LIVE. AND LEARN.
BARTON, LAWRENCE, JASPER, MCDONALD & NEWTON
May 2014
In this issue:
Get the greatest value from your spring grass hay crop
Spring grass hay crop
1
Sheep and goat sites
2
Missouri Century Farm
2
Grasshoppers
3
Crowder Aggie event
4
Tips for Energy
5
What’s a credit score
6
Calendar of events
6
Bonus: Beef newsletter
Janet LaFon
Family Financial Education
Specialist
Courthouse
Carthage, MO 64836
[email protected]
(417) 358-2158
John Hobbs
Agriculture and Rural
Development Specialist
P.O. Box 336
Pineville, MO 64856
[email protected]
(417) 223-4775
Jill Scheidt
Agronomy Specialist also
Dr. Lydia Kaume
Nutrition Specialist
801 E. 12th Street
Lamar, MO 64759
[email protected]
[email protected]
(417) 682-3579
Dr. Jodie Pennington
SW Small Ruminant Educator
Lincoln University
Newton Co. Extension Center
601 Laclede Ave
Neosho, MO 64850
[email protected]
417-455-9500
Mark W. Jenner
Ag Business Specialist
Bates County
Courthouse, 1 N Delaware
Butler, MO 64730
660-679-4167
[email protected]
Mark Jenner, Ag Business Specialist
Missouri cattle prices are at an all-time high. Yet the last few years of high grain prices
have put pressure on grain farmers to tear out some fences and cultivate every available
acre. Crop acres are up and hay acres are down. High beef prices will put pressure back
on land owners to ensure we have enough grass acres to feed an expanding herd.
We can grow grass in Missouri. Missouri grass successfully feeds both a thriving cow-calf
industry and the grazing dairy industry. Cool season grasses grow in the cooler spring and
early summer, as well as, in the early fall of the year. New spring growth has a high forage
quality.
Many grass producers wait until July to cut hay, when the rains have tapered off and work
slows down. A single, July cutting will produce the most tonnage, but not the highest
quality hay. Cutting hay in May has a higher value in quality than the value of the larger
quantity of hay cut later. When it comes to managing your cool season, spring flush,
quality has more value than quantity.
Early harvested hay can have a Total Digestible Nutrient content or TDN of over 60%
while later hay can easily be below 50% TDN. When this hay is fed to the momma cow
next winter that is staying warm and nurturing a calf, small differences in digestibility
make a big difference in energy intake. The energy demands of this gestating cow are high
and her feed must be as energy-dense as possible, or she will pull extra energy from her
own, stored reserves.
As grass ages during the growing season it gets tougher and senesces. This is true whether
the grass is harvested as hay or is grazed. In fact, one of the reasons that intensive
rotational grazing works so well is that the forages are not allowed to get old and tough.
Intensively grazed paddocks keep the forage in a perpetual state of new regrowth.
Harvesting and feeding tough, low quality hay can work, but low quality hay must be offset
with expensive, high energy feed supplements. The economic trade-off here is one of
giving up the convenience of summertime hay-harvesting with a high-cost of winter hay
supplementation for more direct management of spring growth with lower winter feed
costs.
Some basic examples of the cost of hay supplementation have been developed by David
Hoffman, Regional Livestock Specialist in Cass County. Meeting the energy needs of a
gestating cow in a Missouri winter that is fed tough, low quality, late summer hay will cost
between 50 cents to a $1 per day in corn and soybean meal. Better, average quality hay
requires feed supplementation that costs about half that much per day. While the highest
quality hay we produce in Missouri can actually meet a gestating cow’s winter nutrient
requirements without additional supplementation.
continued on page 5
University of Missouri, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture
and Local Extension Councils Cooperating
equal opportunity/ADA institutions
For more specific information, check your state university
agriculture Extension web site. In Missouri, you can look at
Lincoln University (http://www.lincolnu.edu/web/
cooperative-extension publications or http://www.
lincolnu.edu/web/programs-and-projects/small-ruminantprogram). For the University of Missouri’s information on
sheep or goats, go to (http://extension.missouri.edu/main/
DisplayCategory.aspxC=179 and (http://extension.
missouri.edu/main/DisplayCategory.aspx?C=213). The
Langston University website for goats is http://www.
luresext.edu/goats/index.htm which has more extensive
information about goats than most university sites. Almost
all states have Extension or outreach pages for goats,
including some listed below.
