Life Sciences Commons^™

Economically Relevant Traits And Selection Indices, M. L. Spangler

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Sire selection should focus on that which is economical. This requires a true accounting of the traits that generate revenue or incur a cost within a specific beef cattle enterprise. Once the drivers of profit have been identified, sire selection should focus on the suite of traits that impact profitability. The use of bio-economic selection indices can dramatically reduce the complexity of multiple trait selection and aid in sire selection towards increased profitability. It is critical to use selection indices that match the intended production system. Using a terminal index in an enterprise that retains replacement heifers would not be …

Crossbreeding Strategies: Including Terminal Vs. Maternal Crosses, R. L. Weaber

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The dramatic changes and volatility cow-calf production system input costs and calf values have many producers wondering about the value of heterosis in today’s beef industry pricing structure. Many producers are seeking ways to improve cow-calf production efficiency and profitability. Profitability may be enhanced by increasing the volume of production (i.e. the pounds of calves you market) and/or the value of products you sell (improving quality). The reduction of production costs, and thus breakeven prices, can also improve profitability. Better yet, improving the input:output ratio should enhance profit. For commercial beef producers, the implementation of technologies and breeding systems that …

Using Partial Confinement Systems For Beef Cattle Production, Karla Jenkins

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Summary

• Energy density is the key to limit feeding
• Lactation increases energy needs considerably
• Consider early weaning options
• Confined calves must be able to reach water and feed
• Limit fed cows need ample bunk space and a consistent feeding routine
• Each producer needs to evaluate their resources and system options to see what might work best
• As prices change systems should be reevaluated

Cow Supplementation: Getting The Best Bang For Your Buck, Ken Olson

Range Beef Cow Symposium

How do we get the best bang for the buck?

• 2 aspects:

1. Biology: Use the right feeds to provide the right nutrients
2. Economics: price the best feeds to provide the right nutrients

High Altitude Disease, Pap, Feedlot Hypertension, And Respiratory Issues, J. M. Neary, F. B. Garry, T. N. Holt, G. M. Krafsur, P. S. Morley, R. D. Brown, K. R. Stenmark, R. Mark Enns, M. G. Thomas

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Summary

1. BRISKET DISEASE, or congestive heart failure, IS NOT UNIQUE TO HIGH ALTITUDE
2. Congestive heart failure is becoming INCREASINGLY PROBLEMATIC
3. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK – it may not be chronic pneumonia!

Economically Relevent Traits And Selection Indcies, Matt Spangler

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Summary

• Establish production goals
• Use economic indices that fit your desired breeding objectives
• Do not make sire selection more cumbersome than it needs to be
• Know your costs
• Select on PROFIT not just revenue
• Multiple trait selection is critical and could become more cumbersome
• Economic indexes help alleviate this
• Use index values that meet your breeding objective

High Altitude Disease, Pap, Feedlot Hypertension, And Respiratory Issues, J. M. Neary, F. B. Garry, T. N. Holt, G. M. Krafsur, P. S. Morley, R. D. Brown, K. R. Stenmark, R. Mark Enns, M. G. Thomas

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Right-heart failure (RHF) due to pulmonary hypertension, more commonly known as brisket disease or high altitude disease, is a complex disease that is becomingly increasing problematic for the cattle industry–regardless of altitude. The disease became known as high altitude disease because until the mid-1960s RHF was only reported at altitudes over 7,000 ft. Today, RHF is still problematic in high altitude cow-calf operations and is occurring with increasing incidence in feedlot cattle. The clinical signs are commonly mistaken for chronic pneumonia, which complicates disease diagnosis and reporting. Moreover, cattle treated for pneumonia have 2 to 3 times greater risk of …

Crossbreeding Strategies: Terminal And Maternal Crossing, Bob Weaber

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The Power of Crossbreeding

• Heterosis

• Superiority of a crossbred animal as compared to the average of its straightbred parents
• Especially maternal heterosis
• Breed Complementarity
• Selection of breeds for core traits that fill the other breed(s) shortcomings
• Maternal crossbreds-­‐appropriate cow size/lactation for environmental fitness
• Terminal crossbreds-­‐add value to calves in market place

Feedlot And Carcass Data: Making “Cents” And Making Decisions [Presentation], Julie Walker

