INFORMING COW-CALF, STOCKER AND FEEDYARD PRODUCERS
June | July 2025 VOL. 64 | ISSUE 4
FEEDING FOR THE FUTURE
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CALF NEWS The Face of the Cattle Industry June | July 2025 VOL. 64 ISSUE 4 Published bimonthly by B.J. Publishing Editor & Publisher Betty Jo Gigot | (620) 272-6862 National Account Manager Jessica Ebert | (785) 477-1941 Designer & Production Manager Tayler Durst | (402) 910-9012 Ad Accountant/Subscription Manager
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Trial lawyers are using an outlier report from a World Health Organization subagency to attack farmers and a safe weed fighting tool they’ve depended on for over fifty years. Without crop protection tools like glyphosate, food inflation in the U.S. could double. Think grocery prices are high now? Act now to support American farmers and keep foreign interests out of America’s farms and food supply. We can’t afford to wait.
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J une | July 2025 WHAT'S INSIDE
FEEDING FOR THE FUTURE
8 Economic Considerations for Extended Days on Feed 12 Sustainable Beef Opens in North Platte COVER STORIES
IN EVERY ISSUE
TSCRA Special Rangers recovered more then $7 million in stolen cattle and ranch property in 2024.
7 Gypsy Wagon 21 Why Do You Read CALF News ? 38 Chuteside Manner 39 CALF’s Featured Lady 40 Hot Off the Grill 41 Where’s the Really Exceptional Beef? 42 Events Calendar 42 Gatherings 42 Observations
32 Prime Points 33 All In 34 Rumblings From the Great White North 35 Beyond the Ranch Gate 36 Whitt & Wisdom CALF VOICES SPECIAL FEATURES 14 Be a Price Maker 16 TSCRA Convention 20 Only the Words Are Different 22 Keep Your Herd Healthy 24 Food for Thought 26 The Dollars and Sense in Silage Bagging 27 Norbrook Develops New Dewormer 28 Fortifying BRD Defense 29 Unknown Primal 31 Novonesis a New Beginning
43 Flatland Philosopher 43 Index of Advertisers 43 Trail’s End
On the Cover: The face of the industry at Kirkland Feedyard outside Vega, Texas. Photo courtesy Larry Stalcup
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GYPSY WAGON FROM OUR PUBLISHER
I f we were a daily newspaper, we wouldn’t be able to re- port all the news of the day these days. As a bi-monthly issue, by the time you get this June/July magazine, the issues will be different or solved or even more critical. It is truly a revolving world, if you will pardon a pun. The New World screwworm (NWS) fly is truly a serious concern and a moving target as you will read about in Larry Stalcup’s Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Convention article. He ended up rewriting his piece as the U.S.-Mexico border closed yet again to livestock imports after his first draft. One thing that makes this different is that the concern covers all warm-blooded animals with an open wound, including humans. Results of the larvae burrowing into the flesh can cause serious or fatal damage. As the threat moves northward across Mex- ico, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is strongly pushing for construction of a sterile NWS production facility in the United States. Releasing sterile NWS helped eradicate the insects in the 1960s. Much more to come on this issue. Also top of the list is the effects of tariffs, positive or neg- ative, on the industry. The announcement of agreements with the United Kingdom was lauded as the first of many. The question for beef producers will not be the numbers involved as much as the trade barriers that have been used in Europe forever. The first comment from most travelers to Europe is the beef on the menu overseas; it’s a totally different eating experience. There is nothing like a grain- fed steak from the United States to showcase the differ- ence. Let’s hope we get to send lots of that beef over there. As usual, the national press does a half-way job about reporting on issues. The difference in export vs. imports with Australia is a good example. If we did not get lean beef from Australia, we would have half the amount of hamburger to sell because we do not produce enough here to mix with our ground product, and the Australians do not need our grain-fed beef. They produce their own very good product. Definitely a plus in the news is renewed legislation at- tempts addressing the death tax issue. As we all know, es- tate taxes can be a death warrant for family businesses, and NCBA and other agriculture organizations have sought its demise for years. Maybe, this time it will be passed. Ours should be allowed to be a generational business. That’s who we are.
