Meat Science Commons^™

Crossbreeding Strategies: Including Terminal Vs. Maternal Crosses, Robert 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 …

Managing Risk On The Average Sized Cow–Calf Operation, Wayne Fahsholtz

Range Beef Cow Symposium

It has been said that life happens. Usually that refers to circumstances that happen in one’s life or in the life of a ranching business. These circumstances can include weather events like drought, severe snow, floods and fire. There are a number of tools that can be used to reduce the risk that ranches incur. The proactive ranch leader will take steps to manage risks. It is an ongoing process and must occur every year in order for risk to be minimized. Workforce risk and succession must also be taken into account. Ranches that don’t take risk management steps are …

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 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

Economically Relevant Traits And Selection Indices, Matt 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 …

Cow Feed Efficiency Unknowns Including Utilization Of Range Forages, Douglas L. Olsen

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Olsen Ranches is a family-owned diversified operation located in western Nebraska near Harrisburg. The Olsens have a commercial and registered cow herd that markets harvest ready animals as well as replacement females and bulls. Custom services include custom individual feed intake data collection with a GrowSafe system, custom feeding, and custom AI work. The farm enterprise crops include wheat, corn, barley, peas, annual forages, and alfalfa on both dry land and irrigated farm ground. In 2010, Olsens installed a GrowSafe system on the ranch to measure feed intake of steers that are part of the American Hereford Association’s National Reference …

Feed Efficiency In The Range Beef Cow: What Should We Be Looking Att?, H. H. "Trey" Patterson

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Beef cow efficiency is a critically important topic for range cow producers. Feed efficiency, or the ability to convert grazed forages into production, is obviously an important aspect of overall cow efficiency. The late Bob Taylor from CSU made the statement “profitable cattle are usually productive, but productive cattle are not always profitable” (Taylor, 1994). That is an inherently important concept in the efficiency discussion, as it leads us to question the important metrics in determining feed efficiency in the cow.

Impacts Of Estrous Synchronization On Cowherd Performance, G. Cliff Lamb

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Estrous synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) are reproductive management tools that have been available to beef producers for over 40 years. Synchronization of the estrous cycle has the potential to shorten the calving season, increase calf uniformity, and enhance the possibilities for utilizing AI. Artificial insemination allows producers the opportunity to infuse superior genetics into their operations at costs far below the cost of purchasing a herd sire of similar standards. These tools remain the most important and widely applicable reproductive biotechnologies available for beef cattle operations. However, beef producers have been slow to utilize or adopt these technologies into …

Animal Welfare Implications Of Beef Industry Practices Including Dehorning, Castration, And Branding, Jason K. Ahola

Range Beef Cow Symposium

An increasing number of consumers are making animal product purchasing decisions based on how animals were raised and cared for. This decision is, in most cases, based on labeling claims made on packaged products, point of purchase materials offered, and/or conversations with those selling the product. This issue is driven by consumers wanting to know more about how their food is raised and where it comes from. For the average consumer with no baseline knowledge, there appears to be a need for verification and validation that animals received appropriate care during their lifetimes and were treated as humanely as possible. …

Why Does Consumer Opinion Trump Science (Animal Welfare, Gmos, Food Animals Vs. Pets)?, Ronnie D. Green

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Slides of a presentation covering science denialism with respect to animal welfare, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), food animals versus pets, etc.

De-Commoditizing The Feeder Calf Market: Providing Objective Information To Buyers, Tom Brink, Lee Leachman

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Beef is no longer a commodity as it is presented to consumers. Name brands and greater differentiation are everywhere. Fed cattle aren’t really a commodity either. Close to 70% of all fed cattle are sold on grids and formulas, which price these animals individually, according to their actual carcass value. Commercial bulls have been de-commoditized for years. Bulls in all major breeds are now sold with a plethora of specific and detailed information (even videos on individual animals) that allows prospective buyers to evaluate and compare bulls in a detailed and sophisticated manner, similar to how we might compare pickup …

The Focus My Millennial Generation Needs, Cassie Lapaseotes

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Generations

It’s no question that in today’s job market there are a variety of challenges especially when it comes to managing a workforce with multiple generations. The underlying problem especially in agriculture is trying to fit an increasingly nontraditional workforce into a largely traditional workplace. Each generation has been influenced by particular experiences that create specific preferences, expectations, beliefs, and work styles. It is important to understand characteristics of each generation to be successful in today’s workplace.

