Fescue Exacerbates Heat Stress
Cows’ summer heat stress increases when grazing toxic fescue pastures.
The summer slump in cool-season grass growth got a knockout punch from heavy rains in July across much of Missouri.
Good growth for most grasses won’t be good for toxic tall fescue pastures, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
“Keep your eyes open,” Roberts tells cow herd owners. “The rapid grass growth makes more toxin in fescue leaves.” Read more.
Jeff Mafi
Association Perspective
$Value changes.
As you look through your current Angus bull inventory, the Fall 2016 Sire Evaluation Report, or possibly a bull sale book later this fall, you may notice a subtle shift downward in the dollar value indexes ($Values) vs. what you have become accustomed to seeing the last several years.
The use of multi-trait selection indexes as tools for commercial cow-calf operators and seedstock breeders has rapidly evolved in the beef industry. Selection indexes are a tool to select for several traits at once. An index approach takes into account genetic and economic values to select for economic merit. A multi-trait index approach can be contrasted to single-trait selection or independent culling levels. An index is challenging to develop, but the end result is easy to use, adding simplicity and convenience to a multi-trait approach. Read more.
AI Training
Future Angus Stockman to attend AI school.
Future Angus Stockmen, offered through the American Angus Association, strives to equip the beef industry’s future generations with the tools and knowledge they need to be successful. This year, the program partnered with Select Sires to sponsor one Future Angus Stockmen participant to attend artificial insemination (AI) school.
“At Select Sires, we look forward to supporting a Future Angus Stockmen participant in attending an AI school of their choice, and contributing to their future goals and quality of their cow herd,” says Brian House, vice president, beef program and product manager for Select Sires.
Benjamin Hicks, Carrollton, Ga., was selected as the recipient, and says they currently use AI in their operation and it is important for him to better understand the technology. Read more.
To Return or Not to Return — That is the Question
It’s not as dramatic as the Shakespearean language makes it sound, but as a young person trying to get their footing, the road back to the cattle business is anything but a straight one.
In college, there were those who were returning home to a waiting position; those who wanted to return home, but no room was available; and, finally, those whose family wished they would return, but the son or daughter had other ideas.
Oh, and then there were those who set out with a plan and realized plans can change — a lot. 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:
- Managing Maternal Separation
- Tips for Loading, Unloading Cattle
- Feedlot Lameness
- Custom-made Pinkeye Control
- Consumer Trends, More Than Fads
- Religious Slaughter
- Bruising During Transport
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 available in the API Virtual Library.
Feeding Quality Forums Set for August
Feeding cattle is dynamic — always evolving, always adapting to weather, markets, technology, scientific studies and shifts in consumer demand.
That’s why those who drive the supply train for grain-finished beef gather each summer for a day to compare notes and update their knowledge base. The Feeding Quality Forum (FQF) will convene Aug. 23 in Grand Island, Neb., and Aug. 25 in Amarillo, Texas.
“Topics for the Forum target issues cattlemen are currently dealing with,” says Jill Dunkel, editor for cosponsor Feedlot magazine and head coordinator for the event. “In addition to hearing from industry experts, the meeting offers a great opportunity to visit with other cattle feeders and learn how they are addressing these issues in their own businesses.” Read more.
Visual Stimulation Regrows Optic Nerve Fibers
NIH-funded mouse study is first to show visual stimulation helps rewire visual system and partially restore sight.
A study in mice funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows for the first time that high-contrast visual stimulation can help damaged retinal neurons regrow optic nerve fibers, otherwise known as retinal ganglion cell axons. In combination with chemically induced neural stimulation, axons grew further than in strategies tried previously. Treated mice partially regained visual function. The study also demonstrates that adult regenerated central nervous system (CNS) axons are capable of navigating to correct targets in the brain. The research was funded through the National Eye Institute (NEI), a part of NIH. Read more.