fbp nov/dec 2010

A NEWS SOURCE FOR COMMERCIAL BEEF PRODUCERS NOVEMBER•DECEMBER 2010 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 4

FRONTLINEbeef producer

Cow Efficiency& Industry Trends

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©2010 ABS Global, Inc. · 1525 River Road, DeForest, WI 53532 · Ph: 1-800-ABS-STUD · Fax: 608-846-6392 · www.absglobal.com

Contact your local ABS Representative or call 1-800-ABS-STUD to find out how the ABS Brangus lineup can go to work for you.

Brangus is Our Business

Calving ease sires to limit dystocia, increase live calves and benefit cow longevity

Strong maternal emphasis for quality udders, increased fleshing ability and better dispositions

Selection for performance, muscle, structural soundness and tight sheaths

Adaptable genetics for harsher environments from southern Florida to Idaho, Arizona to Missouri and anywhere you need adaptability.

Increased heterosis advantage to improve your bottom line.

2 FRONTLINE Beef Producer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

19 NEWS & NOTEWORTHY22 STATE DIRECTORY26 SERVICES27 ADVERTISER INDEX27 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

On the Cover:Brangus cows and calves trailing through the hills of Arkansas.

FRONTLINE Beef Producer

Commerical Marketing ProgramsGrant Keenen

Promotions Marketing DirectorBen Spitzer

Administration/CirculationFrances Miller Contributing EditorsDr. Mark EnnsDr. Matt HersomDr. Joseph MasseyClifford MitchellMarcine Moldenhauer AdvertisingMelanie Fuller979.828.5300 Copy EditorElma Ryan ProofreaderJim Bulger OperationsMary DouglassRosanne SrallaPatti Teeler

FRONTLINE Beef Produceris a product of:Brangus Publications, Inc.5750 EpsilonSan Antonio, Texas 78249Phone: 210.696.8231Fax: 210.696.8718 Brangus Publications, Inc. Directors:Angelo Zottarelli - ChairmanDr. Joseph Massey - PresidentBill Davis - Secretary/TreasurerR.L. RobbsDon Cox Information appearing in this issue may be reprinted only with written permission of Brangus Publications, Inc. LPCLivestock Publications Council - Member

FEATURES

10 Reproductive Efficiency Begins with Selectionby Clifford Mitchell

11 Trends and The Unintended Consequences...by Marcine Moldenhauer

DEPARTMENTS

4 Out FrontBeef Cattle Numbers Continue to Decline in 2010 - So What is the Value of a Good Producing Cow?by Dr. Joseph Massey

5 The Bottom LineLooking into the Future - What Lies Aheadby Grant Keenen

7 The ForefrontWill the Beef Industry Shift Southwest?by Ben Spitzer

14 Nutrition StrategiesHow Do We Measure Cow Efficiencyby Dr. Matt Hersom

15 Genetic StrategiesThe Push for Feed Efficiency: How Will it Affect Our Cows?by Mark Enns, PhD

©2010 ABS Global, Inc. · 1525 River Road, DeForest, WI 53532 · Ph: 1-800-ABS-STUD · Fax: 608-846-6392 · www.absglobal.com

Contact your local ABS Representative or call 1-800-ABS-STUD to find out how the ABS Brangus lineup can go to work for you.

Brangus is Our Business

Calving ease sires to limit dystocia, increase live calves and benefit cow longevity

Strong maternal emphasis for quality udders, increased fleshing ability and better dispositions

Selection for performance, muscle, structural soundness and tight sheaths

Adaptable genetics for harsher environments from southern Florida to Idaho, Arizona to Missouri and anywhere you need adaptability.

Increased heterosis advantage to improve your bottom line.



OUT FRONT | by Dr. Joseph Massey

The data continues to point to a high slaughter rate for cows and the placement of heifers in feed yards is up; therefore, the trend for a declining beef cow herd in

the U.S. is still in place. It looks like it may take at least another year or 18 months before the trend is reversed. This may be the year to consider expansion of your herd, as the price of cows and replacement heifers may be higher into 2011 and beyond. The de-cline of the national beef cow herd has many ramifi-cations not the least of which is the pressure that will be placed on a beef cow. As cow numbers decline the expectation for increased production from each cow becomes greater. We are producing the same amount of beef with the current cow herd as we did when we had 15 million more beef cows. The potential problem is that with improved economic conditions if consumption was to shift upward we could find ourselves with a real shortage of beef. Consequently, expectation of production from each beef cow will be put under great pressure since it will take several years before we could expand cow numbers again.

The value of the good producing beef cow should only increase over the next several years, so now is the time to make sure that you know what your cow herd is capable of producing. The Brangus cow may be the only cow that is well adapted to produce consistently in the Southern and Southeastern re-gions of the U.S. In breeding capability alone she has the ge-netic make up to produce not only in very tempered regions of this country but in very hot, arid and humid conditions. The fact that she is a composite of 5/8 Angus and 3/8 Brahman leads to all the benefits associ-ated with high heterosis, such as high fertility, calving ease, milk production and maybe the most important aspect which is her ability to produce a calf that weans every year. The multi-generations Brangus cow has a proven history of performance with predictability. Do not get confused with the many Brangus type cows that are produced each year by placing an Angus bull on a half blood cow. The feed yards in the U.S. have

already discovered that Brangus cattle coming from Brangus opera-tions produce well in the yards while Bran-gus type calves that are put together do not. The importance of the Brangus breeding will continue to have signif-icant value in the feed yards and ultimately in beef production.

The value of Bran-gus cows becomes even more obvious when one understands that the commercial cattlemen can breed these cows to Brangus bulls or British breeds like Angus and Hereford and produce calves that will perform in the feed yards and will yield and grade. The Brangus calf has

been one of the best kept secrets in feed yard performance. By lumping the Brangus calf into Brahman cross calf category the feeder has been discounting them. I believe that this perception is starting to change in many yards and we will con-tinue to identify yards that work with Brangus calves. We know that Brangus calves will not only yield and grade but have been found to produce beef that is also tender.