As an issue of CALF News goes through production, it often takes on its own personality. The feature writers tell me what topics they think are important. The columnists report what is top of mind, and our advertisers plan on you stopping for a moment to consider their products. Each issue for me is a new baby, some I like better than others, and the nice part for me is that it is not like mopping a floor or getting the feed trucks serviced. It gets finished and we all start work on the next issue. This issue is a perfect example of the diversity in our industry. When it came together, we didn’t even know what the overarching topic would be. Along with coverage of industry meetings, the opening of a Nebraska packing plant, and an Aussie’s view of our industry, Jim Whitt takes us through the history of tariffs, Chris McClure boils down AI, and James Coope and Kristen Mackey make beef a family affair. We also continue to report on the advance- ments we saw from companies at CattleCon. The cattle complex is an exciting and vibrant industry, and we are extremely proud to be a part of it. Enjoy your summer. Betty Jo Gigot
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By Burt Rutherford | Contributing Editor ADDING DAYS ON FEED PAST INDUSTRY AVERAGE COMES WITH ECONOMIC RISK ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR EXTENDED DAYS ON FEED
I t’s a decision as old as cattle feeding itself – “If I hold ‘em, will the market get better?” Even in today’s era of longer days on feed, that decision still has a place in feedyard management. That’s what an economic model developed by a team of researchers at Kansas State University and Merck Animal Health discovered. The model looks at the risks associat- ed with longer days on feed, according to Lucas Horton, Ph.D., who presented the data during a Merck Animal Health seminar prior to the spring meeting of the Plains Nutrition Council.
weights will continue for the foreseeable future, market variability should be considered, said Horton, a researcher with the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine who lead the research team. The collaborators developed an economic model that looked at net returns for different endpoints for steers on feed using data from 2021 to mid-2024. The model con- siders a wide range of variables that are simulated to reflect variable steer populations and economic conditions. Endpoint 1 reflected the baseline industry average during those years. Endpoints 2-4 each represented feeding an ad-
ditional 14 days past Endpoint 1, where the final outcome was the marginal difference in net return.“We didn’t evaluate whether cattle were profitable at each endpoint,” Horton said.“Rather, we evaluated how much profitability changed if feeding to each of the later-fed endpoints instead of the average in Endpoint 1.” Bottom line, the model showed that, on average, it was not economically advan- tageous to feed cattle longer than average during those years. On a grid, net returns
“Being in conditions where corn prices are lower and cattle prices are a bit higher, adding days probably makes sense.” – Lucas Horton
compared with Endpoint 1 were positive for Endpoint 2 about 44 percent of the time, about 38 percent of the time for Endpoint 3 and about 29 percent of the time for Endpoint 4. “Obviously, as weight goes up, we have a shift up in premi- ums for quality grade,” Horton told the nutritionists.“But there are also shifts downward toward increased discounts for yield grade and heavyweight carcasses, those more than
Feeding cattle longer has its roots in the cattle cycle. As cattle numbers decline, more days on feed utilizes feedyard capacity more efficiently and packers have more beef to sell from every carcass. Beyond that, cheaper ration costs, growth technology and high feeder cattle prices also make longer days on feed and heavier carcass weights feasible. While it’s likely the trend of more days and heavier
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“Certainly, being in conditions where corn prices are lower and cattle prices are a bit higher, adding days probably makes sense,” he said. Grids are negotiable and cattle feeders may be able to get a better deal on heavyweight carcasses, some of which is happening already, he added.“But in the summer, when corn prices generally go up a bit and cattle prices start to trend down, that might be a time to pull back.” Beyond that, he said the model isn’t necessarily a decision-making tool.“There’s not going to be a straightforward, this-is-what-you-should-do answer every time of the year. It’s going to vary depending on economic conditions.” To that end, the model isn’t saying that cattle aren’t going to be profitable if fed longer than average, and variability around how much more or less profitable they are should be expected, he said.“It’s something to add more information to hopefully make more informed, evidence-based decisions.” A summary of the data can be found at https:// www.agmanager.info/livestock-meat/production- economics/extending-days-feed-feedlot-steers- economic-considerations .
1,050 pounds,” he added. Over that time, heavier car- cass weights and better quality grades did not outweigh the discounts the majority of the time. Indeed, of the factors at work in the model, four of the top five most important were economic, as opposed to animal characteristics. “What we saw is that how much price changed was by far the most important variable,” he said. Other import- ant variables were the dressed base price, corn price, the quality grade grid and the number of mortalities. He points out, however, that the model looked at net returns on a pen basis, not a feedyard basis. From an overall feedyard perspective, adding days on feed may be a valid decision. For comparison, Horton ran the data for the nine months prior to his presentation in April. Carcass prices were higher and corn prices were lower than the timeframe used in the original model. As might be expected, changes in those variables made the net returns for Endpoints 2, 3 and 4 look better. But variability in net returns still existed. Which means there are times when increasing days on feed beyond the industry average makes economic sense, and times when it doesn’t.
