News Update
February 13, 2017
Fewer Hurdles to Better Feet
A newly announced partnership now makes it easier than ever for Angus breeders to collect foot scores.
The American Angus Association announces its collaboration with participating universities to assess foot structure on behalf of breeders who seek help in assessing their herds. The new service allows animal science students and judging team participants to collect foot scores as they visit Angus operations. It is available to all Association members, and compensation is voluntary and at the discretion of breeders.
Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) Genetic Service Director Kelli Retallick says it’s a helpful step in acquiring the valuable data needed to develop genetic selection tools for selecting animals with proper foot and leg structure. The program, she says, is a win-win for both breeders and universities.
“We hope members take advantage of this partnership to bring a young person onto their operation to help with foot score collection,” Retallick said. “We think it will be a great service for breeders who simply do not have the extra manpower on hand to call foot scores during yearling weight collection or pregnancies checks.”
To read more, view the Angus news release online.
Taking Care of the Money Makers
In the Highwood Mountains, quality-driven cows are at the top of a supply chain that can quickly snowball.
“It can be tough on the rancher. We do all this work out here, calve them out in the weather, take good care of them; we’ve got to get the ball rolling. Everyone else depends on us,” Todd Prosser says from atop a hillside already blanketed with snow in early September.
Prosser manages Willow Creek Ranch with wife Charla northwest of Belt, Mont. The ranch has been owned by Roy and Diane Volk for close to 60 years, with the Prossers leading for the past two decades.
“The bottom line is, if we take care of the cows, we’re going to have less sickness in the calves down the line,” Prosser says. “We have to take care of the cows. That’s where it starts. They’re the money makers.”
Read the Angus Journal feature online.
Beef Talk
“Would a herd of 120 smaller-framed cows be a better fit than a herd of 100 larger-framed cows?” That’s an often-asked question throughout the beef industry.
The number of cows will vary, but for the sake of answering the question, let’s set the herd size as 120 smaller-framed cows and 100 larger-framed cows. The Dickinson Research Extension Center has explored the question since the mid-1990s.
Recently, we summarized some thoughts as we explored cow size, expanded the forage base, adopted May-June calving and retained ownership of calves. The net result was a 10% increase in revenue for the smaller-framed cows, when compared with the larger-framed cows, based on steer calf performance. Although the smaller-framed cows’ revenue per finished steer was lower, $821.81 vs. larger-framed cows at $895.82, the total finished steer net return was $4,517 greater from the smaller-framed cow herd.
Read the full story in the Angus Media news article online.
Living History
Evelyn Thomas often feels called to the north pasture of her family’s land.
She walks to a grove of trees along the fenceline and finds a quiet spot where she can sit and listen. When you are still, she says, there’s much the land can tell you. Each stretch of fence, gate post or faded trail tells a story of times gone by.
These silent moments welcome echoes of the past, as Evelyn recounts the family’s history on the nearly 200-year-old farm.
She remembers her father, a jovial character with a deep love for raising Angus cattle. She remembers her grandfather, who would walk the rural gravel roads with her, kicking rocks and telling stories. She remembers stories of her great-grandfather, a Civil War veteran who became a member of the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders’ Association in 1916, and set in motion a family tradition now a century in the making.
Continue reading the Angus Journal feature story online.
World Ag Expo Prepares for 50th Anniversary Show
World Ag Expo will kick off its 50th anniversary show tomorrow, Feb.14, in Tulare, Calif. Gates will open at 9 a.m.
World Ag Expo will host daily 50th anniversary celebration events. The red carpet rolls out on Tuesday for Opening Ceremonies at 10 a.m. in the World Ag Expo Arena. All attendees are welcome to join in for the ceremonial opening of the show, complete with a live performance of the national anthem, presentation of colors and a ribbon cutting. The national anthem will be performed by Brenna Yaeger, Season 8 contestant on The Voice. Yaeger will be accompanied by the Tulare Community Band.
The 50 Year Tractor Parade will commence Thursday at 10 a.m. on Median Street. This unique parade will feature tractors representing the years of the show, starting with 1968.
For more information, view the full news release online.
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.