The Brangus Association is con-tinuing to work towards identifying more yards that will pay top dollar for the Brangus calves. Now is the

time to be investing in the right kind of cow; and the Brangus cow fits most commercial operations going forward. Developing working relationships with a Brangus breeder can produce opportunities for the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Massey has served as Executive Vice President of the IBBA since 2004. In 2007, he started Genetic Performance Solutions, LLC, a breed registry services and performance analysis company serving the cattle and breed association industry— a joint venture between the IBBA and the Red Angus Association of America. GPS manages online registry programs for breed associations and the data base management of performance data like multi-breed EPDs.

Beef Cattle Numbers Continue to Decline in 2010 - So What is the Value of a Good Producing Cow?

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The value of the good producing beef

cow should only increase over the

next several years, so now is the time to make sure that

you know what your cow herd is capable

of producing.


The chill of fall is here and the days are getting shorter. Some areas in the Midwest have already had a light frost and it won’t be long now until the beautifully painted leaves begin falling to the ground. Fall calves are hit-ting the ground and it’s time for fall cattle working and

weaning and bull sales are also in full swing. Corn harvest is now deep into the Northern plains, soybeans are being com-bined and wheat planting time is here. I guess fall is just as busy as any other time of the year.

Speaking of corn, this year’s harvest is not yielding what was expected. Early drastic amounts of rain in widespread regions and then severe heat that plagued the Heartland this summer have done much more damage to the corn crop than what experts anticipated. Don’t mis-understand me, there are places yielding over 150 bushel/acre dry-land and 200 bushel/acre irrigated, but I person-ally know several farmers whose irrigated corn did not average 100 bushel/acre. The shortfall in the corn harvest has pushed prices up around that $5/bushel mark and over which will have some impact on cattle prices. How high could corn go? I am not sure, but in analyzing all of the factors that contribute to corn and other commodity prices, I could realistically see it moving a bit higher yet.

If corn continues to increase, we could expect cost of gains to increase substantially in the feed yards. When this happens, feeder cattle prices typi-cally trend down. Demand for light calves will probably weaken, especially during the fall season, while heavier cattle placements will be sought. This time of the year the market is generally saturated with light weight spring born calves because people are just not willing or able to wean on the farm or ranch. Therefore, a person should again see some incentive to background their weaned calves and sell in the spring if the management and resources permit.

Nevertheless, supply and demand is still the primary price determiner and beef has been in strong demand all summer long and looks to continue into fall and winter. As for sup-ply, we all know the beef cow herd is decreasing and the total numbers of fed cattle are also diminishing. However, retail beef supply still seems to be comparable to slightly larger than a year ago. Some of this is due to dairy cow retire-ment and the continuing culling of beef cows. Once cow slaughter slows, I believe we will see the total beef produc-tion numbers trend down. With demand staying constant and numbers continuing to shrink, cattle prices should stay strong leading to great future opportunity.

In evaluating the demand and current economic condi-tions, the beef industry has been very blessed the last couple years. Our domestic demand has been stable to slightly higher all year, while foreign demand has really gained strength. The weak US dollar compared to foreign currency has helped support beef exports. Our beef customers are able to buy our superior product for a comparable to competitive price of other beef producing countries. The countries that require beef imports to be from age and source verified cattle

have continued to increase their purchases this year. This trend will continue to provide pre-miums for age and source verified cattle.

Taking all factors into account, I believe the cow calf producer will surely see profitable

times in the future. Feed-er’s demand for weaned and preconditioned cattle is at an all time high. Health or high risk cattle and high feed costs do not mix and never will. There is just no room for those cattle with increased production costs. Sure, un-weaned and un-conditioned calves will be bought, fed, and will make money. However, they will be discounted well below the market price at the time they are bought from the cow-calf producer. Weaning and vaccination programs are becoming the norm, so do not get left behind and let

your product be discounted. As mentioned above, age and source verified cattle are also going to continue to be in demand for quite some time. This process is really very simple and can add several dollars to the price of cattle. The International Brangus Breeders Association has a program, OptimaxX, that is in place to help producers age and source verify their cattle as well as claim Brangus genetics. A cow-calf operation that combines weaning, pre-conditioning, age and source verification claims to their calves can expect to reach the top end of market prices and avoid those unnecessary discounts for common cattle.

There is money to be made, but a person has to be willing to seek it!

THE BOTTOM LINE | by Grant Keenen

Looking into the Future - What Lies Ahead

ABOUT THE AUTHORGrant Keenen is the Director of Commercial Marketing Programs for the IBBA. For any questions or inquiries regarding IBBA Commercial Programs, such as OptimaxX and Brangus Gold, Grant can be reached by phone at 210.696.8231 or by email at [email protected].

A cow-calf operation that

combines weaning, pre-conditioning,

age and source verification claims to their calves can expect to reach the top end of market

prices...

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This issue focuses on Cow Efficiency and Beef Industry Trends. How can we as an industry become more ef-ficient in our production? We have made great strides in the last 50 years as an industry. We feed almost twice as many people with the same number of cows. There is

still a lot of room for improvement. I don’t think we will ever see the historical highs again in this country. Land for agriculture is losing out to houses and shopping centers all across the country. How can we as an industry reinvent ourselves to face the challenges of the next 50 years? The answer most probably lies outside our own industry.

I just recently returned from visiting Brangus bull customers in South Florida. (In case you didn’t know, Florida is not just beaches and amusement parks, it is a huge cattle state ranking 10th in the country for cow/calf num-bers with many large operations using Brangus genetics.) I was fortunate to travel on Southwest Airlines for a change. In the past, I have not lived in a market that Southwest served, since I just moved to San Antonio, this was my first trip on the airline. I have read quite a bit on the company and its successes, so I was eager to study every aspect of my trip. What I saw got me wondering how we could translate their success in their industry to success in ours.