Sources of information about sheep and goats
By: Jodie Pennington
There are extensive resources about small ruminants from
your local extension office and other government offices,
magazines, nearby neighbors, industry personnel such as
your feed dealer and veterinarian, and the Internet. Some of
the Internet sources are for sheep or goat information while
other sources pertain to both sheep and goats. Management
practices for sheep and goats are similar but not identical.
There are more differences in the management of goats
across herds than there are differences between the same
good management practices of sheep and goats.
It is critical that you visit other farms to see their
management if you are considering sheep or goat production
as a paying enterprise. Your local extension office can direct
you to other producers in your area that can provide
information concerning sheep and goat production. Goat
Rancher, Sheep, and Dairy Goat Journal are magazines that
offer much information to producers. Many other magazines
for small ruminants are also available, including breed
specific magazines/newsletters that are either in print or
available on the internet.
A website for market prices, primarily the USDA livestock price,
can be found at the following: http://www.ams.usda.gov/amsv1.0/
lsmarketnewsPageMOGoats. These sites list local, regional,
and national markets that are reported by government market
reporters. Cornell’s goat marketing information is at
http:www.sheepgoatmarketing.info. By-product commodity
prices are listed at http://agebb.missouri.edu/dairy/byprod/
bplist.asp.
Agricultural Marketing Research Center, a national
information resource for value-added agriculture, is an
outstanding resource for value-added agriculture and is
located at http:/www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/
livestock/goats/.
Most information on the Internet is very reliable and
available at no cost to you. The information is available
through search engines such as https://www.google.com/ and
https://www.yahoo.com/. Of course, you will find some
recommendations not consistent with most other
recommendations. Some of these recommendations might
be research-based, because not all research agrees. It is
important to critically review information as you surf the
Internet as not all information is unbiased. A significant
concern arises when Internet sources differ. Be especially
careful if information is one person’s opinion; it might not be
applicable in many environments but it may work on that
person’s farm.
There are many national sites that have educational facts and
marketing information. These include the American Dairy
Goat Association (ADGA) at http://www.adga.org/,
American Sheep Industry Association at http://www.
sheepusa.org/, National Pygmy Goat Association at http://
www.npga-pygmy.com/, and American Goat Society at
http://www.americangoatsociety.com/
Search for Missouri Century Farms……...
If your farm has been in your family since Dec. 31, 1914,
you can apply to have it recognized as a Missouri Century
Farm. To qualify, farms must meet the following guidelines:
The same family must have owned the farm for 100
consecutive years. The line of ownership from the original
settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren,
siblings, and nephews or nieces, including through marriage
or adoption. The farm must be at least 40 acres of the
original land acquisition and make a financial contribution to
the overall farm income. Call your local Extension office for
more details and an application.
Below are Internet sources that are very reliable. Even in this
list, there are some conflicting recommendations, but all
seem to be based on science and reason. Many other good
sites are on the Internet but are not shown here because of
space.
Two of the most popular websites for general information
concerning sheep and goats are the eXtension websites (at
http://www.extension.org/sheep and http://www.
extension.org/goat) and the University of Maryland small
ruminant page at http://www.sheepandgoat.com. The
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
(ATTRA web site is https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/livestock)
has selected publications available in Spanish and Hmong.
2
Grasshoppers – will they be a destructive problem this year?
By: John Hobbs
Last summer, grasshoppers staged a ‘spotty’ invasion in SW
Missouri when grasshoppers caused serious damage in some
areas and little damage in others. Even though we had a cool
and wet 2012 spring, grasshoppers were in abundance in
some communities and cause serious crop, pasture and
horticultural damage even eating siding on homes.
A few of the most common and effective predators of
grasshoppers include robber flies, spiders, and blister beetle
larvae (on egg pods). Perhaps the most effective and practical
natural enemy for use in yards and gardens is poultry,
especially guinea hens and turkeys. However, some poultry
may cause substantial injury to the garden. Even these
predators may be overwhelmed during outbreak years.
If we have an abundant hatch you will start noticing
grasshopper nymphs in early May to early June (sometimes
sooner). What should you be looking for? Young
grasshoppers (nymps) will be a miniature of the adult
grasshopper. Grasshoppers in the early instars are so small
that they are difficult to see and require observing close to
the ground. Scouting in waste area pastures is important to
determine if you have an overabundant hatch of hoppers.
