Volume XV Number 2 • March/April 2007
Table of Contents

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Editor's Desk
They are as enthusiastic and busy as any producer, stocker or feeder, and are decidedly more involved in their spouses’ business operations than any other national women’s organization. They are members of the American National CattleWomen (ANCW). . ...Read the Story...

Covered Pens -- A Competitive Edge
The research group at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in their 2006 Beef Report pointed out the competitive advantage of feed inputs in the Midwest compared to areas of the high plains of Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. These cost advantages are not only corn, but by-product feeds and roughage prices. They admit the winter weather is a draw-back unless adequate protection is provided. Dr. Erik Loe explained providing covered barns may add to the competitive advantage of feed input costs. He told Feed•Lot Magazine that the data comparing shelter versus open pens at their Opportunities Farm indicated a four percent improvement of feed efficiency in favor of the covered facilities. The data was from closeouts from 2004 to the present. “On the other hand, minimum investment in facilities is one of the advantages for areas that can use open pens,” he added. . ....Read the Story...

Hiring Checklist
Developing important documents such as Job Descriptions, an Employee Policy Handbook, Job Application Forms, Standard Operating Procedures and Performance Review Forms were once seen as a good management practice, but somewhat optional. Now, they are essential.. . ...Read the Story...

Utilizing Technology
Decatur County Feed Yard is no stranger to individual electronic cattle management, says Dan Dorn, manager of supply development for the 38,000 head custom feedyard in Northwest Kansas that specializes in retained ownership, individual electronic cattle management and value-based marketing.
Dorn says they began their electronic management program to get away from average management and average marketing, but he says there’s more to it than profit... ...Read the Story...

Weather: A Factor in Weights
Cold weather sweeping through a portion of the nation's feedlot industry could be playing an even bigger role on live cattle weights than the price of corn, a Texas Cooperative Extension economist said.
Even though corn prices have increased due to growing ethanol production, Texas-Oklahoma steer and heifer live weights have declined more than two percent from a year ago, said David Anderson, Extension livestock marketing economist.....Read the Story...

Beef Label Literacy Studied
The percentage of consumers who said they believed beef was healthier than they’d previously thought jumped 45 percent following an on-pack nutrition labeling test project, funded by the beef checkoff. Nearly 15 percent of respondents also said they would be more likely to shop at stores that featured nutrition-labeled meat. .   . ...Read the Story...

Market Notes
Prices are rising but I don’t think it’s necessarily all related to current winter storms. Looking back, a little less than a year ago, Texas and Oklahoma were being hit by out of control prairie fires. The drought of 2006 pushed northward from Oklahoma as spring developed. .. ....Read the Story...

Hereford Association Reports Increase in Artificial Insemination
The American Hereford Association (AHA) is proud to report a one-year 17 percent increase in the use of artificial insemination (AI) across the breed. “The possibilities for genetic improvement are unlimited with the use of AI,” says Jack Ward, AHA chief operating officer and director of breed improvement. “I’m pleased to see a significant increase in AI use by our breeders, and I encourage all cattlemen to consider AI for the advancement of the industry.”......Read the Story...

National Beef Tenderness Results Announced
Increased aging times, slower chill rates and a jump in branded beef programs are among the reasons beef tenderness has increased 18 percent over results recorded in 1999, according to the 2005 National Beef Tenderness Survey, a checkoff-funded effort that evaluated beef from retail and foodservice establishments in 11 U.S. cities. . . ....Read the Story...

Biofuels Sparking Production Changes
The push for expanding the biofuels industry is driving many changes in animal agriculture and there are still more to come, according to an Iowa State University agricultural economist.
“Yes, there will be enough corn, but markets aren’t kind, gentle or smooth,” John Lawrence said, adding that agriculture has become a fuel producer, with the ethanol industry growing faster than economists can make graphs. ....Read the Story...

Stocker Management Affects Feedlot, Carcass Performance
Many producers believe the feedlot phase is the only one that influences beef quality grade, but the cow-calf and stocker phases also contribute to marbling. “As a stocker operator, you know subsequent feedlot performance and quality grade help determine value for the cattle you sell,” said Larry Corah, of Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB). ....Read the Story...

Whole Corn Still Used
With the high cost of energy for steam flaking grain, the use of feeding whole corn, or low energy dry rolling are receiving renewed interest. At the November 2006 Cattle Grain Processing Symposium at Tulsa, Oklahoma, two respected animal scientists suggested many cattle feeders still use whole corn for their growing and finishing rations. Dr. Steven Loerch commented that he believes more cattle people are feeding whole corn than one might expect. Loerch of Ohio State University and Dr. Robbie Pritchard of South Dakota State University have recognized this trend of cattle feeders in their area, and both of them use whole corn for some of their research rations. ...Read the Story...

Slick Bunk Management -- Don't Let Beef Quality Slip
Sometimes it’s not what the cattle eat, but how they’re fed that makes all the difference.
Widely adopted in the last decade, clean or “slick” bunk management reduces wasted feed and, in many cases, improves feed efficiency and gain. It may come with a price, though. . ....Read the Story...

Forage Test, Supplement to Get the Most from Summer Grass
Springtime is almost here and along with bouncing baby calves, the milder weather and abundant moisture brings some of the most nutritious grass of the entire year. Fortunately for spring-calving herds, this abundance of quality forage often coincides with peak milk production and the time that calves begin substantial grazing. However, this may not be true for all herds and in all years. As the seasons change, so does the nutrient content of most forages. While lush, green grass may require no supplementation beyond a high-magnesium mineral mixture, summer grass often does need some nutritional help.. ...Read the Story..

Everything You Need to Know About Ethanol
As cattle feeders, we don't need to be experts in the ethanol-petroleum dynamic. We don't need to know how ethanol plants work. We don’t need to understand the government ethanol subsidy structure. We don’t even need to understand the general supply and demand dynamics for corn. That’s right, y’all. As cattle feeders, we DO NOT need to preoccupy ourselves with these issues. I know, I know.
Ann is off on another counter-cultural rant. Ann is off her rocker. ....Read the Story..