For those of you not familiar with South-west, its story is unique. In an industry marked with companies operating under bankruptcy, in the red or having very small profit margins, Southwest has managed to be very successful and grow from a scrappy startup to the most traveled airline the last several years. Southwest Airlines will fly any plane, as long as it’s a Boeing 737, and let passengers sit anywhere they like, as long as they get there first. Year end results for 2009 marked Southwest’s 37th consecutive year of profitability. This is not by accident. They chose to adapt to their business environment, adjusting to the demands of their customers.

If you travel Southwest and pay attention, you can tell that they have scrutinized every as-pect of their service. From how you board, how they take care of you during the flight, the condition of their well-traveled fleet to the employees’ attitude, the company is a well-oiled machine. The airline operates lean and employ-ees know that the best service with the least cost will benefit them in the form of dividends from profit.

Husband and wife team Kevin & Jackie Freiberg scrutinize Southwest in their book, NUTS! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Per-sonal Success. Some of you may remember Kevin as he was a speaker at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention a few years back. I would enthusiastically recommend you read this book.

Many of their observations can be adapted to your own beef business. Whether you are a large operation or you have just a few cows, you can find

opportunity and inspiration to improve. The Freibergs identify the following points to Southwest’s success:

Leaders Leading Leaders 1. Walk your talk 2. Focus on things you can control 3. Be prepared 4. Sharpen your political skills 5. Love people into action 6. Listen for more than you hear

Leadership from the Inside Out 1. Leadership inspires motivation 2. Make a commitment

3. Honor People’s efforts 4. Believe in peo-ple

Go Nuts 1. Find a purpose you’re crazy about 2. Make your life and work an adventure 3. Believe in people and they will believe in themselves 4. Don’t take yourself too seriously 5. Dare to Dream 6. Be Yourself 7. Dare to be different 8. Pursue love before techniques 9. Choose service over self-interest

I know many of you at this point are a bit out of your comfort zone. After all, this is a beef cattle publication, not Forbes or Inc. magazine. We have relied on tradition and how we’ve always done it for far too long. Tradition is important, but reflecting on the past is much more enjoyable when you are profitable.

There are many aspects of our industry that are rapidly changing. If beef producers (cow/calf, seedstock, stockers, feed-lots, etc.) fail to adjust, they will struggle to be profitable. In our operations there will be tremendous opportunity for those who are willing to adjust and change their business strategies. Higher input costs and lower demand have forced us to cut out waste and become more efficient in our produc-tion. Why would anyone go back to old practices that they have proven inefficient?

Take a little time and look at your operation. Really dive into why you operate the way you do and why things work or don’t. Maybe it’s time for a change… or maybe not. You will only know if you take time to see where your operation fits.

Embrace change. Embrace opportunity. Go Nuts!

THE FOREFRONT | by Ben Spitzer

Will the Beef Industry Shift Southwest?

ABOUT THE AUTHORBen Spitzer is Marketing Programs Director for the IBBA. Ben can be reached by phone at 210.696.8231 or by email at [email protected].



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FEATURE | by Clifford Mitchell

Efficiency has become a big word for most cattlemen of recent times. Volatile grain prices and most costs related to the production scenario have producers

constantly looking to get the most return from these resources. Conversions, rate of gain and other measures are easy to monitor for most out-fits and often come to the forefront as chief indi-cators of efficiency.

Any indicator of performance that can be measured is a good thing for most producers to evaluate. These indicators are often easily deci-phered and can be used for steady improvement. Evaluating reproductive efficiency is a little different story. Sometimes the results are a little harder to see and cattlemen tend to make some excuses for poor performance in this arena.

Getting cattle into production is the first step in defining some of the efficiencies associated with the maternal lines. Proper treatment and development will ensure these females readily step into the role of pro-ductive momma cow.

“Puberty is a function of age and weight. Physiologically, Bos Indicus cattle are later maturing and have a slower growth rate which makes it difficult for them to breed up sometimes,” says Dr. Joe Paschal, Texas AgriLife Extension, Corpus Christi, Texas.

“If you are planning to breed heifers to calve at 24 months, you can’t wean them and put them out on dry pasture and expect them to breed up. With our Brangus females we expect them to calve at 2 and usually have a high percentage that calve in the first 30 days,” says Danny Farris, Farris Ranching Company, Tuscola, Texas.

Heifers are always a delicate piece of the puzzle. Identifying parame-ters and the production protocol is a good first step for most producers.

“Producers have to identify a target weight for these heifers, according to what the goal is for mature cow size,” Farris says. “If you reach that target weight at 14 to 15 months of age those heifers should be cycling.”

“Step up the rate of growth in these heifers. Make sure all of the animals have proper weight and age to reach puberty,” Paschal says. “This will insure the majority of those heifers are coming into heat at the proper time.”

Nutrition plays a big role in this process. Developing these heifers in an economic manner and reaching proper target weight at the right time can be achieved.

“These heifers require better nutrition and better management. Get these cattle to some high quality forages to help develop them. You may

have to use some supplement, but you don’t have to push these heifers real hard to change growth rate,” Paschal says. “It is important to make sure all of the heifers reach the target weight, it’s not an average weight. If it’s an av-erage weight, half the heifers will be below the target weight and will have trouble cycling. It doesn’t make a difference how you get them there, just make sure all heifers are at the tar-get weight when you’re ready to breed them.”

“You have to know where heifers are weight wise and when you plan to breed them. Most years we have wheat pasture available and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make sure those heifers get to the target weight,” Farris says. “Producers have to be aware they can’t just go off age when they start breeding these heifers. You have to reach that target weight for the whole group to get them cycling. Some pro-ducers will have enough experience to know those heifers are getting there just by looking at them. Other cattlemen may need to take individual weights.”

Proper mineral supplementation is sometimes over looked. Asking heifers to conceive and calve at the desired age may already be pushing them just a little. Mineral, is a big part of keeping the system function-ing.