Incorporating A Yearling Stocker Enterprise To The Cow/Calf Operation: Buy, Sell, Or Hold?, Mark Frasier

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Many progressive cow/calf producers have considered adding a yearling stocker enterprise to their business model. There are significant benefits to diversification; yearling cattle can help to optimize available forage and balance the financial viability of a livestock operation. At the same time however, managing the dynamics of a secondary enterprise will add complexity and potentially elevate risk to the combined operation. The added dimension of market livestock will help a ranch utilize their forage resources more efficiently, but yearling cattle have different needs than cows and different objectives and require a dissimilar skill set than required to successfully wean a …

Effects Of Grazing On Grass, Casey A. Matney

Range Beef Cow Symposium

What is grazing? Grazing is the consumption of herbaceous plants by herbivores. Herbaceous plants include forbs (non-woody broadleaf flowering plants), grasses, and grass-like plants (sedges and rushes). Probably the most important and most identifiable herbaceous plant for grazing is grass (Family – Poaceae). There are well over 100 species of grass present on the rangelands of eastern Colorado, and approximately 10,000 grass species can be found across the globe. Grasses account for about a quarter of the earth’s vegetation and make up the preponderance of food (plant parts and seed) for both people and grazing animals. Management of grasses is …

Managing Compromised And Weak Calves, Franklyn B. Garry, Jason E. Lombard

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Take Home Messages

Many things can cause calves to be weak at birth, but dystocia is the single most common cause of compromised calves. Calves born without assistance experience hypoxia (low arterial blood oxygen), acidosis, and frequently hypothermia. Dystocia calves experience the same changes but to a greater degree. Dystocia has an immediate and prolonged effect on the health and productivity of calves. Perinatal mortality due to weakness and dystocia accounts for about half of all calf deaths through weaning and is not due to infectious disease. Simple interventions such as providing calves with mechanical breathing assistance, oxygen, colostrum, and …

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 …

How To Use Commercially Available Genomic Predictions, Michael G. Gonda

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Genomic predictions for commercial cattle can be used to select replacement heifers, design mating strategies, and market calves. Presently, two companies (Igenity and Zoetis) offer genomic tests for commercial cattle. Like expected progeny differences (EPDs) on young bulls, these genomic tests do not perfectly predict genetic merit. However, these tests will be useful for identifying genetically superior and inferior animals for the traits tested. Some tests are useful only for predominantly Black Angus (≥ 75%) cattle, while other tests can be used on all Bos taurus beef breeds and crossbreds. Further, some tests are designed specifically for producers who are …

Mentoring And Managing Employees To Ensure Husbandry And Assure Consumers, Tracey Erickson

Range Beef Cow Symposium

Building your team…

1. Share Purpose, Mission and Vision
2. Train Employees – onboarding
3. Communicate and Evaluate
4. Include employees – farm planning and direction
5. Celebrate Success

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

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 …

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.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

Proceedings, The Range Beef Cow Symposium Xv. December 9, 10 And 11, 1997, Rapid City, South Dakota

Range Beef Cow Symposium

The Range Beef Cow Symposium is sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service and Animal Science Departments of South Dakota State University, Colorado State University, the University of Wyoming and the University of Nebraska. The Symposium has a reputation of being an excellent educational program for commercial cow-calf producers, industry and Extension personnel. It is held every other year with the location rotating among the cooperating states.

Agenda and Proceedings Contents

Morning Ramrod: Dr. Jim Males, Head, Department of Animal & Range Sciences, South Dakota State University

Welcome - Dr. Robert Wagner, President, South Dakota State University

Industry Issues

Food Safety …

Beef & Forage Conference, June 13-14, 1990. Omaha, Nebraska

Range Beef Cow Symposium

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR BEEF PRODUCTION ● John E. Ikerd

Opportunities to Control Input Costs - An Iowa Perspective ● Daryl Strohbehn, Extension Beef Specialist, Iowa State University

INTEGRATED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ● Rick Rasby & Marshall Frasier, Department of Animal Science, University of Nebraska

MATCHING BEEF COW TYPES TO LOW INPUT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ● Jim Gosey, Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Low Input Growing-Finishing Systems ● Rick Stock, Terry Klopfenstein and Mike Sindt, Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

PASTURE ESTABLISHMENT PRACTICES ● Stephen K. Barnhart, Extension Agronomist – Forages, Iowa State University

Growth and Response of …