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Don't forget we have the Classified and Cattle Sale pages. Just let me know what you have to add to either one.
Rayford wanted to share:
COW/CALF CORNER
The Newsletter
From the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
January 16, 2012
In this Issue:
NOTE:
It is time to pay 2012 dues.
Mail check for $25.00 to:
PO Box 75
Gainesville, TX 76241-0075
A complete schedule and details are available at http://osucowcamp.com. For more information contact your local county OSU Extension Office or Dave Sparks DVM at 918-686-7800, dave.sparks@okstate.edu . Today’s beef industry is changing faster than ever before, with high input costs and high cattle prices. While many will fail in the upcoming years, the top managers will prosper. This class will fill up fast so reserve your place now. Position yourself to take advantage of the challenges and the rewards that come from managing your operation in the top level of producers.
Signs of Impending Calving in Cows or Heifers
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
As the spring calving season approaches, the cows will show typical signs that will indicate parturition is imminent. Changes that are gradually seen are udder development, or making bag and the relaxation and swelling of the vulva. These indicate the cow is due to calve in the near future. There is much difference between individuals in the development of these signs and certainly age is a factor. The first calf heifer, particularly in the milking breeds, develops udder for a very long time, sometimes for two or three months before parturition. The swelling and relaxation of the vulva can be highly variable too. Typically, in the immediate 2 weeks preceding calving, these signs become more evident, the udder is filling, and one of the things that might be seen is the loss of the cervical plug. This is a very thick tenacious, mucous material hanging from the vulva. It may be seen pooling behind the cow when she is lying down. Some people mistakenly think this happens immediately before calving, but in fact this can be seen weeks before parturition and therefore is only another sign that the calving season is here.
The immediate signs that usually occur within 24 hours of calving would be relaxation of the pelvic ligaments and strutting of the teats. These can be fairly dependable for the owner that watches his cows several times a day during the calving season. The casual observer or even the veterinarian who is knowledgeable of the signs but sees the herd infrequently cannot accurately predict calving time from these signs. The relaxation of the pelvic ligaments really cannot be observed in fat cows, (body condition score 7 or greater). However, relaxations of the ligaments can be seen very clearly in thin or moderate body condition cows and can be a clue of parturition within the next 12 - 24 hours.
These changes are signs the producer or herdsman can use to more closely pinpoint calving time. Strutting of the teats is not really very dependable. Some heavy milking cows will have strutting of the teats as much as two or three days before calving and on the other hand, a thin poor milking cow may calve without strutting of the teats. Another thing that might be seen in the immediate 12 hours before calving would be variable behavior such as a cow that does not come up to eat, or a cow that isolates herself into a particular corner of the pasture. However, most of them have few behavioral changes until the parturition process starts. Much more information about managing cows and heifers during the calving season can be found in the Oklahoma State University Extension Circular E-1006, “Calving Time Management for Beef Cows and Heifers”
Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. References within this publication to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement by Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.
I copied this from Southern Livestock.
Santa Cruz, California--One of the West's most enduring symbols is fading like a red-hot branding iron cools to ashen gray.
With concerns over disease and global trade trumping tradition, federal regulators want ranchers to swap the old-fashioned cattle brand for electronic ear tags to quickly and reliably identify livestock.
Ranchers from Livermore to Laytonville accept the inevitability but lament the passing of a ritual older than America -- the smell of trampled sagebrush and burned hide, the sound of whinnying horses songs around campfires and friendly boasts among friends.
"Cowboys are said to ride for the brand. It's hard to imagine anyone riding for an ear tag,'' said Jon Christensen, executive director of the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University.
The debate over the USDA proposal, with a final rule expected within months, "is not just a fight over the best way to identify, track and ensure the ownership and safety of cattle," said Christensen. "This is a battle over a powerful western icon."
But the discovery in late 2003 of a cow in rural Washington infected with mad cow disease inspired federal officials to find a better way to instantly track livestock. They feared that the U.S. could suffer the same fate as the United Kingdom, which quarantined and killed tens of thousands of animals after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, devastating its agricultural economy.
The USDA wants every cow to have a unique numerical ID, electronically embedded into an RFID ear tag, to make it easier to track animals from the ranch to feedlots and the slaughterhouse. Then, if a sick animal is found, the source of illness could be found -- and isolated -- within hours.
And lucrative global markets, like Japan, are now demanding that meat be proven safe and "traceable" before entering the country.
Once every cow has an RFID tag, the brand -- as a vital identification mark -- would be obsolete.
"I see brands playing a smaller role as we move into this electronic age," said longtime Monterey County-based rancher Jim Warren, 70, a pioneer in early adoption of radio-tagging for 1,000 Central California cattle producers who sell through his 101 Livestock Inc. auction barn.
"We have to be forward thinking," said Warren, over a lunch of chili before Tuesday afternoon's busy bidding in the small town of Aromas. "Branding still has its place -- it's a means to identify cattle within a state. But we are a global economy. We no longer have the luxury of saying we will only do business within our own borders."