“A good mineral program, for your area, is essential,” Farris says. “You can’t cheat your genetics they need the tools to express them. A proper mineral program can help those cattle, at different times of the year, stay in top condition.”

“It’s always worth investing in a good mineral program. Certain pro-grams might look at chelated minerals because they do have value in some production scenarios,” Paschal says. “Start while you are developing these heifers and carry this program through breeding. Make sure they have proper mineral consumption.”

Blending management with genetic selection always can help the bot-tom line. Most cattlemen know the cow herd and which female lines continually produce with above average results or are the first to calve every year. Fertility sometimes gets lost in the selection process. Produc-ers have so much information available, often maternal traits fall through the cracks.

“I know how my female lines perform. I want to have 70 to 75 per-cent of the calves born within the first 30 days of calving season. It boils down to selection process and how they are managed,” Farris says. “Bran-gus cattle are just as fertile as any other breed. You have to select for early maturity. It doesn’t take long to build up fertility if you select the right heifers. Our fertility and maturity really shows up in the scrotal circum-ference of our bulls.”

Management and GeneticsReproductive efficiency begins with selection

ABOUT THE AUTHORClifford Mitchell is a second generation cattleman who currently owns and operates Elkhorn Creek, a freelance communications business in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Upon graduation from Oklahoma State University he began a career in communications, starting as a field reporter. Mitchell currently writes for a wide range of beef publications.

Continued on page 13

If you’re like me, I like making my own decisions, having the freedom to choose how I run my business, who I do business with, what the terms and conditions of the agreement look like, and then living with the results. Additionally, I like having the opportunity to be paid a premium for my cattle if I have gone

above and beyond to create a particular value in the market place.

So why, during this past 15 years, does there seem to be a continual all out assault on these basic rights in the livestock industry. It would seem to be a logical thought, that most producers have a strong drive to be independent thinking businessmen and women. These business people (producers) I be-lieve are capable of making their own choices on how to run their business, who to do business with, while keeping their business just that, THEIR busi-ness. They don’t want or need other producers or government interfering with these basic and unique choices or decisions.

From this you might be thinking what difference does it make; Well that probably depends on how you decide to define “independent” and having an understanding that the recently published USDA proposed rule for PSA may put these choices at risk. Depending on how you define “independent” is key. There are several definitions in Webster;

1. In politics; free from the authority, control, or domination of somebody or something else especially not controlled by another state or organization and able to self-govern. 2. Able to function by self, able to operate alone because not dependent on somebody or something else.3. Self supporting – not forced to rely on another for money or support. 4. Showing confidence in self. Capable of thinking or acting without consultation with or guidance from others.

Regardless of which definition you want to choose or cling to, the fact remains that successful livestock producers / operations do not want or need anyone making rules which change or restrict their individual ability to make choices which benefit their unique operation.

At this point you’re probably thinking what does this have to do with my

cattle business /operation today. Well, plenty.

If you have not heard or read, USDA has published in the Federal Register (June 22, 2010) proposed amendments to the Packers and Stockyards Act. Why now you might ask and what are those proposed changes, how might they affect you, and your operation?

There are two basic key points to understand before you can start to under-stand what is going on; One is judicial the other is political.

From the judicial stand point, the case which is relevant and started much of this is the class action lawsuit in 2004 when the attorneys for Henry Lee Picket Vs Tyson (then IBP) convinced a jury that Tyson’s contracting of cattle had lowered the market for all producers who sold cattle to Tyson during a five year period of time during the 1990’s. Even though the District Court did over rule the jury, per Tyson’s request, the case was appealed to a US Cir-cuit Court where the District Court’s ruling was upheld; the PSA exist only to prevent unfair marketing practices.

It would be easy for most producers who are busy managing their opera-tion and don’t know all of the details to be inclined to think that an injustice

had occurred since big business won….or was it. Again, your view probably depends on if you as a producer want the ability to, well, be in-dependent.

If you want to be creative with your opera-tion, be free to negotiate your own agreements and those be kept private, be paid from that agreement, and manage to improve your profit-ability, then you would you would say justice was served….which most producers I know would say is absolutely what they want. What they absolutely don’t want is government or anyone else to dictate how they market their livestock, what they get paid, and other private details of the agreement.

What should be disturbing regardless of which side of this issue you are on are the ac-tions on the political front. The legislation in the 2008 US Farm Bill directed USDA to write rules to clarify in the Packers and Stockyards Administration (PSA) what it meant for a meatpacker to give “undue prefer-ence” to one farmer over another.

What has surprised packers and their allies on this issue is how much farther USDA went in the proposed rule; including language that one can argue that undermines Congressional intent, and contradicts years of case law. Basically significant government overreach and interventions beyond what Congress had mandated.

Looking back, this should not have come as a big surprise, politically speaking. The Obama administration appointed J. Dudley Butler to preside over GIPSA. Mr. Butler is an attorney who used to sue packers on behalf of poultry growers, and is a former member of R-Calf and OCM.

So how might the current proposed PSA rule injure you as a producer? Well there are many ways depending which segment of the industry you are in and which species you produce. One thing is certain, every segment will be greatly impacted and much of the way business is conducted will change if the proposed rule stands as it is written today, both sides agree on this.

Cull Cow Market: With fall upon us many decisions are being made at the ranch level; As you make these decisions, consider this as you haul those cull cows to market.

Today, there may only be a couple of order buyers buying cull cows in your local livestock market. However, each of them most likely carry an order for 2, 3 or even 4 cull cow packers, this is not a new or unusual practice.

Under the USDA PSA proposed rule, each buyer would only be allowed to carry one order, therefore bidding only for one packer and only on those specific cows which fit their one order. Thus one could argue reducing the number of buyers for your cull cows which could lower the market value of those cows. Others might argue that all of the cull cow packers would send

FEATURE | by Marcine Moldenhauer

Trendsand The Unintended Consequences . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHORMarcine Moldenhauer, Owner and President of Meat≈Link Management, a Livestock and Meat Business Consulting Firm; Contact Information: Wichita, Kan-sas 67230, Office 316-733-8506, [email protected]




“Whether you AI or turn out bulls, you have to select heifers from cattle at the front end of the calving season. You have challenged these genetics and they are responding by calving in the first 30 to 45 days of calving season,”Paschal says. “This will help the extra management pay for itself. Producers have to team genetics with nutrition. This starts by picking replacements out of the more fertile females.”

