News Update
January 25, 2017
Bull Selection Guide
Sale season is just around the corner. For bull buyers, it can be a stressful couple of months. Looking at sale books, walking through pens and sitting ringside is time-consuming. Planning ahead can ease the stress and help make the selection process a little easier. Following are five steps that will help bull buyers pick their next herd sire.
1. Establish your needs
One of the greatest challenges bull buyers face is deciding what they need in a bull. Some bulls excel in carcass traits and yearling weight. Others sire great replacement heifers, and there’s always bulls advertised for their calving ease and low birth weight. However, not every bull is the right choice for every operation. Travis Meteer, University of Illinois beef cattle specialist, said producers should align their bull selection criteria with their herd goals.
This starts with identifying their desired markets.
Continue reading in the Angus Media news article online.
AFBF Endorses Bills to Repeal Death Tax
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has endorsed bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate to repeal the federal estate tax. AFBF President Zippy Duvall said the bills are needed because farm and ranch families continue to face challenges to passing their family businesses to the next generation.
The AFBF-endorsed Death Tax Repeal Act of 2017 was introduced Jan. 24 in the House by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.). Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
“Farmers and ranchers face a number of factors that are unpredictable and beyond their control, from changing weather to fluctuating markets,” Duvall said. “These family-run businesses need a tax code that encourages investment, rather than one that punishes their success. We believe that repeal of the estate tax offers the best solution to protect farms, ranches and all family-owned businesses from the estate tax.”
Wildfire Dangers Increase with High Winds
High winds and drying grass and brush should prompt homeowners and landowners alike to take time to prepare before wildfires spark across the state, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.
“Folks might think the recent rains will keep things from burning, but these winds will dry things out very quickly,” said Ted McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo.
“It might even be time to get the mower out to knock down any dry grass around homes and outbuildings, and ranchers will need to be checking their water supplies and fire suppression equipment,” McCollum said.
The National Weather Service has issued a number of fire danger warnings for regions of the state due to high winds and low humidity, stating “outdoor burning and activities that cause open sparks or flames are discouraged…. weather conditions will be favorable for the development of large grass fires.”
Read more in the AgriLife news release online.
Ohio Cattlemen’s Seedstock Producer of the Year Award
The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) awarded Claylick Run Angus Genetics of Newark, Ohio, the Seedstock Producer of the Year Award at the OCA awards banquet hosted Jan. 21 at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio.
OCA and Farm World jointly sponsor the Seedstock Producer of the Year Award, which was created to recognize top beef seedstock producers in Ohio. The award presentation featured a video of Claylick Run Angus Genetics that was generously sponsored by Granville Milling Co., and Purina Animal Nutrition.
Claylick Run Angus Genetics is owned and operated by Dave Felumlee, his wife, Dawn, daughter Keri, and son Kacey. Dave was raised on a dairy farm, but decided to transition to Angus cattle for his own operation. Thirty years later, Claylick Run emphasizes quality genetics and performance in their herd. Dave sells purebred bulls and heifers to seedstock producers, as well as commercial producers throughout the state of Ohio and eastern United States. Dave’s goals are to improve his own cattle to have the elite seedstock operation east of the Mississippi.
For more information, view the news release online.
“The Big Fat Surprise” Author Nina Teicholz to Headline Alliance Summit
Nina Teicholz, an investigative journalist and author of the international (and New York Times) bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat & Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet, will speak at the 2017 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. The Summit is set for May 3-4 in Kansas City, Mo. Early registration is now open for the event.
The Big Fat Surprise — named the No. 1 science book of 2014 by The Economist and a 2014 “Best Book” by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Library Journal — challenged the conventional wisdom on dietary fat by explaining why people have been needlessly avoiding meat, cheese, whole milk and eggs for decades. In her book, Teicholz documented how the past 60 years of low-fat nutrition advice has amounted to a vast uncontrolled experiment on the entire population, with disastrous consequences for our health.
Go online for more information on the event.
Editor’s Note: The articles used within this site represent a mixture of copyrights. If you would like to reprint or repost an article, you must first request permission of Angus Productions Inc. (API) by contacting the editor at 816-383-5200; 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506. API claims copyright to this web site as presented. We welcome educational venues and cattlemen to link to this site as a service to their audience.