Grassfed Beef Conference Coming to Texas A&M
June 8 and 9

http://animalscience.tamu.edu/images/pdf/beef/Grassfed%20Conference%20Flyer.pdf

Cattle Brand Renewal Starting September 1, 2011 through February 28, 2012, the Navarro County Clerks office will renew brands. If brands are not renewed by February 28, 2012 the brand becomes open to the public. The Navarro County Clerk office is on the first floor of the county courthouse. Questions? Call 903-654-3035.

Master Marketer Program Coming to Waco in 2011

The Master Marketer program is designed for agricultural producers and agribusiness leaders experienced in marketing commodities and having some knowledge of futures and options markets. The course contains 64 hours of intensive marketing training, focusing on cotton, wheat, livestock and feedgrains.

In 2011 it will be held at the Texas Farm Bureau Headquarters.

Session dates are:
I-January 11-13
II-January 26-27
III-February 9-10
IV-February 23-24

Marking education and training pay dividends that will directly improve your bottom line! Previous graduates report their incomes have increased on average more than $33,000 per year.

Want to know more?

http://mastermarketer.tamu.edu/

Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers to Host Meeting June 3 Focusing on Cattle Theft Prevention and Membership

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association will be hosting a Ranch Gathering on June 3 at the Navarro County Exposition Center. The meeting will focus on membership, protecting your property from theft and a legislative update for landowners. Presenters will include Jimmy Dickson, TSCRA Special Ranger and Eldon White, TSCRA Executive Director and CEO. The meeting will begin at 5:30 pm and offer a free steak dinner. Sponsors for the event include: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Smith General Store, Brazos Valley Equipment, Hubbard Livestock, Bayer and Helena. If you are interested in attending please RSVP by June 1 to Brooke Boddy at 800-242-7820 ext. 192 or rsvp@texascattleraisers.org.

Age Determination in Cattle

Determining the age of a cow can be an important factor in making decisions related to buying, culling, breeding, retaining, etc. Practices such as branding or tagging with ages are a good measure and can add value especially when selling bred cows. Unfortunately, many producers cannot or do not take the time for such practices (often times they may not be practical). Examination of the teeth can however provide an approximate age of a cow. This method evaluates the appearance of temporary and permanent teeth and the degree of wear. At maturity cattle have 32 teeth of which 8 are the incisors in the lower jaw which are typically evaluated. There are no upper incisors only a thick dental pad. Depending upon range and pasture conditions the degree of wear can vary. Cattle on sandy, rangeland type country typically wear quicker than cattle on higher clay content soil with improved pasture. Because this method is approximate it is important to note that it may not ascertain a cow’s biological age but rather gauge her youthfulness in terms of grazing ability. A second method to determine age would include looking at the brucellosis tattoo in the right ear. This would indicate the year the cow was a weaned calf. The first digit represents the quarter of the year it was tagged, the middle digits are a shield and the last number is the year vaccinated. A good resource and aging table can be accessed at http://www.avc-beef.org/AgingCattle-Griffin/AgingCattle-CL712.pdf.

Cattle Artificial Insemination and Palpation Training
Corsicana Livestock Auction – Angus, TX
April 23 – 25, 2010
Limited to the first 20 paid registrants
$275 per person

Tentative Schedule
Friday – April 23, 2010
1pm – Registration
1:30 – Orientation and Introductions
2:00 – Body Condition Scoring Cattle
2:30 – Artificial Insemination Basics
3:00 – Synchronization
4:00 – Live Animal Work
6:00 – Adjourn for the evening

Saturday – April 24, 2010
9:00am – Coffee and Visit
9:30 - Semen Handling
10:15 – Live Animal Work
12:00 – Break for Lunch (provided)
1:00 – Heat Watch and Detection
2:00 – Live Animal Work
3:30 – Conclude AI Instruction
4:00 – BioPreg Check Presentation
5:00 – Anatomy & Physiology of the Reproductive Tract
6:00 – Palpation and Pregnancy Stages
7:00 pm – Adjourn for the evening

Sunday – April 25, 2010
1:00 pm – Examine Uteri Tracts
2:00 – Live Animal Work
4:30 – Final Questions and Discussion
5:00 pm – Course Adjourned

This is designed to be a low-cost yet high quality training. Presenters are experienced educators and/or practitioners in their respective areas. FYI, the cost per person will help defray the costs for cattle, materials and food. Call 903-654-3075 with questions.

