DATES TO REMEMBER:
April 18 Louisiana Braford Breeders Sale, Wilkerson Barn, Sweet Lake, LA, 1:00 p.m. Consigners are sought
May 16 Louisiana Brahman Field Day, Sam Duplantis’ Farm
OLD HERBICIDES, NEW NAMES, CHEAPER PRICES:
Several of our most widely used pasture herbicides’ patents have expired. This should be good news for cattle and hay producers as it allows any company to manufacture these chemicals and the competition should reduce the cost.
Grazon P + D is one of the most widely used pasture herbicide because of effectiveness in controlling broadleaf weeds and price. It will now be sold as Trooper P + D, a Nufarm Chemical Company product and Picloram + D by Alligare.
Remedy which is especially effective on woody plants will be sold as Triclopyr 4 EC by Alligare and Tahoe 3E by Nufarm.
Plateau, which had been used in hay meadows before it became unavailable, is especially good on most annual grass weeds and vaseygrass among others. The active ingredient is imazapic and it will be available as Imazapic E by Nufarm, Panoramic by Alligare and Impose by Manna.
These examples of new products are by no means a complete listing but it gives you some examples to talk to your dealer about. The formulations, percent active ingredients, should be the same as the original but always compare the amounts of active ingredient to make sure the price is truly cheaper.
There has been some talk that Grazon P + D is going off the market. This is true in some parts of the country, but not in south Louisiana. Dealers are marketing a product called Grazon Next as the replacement for the original. This produce contains aminopyralid plus 2,4-D. Aminopyralid has been less than impressive in tests conducted by LSU. Stick with Grazon P + D or one of the generic versions as it is still legal in southwest Louisiana.
If you have any questions about these new products or if you need assistance with pasture weed control please e-mail Andrew Granger or my phone number is 898-4335.
TRICHOMONIASIS:
Due to recent outbreaks in Texas and Calcasieu Parish there has been much interest in this venereal disease of cattle. Economic losses are due to open cows, repeat breeding and longer calving intervals. Infected herds have smaller and less uniform calf crops and increased culling rates.
The disease is caused by a protozoa that is extremely sensitive to drying and heat. The organism must live in the cow or bull to survive and is transmitted only by breeding. Infected bulls have no symptoms. The organism is found only on the penis and membranes inside the sheath. The penis and sheath have folds in their linings and these folds provide the sites where the organism lives. Because these folds become deeper as the bull ages, older bulls are more likely to become infected and stay infected for life. In females the organism grows in the vagina, uterus and oviducts. The disease does not prevent pregnancy but the inflamed uterus causes early termination of the pregnancy. Inflammation of the female’s reproductive tract lasts 50 to 60 days. The cow clears the infection at this time and will re-breed. The resulting immunity to the disease is short lived and if the infection is still present in the bulls the cow can be re-infected.
Infection of a herd can occur with the addition of an infected female; however, it is usually the result of the introduction of a non virgin bull. If Trich is suspected all bulls should be tested. Bulls should have two weeks of sexual rest before testing. Diagnosis is made by microscopic identification of the organism, Tritrichomonas foetus, in the sample taken from the bull’s sheath. A single test is about 90% accurate; however, testing a bull three weeks in a row results in 99% accuracy.
There is no approved, effective treatment of trichomoniasis in cows or bulls. Prevention or containment need to be used to deal with Trich.
To prevent the disease, female additions should be virgin. If pairs or bred cows are purchased they should be from areas in which Trich has not been found and from reputable breeders who attest to the disease status of their herds. Purchase only virgin bulls or bulls that test negative for three consecutive weeks.
If a herd is infected with Trich you should test all herd bulls and sell all positive bulls to slaughter. Cull all open or late calving cows. Late calving cows are more likely to be long term carriers. Implementation of a 90 day or shorter breeding season and pregnancy checking is important for the control of Trich. A vaccine is available; however, it will not clear a herd of infection. Vaccines show effectiveness in females but not bulls. Vaccines limit the duration of infection and result in more pregnancies being carried to term. Vaccination should be considered only when bulls cannot be tested or removed and when other prevention or control measures cannot be employed.
If you have questions about Trichomoniasis or need assistance with herd health programs give me a call at 898-4335 or e-mail Andrew Granger.
MARKET UPDATE:
Continued good news for U.S. beef exports as January 2009 exports were up slightly from January 2008 with the value of those exports up 4%. Exports (and value of exports) did decrease from December to January due to a sluggish world economy. Broiler exports also remained strong showing a 33% increase from January 2008 to January 2009 and an increase of 18% month to month.
Earlier today, the March Cattle on Feed report was released:
Cattle on Feed report summary:
Pre-Report Estimates
1,000 head % of 2008 Avg. Range
Placed in February 1,678 97.4 101.3 94.0 – 106.5
Marketed in February 1,682 94.7 94.7 91.5 – 96.0
On Feed March 1 11,228 94.7 95.3 94.1 – 96.1
The report was pretty much in line with industry expectations, but the February placements may raise a few eyebrows. Although this number was within the range of industry guesses, the fact it was on the low end of expectations may help provide a floor for fed cattle prices as the supply of available cattle continues to shrink. Demand is an issue, but retail sales have been kept the protein industry from being in worse shape as consumer shop at their local retail counters as opposed to restaurants.
