News Update
September 4, 2015
Working Cattle Safely
Nora Schrag, veterinarian with the Kansas State University (K-State) College of Veterinary Medicine, says safety considerations are important when working cattle, looking at it from the point of view of the animal. Walk through the route being asked of the animals and check for errant nails, bolts, scraps of metal that animals could get caught on, even if it seemed fine last time, she recommends.
“Things change. These facilities are out in the weather, we use them, cattle bounce against things, and sometimes it’s not very obvious where it broke the last time. Then an animal hits it again and it’s very obvious. Pay attention to these things at the start and the whole time you are working cattle,” she urges.
It also pays to try to handle cattle in the best possible way as they flow through the process.
“You might point out to the crew that a certain corner is a bit tight, and they need to be careful as they go around that, or not put too many through a certain gate at once. These things make a big difference. It’s a lot easier to prevent injuries than to fix them later,” she says.
For more information, read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
September Herd Management Tips
September signals the official change of season from summer to fall and as such offers an opportunity to assess management items that will affect herd nutrition and performance later into fall and winter. The following are some key areas of consideration for early this fall that can have very positive effects as we move into winter:
It is not too late to test your hay supply. Nutrition programs are based on forage quality. Without a forage analysis, winter supplement strategies are based on guesses. Both underfeeding and overfeeding have costly impacts on your cow herd’s performance and profitability. Don’t guess — test!
Stockpiled fescue will hold most of its nutrient content until next January-February. Strip-grazing stockpiled forages has been demonstrated to increase efficiency of forage utilization. Restricting access to stockpiled forage will reduce selective grazing while still meeting cow nutrient needs. Allowing cows access to larger areas will allow them to consume better quality forage than they need and trample residual forage.
For more tips, read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article online.
Advocates Recognized for Diversity in Ag
Increasing diversity in the workplace is not always easy but three will be recognized with the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence for doing just that in the agribusiness sector.
The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, presented by HighQuest Group, acknowledges the outstanding achievements of those who have taken identifiable actions to create positive results in retaining, recruiting and promoting women in the ag sector. The awards will be presented at the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, this year in Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency and will be given in three categories:
- Leader of the Year: Kim Walker of Faegre Baker Daniels
- Innovator of the Year: Megan Delvis of Dow AgroSciences
- Company of the Year: Beck Ag Inc.
For more information, please view the full release.
Kansas City to Host AgCatalyst 2015
This October, agribusiness and food production marketing communicators will gather in Kansas City for the third annual AgCatalyst: Inspired Conversations about Food and Agriculture. The two-day conference, Oct. 19-20, is a designed learning experience with expert presenters sharing real-world knowledge on overcoming challenges and creating opportunity using digital social communications tools and strategies.
This year, AgCatalyst attendees will gain insights into defining, developing and deploying digital marketing strategies in today’s chaotic agribusiness universe. The format includes actionable execution from keynote speakers, panel discussions and case studies — empowering participants with knowledge to effectively apply, create, manage and measure digital marketing initiatives.
Confirmed speakers are: Vance Crowe, director of millennial engagement, Monsanto; Chad Colby, drone specialist, AgTech Talks; Ron Green, executive director, Digital Storytelling Center of Kansas City; Jessie Johnson, engagement strategist, AdFarm; Daniel Lemin, senior strategist, Convince & Convert; Derek Mabie, president & co-founder, Evolve Digital Labs; Jill McFarland, digital and social media director, Applebee's: Julie Peterson, vice president, Peterson Farms Seed; and Brian Stokoe, social media manager, Caterpillar, Inc.
For more details, view the full news release online.
Rebuilding the Beef Herd Program in Texas
A Rebuilding the Beef Herd program is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Camp Cooley Ranch in Franklin, Texas, 4297 Camp Cooley Ranch Road.
“We have assembled an elite group of experts to discuss market prediction models, the latest in beef cattle health, as well what we can expect from the industry in the years ahead,” said Edward Schneider, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Robertson County.
Topics to be discussed include chute-side manners, pasture and hunting leases, body condition scoring of cattle, vaccine and cattle health technology and strategies, and deworming technology and strategies.
Speakers from AgriLife Extension will be Ron Gill and Tom Hairgrove, from College Station, along with Rick Machen of Uvalde and Stan Bevers of Vernon.
Cost is $25 and includes a roast beef lunch, program materials and breaks. For meal count purposes, preregistration is requested by calling 979-828-4270. Payment may be made at time of arrival.
There will also be a contest to help sharpen management skills, Schneider said. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the day to those with the highest scores.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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