Outbreaks often were correlated with drought, particularly
dry periods that persisted for two years or longer, but can
occur in cool, moist years.
A common parasite of grasshoppers and crickets is the horsehair or gordian worm. These nematodes, up to 4 inches in
length, become more numerous in outbreak years, but their
life cycle requires water, limiting their effectiveness in dry
areas. Another predator is a small red parasitic mite that can
lodge itself under the grasshopper wings. These mites may
stress the grasshoppers, resulting in fewer eggs or a shorter
lifespan, but they are not likely to dramatically affect current
populations.
Several diseases can impact grasshopper populations. A
fungal disease caused by Entomophthora grylii may be the
most noticeable. It causes infected, dying grasshoppers to
crawl to the tops of grasses where they wrap their legs around
the grass stem and die. Impacts from this disease are often
not seen until late in the season.
Whether an area has a serious problem usually depends on
three factors: weather, natural enemies and food.
Weather: Consecutive years of hot, dry summers and warm,
dry autumns favor grasshopper survival and reproduction.
Warm, dry fall weather allows grasshoppers more time to
feed and lay eggs. Nymphs must start feeding within one day
after egg hatch and usually feed on the same plants as the
adult. Because of limited fat reserves, young nymphs are
vulnerable to adverse weather just after hatching. Extended
cool temperatures (less than 65°F) and rainy weather
during this early hatching period can result in starvation
of the young nymphs. Grasshopper nymphs go through five
instars, or stages of development. After each instar, they shed
their cuticle (skin) and grow larger. Grasshopper nymphs
normally reach the adult stage in five to six weeks. Adult
grasshoppers, the only stage to have wings, readily move out
of hatching areas and begin egg laying one to two weeks
after becoming adults. Adults live two to three months,
depending on the weather. All developmental stages are
influenced by temperature, and grasshopper growth can be
advanced or retarded by favorable or unfavorable
temperatures.
Spores of the protozoan Nosema locustae are commercially
available as a formulation on bran bait (called Semaspore,
Nolo-Bait). The spores must be applied against small
grasshoppers (3rd to 4th instar) in and near the hatching areas
to be effective. This disease will act slowly and may take an
entire season to reduce populations. It will have minimal
impact on later instars or adult grasshoppers that move into
yards or gardens.
Food: Eliminating weeds will starve young hoppers and later
discourage adults from laying eggs in the area. However,
destroying weeds infested with large numbers of
grasshoppers can force the hungry grasshoppers to move to
nearby crops or landscapes. Control the grasshoppers in the
weedy area first with insecticides or be ready to protect
nearby crops if they become infested. Grasshoppers deposit
their eggs in undisturbed soil, as in fallow fields, road banks,
and fence rows. Shallow tillage of the soil in late summer
may be of some benefit in discouraging egg production.
Natural Enemies: There are several natural enemies of
grasshoppers, and while some of these become more
numerous when outbreak populations occur, they are not
likely to prevent populations from moving into yard and
garden areas. Natural enemies work in concert and their
overall effect will significantly impact seasonal populations.
Chemical control is often the best alternative for eliminating
heavy infestations of grasshoppers, so when can I use
insecticides? The younger the grasshoppers are; the easier
they are to control. Grasshoppers are susceptible to many
insecticides. However, insecticides typically do not persist
continued on page 4
3
Cattlemen invest in the future of Ag……
The gavel dropped for the 37th time on the same calf at the Joplin Regional Stockyards, Wednesday, April 2, 2014. No,
auctioneer Bailey Moore wasn’t making a mistake, in fact, he and others were instigators in this fundraising event for the
Crower College Aggies. The Newton County Cattlemen’s Association generously donated the 620 pound calf that was bought
and donated back multiple times until the 37th buyer finally bought the steer outright. Bids ranging in amounts from $25.00 to
$400.00. Along with buyers present, community supporters called in bids. The final bid on the steer calf was for the purchase
price of $2.02/cwt.
New Mac Electric, Neosho, Missouri also kindly donated a BBQ grill and Renter Spray Service donated a spray application to
be sold to the highest bidder. Additional support was given by the following corporate sponsors:
Joplin Regional Stockyards
Corner Stone Bank
Cass Steel
Community Bank & Trust
Animal Clinic of Diamond
Southwest Missouri Bank
State Farm Agent Fred Harris
Newton County Cattlemen’s Assoc.