For the flyer and registration form, go to http://navarro-tx.tamu.edu/newsletters/Spring%202010.pdf to page 3.

Cold and wet weather presents challenges for county producers!



The weather has been tough, especially when trying to feed cows... Does this look familiar?

Technology Tip: Oklahoma State University – Cowculator v2.0

When it comes to making winter feeding decisions for the cow herd it is easy to get overwhelmed. The numbers can be mind numbing! When you look at prices, amounts, crude protein, nutrition requirements, days in the feeding period, cow size, desired daily gain, body condition score, etc they all start to run together and make your head hurt. Oklahoma State University, the land-grant agricultural institution in Oklahoma, has a computer based program that assists producers in summarizing the data, comparing options and making a decision. This program was recently highlighted at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Shortcourse in a powerpoint presentation that you can view (http://animalscience.tamu.edu/ansc/BCSC/BCSC09%20Nutrition%20Management%20Section.pdf).

According to the website: “OSU Cowculator is an excel program designed to assist cattlemen in making informed decisions associated with beef cow nutrition. Animal criteria (such as cow weight, body condition, stage of production and breed), as well as the feed and forage library can be customized to each operation or to specific scenarios within an operation. Animal requirements and performance predictions are based on years of research data, including the 1996 and previous versions of the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. Cowculator can be used as a decision making tool for individual operations and is especially useful as a teaching tool.”

The program is free to download onto your personal computer. You will need Microsoft Excel to operate it. It is very user friendly and allows you to compare different feeding options such as range cubes versus whole cottonseed versus cottonseed meal. When using make sure prices are in-line with local prices to ensure accurate cost analysis. You can download the program and a user handbook at http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/exten/cowculator/.

Online Pasture Management Web-Course Starts November 2nd

I will be leading an online web-course covering Pasture Management starting November 2. This is a great opportunity to access technical training at the university level. The course has been developed by Texas A&M University and Texas AgriLife Extension Service Specialists. Topics will cover Nutritive Value and Quality, Stocking Rate, Hay Storage and Feeding and Forage Establishment. The cost is $50 and those interested can visit the Small Acreage Landowner Webcourse site at http://grovesite.com/page.asp?o=tamu&s=RI&p=227590.

Landowners can register for the courses at http://agrilifevents.tamu.edu/.
The course will be accessed (once you register) from http://campus.extension.org/. Other courses include: Resource Inventory, Beef Cattle Management, and Introduction to Enterprise Budgeting.

Questions? 903-654-3075 or jdscasta@ag.tamu.edu

Fall Forage Workshop Set for October 29 at Fannie Mae Vernon Room

Cattle and hay producers in Navarro County will want to mark October 29 on their calendars for the annual Fall Forage Workshop. The program will begin at 6pm and run until 8:30. Topics for the evening include: Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Forage Specialist providing an update on pasture management and soil fertility; Kelly Cross, Fort Dodge Animal Health will then provide an update on Trichomoniasis management and how to integrate a vaccine into your program. We will also have updates on a pasture result demonstration and results from the Hay Testing Drive (which include forage analysis and supplemental feeding recommendations).

2 CEU’s will be offered in (1 General and 1 IPM) for producers with Texas Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator Licenses. Cost is $5 per person for a BBQ meal. Sponsors for the 2009 Hay Testing Drive and Fall Forage Workshop include: Ag Texas Farm Credit Services, Community National Bank, Forrest Green Polled Herefords, JPM Company, Kerens Grain and Elevator, Rosewood Ranches, Texas Land Bank, Vitters Tractor and Williams Gin and Grain. Please call 903-64-3075 to RSVP by October 26.