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Summary

• Baseline of calves
• Management decision within the cow herd impacts performance within the feedlot and carcass characteristics
• Pre- and post- weaning performance is important in making management decisions

Feedlot And Carcass Data: Making “Cents” And Making Decisions, Julie Walker

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Sixty-two percent of calves are sold within 30 days of weaning (47% at weaning; McBride and Mathews, 2011). In the last decade, marketing of finished animals has shifted to selling on value-based systems. In 2012, nearly three times more cattle were sold in a value-based system compared to a traditional cash method. However, those two marketing methods accounted for nearly equal percentages of cattle sold as recently as 2006 (Mike Kasten, RBCS 2013). Therefore, carcass merit is a larger driver of value today compared to when the majority of cattle were sold on a live weight basis. How are feeder …

Using Crop Residues And By-Products To Limit Feed Cows In Confinement, Karla H. Jenkins

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The available forage supply for maintaining beef cow herds continues to be threatened by several factors. High commodity prices encourage the conversion of pasture land into crop ground, cities and towns continue to sprawl out into rural areas creating subdivisions where historically cattle grazed, and drought, fires, hail, and insects continue to periodically deplete forage supplies. When forage supplies cannot be located or are not affordably priced; cattle producers must either sell their cattle or feed the cattle in confinement. Feeding beef cows in confinement is not a new concept. However, limit feeding them (less than 2% of body weight …

Animal Health Effects Of The October 2013 Blizzard: Observations, Russ Daly, Ken Olson, Dave Ollila, Dennis Todey, Warren Rusche, Joseph Neary, Dale Miskimins, George Perry

Range Beef Cow Symposium

From Thursday, October 3, through Saturday, October 5, 2013, an unprecedented early season winter storm affected western South Dakota and portions of Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and Nebraska. This storm resulted in the deaths of an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 head of cattle, along with many sheep, horses, and other animals. The early occurrence of the storm as well as its severity contributed to direct losses of animals as well as subsequent health effects.

Range Beef Cow Symposium Xxiii: Program & Brochure

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Registration Information

Lodging Information

General Information

Bull Pen Sessions

Commercial Booth Displays

Advance Registration

Program: Tuesday, December 3 -- Thursday, December 5

Managing Annual Cow Costs, Julie Walker

Range Beef Cow Symposium

What is your annual cow costs? _________________

What is your breakeven cost ($/pound of weaned calf)? __________________

The cow/calf enterprise is a highly competitive, narrow margin business. Every day the margin seems to get smaller. Cattle producers are always looking for ways to save a dollar or get an additional dollar for their product. When you hear talk about ‘managing annual cow cost’ do you think that equates to being a low cost producer? You have been told to manage cow cost in the largest cost category, which is normally feed. Feed costs are normally 50 to 75% of the …

Nutritional Management Post-Ai To Enhance Pregnancy Outcomes, S. L. Lake, R. Arias, P. Gunn, G. A. Bridges

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Effective replacement heifer development is a critical segment of the integrated management program in an efficient beef cow production system. The most critical factor determining the success of any heifer development program is nutrition. Most efforts are concentrated in providing the right amount and quality of feed to achieve gains from 1.5 to 2.0 lb/day, so heifers can reach 65% of their mature BW by the day of breeding. Approximately 80% of the U.S. cow-herds are spring calving, which means that producers utilizing estrous synchronization and AI are keeping their heifers in a feedlot environment until heifers are inseminated. Immediately …

Fetal Programming: Implications For Beef Cattle Production, A. F. Summers, R. N. Funston

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The concept of fetal programming, also known as developmental programming, was first hypothesized using human epidemiological data in which environmental stimulus in utero resulted in altered long term development, growth and disease susceptibility in children from undernourished mothers during the Dutch famine (Barker et al., 1993). Recently, literature regarding fetal programming effects in domesticated livestock has been reviewed (Funston et al., 2010a; Ford and Long, 2012). Many factors influence livestock nutrient requirements including breed, season, and physiological function (NRC, 2000). Fetal programming responses can result from a negative nutrient environment, which can be caused by 1) breeding of young dams …

Land/Enterprise And Ownership Transfer, Lucy C. Meyring

Range Beef Cow Symposium

YOUR ESTATE PLAN MAY BETHE DEATH OF YOU YETI!!!