New Mac Electric
Great Southern Bank
Al’s Gas
Thomas Accounting
Arvest Bank
Max Ruhl
B & M Tire
Over $7,700 was raised through the entire event and the check was presented to Jay Wilkins, sponsor and advisor for the
Crowder Aggies. The funds will be utilized to support students as they attend ag travel seminars to learn about agriculture
across the country, along with assisting their travel expenses to compete at local, state, and national contests, and to host
events such as Aggie Days for area high school students. Arrangements are being made with Joplin Regional Stockyards to
make the benefit auction an annual event. “ I was moved by the generosity of the Newton County Cattlemen’s Association and
the “buyers” who were so supportive of the future of agriculture in our community,” emphasized sophomore Crowder Ag
student, Jessica Schad from Monett, Missouri.
The Crowder College Aggies wish to thank all of the supporters who worked hard to make this fund raising event a huge
success.
continued from page 3
more than a few days and grasshoppers may soon re-invade the treated area. The length of control will depend on the use rate
and residual activity of the insecticides and the frequency of retreatment. Controlling grasshoppers over a large area will reduce
the numbers present which can re-infest a treated area.
I have listed some insecticides for controlling grasshoppers in the home landscape and/or gardens. (Refer to the label for where
product can be used (landscape, vegetables, fruit trees, pastures, etc.). Cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, permethrin, cyhalothrin and
carbaryl are some of the active ingredients that control grasshoppers and that are formulated and packaged for homeowner
use. Look for one of these insecticides listed in the active ingredients on the product label. Read the label carefully to
determine if the site you wish to treat (vegetable garden, fruit trees, etc.) is listed on the label as an approved site.
SITE: Row Crops or Grass Pastures - GRASSHOPPERS
Comments: Control grasshoppers when they are small by applying spot treatments to hatching sites or in grass pastures.
Treatment in these areas is justified when grasshopper numbers reach or exceed 7 grasshoppers per square yard.
Common name
Trade name
Rate of Formulated
Material/Acre
Placement
Pre-Harvest Interval Days
zeta-cypermethrin
*Mustang Max
3.2 to 4.0 fl oz
Broadcast
0(forage, hay), 17(straw)
carbaryl
Sevin XLR Plus
1 to 4 pt
Broadcast
14(harvest or grazing)
lambdacyhalothrin +
chlorantraniliprole
*Voliam xpress
6.0 to 9.0 fl oz
Broadcast
0(harvest or graze)
lambdacyhalothrin
*Warrior II
1.28 to 1.92 fl oz
Broadcast
0(grazing or forage) 7(hay)
*Designates a restricted-use pesticide. Use is restricted to certified applicators only. Regardless of the formulation selected,
read the label to determine appropriated insecticide rates, directions, precautions, and restrictions.
4

TIPs to keeping our energy levels high
By: Lydia Kaume
We all often feel fatigued early in the day and lacking in
energy to accomplish our daily tasks. Here are some proven
tips to boosting that energy. These tips considered as a whole
and practiced in combinations have the potential to reduce
stress and increase energy in most individuals.

Eating according to the recommended eating plan. Our
bodies need adequate nutrients for optimal performance.



References
Reissig CJ, Strain EC, Griffiths RR. Caffeinated energy
drinks—a growing problem. Drug and Alcohol
Depend 2009;99:1–10.
A large meal or foods high in fat may make you feel
drowsy or groggy
Eating some protein at each meal or snack will give you
longer lasting energy vs just eating a high carbohydrate
meal such as pasta, bread or sweets.
Include fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains in
meals
continued from page 1
Get plenty of sleep. When our body gets the rest it needs,
we’re less likely to feel drowsy during the day. While
individual needs vary, most adults need seven to eight hours
of sleep each night. You will feel more alert and concentrate
better with adequate sleep.
Travis Harper, Regional Agronomy Specialist in Henry
County uses five years of local weather data to illustrate just
how difficult it can be to cut hay and get it bailed during a
Western Missouri spring. It rains often and there are real
risks of baling rained-on hay. But he can also show that the
lower quality of rained-on spring hay can still be higher than
the quality of late summer hay that hasn’t been rained-on.
Drink water to stay hydrated. Dehydration will make you
feel tired and it is dangerous for your health. Aim at drinking
8 or more glasses of water daily.