Hot-iron brands have played an enduring and beloved role -- they're family logos, like a ranching coat of arms -- ever since they were introduced to the New World in 1541 by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, whose cattle were singed with three crosses.
They landed in history books, films and TV shows after the great Longhorn trail drives out of Texas during the 1800s. But with growing awareness of animal rights, critics have denounced the practice as cruel.
Still, no 15-character alphanumeric identification code can ever replace a "Lazy J," "Hanging R" or "Flying 45," said Bill Bullard of the Billings, Mont.-based Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America.
"The government is giving in to international pressure to adopt a one-size-fits-all system that replaces the American tradition of branding, which has been used for centuries successfully," he said. "Our ability to control and eradicate disease has earned us the envy of the world -- and now the USDA proposes to throw out an integral part of our program."
Branding is the simplest and most efficient way to identify a cow, he said. He worries that cattle could loose their tags in fencing or trees. Rustlers could easily cut them off. And the cost of the RFID tag-- $2 to $3 per animal -- could add new economic hardship to small family ranchers, he said.
The USDA plan was first broached eight years ago by the Bush administration after the discovery in late 2003 of the cow infected with mad cow disease. Facing outrage from cattle producers, the Obama Administration ultimately scrapped an ambitious plan to track all livestock every time it was trasnsported from birth to the slaughterhouse.
The new proposal is less sweeping because it applies only to animals being moved between states. And while RFID tags are designated the "official identification system," it allows use of brands between two states if there is an official agreement.
The modern beef industry is highly mobile, posing new risks -- and rewards, said Livermore rancher Darrel Sweet, who runs Black Angus on his prosperous 900-acre ranch near the Altamont Pass.
"What's changed is nationalization, globalization -- and transportation," said Sweet. "Now it's not uncommon for trucks to move cattle from right here in central California to every Western state, or Texas, Kansas, even Hawaii."
Along with the California Cattlemen's Association, he supports the federal plan, with reservations.
"There's no doubt, from a disease standpoint, we need to trace back, so we can figure out, as rapidly as possible, where the animal came from," said Sweet, as he surveyed his herd from his truck. "That's economic viability for me -- because if the outbreak is somewhere else, I don't have to quarantine my whole herd."
But brands still play a critical role. He asked: When a fence breaks, and your cattle get mixed up with neighbors' herds, who wants to catch each cow and inspect each ears to sort them out? And insurers still rely on brands to prove ownership, he noted.
Darrell Wood of the Central Valley town of Bina agrees. He welcomes the day when a cheap, easy and accurate technology replaces brands -- because branding is stressful, and damages hides -- but wishes it were voluntary.
"Technology is getting better and better all the time,'' he said. "I'm confident that there will be a better alternative to hot-iron branding.''
Recognizing when cattle are about to calve.
As the spring calving season approaches, the cows will show typical signs that will indicate parturition is imminent. Changes that are gradually seen are udder development, or making bag and the relaxation and swelling of the vulva. These indicate the cow is due to calve in the near future. There is much difference between individuals in the development of these signs and certainly age is a factor. The first calf heifer, particularly in the milking breeds, develops udder for a very long time, sometimes for two or three months before parturition. The swelling and relaxation of the vulva can be highly variable too. Typically, in the immediate 2 weeks preceding calving, these signs become more evident, the udder is filling, and one of the things that might be seen is the loss of the cervical plug. This is a very thick tenacious, mucous material hanging from the vulva. It may be seen pooling behind the cow when she is lying down. Some people mistakenly think this happens immediately before calving, but in fact this can be seen weeks before parturition and therefore is only another sign that the calving season is here.
The immediate signs that usually occur within 24 hours of calving would be relaxation of the pelvic ligaments and strutting of the teats. These can be fairly dependable for the owner that watches his cows several times a day during the calving season. The casual observer or even the veterinarian who is knowledgeable of the signs but sees the herd infrequently cannot accurately predict calving time from these signs. The relaxation of the pelvic ligaments really cannot be observed in fat cows, (body condition score 7 or greater). However, relaxations of the ligaments can be seen very clearly in thin or moderate body condition cows and can be a clue of parturition within the next 12 - 24 hours.
These changes are signs the producer or herdsman can use to more closely pinpoint calving time. Strutting of the teats is not really very dependable. Some heavy milking cows will have strutting of the teats as much as two or three days before calving and on the other hand, a thin poor milking cow may calve without strutting of the teats. Another thing that might be seen in the immediate 12 hours before calving would be variable behavior such as a cow that does not come up to eat, or a cow that isolates herself into a particular corner of the pasture. However, most of them have few behavioral changes until the parturition process starts. Much more information about managing cows and heifers during the calving season can be found in the Oklahoma State University Extension Circular E-1006, “Calving Time Management for Beef Cows and Heifers”
Source: Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
Before you pull a calf.