Selection varies from outfit to out fit and de-pending on resources most operations will keep a few extra heifers. Usually, the middle cut of those females is harder sort or could need a little more time.

“I usually keep about 30 percent more heif-ers than I will need. I am always culling. There will be a few that won’t breed and I’ll get rid of some that have structure problems,” Farris says. “It’s always good to have some bred heifers to sell because that is a specialty market and they usu-ally bring a pretty good price.”

When to calve heifers is highly debated and will be different on a lot of operations. Assign-ing the proper costs to the development process will help producers decide the most economical time for heifers to calve. Calving season, weather patterns and common sense will also impact this decision.

“It could get expensive if producers let heifers slide three months and then try to push them to that target weight in 30 to 45 days. At 24 months heifers will have more difficulty calving than those that calve at 30 or 36 months of age,” Pas-chal says. “Heifers that calve at 27 to 30 months of age probably didn’t reach the target weight at the desired age. Those cattle will have extra cow costs against them right out of the gate due to 30, 45 or 60 days of additional nutritional manage-ment. That extra carrying cost will pay for some extra feed in the development process. Reaching minimum target weight is usually cheaper than additional cost. Every month later that she calves, it costs at least an extra $30 per head.”

“Economically you have to calve these heifers somewhere between 24 and 30 months of age. You can’t hold them to 36 months that is too long. It’s a lot easier to take a heifer from 550 pounds to 750 pounds than it is to get weight on later,” Farris says. “Each individual producer needs to weigh the circumstances and see how much additional inputs he can put into those cat-tle. Most producers can’t afford to free up ground and have no production. At the same time, if you are a spring calving herd only, calving heifers at 30 months of age isn’t an option. Each producer has to make the best use of his resources and management.”

Nutrition, maturity and age all play a role in getting heifers to cycle. Producers need to know heifers are cycling and keep records. This

will answer some questions when cattle are preg checked.

“It is a good idea to make sure heifers are cy-cling before you use a synchronization program or turn bulls out. Putting these heifers where they can see bulls will have a psychological af-fect and may help heifers start cycling,” Paschal says. “If they can smell bulls, this sometimes will help get them show signs of estrus. AI programs help these cattle calve in a short period of time to proven calving ease bulls and you can still clean this group up with out losing much time.”

“I brand our heifers about the time they are a year old. From branding until breeding, I can tell if those heifers have been cycling. This helps a lot because I can tell the ones that have been rid-den,” Farris says. “More importantly, this helps me identify the heifers that aren’t cycling. These may be problem cattle or later maturing females that need to be culled.”

Making sure cattle are cycling and at the right level of maturity are important factors. In some areas, weather patterns will also impact how heif-ers breed and later maturing females sometimes have little chance to conceive.

“I have never had a 100 percent breed up in a short breeding window. I know sometimes these heifers cycle in waves and it may overwhelm my herd bulls in a single sire pasture,” Farris says. “During our breeding season, it starts to get hot the last week of June. We could easily string to-gether some 100 degree days. This is not good on anything, especially heifers that are trying to cycle.”

“Producers have to plan their breeding sea-son. The heat makes it hard for cattle to breed and stay bred,” Paschal says. “Sometimes produc-ers don’t have a lot to say about the weather. That is why it is important for heifers to be cycling and ready to breed. Thirty days could make a lot of difference. When it gets hot it’s hard for those heifers to cycle and bulls have reduced se-men quality. Try to plan your breeding season for good temperatures.

Handling cattle properly will always pay divi-dends. Working with potential herd members to cull for docility has become a big step to improv-ing conception rates and increasing performance levels. This could be an important step in the keep/cull decision process.

“Anything we can do to improve disposi-tion will help remove the “poor feeders and poor breeders,” Paschal says. “The easier those cattle are to handle the better breed up you are going to have in certain management scenarios.”

The time it takes to develop heifers properly, reach target weights and then identify which cat-tle have added value is a long process. Changing

Continued from page 10.


Increasing efficiency of production in the beef cattle business is an ever evolving and ongoing pursuit. In the feedlot production ef-ficiency can be relatively easy to measure for growing cattle. Feed inputs and weight or carcass outputs can be measured and efficiency

assessed for individuals and/or similar groups of cattle. In contrast, the measurement of efficiency is more difficult for the cow herd in produc-tion settings because of the expansive nature of cow-calf production.

Cow Herd MeasuresSo what can be measured at the cow-calf level and what is important

for the cow-calf producer. To improve the efficiency of cow-calf produc-tion an understanding of the outputs (calf ) and inputs is imperative. Let’s tackle the outputs first. The easiest output to assess is the calf. Whether you asses the calf output at weaning time, as a yearling, or some other time point, the calf is the output of cow-calf system. The easiest assessment is the number of calves that hit the ground either at birth or at weaning. In this case if a cow produces a calf that cow has a production efficiency of 1 (1 calf per 1 cow). This is the most basic and necessary measure of production efficiency. Without a calf, a cow has no outputs and other measures of efficiency are irrelevant.

