Friday October 2 Ag News

The Value of Pregnancy Checking
Steve Tonn, Nebraska Extension Educator Washington County – Beef Systems

Nationally preg checking is one of the most underutilized management practices available.  According to the 2007 National Animal Health Monitoring System report only 20% of all operations pregnancy test their cows.  Are you in the 20% that preg check or the 80% that don’t?

Checking cows for pregnancy is an essential component of reproductive efficiency.  Preg checking provides an immediate opportunity to cull subfertile females from the herd as well as taking a closer look at the late-breeders.  By increasing the pregnancy rate in your cattle, you also increase your efficiency and improve the sustainability of your operation.

The most obvious benefit of knowing which cows are open is cost savings.  With carrying costs being greater than $2 per day over the winter, there is a lot of value in getting them off the feed bill.  A second benefit is to identify the late breeders.  These cows are the least likely to breed when feed conditions are challenging and have a tendency to always be late breeders.  Keeping them in the cowherd just extends the calving season.

However, focusing only on the open cow misses part of the value of the procedure.  Using the information to manage the pregnant cows for optimum fertility can pay dividends in this high calf market.

To effectively use the data to manage cows in the dry period, there are several more pieces of information you want to collect besides cow ID and pregnancy status: cow body condition, weight if scales are available, condition of teeth if an aged cow, udder and hoof condition, any injuries, lameness or other signs of external problems like a bad eye or poor disposition and estimated days pregnant.

Pregnancy checking can be a tremendous decision making tool.  Are there thin cows that need to improve in body condition before calving?  Are they first calf heifers or older cows?  Can I group them together and feed them to gain weight?   Did my second calf heifers breed back in a timely fashion?  Are there cows that need to be marketed even though they are pregnant (late calvers, poor disposition, bad udders, etc.).  Should I fatten up my open cull cows before selling them?  What are the estimated number of calves to be born in the first 21 days of the calving season?  How many by day 42? How many by day 63?  How does this compare to last year?  Did I have adequate bull power? How can I manage my feed resources to match my calving season?

Removing open cows from the herd always pays dividends.  Additional profit can also be generated by culling lower-performance or later-calving cows.  Reproductive efficiency is the single most important factor affecting productivity and profitability, and the success of the breeding season is most affected by how cows were managed in the dry period before calving.

Economic sustainability of your operation depends on efficiently managing your cows to get an optimum return on your efforts.  Using data gathered at preg checking will help to improve production efficiency and longevity of your cow herd and can have a positive impact on calf health.

Management questions to consider:
Do you preg check your cows?
If not what is the main reason for not preg checking?
Can I afford to keep open cows through the winter?
Which factors play the biggest role in my decision to keep or cull a cow?
How does my pregnancy rate compare to last year?
How many of my second calf heifers bred back in a timely manner?
How many late calvers do I expect?
What is the cause for late calvers in my herd?
How well do I use this information to make decisions for my cow herd?

Here are some resources that you may find useful.
-        UNL Beef website: beef.unl.edu
-        UNL BeefWatch (monthly e-newsletter that you can subscribe to): http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef
-        UNL BeefWatch Podcasts (these are more intimate chats with some of the authors of the BeefWatch articles, you can also subscribe or download them): http://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch-podcast
-        AgriculturalWithDrLindsay.com: livestock and agriculture blog by Lindsay, timely topics (subscribe on the webpage)



GET THE MOST FROM GRAZING CORN STALKS
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Corn harvest is ongoing and cows are starting to graze the stalks.  How should this grazing be managed to get the most out of them?

               Grazing corn stalks during winter has many benefits.  It can save over a dollar a day per cow compared to feeding expensive hay.

               But, the way you manage grazing of stalks by your cattle can have a big effect on its success.  For instance, maybe you want to feed as little protein supplement as possible while winter grazing.  Then you must make sure you have enough acres of corn stalks so your cattle only need to select just the higher quality plant parts to eat.  And whenever the grain and husks are gone, move to a fresh field.

               Or, maybe you use stalks just as a filler to keep cattle from bellowing while you limit feed corn, distiller’s grains, or other more nutrient dense feeds.  Then high stocking levels and unrestricted access might be best.

               Another strategy might be to stretch winter stalks as far as possible.  In that case, restricting animal access to smaller areas at a time by strip grazing until nearly all the grazable stalks are gone might be best.  Be careful, though, about forcing cows to eat the lower stalks.  They won’t get much protein or energy from lower stalks but the nitrate levels might be dangerously high.

               Whatever your strategy, consider carefully what kind of nutrition animals are getting from the stalk pasture so you neither underfeed nor overfeed expensive supplements.

               Be sure to provide salt, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A free choice at all times.  And once all the grain is gone, cows need about half a pound per day of an all natural protein to meet nutrient needs.

               Stalk season is here.  Make wise decisions to use them best.



Nebraska Corn Urges Farmers to Take a Second for Safety During Harvest

It’s that time of the year again, the leaves are turning, the roads are busy with farm equipment and farmers are racing the unpredictable weather to get their crop out of the field. The hectic harvest season is upon us and as farmers enter the fields and travel the roads, Nebraska Corn is urging them to use extra precaution and take a second for safety.