Some Missouri grass growers have had success grazing their
hay fields in May and then haying them later in the summer
when it is more convenient. This allows the grazing cattle to
benefit from the high quality spring growth and delays the
development of tougher, older, low quality hay. When the
newer, regrowth hay is cut later in the summer it will also
have higher digestibility. By grazing it early and haying
later, feed quality will have remained high throughout the
season.
Move it. If we feel tired while studying or working, take a
quick 10-minute walk or do some exercises to make you more
alert by increasing blood flow to all parts of your body.
Regular physical activity will also improve your energy level.
Children need 60 minutes of physical activity each day and
adults need at least 30 minutes.
Drink coffee and/or tea in moderation. Coffee and tea both
contain caffeine. Try having just one 8-ounce cup and see if
your body really needs more caffeine.
The take home message here is that harvesting, higher
quality, newer-growth hay is a greater economic investment
than cutting lower-quality, summer cut hay.
Cutting back on caffeine slowly. If we find ourselves
dependent on highly caffeinated drinks, reducing
consumption slowly may be helpful to improving overall rest
and relaxation. Taking caffeine completely out of your
routine can result in withdrawal symptoms that include
headaches, body aches, and depressive symptoms.
Avoiding energy drinks. Beverages marketed as energy
drinks intended to boost physical energy or mental alertness
are a source of caffeine and contain the caffeine equivalent of
1–3 cups of coffee or cans of soda.

These drinks may also contain other ingredients such as
herbal substances, amino acids, sugars, and sugar
derivatives; however, caffeine is the main active
ingredient.
If taking energy drinks, be aware that they may contain
herbal ingredients such as ginseng and ginkgo biloba
which are known to interfere with proper drug action of
certain medications such as insulin, oral hypoglycemic
agents, blood thinners, and diuretics. Such interactions
can cause severe health problems.
People with high blood pressure or heart disease should
avoid energy drinks because they could affect their blood
pressure and, may even alter the effectiveness of their
medications.
5

What’s a credit score?
By: Janet LaFon
Last month, I shared information on how to get a free copy of
your credit report. Creditors use this information to help them
to figure out if you are a good or poor risk for paying money
back and whether or not your payments will be on time.
Another piece of information that is often used by creditors to
decide if they will loan you money and how much interest to
charge is a credit score.
It’s important to remember that your credit score is not the
only information a creditor will use to decide whether to give
you credit. The creditor makes a judgment based on your
credit score, but may also use his or her institution’s internal
scoring system to evaluate other factors found on your credit
application and in your credit report.
Your credit score is found with your credit report.
Unfortunately, the free annual credit reports mentioned last
month do not include the credit score unless you pay a fee for
the score. Your credit score is viewed as a summary of the
credit information found in your file. Information is weighted
differently based on how important it is in predicting whether
you will be a good credit risk.
Mark your calendar for May 13th:
Newton County Cattlemen’s will hold their monthly meeting
at Crowder College, Neosho, Mo, on Tuesday, May 13th in
the Wright Conference Center at 6:00 pm. The program will
be on the Right to Farm Amendment presented by Missouri
State Representative Bill Reiboldt and others. Dinner will be
sponsored by the Joplin Regional Stockyards at no charge.
Please RSVP to Karen Fink at [email protected] or
417-455-5720 by May 6th as there will be limited seating.
One of the most common credit scores used is one generated
by a software program developed by the Fair Isaac
Corporation called your FICO® score. FICO® scores range
from 300 to 850, with the higher number being the more
desirable. Over one third of your score comes from how you
have paid your bills in the past — on time, late or not at all.
There is no single “cutoff score” used by all, or even most,
creditors. As mentioned earlier, your credit score is often
used to determine your interest rate, and also what you will
pay for insurance. Typically, higher credit scores mean lower
annual percentage rates (APRs) and lower insurance
premiums. If your score is not as high as you would like, here
are some ways to bring up your credit score.




Request any good credit history be added to your credit
report. Sometimes student loans and other debt are not
reported to all three national credit consumer reporting
agencies. You can ask the creditor to report the
information or you can write credit consumer reporting
agencies directly and give them the information about the
account and ask them to add this information to your
credit file.
Other events of interest
Southwest Region
Pay your bills on time. Late payments, delinquent
payments and bills that have been sent to collections will
pull your score down.
Bring credit balances down. Having a high amount of
debt pulls your score down. This is especially true of debt
on credit cards and other types of revolving credit.