Evolution of measuring cow efficiency necessitates greater and more precise assessment. The next step is to measure calf body weight at a determined time, often weaning. Numerous research activities have utilized calf weaning weight as an assessment of efficiency. Intuitively, a heavier calf would indicate a more efficient cow. However, weaning weight alone does not adequately address the efficiency equation because there is no measure of input. Therefore, cow body weight is a common input measure for determining cow-calf efficiency. This common assess-ment of efficiency provides tangible measures of both output (calf wean-ing weight) and input (cow body weight) that are familiar to cow-calf producer. One potential complication in this assessment is what cow body weight to utilize. Mature cow body should be utilized, but when in

the production cycle is the cow body weight assessed is an important consideration. This ratio of calf weaning weight to cow body weight is likely the most common index of cow-calf efficiency. For a cow-calf producer that markets calves at weaning this is the easi-est measure of efficiency and provides imme-diate feedback on the cow’s efficiency of pro-duction. Variations on the calf to cow weight ratio include utilizing cow metabolic body weight. Using cow metabolic body weight (BW0.75) provides a way to normalize dif-ferences between cows in terms of body size and frame differences. However, different research has indicated that metabolic body weight provides no better estimation than normal cow body weight.

The efficiency equation requires vi-able and enterprise important inputs in both the numerator and the denominator. The output assessed on the calf could be used to create a measure of any number of things. While weaning weight is a common mea-sure there are others to consider. Variations include calf weaning value (dollars) which would consider the differential price of dif-ferent weight calves. Additionally, if calves are retained through finishing, value in the feedlot or carcass value could be utilized as output measures. While cow body weight is a sufficient measure for input, it is not a true measure of input of resources but rather a static measurement. True assessment of inputs dictates a more specific identification of the inputs into the cow that produced the calf. Those

inputs could be defined as pounds of feed offered, acres of pasture, pounds of energy (TDN) input, dollar input costs per cow, etc. Multiple assessments of cow efficiency can then be made with the different outputs and the choice of input measurement would be specific to the comparison made.

Interpreting Cow Efficiency The measurement of efficiency does not occur in a vacuum.

Consideration of cow efficiency must be made in light of the cow production environment. Likewise, a producer’s goal can’t be to just maximize outputs and minimize inputs to increase short-term efficiency and expect cow herd efficiency to be maintained across the long-term. Optimization of efficiency through appropriate lev-els of outputs and inputs should be the main consideration. For instance, a 300 lb. weaning weight may not be acceptable for many producers, however if that calf was weaned early and the nutri-tional-management inputs into the cow were minimal, then the production efficiency in that particular system could be quite high. Whereas, a 700 lb. weaning weight for a calf produced from a cow that has to be continually supplemented because of high produc-tion demands and a poor nutritional environment can result in dis-appointing production efficiency. Likewise, the cow body weight

NUTRITION STRATEGIES | by Dr. Matt Hersom

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Hersom is currently an Assistant Professor and Extension Beef Cattle Specialist at the University of Florida, specializing in the development of strategic nutritional and supplementation programs to optimize beef cattle performance utilizing forage and roughage based diets and evaluation of calf production and growing practices to improve animal performance in integrated beef production systems.

How Do We Measure Cow Efficiency



Over the last few years, our industry has increasingly be-come concerned with rising feed costs, especially in the feedlot. This heightened concern has lead to consider-able research into genetically improving feed utilization in the feedlot and correspondingly, considerable capacity

in the ability to measure feed intake in individual animals has been added to our industry. Numerous universities, breeders, and organizations have installed these individual feed intake systems. The Beef Improvement Federation has also recognized the need to improve feed utilization and has developed guidelines for feed intake tests. No doubt selection to improve feed utilization in the feedlot will begin in earnest as new tools are developed.

With the new information to compare, evaluate and select breeding cattle, the competitive spirit amongst breeders is often renewed, sparking a race to produce the most efficient animals. Often this leads some to practice single trait selection which in turn often results in unintended consequences on other traits. With the new emphasis in the beef indus-try, I thought it would be prudent to discuss early results evaluating the relationship of feed intake measures and with cow performance. Ad-mittedly, the majority of research is in its preliminary stages and only recently have results begun to be published, but with multiple breeds developing or having released expected progeny differences (EPD) for feed utilization, this is an even more timely topic.

There are a variety of ways to express im-provements in feed utilization from feed to gain ratio, residual feed intake, and residual gain. Expected progeny differences have re-cently been released by several organizations for residual feed intake (a lower EPD is favor-able) and for residual gain (a higher EPD is favorable). No matter which option is chosen by those organizations, all of the measures are based on individual measurement of feed in-take on feeding animals.

As with the release of EPD for any new traits, there is always the concern that some breeders will focus selection pressure solely on those traits bringing about unintended changes in other economically relevant traits. When it comes to the relationship of feedlot feed utilization traits and cow herd perfor-mance, the background research is relatively sparse with the majority of North American research coming from Dr. John Basarab’s pro-gram in Alberta. While that environment is different than ours, there is still considerable to learn. First preliminary research shows that cows that produced high, medium or low residual feed intake progeny were simi-lar in overall pregnancy, calving and weaning rates where high residual feed intake animals require more feed to gain the same amount as compared to medium and low residual feed intake calves (remember—low residual feed intake is most favorable). Additionally Dr. Basarab reports that cows pro-ducing the more efficient calves tended to be fatter and had lower death rates than cows producing less efficient offspring. For cow-calf producers this is good news and should be considered a favorable relationship. All of the high, medium, and low utilization cow groups had the same weight of calf weaned per cow exposed to breeding. The one concern is that cows producing the more efficient calves tended to calve 5 to 6 days later than cows that produced less efficient progeny. If this preliminary research is affirmed with further research, breeders would need to be cognizant that improving feedlot feed utilization could result in cows that breed later in the breeding season. This trend (not a significant trend) was also re-ported in heifers with the more efficient heifers having a tendency to have lower pregnancy rates than the less efficient heifers.

Feed utilization in feedlot cattle is an economically relevant trait and is receiving more selection emphasis in many breeding programs. Most traits of importance for the cow-calf producers do not seem to have an unfavorable relationship with feed utilization in the feedlot. However, early indications are that cows producing more efficient feedlot calves and more efficient heifers may have a tendency to conceive later in the breeding season. This tendency bears monitoring by breeders to avoid any undesirable consequences for those focusing selection decisions on feedlot feed utilization traits.

