Profitable Cow Herds
King Ranch Institute director gives economic considerations for profitable cow herds.
“Most people don’t get into the cattle business because they have a passion for accounting, but it is still needed,” observed Clay Mathis, director and endowed chair of the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. He addressed the 2014 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium in Lincoln, Neb., June 19.
All managers need a clear view of the operation’s financial position, and excellent managers make strategic changes that have long-standing systematic benefit to the operation, he said. Read more.
Jeff Mafi
Association Perspective
Take advantage of the Association’s resources for commercial cattlemen.
I joined the American Angus Association as regional manager for the Oklahoma and Kansas territory back in late May and would like to introduce myself to the many readers of this publication. I am a native of Oklahoma, and a graduate of Oklahoma State University (OSU) with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in meat science.
I would like to share with you the many opportunities the Association has to offer to help you manage your bull battery and female inventory, assist in replacement female selection, marketing opportunities for your calves, and, ultimately, allow your cow herd to be more profitable. Read more.
Genomics Enhance Beef Cattle Selection
Improved genetic testing options offer cattlemen means to make more accurate selection at an earlier age.
Selecting breeding animals on how they look, by phenotype, worked for centuries. But now, says Jared Decker, University of Missouri (MU) geneticist, “There’s a better way of selecting.” Now genotype pushes phenotype back to horse-and-buggy days.
Arrival of huge computers and sequencing of the bovine genome changed all. It’s data and what’s inside that counts, he told cattlemen at a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp July 14 in Columbia, Mo. The special training session by MU scientists was sponsored by the American Angus Association with MU.
Things changed in the 1970s with availability of statistical models that predicted expected progeny differences (EPDs). Then software was developed to combine many EPDs into economic indexes, which the Association calls dollar value indexes, or $Values. These indexes can help commercial cattlemen evaluate bulls on multiple traits simultaneously to advance their herd toward greater weaned calf value ($W), feedlot value ($F), grid value ($G) or beef value ($B, which combines $F and $G into one postweaning growth and carcass value assesment). Read more.
USDA Proposes Rule to Ensure Retailers
Can Track Sources of Ground Meats
Requiring retailers to keep improved records is intended to help quickly identify likely sources of contaminated product linked to an outbreak.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) July 16 proposed requiring all makers of raw ground beef products to keep records in order to further protect consumers by ensuring retailers can trace sources of ground meats.
“The improved traceback capabilities that would result from this proposal will prevent foodborne illness by allowing FSIS to conduct recalls of potentially contaminated raw ground products in a timelier manner,” said USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety Brian Ronholm. “By requiring retail outlets to maintain improved records on sources for ground products, the proposal will enable FSIS to quickly identify likely sources of contaminated product linked to an outbreak.” Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this July edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month's entire offering by category. A few select features include:
- Forage Brassicas
- Avoid Wet Hay
- Lameness in Beef Cattle
- Keeping Cattle Healthy
- Did You Know ...
- Entrepreneurial Minute
- The Source: Comparing prices shows AngusSource advantage.
News Briefs …
The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive recently made available in the API Virtual Library.
Meet Alex Tolbert
Alex Tolbert serves as Angus regional manager for Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
The American Angus Association welcomes Alex Tolbert of Frankfort, Ky., as the regional manager for Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Tolbert brings several years of experience working in commercial livestock markets and managing registered-Angus cattle. In his new position, Tolbert will play a significant role in helping Association members identify herd goals, learn new programs and services, and grow into the future.
“The legacy of the regional manager for the Angus breed is one of respect,” Tolbert says. “It’s a true honor to promote a superior brand and work hard to maintain that status.” Read more.
Dial It Down in the Heat
Take commonsense steps to stay safe this summer.
When the mercury rises, heat can strain the limits of the body’s cooling system. Its driving engine, the heart, takes on a heavier load in hot weather to keep body temperature within norms, reports the July 2014 issue of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch.
For otherwise fit, active men, handling the heat requires no more than knowing your limits and drinking enough fluids, but what about men with heart conditions?
“They are going to be more sensitive to the heat,” says Joanne Foody, director of cardiovascular wellness services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “They may just need to limit their activities to a greater degree.” Read more.
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