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SUSTAINABLE BEEF OPENS IN NORTH PLATTE
By Patti Wilson | Contributing Editor
T he long-awaited opening of Sustainable Beef LLC at North Platte, Neb., commenced May 28, with full production in the new facility expected during the winter 2026. Bolstered by positive input from Walmart, the plant is slated to turn out high-quality beef, primarily from local sources, to serve the exacting standards of one of the na- tion’s largest grocery chains. The retail giant also owns a minority stake in Sustainable Beef and has representation on the board of directors. The original idea of this enormous plan was hatched in fall 2019 by Nebraska rancher Rusty Kemp of Tryon. He was soon joined by several other serious cattle producers anxious to make a huge difference. I visited with Kemp earlier this spring. He explained that serious planning
began with the help of then-Governor Pete Ricketts, who was instrumental in getting the project on its feet. Kemp explained that the idea was “too ambitious” to take on among themselves, and help from a government official provided a necessary positive role. Even then, it took a good six to eight months to make initial decisions and develop procedures. Kemp was quick to point out that the plant is designed with room to expand. He is also proud of his wife, Rachael’s, input and ideas. She was employed by IBP and later Tyson before her marriage to Kemp. He related that “she knows more about the packing industry than I do.” About the Plant Spawned by the incidence of “black swans,” random, unrelated events that wreak havoc within our industry,
Kemp and other cattle producers real- ized they needed to step out and be aggressive in protecting their family businesses. The Holcomb Plant fire in 2019 and the COVID 19 pandemic caused grief on a wide scale, trigger- ing a shortage of kill slots at packing plants. The “cow that stole Christmas” (aka Mad Cow) in 2003 is another excellent example. The group in Nebraska got seri- ous about building a packing plant.
The facility sits one mile north of Interstate 80 on the east edge of North Platte.
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According to Kemp,“This one plant isn’t going to fix the whole thing. We’re not looking to take on the big four packers, but there’s a lot of room between a 5,000-head-per-day plant and your local butcher.“ The facility sits one mile north of Interstate 80 on the east edge of North Platte. According to a March 19, 2021, article in the Tri State Live- stock News, Sustainable Beef will employ 875 people and harvest up to 1,500 cattle per day. Most slots will be held by subscribed cattle from ranches and feedlots within a 200-mile radius. Seventy percent of sales will be domestic and 30 percent international. The plant will run only 8-hour day shifts and 40-hour work weeks. The facility itself encompasses 550,000 square feet, Employment is open to U.S. citizens or legal residents. The Community Along with industry comes people. The influx of employees and their families into the communi- ty will no doubt necessitate some adjustments. Housing and schools are always hit hardest by these changes. Although North Platte is cur- rently short of housing, this problem is being addressed in a timely manner by private entities. Additionally, Kemp says there are nearly 1,400 seats available to fill in the local school system. He reports that management is ”thrilled” by the number of incoming job applications. The plant is expected to have a $1.5 billion impact on North Platte.
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Ryan Wagnon is Sustainable Beef general manager.
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By Larry Stalcup | Contributing Editor BE A PRICE MAKER
W hen Andy Holloway and his committee brain- provide ranchers with tools to boost their cattle production, enhance their land and overall environment, as well as improve other aspects of their ranch operation. Boy, did they ever succeed! Held in Canadian, Texas, the conference has evolved into a can’t- miss, prime beef event that regularly draws close to 800 people from two dozen or more states and several other countries. It was the idea of Holloway, Hemphill County Extension agent, and various regional ranchers, agribusiness leaders and lenders, West Texas A&M University and others. stormed the first Hemphill County Beef Conference 11 years ago, they envisioned a forum that would Guest speakers have included Sarah Huckabee Sanders, now the governor of Arkansas, former U.S. Sec. of State Mike Pompeo, cattle handling guru Temple Grandin and Duck Dynasty’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Associa- tion (NCBA) leadership also puts the Hemphill County conference on their calendars. At this April’s conference, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall discussed NCBA policies to lower taxes, reduce unnecessary regulations, urge national policy against fake meat, and other issues that can benefit pro- duction efficiency. Woodall also stressed the importance of how producers have upgraded their cattle quality. Among other speakers who centered on beef quality was Randall Spare, DVM, Ashland Veterinary Center in Ashland, Kan. Spare emphasized the value of using bull EPDs (expected progeny differences) to identify sires that can improve their commercial herd. Spare stressed that EPDs, measured through technological advances seen in the past two decades or more,“predict how progenies of a particular bull are expected to perform relative to progeny of other animals within the same database.” A producer’s customers, whether they’re other cow-calf, stocker or seedstock operators, or cattle feeders, will likely have an in- terest in an animal’s EPD data. One data point identifies a bull’s “beef dollar,” Spare said. Willie Robertson. While those speak- ers were more motivational in their approach, most headliners have been Extension, USDA and private industry beef cattle specialists, with expertise ranging from production management to market risk management. EPD data provides a dollar index, based on post-weaning mer- its. It shows the dollar difference between a particular progeny
compared to other animals in a contemporary group. One bull in a list may have a $188 beef dollar, while another may have $288 in post-weaning merits. “Feedyard managers will ask,‘What is your average beef dollar on bulls?’” Spare said.“Ultimately, someone will buy our prod- uct. But don’t be a price taker, be a price maker.” He explained that price takers often make few, if any, genetic investments “beyond the ranch gate.”“Price makers,” however, invest in high-quality bulls and/or semen for artificial insemination to help improve their herd quality, Spare said. The tools are available from breed associations that provide reg- istered sire and dam progeny lists. Commercial cattle herds can benefit just as much as seedstock operators in improving their breeding programs.“Make sure the next person to own our cat- tle makes a profit,” Spare said, who is also on the U.S. Premium Beef (USPB) Board of Directors.
