unlikely because oil prices continue on a relatively high plateau and that supports the ethanol demand for corn. Maybe we’ll see COG in the $1 per lb. range spur some feeding opportunities.
We typically think about COG as a factor of grain prices. Bet “you didn’t know” one of the things that impacts cost of gain is the disposition of your cattle. Cattle are creatures of habit and eat each day in the same spot and often next to the same cattle — except for the nervous one that roams around the feedbunk.
Data on more than 68,000 cattle from 14 states were analyzed by Iowa State University researchers. The study showed gain was lower in nervous cattle, death loss was higher and quality grade was negatively affected. Just looking at Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) acceptance rates, docile cattle had a 19.1% acceptance rate vs. 9.5% for nervous cattle. As a net result, nervous cattle cost an average of $57.69 per head more than docile cattle.
So, what do you do about it? Well, as most good cattlemen know, disposition is highly heritable. That means selection and culling can quickly rid us of the bad ones.
For more information, view supporting data here.
Dry Weather Should Not Stop Seeding of Pasture Grasses,
MU Specialist Says
All the callers ask a variation on “It’s so dry, should I plant pasture grass seed this fall?”
Rob Kallenbach’s phone keeps ringing. The extension forage specialist has experience planting grass, and callers find him at the University of Missouri (MU), Columbia.
“Seven calls, it’s not 9:30 a.m. yet.” Kallenbach’s answer: “When it’s time to plant, drill the seed and wait for the rain. The seeds will wait. When you get rain, you’ll have grass.”
Lots of callers think they should wait for rain, Kallenbach says.
He finds that rain delays planting, often as not. Any delay in fall growth lowers chances for a strong stand of grass before winter.
Mid-September is time to plant. Seedlings have time to get up and get growing. Fall rains usually come.
Kallenbach has planted lots of pastures since his first in 1983. “I plant every year, and have had only a couple of minor failures. That’s thousands of acres.”
Kallenbach gains experience planting grass paddocks at MU research centers. Most of his work is at the Forage Systems Research Center, Linneus, Mo., and Southwest Center, Mount Vernon, Mo. It’s part of his research and extension work at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
The basics of grass seeding are: Get ready first, then plant. He can add lots of tips and cautions to help success.
If the ground is so dry and hard that the drill can’t cut open rows, then wait. Don’t plant if the drill can’t push seed into the ground, Kallenbach says, but that rarely happens.
For more information, please view the full release here.
PLC Kicks Off Annual Meeting
The Public Lands Council (PLC) kicked off their annual meeting Sept. 4 at the Deadwood Mountain Grand Hotel in Deadwood, S.D. The meeting will run through Friday and end with a Black Hills tour on Saturday.
Nearly 100 members have gathered in Deadwood to hear from public land management agencies, congressional representatives and industry leaders. Throughout this meeting, leaders in the organization and members will develop policies that will guide PLC in coming years.
“This is going to be a great meeting,” said Dustin Van Liew, PLC executive director. “With the leadership and creativity of our executive committee, board, delegates and active membership, we will undoubtedly come away with inspiration for new innovative projects and approaches.”
The meeting Sept. 4 began with a welcome barbecue, featuring an address from South Dakota’s Agriculture Secretary, Lucas Lentsch. Earlier that day, PLC’s national affiliate, Association of National Grasslands (ANG), hosted its annual meeting, drawing ranchers from the grasslands states to both ANG’s and PLC’s events. On Thursday, Sept. 5, participants will hear from a National Grasslands panel, the directors of the Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Sage Grouse Initiative, Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service Range Staff and officials from Washington, a panel of congressional staff, the president of the Society for Range Management and more. Members will also discuss PLC’s plan of action with regard to issues such as the federal wild horse program and documenting the socioeconomic importance of grazing on public lands. The PLC Board of Directors will also select projects for funding by the Public Lands Endowment Trust, a trust founded in 2011 to promote, protect and enhance the public lands grazing industry.
— Adapted from a release by the Public Lands Council.
Rolling Plains Agriculture Summit Set for Sept. 10
in Seymour, Texas
The Rolling Plains Agriculture Summit will be hosted Sept. 10 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Baylor County, 500 N. Main St., Seymour, Texas.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the program beginning at 8:30 a.m., said Martin Shaw, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Baylor County. The event and meal are being sponsored by Loving Insurance, Farm Bureau and ADM.
Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the AgriLife Extension office for Baylor County at 889-5581 by Sept. 6.
Topics to be covered include wheat management, varieties, and alternative crops by Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist, Lubbock; economic outlook and insurance program updates by Stan Bevers, AgriLife Extension economist, Vernon; beef cattle management practices by Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist, Amarillo; range management and brush control by Robert Lyons, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Uvalde; and laws and regulations updates by Henry Krusekopf, Texas Department of Agriculture inspector, Wichita Falls.
The noon lunch will include talks by David Worrall, Syngenta AgriPro wheat breeder in Vernon, and representatives of ADM, Elanco and the Texas Farm Bureau.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture private pesticide applicator continuing education units will be offered — one in laws and regulations, one integrated pest management and one general.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal virtual library calendar of events here.
Missouri CattleWomen Offer $1,750 in Scholarships
One lucky young woman will receive a $1,000 scholarship as the winner of the Missouri Beef Queen contest. The first runner-up will receive a $500 scholarship, and the second runner-up a $250 scholarship. The contest is sponsored by the Missouri CattleWomen (MCW) in cooperation with the Missouri Cattlemen's Association (MCA), Missouri's Cattlemen Foundation (MCF) and the Missouri Beef Industry Council. The scholarships are provided by the MCW, MCA and MCF.
The contest is open to single females, between the ages of 16-21 (by Dec. 31, 2013). Contestants must be a Missouri resident, have a farm background, an interest in beef and the beef industry, already have or would be willing to obtain a Masters in Beef Advocacy (MBA), be a collegiate or junior member of MCA or her parent(s) must be a MCA or MCW member, and must be sponsored by her county cattlemen's affiliate.
The contest will be hosted on Jan. 2, 2014, during the 2014 Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Tan-Tar-A Resort, Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. The contestants will be judged on an application, résumé, oral presentation and a personal interview. Judges will be scoring the contestants on knowledge of beef, presentation, appearance, personality and their entry application. Coronation will be Friday evening, Jan. 3, which will allow contestants time to participate in convention activities.
Queen contestants are encouraged to obtain their MBA prior to the competition. The 2014 Missouri Beef Queen will be required to complete her MBA prior to March 15, 2014. To obtain an application click here or more information about the Missouri Beef Queen program, contact Katie Allen, Missouri Beef Queen chairperson, at 30862 Peden Chapel Rd., Marceline, MO 64658 or via email at katieallen04@yahoo.com. The application postmark deadline is Nov. 1, 2013.
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