GENETIC STRATEGIES | by Mark Enns, PhD

ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Enns’ research focuses on methods to genetically evaluate and select animals that fit their production environment both biologically and economically. These efforts include development of new methods for evaluating and improving cow and heifer fertility, cow maintenance requirements, time to finish in the feedlot; and development of methods to better use economic information in selection decisions for increased profitability of beef production.

The push for feed efficiency: How will it affect our cows?



the growth rate and selecting for earlier maturing females will help get these heifers into production at an early age.

Cattlemen must be able to provide a specific level of management, use proper selection and hope for good forage resources to make selected females dollar generators.

“As cattlemen establish a system for developing females to the proper target weight, nutrition may need to be worked on until some selection pressure can be put on fertility within the herd,” Paschal says. “I like to have those heifers in BCS 6 at breeding because I want a little insurance. Plan to have high quality forages or supplement them, whatever works as long as you reach target weight. Producers can have success calving American breed cattle at 24 months on age with proper management.”

“It is easier to make some decisions with more experience and re-cords you keep. There are a lot of factors. Everybody has a protocol that works within their management scenario,” Farris says. “Selecting ranch raised females that are developed and managed in my environment is worth a lot to me. It takes three years from the time you make a breeding decision to see if you made the right choice. Find what works and use it to your advantage.”

FERTILITY AND TRICH

TESTED

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order buyers as the alternative. This adds cost and depending on the number of cull cows that go through the market, they might not send anyone at all. As a result the case could be made that this would lower the market since there are less buyers. This would be an unintended consequence.

Producer Alliances: Many producers have worked hard to improve your genetics, build a loyal customer base (feeder buyer or feed yard), and choose to participate in alliances, producer cooperatives, collaborative agreements, contracts, or any other form of a marketing arrangements you can think of. These agreements are normally producer driven as a way to be paid for the performance, hard work, and extra effort...being recognized as differentiation in the market place for a value created. These would no longer be available or legal. Another unintended consequence.

Retained Ownership: For the producer who retains ownership through the feeding phase with intentions of getting paid a specific premium from a packer for the additional value created. Those premiums you are paid per your agreement are at risk of going away. Another unintended consequence.

All of this is due to the change in liability and burden of proof. In a nut shell, the change requires the packer to justify why any differentiation in price is paid, those

agreements must be approved by GIPSA and be available on the USDA

website, and a producer who was not paid the same does not have to show injury or just cause to them or the market place.

A major disappointment is that USDA has yet to conducted anupdated economic study specific to the impact of the proposed rules to the producers, the market, each industry, the consumer, and the workers employed at the plants which would be seriously impacted.

The good news is time has not run out yet for producers of cattle, hogs, poultry, and all other interested parties. November 22, 2010 is the deadline for public comment on this issue.

I would encourage all producers to first read the proposed PSA rule, talk to the people who have dissected this rule, such as state cattlemen’s organi-zations, Livestock Marketing Association, and NCBA to name a few. Get informed and get engaged by making your comments.

There have been many articles written with significant detail, opinions, and interviews detailing the proposed USDA PSA proposed rule. I would highly recommend reading them: several are in Feedstuffs, the September issue of Meating Place, and others. A final message is: Be Careful What You Ask for, You Just Might Get It….and the unintended consequences.


input can lead to potential misinterpretation of information. Take for instance a 400 lb. calf from a 1,000 lb. cow which results in a 0.50 ef-ficiency. Compare that to a 480 pound calf and a 1,200 lb. cow which results in the same 0.50 efficiency, but with a 20% increase in cow body weight. Several considerations should be examined; is the 1,200 lb. cow sustainable in the production system long-term, or is a 400 lb. of calf economically sufficient for annual financial management.

The regular calculation of cow efficiency is a good practice to help make management decisions regarding production systems. Rank-ing of efficiency can be used to make culling decisions, nutritional man-agement decisions, or alterations in on-going management processes. The efficiency calculation can identify cows that may have a lower than average milk production, inadequate nutritional status to achieve pro-duction goals, or timing of the production cycle may need to be altered. However, the use of cow efficiency calculated with calf weaning weight and cow body weight as a genetic selection tool may be limited. The limi-

tation occurs because the efficiency measurement or index is calculated using two different individuals (calf and cow) in different production scenarios (growing vs. mature). Genetic selection, particularly for cow efficiency, should be based on indices that utilize additional criteria.

Assessing cow efficiency is a discreet measurement relative to a set of production parameters. Calculated cow efficiency can be utilized to make relative comparisons between cows managed similarly and exposed to similar production environments. That is the key to utilizing efficiency measures amongst cows. Without similar production settings, making comparisons between cows or groups of cows can be complicated by pro-duction bias. Knowledge is power to make critical enterprise decision. Utilizing calculations to determine cow production efficiency can be an important tool for any cow-calf producer to examine their enterprise.



NEWS&NOTEWORTHYIN THE MARKET...

A recent Tenderness test conducted by Cargill Meat Solutions shows Brangus influenced feeder cattle sur-pass industry expectations. The Warner-Bratzler Shear Force test was performed on a random sampling of 301 head of Brangus steers. The test yielded tremendous results with 98.7% of the cattle being Tender. This set of OptimaxX age, source and genetic verified cattle also exceeded that particular feed yard’s average of about 92% tender.

10:00 am Buses depart Holiday Inn Astrodome Hotel for the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in nearby Rosenberg, TX

11:00 am IBBA Welcome

11:30 am Texas Style Lunch & Entertainment

12:30 pm Cattle Available for Viewing

1:30 pm IBBA Breeder Showcase Presentation We bring the ranches to you! Leading IBBA breeders of Brangus and Red Brangus from across the US will display Herd Sires, Prospect Sires, Proven Females and Replacement Female Prospects from their breeding programs.