USPB has various market grids to help identify quality cattle and usually pays a higher price for them.“Consumers want quality. They are not going to buy Select beef to celebrate [a student’s] graduation,” Spare said. Holloway said Spare’s information “was one of the most practical and important presentations we’ve had at our beef confer- ence.“When I heard Dr. Spare at the Cer- tified Angus Beef Quality Feeding Forum in Dodge City, I knew he was someone with information that is not smoke and mirrors. He buys and sells a lot of these
cattle and shows his customers the value of EPDs.” Spare added that even though the booming cattle market is breaking records, it will likely eventually come down. When the market goes down,“our [higher quality cattle] are going to weather storms.” Spare was one of several dozen speakers at the conference. Cap- ital Farm Credit was the title sponsor. There were more than 125 vendors at the trade show, including nearly 30 corporate sponsors and dozens of Canadian and area volunteers who made the event possible. Other conference presentations included those that involved: cattle marketing, financing, soil and forage health, weather fore- casting, new technologies including artificial intelligence, weed and brush control and other major issues facing cattle producers. In reviewing the conference’s history, Holloway’s emotions got to him, notably after he remembered how the event survived to live on after the 2024 wildfires. The disaster charred more than 1.2 million acres in the northern Texas Panhandle. The inferno
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claimed several lives and 15,000 or more mother cows and other livestock. Many producers lost their cattle, homes, barns, equipment and other ranch property. Holloway and his wife, Tanya, Hemphill County’s Extension family and community health coordinator, were recognized for their dedication to the county’s ag producers and 4-H youth. Thanks to their leadership in making and keeping the conference one of the nation’s finest regional beef forums, volunteers and sponsors are eager to join their team. “Coming here [to Hemphill County in 2015] was God’s gift to Tanya and me,” Holloway said.“Those of you who know me know I get emotional. If you go through a traumatic ex- perience, like losing your ranch to a wildfire, and go through the hurt, you know why I get tears in my eyes. “I lost my herd in the drought of 2010-2012. I lost my way of life. I thought my life was over. I’m sorry to say this, but I contemplated suicide. But God saved my life. He had a bigger plan for me. That experience sharpened me for such a time as this.” He thanked the Lord for “pulling us together” as a family, as a team, as a group to help each other network and learn. He reviewed the success of the conference and the overall eco- nomic benefit to producers, based on their cattle numbers and acres involved. The first conference in 2015 had 85 paid participants and registered $1.1 million in economic impact. That increased to $3.4 million and more than 200 people in 2016. By 2018 and ’19, the conference had grown to 325 and 519 partic- ipants, respectively, and about a $9 million in economic impact. After COVID cancelled the 2020 conference, it returned in 2021 with Sarah Huckabee Sanders as speaker with 805 participants. By 2024, the number of participants grew to about 850, barely one month after the devastating wildfire. The eco- nomic impact surpassed $19 million. Including the 865 or more this year, the 10 conferences have attracted more than 5,000 participants. Holloway says the initial conference charged participants $100 per person. Many thought the high price wouldn’t fly. But his Texas A&M Gig Em’ attitude wouldn’t let that happen.“Our strategy was, and continues, for the conference to be a win- ner for you producers; to learn from our speakers and many sponsors and vendors, and to socialize,” he said.
NCBA’s Colin Woodall explains that producers are producing higher quality beef that consumers demand.
Randall Spare, DVM: Be a price maker, not a price taker.
“We’ve had the right people addressing the right subjects for people who were eager to learn and not mind spending $100 to $125 to put their skin in the game.” Look for more stories from the conference in upcoming issues of CALF News . For more on the 2024 Hemphill County Extension Beef Conference and its many sponsors, visit www.hemphillcotxbeef. com .
Andy and Tanya Holloway are part of a team that makes the beef conference reach thousands of producers and others.