Navarro County Hay Testing Drive Set for October 1st

Each year brings about its own set of challenges and 2009 has been no different. A dry fall/winter, a late April freeze and sporadic rainfall have presented challenges to producing hay. However, one tool we can use year-in and year-out is testing our hay for quality. Knowing the quality of our hay will enable ranchers to make wise decisions in supplementing their livestock herds this winter. To address this issue the Navarro County Extension Livestock Committee will sponsor the Navarro County Hay Testing Drive and Fall Forage Seminar.

Any livestock producer in the county may submit up to two samples of any type of hay for a crude protein analysis at no charge. Additional samples may be submitted for analysis at a cost of $5.00 per sample for coastal or a legume or $10.00 for sudan, johnsongrass or cool season annuals. Sampling of the hay will be conducted by members of the Extension Livestock Forage subcommittee and sent to the Extension Forage Testing Laboratory in College Station for analysis. Samples will be received at the Precinct 1 County barn located at the intersection of W. Hwy 31 and FM 2555 on Thursday, October 1 from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon. Prior to October 1, samples may be left @ Williams Gin and Grain in Frost, the Kerens Grain and Elevator in Kerens or at JPM Co. in Dawson.

Samples may be submitted from any type of hay or bale. Samples should weigh at least 10-15 pounds whether taken from square bales, large round bales or other types of bales. Samples should be put in large plastic trash bags and tied. Each sample should include the following information: the producer name, sample identification number, mailing address, telephone number, type of hay and which cutting the sample is from. The forms which may be used for your entries are on the back of this letter.

Results of the crude protein analysis and feed value will be on display at the Fall Forage Seminar on Tuesday, October 29, 2009. Speakers and topics for the program will include Dr. Larry Redmon, Texas AgriLife Research Scientist to discuss Nutrient Availability and the Economics of Grazing and Haying Systems and a speaker representing Fort Dodge Animal Health to discuss their Trichomoniasis vaccine. Additional information will be provided on results from a pasture shredding and renovating/harrowing demonstration.

The program will be held in the Fannie Mae Vernon Room of the Navarro County Expo Center beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a chili supper and 2 CEU’s will be offered. This is an excellent opportunity to get your hay tested and design your supplemental feeding system. Please RSVP at 903-654-3075 by Oct 21 so arrangements for meal and seating can be made.

Contact me at 903-654-3075 or jdscasta@ag.tamu.edu.

Grazing Management and Stockmanship Workshop Set for September 25 in Corsicana, TX

When it comes to beef cattle production, reducing animal stress can increase animal performance and the profitability of an operation. With that in mind, a Grazing Management and Stockmanship Workshop will be held in Corsicana at the Navarro County Exposition Center on Friday, September 25. The program will start at 8:30 am and run until 3:30 pm and cost is $10 per person to cover the steak lunch and materials. If you are a ranch owner or manager, day worker, horse owner or have any interest in working cattle and beef production you will want to make plans to attend this program.

Presenters and topics for the day include the following: Dr. Dennis Sigler, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Equine Specialist, will kick the program off by discussing grazing strategies and impacts of horses and the unique nutritional needs of horses. Mark Moseley, Texas State Grazing Land Conservation Initiative Coordinator and Range Management Specialist with USDA-NRCS, will then cover grazing management for beef cattle operations. Stacy Fox, Members Program Managers for Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, will then discuss Trichomoniasis in Texas and regulations that producers need to be aware of. This is a timely issue as this bovine disease may be more prevalent in the state of Texas than previously thought and compliance will be critical. At 11:15am, the program will then break for a Trade Show and a steak lunch cooked by Third Avenue Meat Market - Corsicana.

Following lunch, the program will move to the enclosed livestock arena and receive hands-on instruction from Curt Pate and Dr. Ron Gill on effective stockmanship and low stress cattle handling. Curt Pate is a stockmanship instructor, lifelong rancher and was selected three years in a row as the AQHA Clinician of the year. Dr. Ron Gill serves as a Livestock Specialist with Texas AgriLife Extension Service and is a lifelong cattleman. Demonstrations will be conducted horseback using live cattle. Wrapping up the day we will have a chute side demonstration and focus on tips and methods to reduce stress when working cattle through a chute and headgate.