Be cautious when closing old accounts or unused
accounts. Closing an old account in good standing may
actually hurt your score. When you decrease your
average account age by closing old accounts, you may
actually lower your score.
Requesting your own credit report will not have a
negative effect on your score. Do not hesitate to order
your own credit report thinking that this can lower your
credit score.
6
May 21-23
Grazing School at SW Center, Mt.
Vernon (417) 466-7682 ext. 3
June 3-5
Newton & McDonald County Grazing
School- (417) 223-4775
Sept. 11
SW Center Ag Education Day
Sept. 12
SW Center Field Day
Eldon Cole, Livestock Specialist, P.O. Box 388, Mt. Vernon, MO 65712
April 20, 2014
(417) 466-3102 or [email protected] or http://muextension.missouri.edu/lawrence
ALFALFA IN THE OZARKS
Southwest Missouri used to have a good reputation as a
volume producer of alfalfa forage. Two things have
changed that image. First, the alfalfa weevil hit the area
hard in the 60’s and since then a number of alfalfa growers
said there was too much spraying with pesticides so they
settled on lower maintenance crops.
As the dairy industry has down-sized, so has alfalfa
production. The “Queen of Forages” however still is one of
the most valuable crops in Missouri according to the crop
and livestock budgets compiled by University of Missouri
Extension economists. For 2014 they place a per acre
return over total costs on alfalfa hay at $271. Corn is -$9.78
and soybeans are $47.23.
Sure, alfalfa production requires work, herbicide,
insecticide and equipment investment if you do it right, but
it’s hard to beat as hay, haylage or pasture. For years the
“myth” was alfalfa was too expensive to feed to beef cattle.
I don’t feel that applies today.
I believe I can find several other supplements that might be
too expensive for beef operations but you, as a producer
have embraced them. Over the years, I have stated that as
we’ve searched for the magic, silver bullet to combat fescue
toxicosis there’s probably nothing that’s any more effective
than a few pounds of alfalfa hay.
Tim Schnakenberg, our extension agronomist has put
together a nice late afternoon/evening alfalfa production and
utilization event at Glenn & Toni Obermanns, Monett for
April 22 beginning at 4:30 pm. There will be a meal
following the field visit at Freistatt. The cut-off for
reservations to the meal is April 14, but anyone is still
welcome to come for the show and tell time. The program
just might stimulate some of you to give alfalfa another
chance in your crop rotation.
The Obermann Farm from Hwy 60 is east of Monett, take
Lawrence County Road, 1100 north 4.5 miles to the farm.
From Freistatt take, Lawrence County Road 2180 east 1
mile then south on 1100, 2.5 miles. Watch for signs.
SHOW-ME-SELECT SALE
Another calendar date is May 16. That’s our 30th ShowMe-Select bred heifer sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards.
Sale time is 7 pm for the 265 crossbred and purebred
heifers. Most will calve in September and October. Most
of the consignors have been in previous sales.
These heifers do not come with a lifetime guarantee. Yes,
the consignors do guarantee they’ll remain bred for 30 days
after the sale. They’ve been tested for BVD-PI, vaccinated
against various viral and bacterial conditions and bred to
approved calving ease bulls., They were measured for
pelvic area prior to breeding and met the minimum
standard, 150 square centimeters at 13 to 15 months or 180
sq. cm at 18 months.
The heifers have been observed by extension and Missouri
Department of Agriculture personnel at various times.
Heifers not deemed as suitable for the sale due to muscling,
body condition, frame size, weight, temperament and any
blemishes they carry will not sell.
Cattle prices are at record highs for just about any class so I
anticipate these heifers will also set a new high. Over the
history of the southwest Missouri SMS sales it takes about
the value of two, 550 pound, medium and large frame no. 1
muscle steers to buy the average SMS heifer.
MORE ABOUT SMS HEIFERS
I spoke recently to an audience of folks at an artificial
insemination company’s meeting. My topic was the SMS
program. After going over the process of explaining the
program that adds value to heifers, I asked why this great
added-value program didn’t have more producer
participants.
One man immediately responded, “it’s too much work.”
That, in a nutshell, seems to be what I hear frequently. It’s
about what I also hear on alfalfa hay production. The
buyers of SMS heifers probably realize the cost of raising a
heifer from weaning until second or third stage of
pregnancy and that’s why they’re willing to pay higher
prices for quality heifers.