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TSCRA CONVENTION Members Take on New World Screwworms, Toast Special Rangers By Larry Stalcup | Contributing Editor
D ue to the continued northward spread of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, U.S. Ag Sec. Brooke Rollins announced May 11 the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border (the suspension remained in place at press time). With Texas’ 1,250-mile border with Mexico, the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) is monitoring the NWS decision closely. The screwworms are reported within 700 miles of the Texas-Mexican border, and TSCRA is working closely with USDA to keep the deadly flies from squirming into Texas livestock herds. Rollins was keynote speaker at the TS- CRA Annual Convention in mid-April. With backing from TSCRA, Rollins announced April 30 that Mexico agreed to no longer prevent USDA aircraft from moving sterile flies into Mexico to help eradicate the screwworm threats. Rollins said the U.S. and Mexico con- tinue their efforts to halt and eradicate NWS in Mexico. However, despite these efforts, there has been unaccept- able northward advancement of NWS. USDA said additional action must be taken to slow the northern progression of this deadly parasitic fly. Carl Ray Polk, TSCRA president from
NWS fly larvae burrow into the flesh of a living animal, they cause serious, often deadly damage. APHIS said there have been numerous efforts to control and eradicate them. A successful eradication program in the Southeast led to an eradication program for the Southwest in 1962. Funded by the federal government, regional states Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, and the rancher-led nonprof- it Southwest Animal Health Research Foundation, the $32 million program was declared a success in 1966. In the mid-1970s, USDA indicated that ranches spent about $132 million to erad- icate NWS. An economic analysis of the 1976 NWS outbreak in Texas showed that nearly 1.5 million cattle and 332,000 sheep and goats were infested with NWS that year. In 2025 numbers, that equates to more than $730 million, far too expensive for a producer-funded program. But since the NWS female flies mate only once, mating with the sterile male flies should prevent the development of more larvae. That’s why the program to infiltrate NWS-in- fested regions in Mexico is so important, Polk said. In early April, TSCRA leaders and others visited Panama, home of the world’s only large-scale NWS sterile fly production
a ranching family in East Texas near Lufkin, hailed USDA’s support for con- trolling NWS movement into Texas and potentially other states.“At the TSCRA Convention, Sec. Rollins pledged USDA’s support in preventing NWS from spread- ing from Mexico into the U.S.,” Polk told CALF News . “TSCRA takes the threat of New World screwworm seriously,” he added after the May 11 announcement.“We commend Sec. Rollins and USDA for making a difficult but necessary decision to close the southern border. While this action presents short-term challenges for cattle raisers, it is a critical step to secure the long-term health of the U.S. cattle herd. “Cooperation from the Mexican govern- ment is essential, and this move sends a clear signal about the urgency of the situation. Our association has consistent- ly supported a border closure if warrant- ed. While we continue to work toward a domestic sterile fly production facility, we are left to rely more heavily on ground- based containment efforts.” USDA said the import suspension will persist on a month-by-month basis until a significant window of containment is achieved. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said NWS is a devastating pest. NWS can infest livestock, pets, wildlife, occasionally birds and, in rare cases, people. When
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facility.“This facility provides the sole de- fense against the spread of NWS across North and South America,” Polk said. “However, flies from this facility have in- consistently been denied access in certain parts of Mexico for dispersal flights.” He adds that TSCRA is championing the creation of a U.S.-based sterile fly production facility in Texas.“We con- tinually advocate for proactive efforts to manage NWS before it reaches the U.S. border,” he said.“We welcome the support and consequences put in place by Sec. Rollins to spur needed action to protect America’s cattle industry, food supply and wildlife populations.” Along with welcoming the NWS control program, TSCRA is celebrating Sec. Rollins for her efforts that helped the Mexican government agree to transfer water from international reservoirs and increase the U.S. share of the flow in six of Mexico’s Rio Grande tributaries. “Mexico finally meeting the water needs of Texas farmers and ranchers under the 1944 Water Treaty is a major win for American agriculture,” Rollins said. “None of this would have been possible without President Trump’s fervent sup- port of our farmers and his work to hold our trading partners accountable.” TSCRA Cited the Value of Special Rangers to its Members While animal health issues like NWS can rob producers of better cattle gains
Polk said it’s encouraging to see more young men and women join- ing TSCRA.“They want to learn more about how to become better producers,” he said, noting that there were 2,500 new members in 2024. The association’s new Gilly Riojas Memorial Internship program was started in honor of the late Riojas, the inaugural chairman of the TSCRA Leadership Development Committee. The committee spear- headed efforts to establish youth and young producer opportunities within the beef industry. “Gilly was a dear friend and an advocate for the industry, especial- ly for youth. TSCRA’s internship program has snowballed,” Polk said, adding that funds raised in the new program go specifically to the new internship. TSCRA considered many other issues during its convention. They included: » Members pledged continued support of State Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, chairman of the Texas Legislature’s
and quality, modern-day cattle rustlers have their eye on high-priced, $3,000 calves. TSCRA Special Rangers are a major force in recovering stolen cattle, tack or other ranch property and have been since 1877. The TSCRA Expo featured the annual Special Rangers silent auction. This year’s auction raised more than $100,000 to be used for ranger training and equipment. In 2024, some $7 million in stolen property was recovered through investi- gations led by Special Rangers. TSCRA’s program to register member brands helps immensely in identifying stolen or lost cattle. “There are always going to be bad guys in this industry. There’s always the need for Special Rangers,” Polk said.“We have 30 of them across the state and into Okla- homa to provide that service and work with other local and state law enforce- ment agencies. It’s a unique setup that’s sometimes overlooked. We often take for granted that we have those folks just a phone call away.” Producer Education The convention’s School of Successful Ranching enabled attendees to learn more about combating animal health issues and improving production techniques, cattle marketing and pastures and ranch prop- erty. (Look for more on these subjects in upcoming CALF News i ssues.)
Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the committee’s efforts to secure ample water supply sufficient to meet Texas’ future
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TSCRA President Carl Ray Polk says TSCRA is working closely with USDA to assure the safety and health of the U.S. cattle heard.
TSCRA Special Rangers recovered more then $7 million in stolen cattle and ranch property in 2024.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
Texas Feedyards Need Mexican Cattle In addition to feeding native cattle, many Texas feedyards, especially those further south, feed Mexican cattle to meet the needs of beef consumers. While it’s critical to have an open border for Mexican cattle to head north, the health of native cattle in the U.S. remains the top priority, explained Brady Miller, director of market, mem- bership and education at Texas Cattle Feeders Association in Amarillo. He said Mexican cattle are essential to the Texas cattle feeding business. Regional feedyards have experienced lower cattle on feed numbers as the border closed in November after NWS was confirmed in Mexico. It reopened in early February after inspections by USDA-APHIS were completed and heightened protocols were established. From then until late April, about 177,000 Mexican cattle moved across the border for stocker operations and feedyards, Miller said. “That is compared to about 463,000 in January-April 2024 and 404,000 in Janu- ary-April 2023,” he added.“We average about 1.2 million Mexican cattle imported annually into the U.S. From 70 to 85 percent of those cattle stay in Texas. “That’s well over 15 percent of the cattle our feedyards finish annually. If we took that number out of the marketplace, the price for the consumer would be signifi- cantly higher. Therefore, ensuring that cattle from Mexico can cross into the U.S. safely while protecting native cattle herd health is essential.”
needs, not just for droughts, but with other threats to the state’s growth. » TSCRA’s continued opposition to a proposed Texas high-speed rail system, based on the threat to eminent domain. » TSCRA launched its Leader- ship Development Foundation Working Grant Program, which supports the next generation of beef industry entrepreneurs. » TSCRA members were com- mended for their efforts to raise more than $2.9 million for wildfire relief efforts through the TSCRA Disaster Relief Fund. Money was distributed to ranchers and 50 volunteer fire departments impacted by 2024 wildfires. » The McFaddin Ranch, located between the Guadalupe and San Antonio Rivers in South Texas, was recognized for receiving the Texas Environmental Steward- ship Award for exceptional stew- ardship and innovation program at its beef cattle operation. TSCRA also discussed its drafted legislation before the Texas Legis- lature that bans the production and retail sales of cell-cultured protein in Texas.“We’re not against capi- talism and entrepreneurship,” Polk explained,“but we’re concerned with the health risk involved and the pro- duction of this product.” No cattle meeting can take place without taking tariffs to task. When President Trump introduced tariffs in early April, cattle prices dropped a little. But by mid-month, they were on their way up. By the first week in May, 500-lb. calf prices had surged past $400 per cwt. Eight weights were pushing nearly $300. Fed cattle were hitting $220. All were record highs. “The President’s position on tariffs nearly changes daily,” Polk said.“The market had a bump but bounced back. We look closely at our exporters and their ability to sell into world markets. We pay close attention to it and watch how potential tariffs will impact our prices.”
Polk emphasized that a that main reason prices remain high is consumer demand for high-quality beef that’s being produced by ranchers.“Our industry has moved in the right direction over the past 10 years,” he said.“There are various vac protocols and a strong mar- ket for all-natural. We continue to produce more beef with fewer cattle and fewer resourc- es. We continue to move the measurement from choice to prime grade that consumers are Due to the increasing NWS scare, USDA has closed the Mexican border to imports of Mexican cattle, horses and bison. The NWS status will be revised every two weeks until the issue is resolved.
willing to pay for.” TSCRA Officers
Polk entered his second term as TSCRA president. Stephen Diebel of Victoria is first vice president. Dan Gattis of Georgetown is second vice president and secretary-treasurer. “We’re excited about TSCRA’s future,” Polk said.“We encourage ranches and landowners across Texas and the Southwest to join TSCRA. The rewards are many, especially the access to our Special Rangers.”