Sponsors for the program include: Texas AgriLife Extension Service, United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resource Conservation Service, Texas State Grazing Land Conservation Initiative, Blackland Prairie GLCI, Central Texas Quarter Horse Association, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers, Bluebonnet RC&D and Leon-Bosque RC&D, Purina, Midcontinent Livestock Supplements, Miraco, Merial, Tru-Test, Priefert, AQHA, Livestock Marketing Association, National Cattleman’s Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff. If you are interested please RSVP by 9/21 at 903-654-3075 or jdscasta@ag.tamu.edu. For the full flier, information about presenters and map/directions to the facility go to http://navarro-tx.tamu.edu -> "Grazing & Stockmanship Workshop". More information about Curt Pate and Ron Gill is also available at www.effectivestockmanship.com.

Considerations for Calving Season Management

Do you have cows calving year round or do you have calves coming during a set time interval during the year? Common practice is to allow the bull to run with the cow herd year round and to not limit breeding (i.e., Year-Round Breeding and Calving). Ultimately, this results in year round calving and has several management implications that can ultimately impact profit margins. The alternative would be to control the breeding period for 60-90 days and have a time-limited calving season (i.e., Controlled Breeding and Calving). Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Beef Cattle Specialist gave the following considerations at the 2009 Ranch Tour for calving season management.

In terms of Management (Parasite Control, Vaccination, Castration, Dehorning, Implanting, Weaning, etc) in a Controlled program you would process cattle 2-3 times per year versus a Year-Round program where you would process cattle 3+ times annually and ultimately face increased operating expenses. In terms of Animal Nutrition, in a Controlled program you can manage cattle similarly and can match rebreeding and calving periods to periods of optimum forage production. Conversely, in a Year-Round program you would be managing dry cows and wet cows separately due to different nutritional requirements and calving and rebreeding of some cows would occur when forage production was not optimum and increased supplementation is necessary. In terms of Marketing Opportunities, a Controlled program provides a uniform calf crop in terms of age and provides more marketing power. A Year-Round program would have cattle being marketed at different times due to lighter weights among your later calves. In terms of Reproductive Efficiency, a Controlled program allows a producer to identify cows that do not drop a calf every 365 days versus a Year-Round program which provide limited ability to identify cows with low reproductive performance that aren’t earning their keep.

Ultimately, a controlled calving season allows a producer to maximize the utilization of energy and resources on the ranch. It provides increased marketing advantages and power and can enhance profit margins. Controlled calving season also increases the efficiency of the managers time and labor by managing similar situations during set time periods during the year (examples include: supplemental feeding, trips to the sale barn, calving cows, etc). Controlled calving presents challenges in terms of deciding what to do with the herd bulls when not with the cow herd. Options might include: using electric fencing, sharing/borrowing/leasing bulls, running multiple cow herds with different calving seasons and rotating bulls, etc.

Consider Hay Storage Options Carefully
















Many producers in the county are cutting, raking and baling hay right now. The good spring we have experienced has provided a decent hay crop. It does seem however as if our forages have struggled some due to the hard fall and winter in terms of root storage and recovery and hay yields are a bit lower in terms of biomass than expected. All in all though the hay crop is coming along okay. Now with hay being such a precious and expensive commodity to produce it is important to consider how you will store it in order to minimize losses. A recent University of Tennessee trial compared different methods of storing large round bales of grass hay. The hay was cut and baled in June in Moore County, TN. Bales were weighed at the time of harvest and storage and then weighed again the following January at the time of winter feeding. The following results show the type of storage method used and the percentage hay loss.