I’d be glad to help those who are willing to put forth the
effort to develop heifers for the SMS program. I alert you it
does require quality heifers, a thorough health program,
probably at least 4 visits by a veterinarian, record keeping
and the desire to be a marketer of seedstock. It is as good
an added-value program for heifers as I know of. The
University of Missouri System, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ADA INSTITUTIONS
market will be very appealing for bred heifers in the
foreseeable future.
apply the data to your herd to alter the performance of your
program. Watch for details as everyone is welcome.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION
I just read in a BEEF email letter the results of a survey
taken recently. The question was, “What is your primary
source for beef production information?” Topping the list
was print and internet farm magazines. Fifty-one percent
made that reply. In second place with a 28% response was
Extension. The general internet received 14%, TV and
Radio was at 3%, other drew 4% with veterinarians and
consultant drawing 1%.
Deadline for entering the next feedout is May 10.
By the way, where does the magazine and internet
information comes from? Maybe Land Grant college
personnel.
SMITH-LEVER CELEBRATION
Extension services across the United States are celebrating
in 2014 the signing of the Smith-Lever Act on May 8, 1914.
That signing enabled extension service to become a reality
to convey research information from Land Grant institutions
to citizens of the nation.
Extension is proud to celebrate its 100th anniversary and we
feel we’re still relevant for agriculture questions and many
other questions that require an unbiased, research-based
answer. If you feel likewise put in a good word for how
you use and respect extension with our commissioners,
legislators, congressmen and anyone who is influential
when it comes to funding extension efforts.
Have you hugged your extension faculty lately? This year
would be a good time to do it, but don’t hug me as I’m not a
hugger!
FEEDOUT REPORT
I went to Gregory Feedlot in Iowa two weeks ago to help in
the weighing and sorting of this year’s Missouri Feedout
steers. It’s been a cold, dry winter up there but our cattle
have done better than in the past. There are 13 owners of
the steers and after 147 days on feed the range in overall
daily gain went from a low of 2.93 pounds to a best of 4.12
pounds. After the sort was made based on degree of finish
(fat), weight and current rate of gain they had 66 head out of
111 that were scheduled to visit Tyson’s Plant in Dennison,
Iowa on April 8. There, individual carcass data will be
gathered.
The remaining steers will be fed another 5 weeks and the lot
will be emptied at that time. A complete, individual
summary sheet will be compiled by the Iowa Tri-County
Steer Carcass Futurity folks so the participants can see how
their cattle compare across the industry.
We will hold a Feedout Finale in early to mid-June to
review the performance of these cattle and discuss how to
BSE RESULTS
You may already have seen the results of the 170 head of
bulls the veterinarians examined at our breeding soundness
exam clinics. The results showed 13.5% of the bulls would
not be satisfactory breeders. This is slightly higher than we
usually find. I’ve heard some BSE’s resulting in much
higher failures. Before you turn your bulls out you would
be wise to schedule a BSE for them otherwise you might be
turning out a less than satisfactory bull.
The BSE’s do not reveal a bull’s libido and breeding skills
so take some time to see if he can actually breed a cow if
he’s a young, unproven bull. To do this, it’s best to isolate
him with a female in heat and watch closely. If you hope to
catch him breeding in the pasture you may wait a long time.
BULL SALE RESULTS
The Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement
Association’s spring sale on March 31 averaged $4389 on
37 head. The top of the evening was $6800 with both of the
prices being new highs for the sale which began in 1973.
USING EPDs
When you hear the term expected progeny difference (EPD)
what comes to mind? Calving ease and/or birth weight is
probably your first thought. Then weaning weight might
follow along with docility. Yes, docility or temperament is
getting a lot of interest as cattle producers are tiring of highheaded, nervous, fence-crashers.
Unfortunately, not all breeds have a docility EPD but if
your breed does, study it. The Angus breed describes their
docility (DOC) as the difference in yearling cattle
temperament with a higher value indicating more favorable
docility. If docility isn’t a problem in your herd, DOC
EPDs might not interest you. Rather than worry about
specific DOC values you might choose to check out the
percentile rank tables and select bulls in the top rankings.
Currently, the Angus Sire Evaluation Report shows the
current sire DOC average to be 10. The top 1% is +32 and
up while the 100% is -34.
Simmental and Limousin do have a docility EPD. The EPD
is based on a breeder’s subjective scoring on yearling cattle.
The Iowa folks temperament score all the steers in the
futurity at least 3 times as they go through the chute.