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We've got some new additions to the American Cowman website
that we want you to know about. A Rural Life Poetry section has been
added as well as a Cowman Commentary section. We hope you enjoy these
slices from ranch life. You'll also find audio links to speakers at last
month's National Institute for Animal Agriculture annual meeting. Topics
include ethanol and animal ID. Visit the site at www.americancowman.com.
There's also the link to the American Cowman blog. As we gear up
for grazing season, we are asking "what's your favorite forage?" You can
view readers comments, or share your own, at the following link: blog.americancowman.com/community_blog/
In this newsletter issue, we highlight some of the management
considerations before breeding season gets underway. And on a lighter
note, New York farm girl and author Shannon Hayes shares a great essay
about MUD! Hayes also has a new cookbook for grassfed meats out and
information about it is detailed in our Beef Bookshelf section.
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It's mud season...that time of year when those of us who have been
slumbering right along with Mother Earth roll over and discover that
she, too, suffers from a wicked case of morning breath.
The manure in the barnyard, so dependably solid throughout the ice and
snow of winter, grips our feet as we carry feed to the livestock,
releasing pungent odors of pigs, sheep and cows. We greet each other
with shrieks at the kitchen door. "Take off your boots! You're tracking
manure, and you stink!" To read the complete article, click on the
headline above.
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This time of year, many Extension beef cattle educators preach the
importance of a short breeding season where most of the cows and heifers
conceive on the first service. Certainly a number of issues can affect
how long it takes to get the entire herd settled, but a tight breeding
season offers the opportunity to manage and market the resulting calves
as one consistent group, points out Stan Smith with Ohio State
University Extension. To read the complete article, click on the
headline above.
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American Gelbvieh Junior Association (AGJA) Gateway Classic is
headed to the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Mo., July 8-13,
2007. The annual event brings together more than 150 youth and 250 head
of cattle from across the country. The Heart of America Gelbvieh
Association and the Heart of America Gelbvieh Junior Association are
hosting the week-long event.
The national event will feature shows for Gelbvieh females and bulls,
Balancer females, and Gelbvieh-influenced steers. Additionally, several
other educational opportunities are offered including: judging contest,
poster contest, sales talk contest, Gelbvieh Beef Quiz Bowl contest,
showmanship, photography contest, team fitting contest, impromptu
speaking contest, advertising contest, creative writing contest, and a
carcass judging contest.
Contestants must be members of AGJA to participate. The ownership
deadline for cattle is June 1, 2007 and entries must be received by June
12, 2007. More information can be found at www.gelbvieh.org or by contacting
Dana Stewart, Director of Member Services, at 303-465-2333 or at danas@gelbvieh.org.
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The South Dakota Grassland Coalition will host a bird watching tour
in the Black Hills, June 8-9, 2007. The two-day tour, titled "Birds: At
Home, on the Range", features visits to ranches to observe and record
native bird species.
Participants will hear presentations from land owners, wildlife and
agricultural experts and will also learn about conservation techniques
used in this area.
"The goal of the birding tour is to provide information to a diverse
public to demonstrate the relationship between land stewardship and
grassland wildlife populations", said Dave Steffen, former NRCS Range
Management Specialist. "We will convey the important role rangeland
management plays in South Dakota's agricultural industry while
maintaining adequate habitat for the state's native birds."
Anyone interested in participating in the birding tour should contact
Judge Jessop at (605) 895-2301 or jjessop@sdconservation.org.
Registration information can also be found at the Coalition's website,
www.sdgrass.org. Cost to
participate is $15 per person. Registration is due by May 18, 2007.
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Ten videos have been added to the Tennessee Cattle Lane video
series, part of an online library offered by the beef program of
University of Tennessee. The new selections focus on animal ID, calf
management, stockpiling fescue and animal nutrition. More than 30 beef
production and management topics are now featured in the series. For a
complete list of topics, visit www.tncattlelane.org. There is no
fee to view the videos or to print the accompanying fact sheets.
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Just in time for the grilling season, Shannon Hayes introduces her
newest cookbook "The Farmer and the Grill: A guide to grilling,
barbecuing and spit-roasting grassfed meat...and for saving the planet,
one bite at a time."
Like her inaugural cookbook "The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook," it
is chock-full of user-friendly recipes and stories that bring home cooks
closer to the world of pasture-based farming and earth-friendly cooking.
Whether you are a pro at the coals, or a complete novice, The Farmer
and the Grill will help you to work with pasture-raised meats with
ease and confidence. To order and for more information visit www.grassfedcooking.com.
Shannon, her husband Bob Hooper and their daughter Saoirse live in
Schoharie County, New York where they work with her parents, Jim and
Adele Hayes, on Sap Bush Hollow Farm . The family raises all-natural
grassfed lamb, beef, pork, and poultry. Shannon holds a BA in creative
writing from Binghamton University, and a masters and Ph.D. in
sustainable agriculture and community development from Cornell
University.
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 Gallagher has a field staff of 26 fencing professionals
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Check out the Gallagher web site for the professional
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Calving is winding down, and producers soon will be making decisions
that could affect their profit margin when they sell those calves months
from now.
One of those decisions is whether to supply the calves with creep feed.
That's essentially any feed a producer provides calves while they're
still nursing.
The amount of creep feed required to produce the desired result in the
calves is a major factor producers must consider when deciding whether
creep feed is cost-effective, according to Karl Hoppe, Extension area
livestock specialist at North Dakota State University's Carrington
Research Extension Center.
"Make sure you do the math with the right feed conversions," he advises.
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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University of Nebraska Extension educators and specialists have
developed a home study course for producers titled "Using Corn
Co-Products in the Beef Cow Herd." There are four chapters in the Beef
Basics VII course which focuses on corn co-products. They offer the
following information:
* Differences in the wet and dry milling process
* Nutrient content of different corn co-products
* Handling, storage, transportation and economics of utilizing corn
co-products
* Beef cow rations/backgrounding rations using corn co-products
To read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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The goal shouldn't be to have 100% of your cows bred each year.
Herds at or near 100% pregnant year after year generally represent one
of two situations -- a very extended calving season or overfeeding.
Neither option is cost-effective for overall herd profitability.
Financial analysis indicates a pregnancy percentage of 90-95% in 65 days
is both achievable and likely most profitable. If your herd is below
this level, some investigation by you and your herd-health veterinarian
is needed.
When I investigate a reproductive problem, I break it into the following
categories: For bull problems, it's Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE),
overuse, or lack of libido. For cow problems, I look at nutrition,
environment, disease and genetics.To read the complete article, click
on the headline above.
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Information for teaching grassland principles in the classroom not
only has to be good to be accepted by teachers. It must also meet the
National Science Education Standards. This is according to research
done by educators as to why science teachers select a curriculum. Almost
75% said the deciding factor was whether or not the curriculum met the
National Science Education Standards.
So, if you've been frustrated by not getting your well thought out, well
presented grassland information into science classrooms, you'll be
pleased to know there is now a curriculum prepared by education
professionals for rangeland that meets the National Standards. To
read the complete article, click on the headline above.
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