• On Ground, No Cover - 37% loss
• On Tires, No Cover - 29% loss
• On Ground, Covered - 29% loss
• Net Wrap, On Ground - 19% loss
• On Tires, Covered - 8% loss
• In Barn - 6% loss

When looking at these percentages lets put them into a little better perspective: 37% loss on a 1,000 pound bale is 370 pounds versus 6% loss which is 60 pounds. That is very significant. Lossess can be significant depending on the type of storage. This information also indicates that storage losses occur from moisture getting into both the top AND bottom of the bales. If hay can't be stored in a barn, the next best option it to at least get the hay off the ground and under a tarp or plastic cover. So as you start to store hay this spring and summer think about storage options and protect your hay investment.

Navarro County Ranch Tour Planned for June 11, 2009

Come join us for a tour of the Fullerton Ranch located in Corbet, TX. The Fullerton Ranch is a Red Angus operation specializing in replacement heifers. The ranch utilizes rotational grazing and puts emphasis on calving season management. Highlights of the tour will focus on weed control options, heifer development, calving season management and marketing alternatives and strategies. From Corsicana, take Highway 31 west and turn south on FM 2452 and travel 1.7 miles, red gate entrance on the left.

Agenda:
5:00 pm – Registration
5:15 – Hay Pasture Weed Control Demonstration Plots – Tuffy Loftin
5:45 – Heifer Development (Live Cattle) and Calving Season – Dr. Jason Cleere
6:45 – Prickly Pear Control: Individual Plant Treatment – Jeff Goodwin
7:10 - Grazing Pasture Weed Control Demonstration Plots – Tuffy Loftin
7:30 – Dinner and Livestock Marketing Strategies – Dr. David Anderson
8:15 pm – Questions and Adjourn

2 CEU’s offered (1 General and 1 IPM)

Cost: $10/head

Call and RSVP at 903-654-3075 by June 8, 2009

New Trichomoniasis Program Adopted in Texas for Beef Cattle

If you are a cattle producer but don’t know what Trichomoniasis (commonly called Trich) is, then you soon will. According to a recent Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) report, Texas has adopted a Trichomoniasis regulatory program. Beginning April 1, 2009, breeding bulls entering Texas from any other state must be either 24 months of age or younger and certified as a virgin, or be tested negative for cattle trichomoniasis within 30 days prior to entry. The adoption of this program occurred February 24 by the Texas Animal Health Commission to address Trichomoniasis which is a venereal disease in cattle that causes infertility and abortions. Other effects of the disease include extended breeding seasons, reduced calf crops and ultimately loss of income to producers. A second phase of the program will go into effect January 1, 2010 and will address the in-state movement of Texas breeding bulls. Part of the reason for the new program is when breeding bulls are infected, they may continue to appear and act normally. The new regulations also have deemed Trich as a reportable disease in the state of Texas. According to Dr. Bob Hillman, TAHC executive director, "... this will give us more information on where and how much infection already is in the state". Why aren’t cows included in this program you might ask? The reason is if a cow is infected during breeding and loses a fetus she still has a chance to clear the disease. A majority of infected cows will clear the infection if they are given 120 to 150 days of sexual rest. A vaccine can also be administered to infected cows to help control the disease in the cow herd. For more details on this subject and to read the entire Texas Animal Health Commission report go online to http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/news/pr/2009/2009Feb_TrichomoniasisProgramAdopted.pdf

What should my stocking rate be?

One of the most common questions I get is what kind of stocking rate is appropriate for my property. When we consider stocking rates for beef cattle we have to remember that one lactating, thousand pound cow will consume 2.5% to 3% of her body weight or roughly 25 to 30 pounds of air dry forage daily. 1 cow/calf pair is an animal unit (AU). A good rule of thumb is to “take half and leave half” but we have to account for another quarter of the forage that will get trampled, wasted, decompose, etc. So estimate based on 25% of forage production for a conservative stocking rate in an average rainfall year. So a thousand pound cow with a calf at her side will eat approximately 26 pounds of forage daily or 9,490 pounds per year.

Improved pasture differs greatly than native rangeland in terms of stocking rate due to management of fertility, weeds, etc. General stocking rates for Navarro County are 1 AU per 3-5 acres of fertilized improved pasture and 1 AU per 10-12 acres of rangeland BUT depend on location and management.