Before applying the obstetrical chains to "pull" a calf during a difficult birth, a proper analysis of the situation must be made. Wash the vulva, anus and the area in between using soap and warm water. Pulling on a calf should only be done when the presentation and posture of the calf are normal. Normal is defined as the "anterior presentation" with fore feet first, head resting on the limbs, and the eyes level with the knees. A backwards calf can be delivered only when both back limbs are presented. Before chains are applied, be certain that the cervix is completely dilated.
To properly use obstetrical chains when assisting with a difficult birth, follow the this procedure. To attach the chain, loop it around the thin part of the leg above the fetlock. Then, make a half hitch and tighten it below the joint and above the foot. Make certain that the chain is positioned in such a manner that is goes over the top of the toes. In this way the pressure is applied so as to pull the sharp points of the calves hooves away from the soft tissue of the vaginal wall.
Obtain a copy of "Calving Time Management of Beef Cows and Heifers" E-1006, an OSU Extension Circular that thoroughly discusses working with cows and heifers before and during calving season. It can be downloaded from: http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-5171/E-1006web.pdf
Source: Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
A War of Attrition
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
Program Offered for Oklahoma Cattlemen
Dave Sparks DVM, Oklahoma State University Area Extension Food Animal and Health Specialist
Signs of Impending Calving in Cows or Heifers
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
A War of Attrition
Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
Cattle prices are at record high levels and will push even higher in 2012 and beyond. Retail beef prices are increasing and will push higher but it is uncertain how much and how fast. These conditions ensure that margins for various sectors in between will continue to be squeezed and some sectors of the beef industry will face difficulties in the coming months.
Retail beef prices increased through the year of 2011 but it wasn’t until the fourth quarter of the year that beef production dropped sharply. Anticipated decreases in beef production in 2012 mean that retailers will be challenged to keep retail prices on pace with boxed beef and live cattle prices. Retailers are always reluctant to increase retail prices too fast or too much and retail margins are likely to be squeezed in the transition. Packers have already faced limited margins as fed cattle prices increased faster than boxed beef prices. Packers experienced poor margins much of the fourth quarter of 2011. Packers have the additional challenge of not operating at efficient capacities in the face of declining cattle numbers. That challenge will increase as feedlot marketings decrease in 2012.
Feedlots face perhaps the toughest challenge of all. High feeder cattle prices and high feed costs will likely more than offset record fed cattle prices and result in negative operating margins much of the time for the foreseeable future. Feeder cattle supplies will continue to tighten and may decrease dramatically if the drought abates and heifer retention accelerates. Feeder supplies will be tighter in 2012 and may not reach the tightest level until 2013 or beyond.
The U.S. beef industry has experienced chronic excess capacity in the cattle feeding and beef packing sectors for many years. Most of the existing feedlot and packing infrastructure was originally built in the 1970s and 1980s, a time when cattle inventories were 15 to 25 million head greater than today. Continued herd liquidation, especially since the mid 1990s has accelerated the pressure to reduce feedlot and packing capacity. Downward adjustments in industry capacity are a slow process and not much has changed yet. The drought in 2011 temporarily accelerated cattle marketings and postponed the coming crunch of tight feeder supplies but ensures that the crunch will be even more severe when it happens.
Though the impact of continuing drought could once again change the timing of cattle flows to feedlots and packing plants, the squeeze in feeder supplies is likely to reach critical levels in 2012. The war of attrition on feedlots and packing plants will continue and will accelerate in 2012. Feedlots and packing plants will compete aggressively for ever declining animal numbers and contribute to even higher input costs until somebody finally exits. It may not happen in 2012 but the pressure will be even greater and it will eventually happen.
Program Offered for Oklahoma Cattlemen
Dave Sparks DVM, Oklahoma State University Area Extension Food Animal and Health Specialist
A new program offered by OSU Extension may be just the thing for cow/calf producers who want to take their operations to the next level, but can’t go back to school to do it. Are you a newcomer contemplating an entry into the beef Industry? If so this is the program that can help you make a decision if the business is right for you before you make a big investment of money, time, and effort. If you do decide the beef industry is right for you, why not start being profitable from the beginning rather than spending years learning the hard way?
The second annual OSU Cow/Calf Boot Camp will be held at the Creek County Fairgrounds, Kellyville, Oklahoma on April 23, 24, and 25, 2012. This program is not for the lazy or faint of heart, as extension educators pack approximately 34 hours of learning into the three days. Enrollment is limited to 50 participants and there is a $100.00 fee which covers 5 meals, the text book, and all other educational materials.
Most of the production topics are handled in a demonstration or hands on format with live cattle. Most of the business and management topics are handled by working through actual problems in small groups with an agricultural educator working as a facilitator with each group of four or five. Topics covered will include; an overview of the beef industry, cattle handling and production practices, hay evaluation, parasite control, breeding stock evaluation and selection, cattle marketing, cattle health and vaccinations, pasture and forage management, economical nutrition, farm business planning, reproduction, calving, and aging cows.
