This is Jaime Albers, graphic designer for the Angus Journal, with the February 28, 2023, update from the AJ Daily. Today’s update contains an opportunity to listen to the newest episode of the Angus Conversation on adaptability, suggestions on how to prepare for cold-weather calving, comments from the National Farmers Union and American Farm Bureau Federation’s presidents’ testimony to the House Ag Committee, and highlights from a report of cattle-on-feed numbers.
Cattle That Work Best for Where You Raise Them: Bennett, Henderson Talk Adaptability
Adapted from a release by Miranda Reiman, Angus Media
It’s a fact, not all Angus cattle work everywhere. Yet, cattlemen in tough environments across the country are breeding cattle that work well, even with Mother Nature’s challenges.
Paul Bennett, Knoll Crest Farm, Red House, Virginia, says, “If we have high expectations of our cow herd to perform in an efficient and regular manner, then we're going to identify the cattle that have adaptability, because they're the ones that are going to calve early, breed early, rebreed early, raise a calf that's big enough, and then stay in the cow herds.”
He and James Henderson, Bradley 3 Ranch near Childress, Texas, recently joined The Angus Conversation to talk about their experiences in crafting a cow herd fit for anything from drought to fescue.
He said, “Our cows are all in two-section pastures and they’ve got to cover a lot of country. Bulls have got to cover country to get cows bred. But they also have to adapt very quickly, because our rainfall is not only short but sporadic.”
A quantity issue is made even more difficult by a quality issue.
Henderson added, “We have very high sulfates and nitrates in the water. Moving cattle into our environment and especially the summertime, a lot of times we’ll lose the cattle because they just flat won’t drink it.”
Henderson said for his tough environment, he has customers that have it even tougher, so his breeding program must be solid.
To learn how these Angus producers adapt their herds, challenges their customers deal with and how they market bulls for both “right now” and long-term success, search for The Angus Conversation on any major podcasts platform, or follow this link. To read more or to listen, go to angusjournal.net.
Prepare for Cold-weather Calving
Adapted from an article by Elizabeth Cronin, North Dakota State University
The winter of 2022-23 has already been challenging for ranchers. The amount of snow and ice on roads and farmyards has challenged management for feeding and caring for animals. With the ground not entirely frozen due to the insulation effect of early snows, many ranchers are set up for wet, muddy and unsanitary conditions for calving.
North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian Gerald Stokka says, “Because of our unusual amount of snow, animal health is also a concern this winter. For cattle operations that begin calving during this time, cows must have access to some type of confinement facility with the capability to provide bedding. Newborn calves will need space inside a bedded barn or shed, or cows with newborn calves will need to be moved to confined-space facilities.”
To read more, go to angusbeefbulletin.com/extra and select the health and nutrition tab.
National Farmers Union President Provides Testimony to House Ag Committee for Hearing
Adapted from a release by Ross Hettervig, National Farmers Union
National Farmers Union President Rob Larew on Feb. 28 testified before the United States House Committee on Agriculture for a hearing titled “Uncertainty, Inflation, Regulations: Challenges for American Agriculture.”
In his testimony, Larew addressed the themes of the hearing.
On inflation:
Larew said, “Family farmers and ranchers are particularly vulnerable to the effects of inflation. Supply chain disruptions have set the stage for rising costs for farmers and ranchers. These inflationary pressures are intensified by a lack of market competition in the food system.”
On uncertainty:
Larew said, “One of the greatest sources of uncertainty farmers face is climate change. We’re on the front lines of climate change, with shifting weather patterns and increasingly severe weather events making farming more unpredictable and difficult.”
For more information, go to nfu.org.
President of the American Farm Bureau Federation Testimony to the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture
Adapted from a release by the American Farm Bureau Federation
Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation, said:
“Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Scott, and other members of the committee, I want to begin by thanking you for what you do for America’s farmers and ranchers.
“A country that cannot feed its people is not secure, so the strong farm policy that supports a strong food supply truly is part of a smart national security strategy.
“There are certainly plenty of challenges for American agriculture. From losses experienced in the trade war with China, to pandemic lockdowns and supply chain disruptions. Add to it the record-high supply costs, and you see how farmers and ranchers have faced unprecedented volatility in recent years.”
For more information, go to fb.org.
Cattle on Feed
Adapted from a release by Len Steiner, Steiner Consulting Group
Cattle on feed numbers were on point with pre-report estimates for marketings, but showed about a 1% difference from pre-reports on February 1 for on-feed numbers and placements for January.
All weight groups for placements were down relative to a year ago, which is unsurprising; the largest decline was 15 thousand head lower in the over 1,000 pounds, under 600 pounds, and 600-699 pounds weight categories.
Out of the number of cattle on feed, 4.2 million head have been on feed more than 120 days (placed before October), very close to the same number last year. Cattle on feed more than 90 days (placed before November) came in at 6.2 million head, and about 3.4% smaller than last year. The calculation of subtracting these two measures leaves us with 2 million head on feed between 90-120 days, a 6.5% decline from last year at this time.
For the full report, go to dailylivestockreport.com.
The AJ Daily is compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor for theAngus Journal. For more Angus news, visit angusjournal.net.