News Update
November 23, 2016
Offices Closed
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, the American Angus Association and Angus Production Inc. offices will be closing at 2:30 p.m. (CST) today, Nov. 23, and will be closed Nov. 24-25. Normal office hours will resume Nov. 28.
Our warm wishes to you and your family for a wonderful holiday!
‘I Am Angus’ Broadcasts Thanksgiving Night
The American Angus Association gives thanks this holiday season for Angus cattle and those committed to preserving the ranching way of life. A new season of the Association’s documentary series, I Am Angus®, airs at 9 p.m. CST (10 p.m. EST) Thursday, Nov. 24, on RFD-TV. A second broadcast is set for 5 a.m. CST (6 a.m. EST) Saturday, Nov. 26.
I Am Angus travels cattle country and visits individuals and families dedicated to raising cattle, caring for the land and raising the highest quality beef in the world — the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand. The hour-long documentary is produced entirely by Angus Media, and pays tribute to the history and heritage of cattle ranching nationwide.
The Thanksgiving episode, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, shares stories of mentorship and growth and how new leaders are encouraged to contribute to the quality beef business. The program features farm and ranch families from Montana to West Virginia and Nebraska to Kentucky.
view the complete Angus release online for a list of those featured in the Thanksgiving episode.
Consider All Aspects
If you want to make more money in the cow-calf business, the options are simple, according to Kevin Hill of Merck Animal Health: wean more calves, wean heavier calves or add more value. The technical services veterinarian presented an Angus University Workshop during the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 5-7.
Weaning more animals means improving reproductive efficiency and health. Heavier calves start with improving genetics and continue with implants, nutrition and parasite control, he said.
“Buy better bulls,” Hill suggested. Spending $1,000 more for a bull that will increase average weaning weight by 20 pounds (lb.) pays off. In one year alone, siring just 20 calves, that added weight more than offsets the increased purchase price. Bull cost per calf is actually $3.10 less for “the more expensive” bull.
“It can pay off as long as you put in the right numbers,” he said, referencing improved expected progeny differences (EPDs).
History shows vaccinated calves fetch a premium at auction. Data from Superior Livestock Auction shows a $25-per-head advantage for those weaned in the Vac34 program (one round of shots two to four weeks prior to shipping), and $55 per head for those weaned 45 days with a second round of shots using the Vac45 protocol.
Continue reading the Angus Media news article online.
Chronic Wasting Disease Discovered in Southeast Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified two positive cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in wild deer near Lanesboro.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) is responding to help protect the state’s farmed and wild deer populations. A disease control zone with a 10-mile radius will be established around where the two CWD positive deer were found. Farmed deer and elk herd owners within this zone will not be allowed to move deer or elk into or out of the zone until an investigation has been completed and movement restrictions released. There are four deer or elk farms located within this CWD control zone.
“We are restricting movement of farmed deer and elk within the disease control zone until we have finished our investigations and evaluated the risks on each farm for the transmission of CWD from wild to farmed animals,” said BAH assistant director, Paul Anderson. “Our staff will personally notify each deer and elk farmer whose herd is located within the disease control zone and will begin the investigations.”
For more information, view the news release online.
NDSA Feeder Council to Host Beyond the Bunk Workshop
The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) Feeder Council will host its 2016 Beyond the Bunk Workshop Dec. 14 at the Ramada Bismarck Hotel and Conference Center in Bismarck, N.D.
The workshop begins at 10 a.m. and includes discussions detailing North Dakota State University (NDSU) feedlot research; proper starter programs for cattle going on feed; control points for reducing shrink, limiting variability and improving overall efficiency in the feedlot; the benefits of prebiotic and probiotic products for feeder cattle; key management aspects for getting the most out of silage; and the use of ractopamine hydrochloride in the production system.
NDSA Vice President Dan Rorvig will open the meeting with a welcome and issues briefing.
Uchenna Anele, NDSU Extension animal scientist, and Chanda Engel, NDSU Extension research specialist at the Carrington Research and Extension Center, will highlight several ongoing research projects within the NDSU feedlot research program.
Chad Zehnder, a Purina Animal Health cattle consultant, will discuss the use of proper starter programs to promote successful receiving periods and influence cattle performance through the feeding period.
For more information, visit the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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