2:30 pm Walk the Alleys, Look at Cattle and Visit with Fellow Cattlemen

5:00 pm Board Buses for Return to Holiday Inn Astrodome Hotel

Sunday, March 6th

Plan to join the IBBA and the rest of the Brangus Global Community at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The International Brangus Breeders Association Bull Show is

Friday afternoon, March 4, 2011 and the IBBA Female show is on Saturday, March 5, 2011.

Then stay over for the….

GLOBAL BRANGUS ROUNDUPPresented by:

International Brangus Breeders Association

2011

Breeder Showcase Displays $350 for the first Breeder Showcase Display $200/additional Breeder Showcase Display

Bull Showcase Options Herd Sire Diplay One bull over 30 months of age Herd Sire Prospect Display One bull 18-30 months of age Bull Calf Display One or Two bulls less than 18 months

Female Showcase Options Brood Cow Display One cow over 30 months of age Cow-Calf Pair Display One pair, calf less than 7 months of age Heifer Display One or Two heifers less than 24 months

Breeder Showcase Display Includes: • Full Page Ad & Pedigree Info for all Cattle in Program Book *design assistance not included • 2 Promotional Items inserted in Attendee Bags • 2 Event & Meal Tickets • One Designated Animal through Presentation Ring • 2-3 Minute Presentation * emceed in English and Spanish *The above is maximum per breeder, regardless the number of pens*

Vendor Sponsor Package $500 per Vendor Booth Space ***Package may be shared by multiple vendors, but benefits will not increase!***

Vendor Sponsor Package Includes: • Full Page Ad in Program Book *design assistance not included • Display Booth Space *approx. 10’x10’ w/ table if needed • 2 Promotional Items inserted in Attendee Bags • 2 Event & Meal Tickets

Bring your Breeding Program to the WORLD!

GLOBAL BRANGUSRoundUp

For more information contact Grant Keenen

417.540.6570 m 210.696.8231 o

www.GoBrangus.com

Because the global demand for IBBA genetics is significant and growing, IBBA has put together a unique marketing opportunity for any IBBA member interested in ‘Going Global’. The 2011 Global Brangus Roundup will take place on Sunday, March 6 and will cap off the IBBA Annual Convention and International Brangus Show activities for the year. This one-day event will include a Texas-style meal with entertainment, industry vendors, the IBBA Breeder Showcase Presentation and an excellent oppurtunity to visit with fellow cattlemen from around the world. We are expecting over 200 Brangus breeders and cattlemen from across the globe. These breeders have interests in semen, embryos, and live cattle from both red and black programs. The IBBA Breeder Showcase is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to expose your breeding program and genetics to the global Brangus community. Participation is open to any IBBA member. There are multiple involvement options, but pen space is limited and will be issued on a first come, first served basis. A current health certificate will be required on all cattle being exhibited.

Contact Grant Keenen at the IBBA office for further details, (210) 696-8231 or [email protected]



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Genetics 16-17 Lambert, Doak 26 Spitzer Ranch 13

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CALENDAROFEVENTSNOVEMBER • 2010 JANUARY • 2011

5-6 GeneTrust at Chimney Rock Bull & Female Sale - Concord, AR 8 TBBA Sale - South Texas/Coastal Area

12-13 Cowman’s Kind Blackwater Bull Sale - Lake Park, GA FEBRUARY• 2011

13 Hill Country Brangus Breeders 35th Annual Reg. Bull & Female and Com. Female Sale - San Angelo, TX 12 3rd Annual Best in the West Sale - Marana, AZ

13 Perry Ranch Brangus Bull & Female Sale - Pauls Valley, OK 18-19 TBBA Springtime Sale - Salado, TX

19 - 20 Complete Dispersal of Camp Cooley Genetics - Franklin, TX 24 The Stars & Stripes Sale VIII - Raymond, MS

20 Heart of Alabama Bull Sale - Uniontown, AL 26 Spitzer Ranch Pro. Cattlemen’s Brangus Bull & Commercial Female Sale - Fair Play, SC

DECEMBER • 2010 MARCH • 2011

4 GeneTrust at Cavender Neches River Ranch - Jacksonville, TX 6 Global Roundup - Rosenberg, TX

16 TBBA Sale - San Saba, TX 12 Quail Creek Brangus - Steele, AL

22 GeneTrust at Suhn Cattle Company - Eureka, KS

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Circle χ Land& Cattle Co., Ltd.

Steve Densmore, Cattle Mgr.,(979) 450-0819, cell • (979) 778-1055, home

Chris Duewall, Operations Mgr.,(979) 777-6803, cell

located just off Hwy. 6 and OSR1415 E. OSR • Bryan, Texas 77808

Office: (979) 776-5760 • Fax: (979) 776-4818Website: www.circlexbrangus.com

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Directions from Houston: Hwy 290 (60 mi west) then 4 mi south on FM 1371

Oak Creek Farms- Your genetic source for: • Easy Fleshing Efficient Moderate Cattle • Good Breed Characteristics • Excellent Replacement Heifers • Females with good maternal traits • Fertility and Longevity in Cattle • Calves that require less time in the feedlot • Cattle that Thrive in Hot Humid Climates

Since 1967 we have practiced a conservative philosophy in breed-ing Brangus and Red Brangus with grass and legumes forming the foundation of our cattle operation. During the past forty three years, feed lots have based their operations on cheap feed, fuel and fertilizer. With today’s high input of cost, there is a demand for our forage based easy fleshing OCF Bulls that will produce steers requiring less time and money to finish in the feedlot.

To further our program we have added DNA testing as one of our breeding tools, going on seven years. Pfizer’s DNA MVP genetic testing identifies the desirable heritable traits that we want to breed in our cattle. DNA results are used as part of our Oak Creek Total Herd Management Program to produce fertile, easy fleshing efficient bulls for the serious cattleman.

Grass + Forage Efficient Easy Fleshing Cattle = Profit

OUR LOW INPUT CONSERVATIVE PHILOSPHY HAS KEPT US IN THE CATTLE BUSINESS FOR 43 YEARS!

ANNUAL FORAGE TESTED BULL SALE • OCTOBER 29, 2011

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