The only way to truly know what your appropriate stocking rate, is to quantify your forage production (clip and weigh grass or forage plots) and then base a stocking rate on the traditional range management principles and allow for variations in rainfall. A good stocking rate is the first step to good range management and sustainable agriculture. For more information go to the following web address: http://animalscience.tamu.edu/images/pdf/beef/beef-rdmt-stocking-rate.pdf

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certification Now Offered Online

Have you ever heard of BQA or Beef Quality Assurance. Well if you haven’t BQA is part of the the Texas Beef Quality Producer Program (TBQP) and is designed to promote good management practices for cattle producers in an effort to strengthen consumer confidence in beef as a wholesome food product. The TBQP management strategies "prevent" problems related to quality and safety from ever occurring - rather than correcting them. The main focus of the program is food safety. Eliminating residues, blemishes and foreign objects is critical to maintaining consumer confidence and acceptance of beef as the protein of choice in their diet. Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a national effort with 47 states involved. It has now become easier than ever to get BQA certification. Now training is available online at http://www.bqaonline.org/
Producers an go thru this in-home training at their own pace and receive essentially the same information as presented in Level I classroom training. This online course also acts as a great refresher or as a tool to educate new ranch employees. Check it out and improve your beef operation today.

There are several programs that will be offered early in 2009 that I want to make folks aware of.

Electronic Waste Collection
Do you have old computer equipment that you want to get rid of but don’t know how? If so, there is an opportunity coming your way to make that computer benefit the state of Texas! January 16th from 1pm to 4pm and January 17th 9am to 12noon at the Old Kmart Parking Lot (across from the Precinct 1barn) the City of Corsicana and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice are partnering up to take in the following items: computers, printers, monitors, mice, keyboards, computer parts, scanners, televisions and rechargeable batteries. All items will go to a TDCJ facility to be refurbished and if possible returned to Texas schools. This program provides technical training for inmates and quality computers for the youth in Texas! call 903-654-4889 or 903-654-3075.

Row Crop Update and CEU Seminar
January 27 in the Small Fannie Mae Vernon Room at the Navarro County Exposition Center. Cost is $10 to cover the lunch and 4 CEU’s will be provided (1 general, 2 IPM and 1 Laws and Regs). The agenda will cover the following: Reading Pesticide Labels, Applying Wasterwater Residuals to Improve Soil Fertility, Variety Performance and IPM Applications, Boll Weevil Eradication, Atoxigenic Strains to Manage Alfatoxin in Corn, and Corn, Milo and Small Grains Demonstration Reports. The program will start at 9am and conclude by 2:30 pm. RSVP by January 24 by calling 903-654-3075.

Row Crop/Commodity Marketing Workshop
Thursday, February 12 at the Navarro College Lonestar Room. Cost is $10 per person to cover the expense of the meal. Speakers for the day include Dr. John Robinson, Extension Ag Economist for Cotton Marketing, Dr. Mark Welch, Extension Ag Economist for Grain Marketing and Nicole Gueck Extension Program Specialist for Risk Management will team up to talk about the market outlook for cotton and grains, marketing options and alternatives, Risk management, Farm Assist Program and calculating break-even costs for your operation. The most useful portion of this program will be in the afternoon when our speakers will work one-on-one with producers to develop break-even costs and discuss marketing options for 2009. RSVP by February 9 by calling 903-654-3075.

2009 Beef Clinic
February 26 at the Navarro County Exposition Center. Cost is $3 to cover a steak dinner that you will not want to miss. The Agenda will include an update from Texas Beef Council, A Bull Breeding Soundness Exam Discussion and Demonstration, Emerging Reproductive Diseases in Cow-Calf Herds, an update on Country of Origin Labeling, door prizes and more. Don’t forget about the always exciting trade show featuring local and state agribusinesses and agencies. This is going to be a program you will not want to miss. Reserve your seat (and your steak to for that matter) by calling 903-654-3075 by February 24th.