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By Burt Rutherford | Contributing Editor ONLY THE WORDS ARE DIFFERENT CATTLE PRODUCERS ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME EVERYWHERE
“I t’s the same. We just use different words.” Of the many things Mia Doering saw and learned during her time observing the cattle business in Texas and comparing it with Australia, it was that the similarities far outweigh the differences. She got the opportunity to study abroad when she received the R.J. Kleberg Scholarship, through the Australian Santa Gertru- dis Breeders Association.“I grew up on our family ranch,” she says, where they raise seedstock Santa Gertrudis and a commer- cial cow-calf herd. Presently, she works for Consolidated Pastoral Company in Australia as a safety and welfare business partner,“working alongside our teams to improve our safety performance, our communication skills, our training and all the people compo- nents of the ranching side of things.” That’s quite a task, given that the company’s ranches span 3.2 million hectares (nearly 8 million acres) on nine ranches spread across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Aus- tralia. Interestingly, her dad received the same scholarship more than 30 years ago. It was through the connections he made back then that gave Doering a truly insightful experience. Those connections led her to visit James Clement with the King Ranch in Texas, where the Santa Gertrudis breed originated and where she lived and worked alongside the cowboys and other employees for nine weeks. “I was really lucky that I got to spend a bit of time at King Ranch, working across all facets, including Santa Gertrudis cattle, Quarter Horses and learn about their lotting operations,” she says. Consolidated Pastoral’s ranches are all in regions that are hot, remote, with sparse forage. That’s not unlike the Wild Horse Prairie where the King Ranch is located, other than the terrain. The Australian ranches are in rough, rugged, rocky and sometimes steep landscapes with little infrastructure, where being a cow can be challenging.
As such, they have an early weaning program, she says.“It’s very similar to what you guys call preconditioning. We develop a ration to kickstart the rumen.” However, it’s designed primarily to give the cows ample time to recover and breed back.“We wean them early to increase fertility rates and the chance of rebreed in the seasonal conditions.” Doering spent many hours with Clement, learning not just the daily happenings on the King Ranch, but the longer term management objectives as well.“He showed me their way of life in Texas and the ranching culture, the stewardship of the land and all the values of the King Ranch with family, the cattle, the horses, the history and the people. Very much the culture we value in Australia.” Some of those conversations were about ways to revitalize the scholarship into a two-way exchange, where a young person in Australia comes to America and a young person from America goes to Australia. “I was also very blessed that Dr. Rick Machen invited me to the King Ranch Institute of Ranch Management,” on the campus of Texas A&M-Kingsville.“The lectureship that was on while I was there was on cow-calf operations. It was really insightful and had a lot of principles I could take back and apply on our own operation.” Following her nine weeks on the King Ranch, Doering joined Chris McClure and his wife, Missy, on a tour across Texas, visiting more ranches and feedyards.“There were some really awesome ranches where you could see the consistency in their breeding and creating a really superb animal, both phenotype and genotype,” she says. “I think in Australia, we value our Santa Gertrudis so much for their phenotype,” she added. While some breeders are chasing genetic indication numbers, which are called EBVs in Australia, “You can’t evaluate an animal just on numbers unless you’ve got the phenotype to support that. We are a lot tougher on pheno- type because our climate and terrain is so extreme.”
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While her memories are many, spending several days in Fort Worth to enjoy the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo are a highlight. The King Ranch had a team in the Ranch Rodeo, “and that was truly incredible to watch,” she says. The second night, she was able to go behind the chutes and visit with the cowboys she got to know on the King Ranch. “That was a really special privilege.” But it was on the first night that made the greatest impression. “I was so moved by the opening ceremony and the patriotism of Americans. It truly brought a tear to my eye.” Then there were the “firsts,” like the first time she beheld the wonder of snow.“From the Fort Worth Stock Show, we we’re going to the Amarillo area,” says McClure, former executive of the Santa Gertrudis Breeders International, the U.S. breed registry for Santa Gertrudis cattle.“But we made a detour through the Wichita Mountains in western Oklahoma. And it snowed while we were there.” What’s more, her exposure to a Southern Plains winter didn’t stop with a snow ball. She got to experience truly bone-chill- ing weather.“Our trip to the Texas Panhandle was to see the sheer scale of cattle feeding, which compared to Australia is pretty extraordinary,” Doering says. That wasn’t the only extraordinary thing she experienced. “It was -18° Celsius [hovering around 0° Fahrenheit]. It was bloody cold!” One difference she noted is the rate of technology adoption between the two countries.“I think Australia is really lucky that we have corporates like Australian Agriculture Company, Consolidated Pastoral and a few others. Because we’ve got such large-scale operations, we can afford to try new things and try new systems,” she says.