*****The average age of America's farmers and ranchers is SS

*****There are twice as many farmers over the age of 6S as under the age of 35

*** **Half of agricultural land is owned by folks older than 75

*****69% want to pass their farms or ranches on to their children

*****Only 3-5% of farm and ranch families in Colorado have a complete estate plan

*****The Family Farm Institute reports that only a third of all family businesses succeed in the second generation and a mere 15% survive to the third …

Calculating Unit Costs Of Production And Using The Information For Enterprise Analysis And Decision Making On The Ranch, Aaron L. Berger

Range Beef Cow Symposium

INTRODUCTION

Unit Cost of Production (UCOP) and Enterprise Analysis are tools that ranch managers have been encouraged to utilize in making decisions to improve profit. Managers who have adopted these tools have found them to be valuable in identifying opportunities and problem areas in enterprises on the ranch.

HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIT COSTS OF PRODUCTION FOR USE IN RANCH MANAGEMENT DECISIONS

The late 1970s and 1980s were challenging times financially for farm and ranch businesses, forcing many to exit the industry. In the early 1990s, the National Cattlemen’s Association Integrated Resource Management (IRM) subcommittee developed Standardized Performance Analysis …

The Changing Structure Of Beef Production: Stockers, Calf Feds And Yearlings, Tom Brink

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Beef production is always in a state of flux. Nothing in this business stays the same for very long. The current situation is truly unique compared to anything we have experienced in the past. Demand is growing. Supply is shrinking. Cattle prices are rising and show no sign of stopping, despite reaching record highs this year. Production costs are also increasing. There are some very real opportunities in the cow-calf business and other producer segments. But financial risks exist as well. My belief is that the good outweighs the bad. Cow-calf producers could see some of the best profits during …

Importance Of Steak Origin To Restaurant Customers, Kimberly A. Varnold, Chris R. Calkins, B. Lynn Gordon, Wendy J. Umberger

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

Today, consumers are more informed about the origin of their food due to the desire to have confidence in the safety of their food. This need for information has lead to an increase in demand for even higher levels of safety and quality (Unnevehr, 2003). Currently, traceability and source-verification are considered indicators of beef quality and safety by consumers. Mennecke et al. (2007) found that consumers place a high precedence on any information that can relate to the origin and production of their food. Research also indicates there could be preference for U.S. beef, especially beef from the Midwest …

Cow Side Of Producing A 1,000 Lb. Feeder, Cow Size And Expenses, Ken Olson, Justin Waggoner, John Jaeger

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

Do relationships exist between cow size, nutrient requirements, and production capability? We can assume that a bigger cow will require more nutrients. What are the characteristics of that relationship? Is it a direct response wherein a cow that is 10% bigger than another will require 10% more nutrients, or is there economy of scale, so to speak? Can we assume that a bigger cow will be more productive? Is it automatic that bigger size means faster growth so we can expect the calves of bigger cows to grow faster? We will explore these relationships.

Cow Size

It is commonly …

Genomics For The Rancher: How Does It Work And What Does It Mean?, Jack C. Whittier

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

I am continually amazed at the tools we have in today’s world to assist in making better and better decisions. This is true in most aspects of our lives – from communications to computers; from entertainment to eating; from politics to travel; and many, many more components of what we do and how we live. The digital age has created an information explosion, and livestock production has not been left out of this progress.

Another amazing aspect of today’s world is the vast knowledge being uncovered and refined in the world of biology and science. Gregor Mendel, an Austrian …

Range Beef Cow Symposium Xxii, Ted Schroeder, Jim Robb, Aaron Berger

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Presented by Cooperative Extension Services and the Animal Science Departments of The University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, South Dakota State University, University of Nebraska.

