Dual agency rangeland conference set for May 12 in Kerrville
KERRVILLE – Texas A&M AgriLife and the U.S. Forest Service will conduct a conference called Strategic Supplementation Strategies to Enhance Texas Rangelands and Reduce Livestock Production Costs on May 12 in Kerrville.
The day starts with check-in from 8:30-9:20 a.m. The program lasts until 3:45 p.m. The event will be at the YO Conference Center, 2033 Sidney Baker St.
“We have an excellent group of speakers lined up to help participants think outside the box,” said Dr. Travis Whitney, Texas A&M AgriLife Research range nutritionist at San Angelo and conference coordinator. “The speakers have been tasked with discussing livestock supplementation strategies that can synergistically enhance Texas rangelands and reduce livestock production costs. We are confident the day will be well worth your time.”
Preregistration is required and due by May 5. Individual registration is $15 and covers the noon buffet. For more information and to preregister, go to http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/sss-conf.
Morning session topics and speakers include:
— Getting the most from your ranch resources, Dr. John Walker, AgriLife Research resident director, San Angelo.
— Underutilized feed resources, Whitney.
— Opportunities to use ground juniper in livestock and deer supplements, Jessica Glasscock, doctoral student, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
— U.S. Forest Service, AgriLife Research update: Economic feasibility of using ground juniper in livestock diets, Whitney.
A buffet lunch is set for noon to 1 p.m. The luncheon’s scheduled keynote speaker is Sid Miller, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture from Stephenville.
The afternoon session topics and speakers will include:
— Real-world experience: Using ground aspen wood in cattle feedlot diets, Kirk Mautz, owner/manager, Mautz Feedyards, Olathe, Colorado.
— Cowboy nutrition and immunology, Dr. William Edmiston, veterinarian, Eldorado.
— Economic supplementation programs for range beef cattle, Dr. Eric Bailey, West Texas A&M University beef cattle nutritionist, Canyon.
— Putting it all together: Economic scenarios, opportunities and roadblocks, Bill Thompson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, San Angelo.
The program will conclude with a roundtable discussion featuring the day’s speakers.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be offered.
For more information on the conference, contact Whitney at 325-653-4576, ext. 245 or trwhitney@ag.tamu.edu.
Additional information related AgriLife’s wood-to-feed program is available at http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/people/faculty-2/trw/wood2feed.
Editor’s Note: This article by Steve Byrns is provided by AgriLife Today.