“If the big guys try something, then the smaller producers will pick it up.” But a “smaller producer” in Australia is different than in America.“I was shocked to know that in America, the average herd size is 30 to 40 head. In Austra- lia, we would call that a hobby farmer.” There’s also a difference in land value, especially in states like Texas where often the landowner also owns the mineral rights below the surface.“It a completely different system here. A lot of big mining companies will own the under- neath, not the producer. So if we’re running cattle, the cattle have to pay for the land.” In a sense, that’s no different from many parts of the U.S., where either the present landowner doesn’t own the mineral rights or there is no oil, natural gas or other minerals to worry about. Another difference Doering noted is how male dominated the cattle business is in the United States. In Australia,“It is so common for females to be working out in the yards and on stations, doing big hours and working just as hard as any of our male counterparts.” She still does that and found it funny to overhear a few comments.“Like when I was riding the feedlot yards and someone came in and says,‘Is that a ponytail in the yard?’” The person wasn’t used to seeing women on horseback, working cattle.“And I just thought,‘wow.’ I didn’t think anything of it because that’s exactly what we’d do at home.” Then, sitting in management meetings, she noticed some- thing strange.“Being the only girl in the room, I thought there’s something wrong with this room. There needs to be more women in here.” It’s different in Australia.“It’s interesting the way things are changing here in Australia and I wonder if there’ll be more women in beef over in America, espe- cially in leadership positions. We’re almost more than 50 percent female on the ground, which is fantastic to see because that is essentially our labor force.” As more and more women enter the labor force in the cattle business, both in the U.S. and Australia, Doer- ing expects to see more and more women in manage- ment and leadership positions on boards of directors. “That’s what makes me excited. That’s where I want to be in 20 years.” She hopes someday to return to the family ranch. “But Dad’s not looking at slowing down anytime soon.” So she will continue to work hard and learn more management skills with Consolidated Pastoral. But her mind’s eye is looking across the globe.“I definitely will be back. That’s for sure.” And it won’t just be to learn more about the cattle business. After all, she told McClure that one of the things she misses most about her time in Texas is the Mexican food.
Mia Doering is a safety and welfare business partner for Consolidated Pastoral Company in Australia.
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By Larry Stalcup | Contributing Editor KEEP YOUR HERD HEALTHY
W hat a time to raise and sell cattle. We’re seeing 500-pound calves top $350 to $400 per cwt. at the sale barn or video auction. Those mega-markets illustrate the significance of a well-planned herd health program that promotes strong calf immunity and, ultimately, better gains. Dr. DL Step, senior professional services veterinarian for Boeh- ringer Ingelheim, explains how the development and growth of a calf ’s immune system can make or break herd dynamics. As the nation sees more drought, wildfires and other challenges, a herd’s environment will play a large part in the strength of an animal’s immune system. “Some areas are still seeing respiratory challenges from dust and smoke from drought and wildfires,” Step says.“And water quality is also being negatively impacted in some regions.” A solid animal health program will more than likely help calves born into those conditions respond better to a vaccine protocol and other health and nutrition systems early on. But Step first encourages producers to manage the pregnant dam and colos- trum in newborns to protect them from organisms that cause diseases. Timing is critical. The cow’s antibodies don’t cross the placenta during pregnancy, so the calf is born without any real immu- nity to disease and relies on the antibodies found in the dam’s colostrum. “Make sure calves start nursing as soon as possible after calving,” Step says, noting that calves should receive about 4 quarts of colostrum during the first few hours of life. Producers should work with their veterinarians to develop a vaccination program suited for their area. An initial vac protocol should be used to help prevent these diseases: infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) Types 1 and 2, including BVDV Type 1b, bovine respiratory
syncytial virus (BRSV), parainfluenza 3 (Pl3), Mannheimia haemolytica, Clostridium sp. and pinkeye. Step says preventive health programs are variable, depending on the forage being grazed, handling facilities, management and other environmental factors.“Many producers start calves on their vaccination programs at two to three months of age during early processing or branding time,” he says. “But recent research has shown that we can now give a modi- fied-live virus (MLV) vaccine to calves as young as 30 days of age as long as the dam was also vaccinated with an MLV. That’s not to say all injectable vaccines can do this. This particular product utilizes a unique adjuvant that protects vaccine antigens from maternal antibodies, thus enhancing the immune response, even in calves still maintaining high levels of maternal antibodies acquired from colostrum.” Step adds that it “certainly helps to use a preconditioning pro- gram in which calves are weaned for 45 to 60 or more days and receive two rounds of MLV respiratory vaccines and a round of clostridial vaccinations. Deworming treatment for parasites should also be administered to help further protect the immune system.” The weaning period should allow calves to become bunk broke and exposed to water from a tank or automatic water. Nutri- tionally, it can be helpful to provide calves with a mineral pack to deliver micro minerals such as copper, selenium and zinc to help them better handle being commingled at a grow yard or feedyard and exposed to disease agents. Protect Your Female The respiratory issues caused by drought, wildfires or other conditions may also impact mama cows. Step says females should be vaccinated against BVDV, IBR and leptospirosis. The veterinarian may also recommend vaccinating for trichomonia-
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