Contents NOTE: All links below are to PDF files. (Links to UNL Beef site active as of May 2012; files are also permanently archived in the UNL DigitalCommons site)

Industry Issues

Policy Affecting the Cattle Industry

Senator Mike Johanns, Nebraska

Public Issues (PDF 78KB)

Trent Loos, LoosTales

Positioning the Range Beef Herd for the Next 25 Years

Implications of the Ethanol Industry for Cow-Calf Producers (PDF 317KB)

Ted Schroeder, Agricultural Economics, KSU

Current Inventory - …

Implementation Of Marker Assisted Epds, Matt Spangler

Range Beef Cow Symposium

INTRODUCTION

Genomic information, in the form of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, has always held the promise to increase the accuracy of Expected Progeny Differences (EPD). This promise has finally been realized for those breeds that incorporate this information into their EPD calculations. For those breeds that have not, genomic information for complex traits (those controlled by many genes) is available to producers in a disjoined context and is published separately from EPD. Depending on the accuracy of the genomic test (as measured by the proportion of genetic variation explained) Marker-Assisted (or genomic enhanced) EPD can increase the accuracy of animals and …

Implications Of The Ethanol Industry For Cow-Calf Producers, Ted C. Schroeder

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

The ethanol industry in the United States has expanded very rapidly and is a major user of feed grain, especially corn. In 2011, some 40% of US corn production is expected to be used for ethanol production. At the same time as the ethanol industry was expanding, other market events were also occurring that collectively resulted in corn prices more than doubling from 2006 to 2010. Corn price increases, all else constant, directly reduce calf and yearling prices as these animals become more expensive for feedlots to feed. The result, cow-calf producers realize lower returns on their cow enterprise. …

Vaccination: What The Heck Am I Doing?, G. L. Stokka

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The use of vaccines and vaccination in general can be a very confusing topic. There are literally hundreds of different vaccines available for use by beef producers, with multiple antigens and differing levels of effectiveness and safety. Veterinarians serve a critical function in making proper recommendations based on individual herd objectives and assessment of risk of exposure and economic loss. However, there is a lack of objective peer reviewed literature to assist the practitioner and beef producer in this area. The purpose of this paper is to bring some sense of philosophy, science and logic to this topic. Management keys …

Making Safe, Affordable And Abundant Food A Global Reality, Jeff Simmons

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

A growing wave of food insecurity threatens more than 1 billion people around the world.1 Global food costs are growing to dangerous levels, reaching record highs in January 2011. And these prices are expected to persist, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

We are at a crossroads. In the past two years, the global economic recession has decreased consumer buying power and increased food insecurity. In the next two years, tight supplies and rising food prices may stretch an already extended system to the breaking point. No longer is the number of hungry people steadily …

Planning Ahead To Save Aums And The Cow Herd In Times Of Forage Shortage, Jerry D. Volesky, Don C. Adams

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Introduction

Drought is a recurring phenomenon with potential to significantly impact the livestock industry. During the past 14 years, the majority of livestock producers in the Great Plains and western states have experienced some level of drought ranging from moderate to extreme or even exceptional. Many grazing experts recommend developing a ranch drought plan to reduce their drought risk (Nagler et al. 2007). Most of these plans are specifically customized to an individual operation and include both short-term and long-term strategies and objectives. Producers with a drought plan actively monitor resources; build ecological, financial, and social resilience into their operations; …

Feed Efficiency - How Should It Be Used For The Cow Herd?, Andrew J. Roberts, Rick Funston, Travis Mulliniks, Mark Petersen, Mike Macneil

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Improving cow herd efficiency is critical because approximately 70% of the feed inputs required to produce a slaughter animal are used for maintenance, the majority of which is utilized by the dam (Williams and Jenkins, 2006). To date, much of the efforts to improve efficiency in cattle have focused on different measures of feed efficiency (variations in amount of feed consumed and rate of weight gain) determined during the growing phase. While this approach provides pertinent information concerning efficiency during the growing phase, the relationship to cow efficiency remains to be determined. When considering the usefulness of feed efficiency as …

Feed Additives And “Subtherapeutics” In Cattle, Mike Apley

Range Beef Cow Symposium

First, what is a “subtherapeutic”?

The Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM) has a variety of approval classifications for antimicrobials in food animals. These include…

1. Improvement in rate of gain

2. Improvement in feed efficiency

3. Control of disease

4. Prevention of disease

5. Treatment of disease

The first 2 would fall into the “subtherapeutic” category by all of the definitions I am aware of. This is regardless of whether these applications have an effect on disease or not. Control and prevention of disease are considered therapeutic uses by the FDA/CVM and the American Veterinary Medical …