Cash cattle trade finished in the $80 to $81 range for live cattle and dressed prices were $130. Trading was inactive this week until Thursday in Nebraska. Live cash prices improved this week to finish at $83 in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado. Kansas dressed prices were $131 compared to $133 in Nebraska. Trading was listed as light in Texas, but with good demand; trading today was light in all other areas.
Boxed beef cutout values fell again slightly this week. Choice cutouts averaged $134.35 with select cutouts averaging $133.93. The choice select spread has fallen the past three weeks from $1.57 to $0.42 this week.
Compared to last week’s sales in Louisiana, slaughter cows and bulls sold $1-$3 higher. Feeder steers sold steady to $5 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to $4 higher. All prices per cwt unless noted. Receipts for the week were 40% down from last week and 32% down from last year.
CATTLE PRECONDITIONING: FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE IMPACT OF PARASITE INFESTATION:
There are animal, environmental and management techniques that affect the impact of internal parasite infestation on cattle. These include: age, climate, stocking rate, nutritional status of the cattle and grazing behavior.
Age of the Animals. Adult cows and bulls develop a resistance to internal parasites and a positive result from deworming is most likely seen with _thin _ animals grazing short pastures. However, dewormed adults will pass fewer worm eggs in their manure making parasite transmission to younger animals less of a problem. Grazing cattle that range from 3 months to 1½ to 2 years of age will nearly always show a positive response to deworming. Calves under 3 months of age have not been grazing long enough to develop an internal parasite problem.
Climate and Season. Internal parasites are spread by worm eggs which are passed in the manure and hatch into larvae. These larvae climb up blades of grass where they are consumed by cattle. Once inside the animal, they mature to egg-laying adults. This entire life cycle can be completed in as little as 3 weeks. Hatching of the eggs and development of immature worms occur best below 85° F. Freezing temperatures prevent eggs from hatching, but have little effect on immature worms. Parasite transmission is highest in the spring and fall, reduced in the winter in colder areas and very low in dry summer months in the South.
Stocking Rate. The more cattle grazing an area, the more likely cattle are to graze near fecal piles. This grass is more likely to harbor immature worms. Overstocked pasture will have shorter, average grass length concentrating immature worms and increasing the number eaten with each mouthful of grass.
Nutrition and Body Condition Score. Thin, poorly nourished animals cannot afford to share nutrients with worms or have a decreased appetite. Well nourished adult animals in good body condition with adequate nutrient availability may be able to perform well without deworming.
Grazing Behavior. Cattle pick up immature worms near a pile of manure and this is most likely to happen when cattle are grazing or eating feed spread on the ground. Parasite transmission is not likely when cattle are fed hay in feeders or grain in feed bunks.
In summary, worms are most likely to be a problem in _thin _ grazing calves on overstocked pasture in the spring and fall. Most producers assume that internal parasites are a problem and no attempt is made at diagnosis. However, microscopic examination of fresh manure from several animals in the herd, can be used to determine which parasites and the approximate numbers present. These tests are inexpensive and can be helpful in selecting the correct dewormer and deciding when to deworm.
Source: James B. Neel, Professor of Animal Science; Gene Burgess, Professor, Plant Pathology and Entomology and Fred Hopkins, Professor, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee
BACK TO BASICS – KNOWING WHAT TRAITS ARE ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FOR COW-CALF PRODUCERS:
Sid Derouen, Professor, LSU AgCenter Hill Farm Research Station
Over the last several years there has been an increased emphasis in the beef industry on the end product that we produce such as meat quality, meat tenderness, lean meat yield and other carcass traits. As a result of this focus on these particular traits along with the advent of carcass EPDs (expected progeny differences), commercial cow-calf producers have likewise placed a greater emphasis on these traits in their breeding programs.
While it is important to produce a beef product that is acceptable and desired by consumers, cow-calf producers need to not lose focus of what traits are most economically important. Numerous studies and economic analyses have been consistent over the years in prioritizing the most critical traits based on economic worth. The following are the three most economically important traits for cow-calf producers:
Reproductive rate
Maternal ability
Weaning weight
By far the most economically significant trait is reproductive rate or percent calf crop. A cow herd that possesses high fertility under the environment it is producing in will usually be productive. Planned crossbreeding is the best means to effectively improve percent calf crop because reproductive traits are lowly heritable. Through the exploitation of heterosis as a result of crossbreeding, the crossbred cow should be a more fertile female. Additionally, the crossbred cow will stay productive longer in the herd.
Maternal performance which includes calf survivability (mothering ability) and milk yield is the second most important trait. Again, planned crossbreeding will most effectively improve maternal performance, particularly with regards to calf survivability. Lastly, weaning weight, which is a function of calf growth due to both genetics and milking ability of the dam, is the third most important trait. Progress can be achieved by selection for this trait because this is a moderately heritable trait. This is why terminal sires, which are noted for growth, are used extensively in the commercial cow-calf business. As a cow-calf producer, knowledge of what traits will most influence your pocket book should go a long way in achieving success for your business.
Sincerely,
Andrew Granger
County Agent
Vermilion Parish
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