Agriculture remains one of the more dangerous occupations in North America, but exercising caution, getting rest and being safety-minded can go a long way toward making it safer for everyone involved.

“There are a lot of moving parts at harvest time and farmers are working hard to get the crops out of the fields,” said Dave Merrell, farmer from St. Edward, Nebraska and chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. “Working long hours in the field or on the farm could cause a chance for error where an injury or fatality could be prevented by taking appropriate precautions or simply taking time.”

Merrell also cautioned motorists driving on rural roads during harvest. These roads see additional traffic during harvest, which increases the chances for accidents to occur between slower moving farm equipment and vehicles moving at highway speeds. Rural intersections will have heavier-than-normal travel and dusty conditions may limit visibility, as can sun glare in the morning and evening. Standing crops in the field may also block a clear view of oncoming traffic.

Nebraska Corn encourages farmers to pay special attention to the safety features of their equipment, and encourages everyone to keep an eye toward safety on the highways and byways this harvest and year round.

Some things to consider for farmers and farm workers while on the farm this fall:

    Stay alert. Take breaks to help avoid fatigue — get out of the cab and walk around every few hours. Keep your cell phone charged so you can communicate as needed with family members and employees.

    Use extra caution around PTO’s. Check that PTOs are well protected to avoid contact with clothing or people during operation. And never step over a rotating PTO—a few extra steps to walk around the tractor are worth the effort.

    Shut down before working on a machine. If the combine becomes clogged, shut off the motor, not just the header, before attempting to unplug it by hand.

    Be aware of your surroundings. Know where your co-workers and family members are at all times and always be aware of power lines that you can come in contact with while moving equipment and augers around grain bins. Visibility can be especially poor around large machinery and at night.

    Grain Bin/Handling Safety. Grain bins deserve special attention and caution when grain is being loaded and removed. Never stand on grain that is being or has been moved. Safety measures should be put in place to avoid any risk of entrapment and suffocation.

    Move Machinery Safely. Make sure your Slow Moving Vehicle emblems are in good condition and properly mounted. If you must move machinery on a roadway after dark, have all necessary working headlights and flashing front and rear warning lights. The better you can be seen the less likely you are to be hit by motorists.

    Develop Safety Rules. Have a set of safety rules for everyone to follow – and enforce them. Protective eye and ear wear is important in many situations. It is also important to equip tractors and combines with a fire extinguisher, as dry crop residue is fuel for a fire. Finally, ensure that trained family members and employees are operating powerful equipment—if kids want to be involved, give them age appropriate jobs.

“While we all recognize the excitement and fast pace of harvest, staying focused and resting regularly are two proactive steps in keeping things safe around the farm for everyone, including family members and employees helping to harvest the crop,” said Larry Mussack, farmer from Decatur, Nebraska and president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “Harvest and fall field work is truly a thrill for Nebraska farmers, but please remember to be careful and take a second for safety.”



Iowa FFA Officers Take Agvocating to the Next Level
Michael Tupper, Iowa FFA Association President

Advocacy. We talk about it all the time in agriculture. It is at the core of what we do as agriculturalists; telling our stories and sharing our values with people that are 2 or 3 generations removed from the farm. From September 15th through September 18th, the 2014-2015 Iowa FFA Officer team had the chance to take agricultural advocacy to the big stage; Washington D.C.

The Iowa FFA Officer team received this experience through a program ran by the National FFA Organization called the State Officer Challenge. This program, which was made available to all States from around the country, focused on areas of government outreach, social media advocacy, community involvement, and chapter development. Officer teams had to document what they were doing throughout the year to promote not only FFA, but the agricultural industry as well. This past year, the Iowa FFA Association and the Kansas FFA Association were co-champions.

The reward for winning was a trip to Washington D.C. to meet with agricultural industry groups and representatives to discuss current agricultural issues and develop ways that FFA and agricultural education can help find solutions to these issues. The Iowa FFA Officer team found out first hand that they have an excellent team of agriculturalists going to bat for them in the Nation’s Capital. Ray Schmidt, past State Reporter, and Lee Thomsen, past State Secretary, both commented on the commitment that agriculturalist show and how that inspires them to inspire others. “Spending a few days in D.C. helped me realize the number of people advocating for the agricultural industry,” says Schmidt. “There are hundreds of people working around the clock to further the needs of agriculturalists. You don’t have to be a politician or lobbyist in Washington to make a difference. The change start at a local level. Everyone can make a difference. Do not underestimate the value of meeting with state representatives and making them aware of what matters to you.”

Thomsen agreed with Schmidt and added, “It’s easy to take for granted the work that the folks in DC are doing to support farmers at the local level – in Iowa and around the country. It was an incredible eye-opening experience to meet the people who advocate for us agriculturists on the Hill every day.”

Mike Poggemiller, past Southeast State Vice President, summed up both of their comments very easily. “Your voice matters, use it,” says a reflective Poggemiller.

Throughout the week, the officers were able to look at issues that affected not only Iowa, but global agriculture as well.

“Often times we get so caught up in our own lives and problems and forget about what is going on in the rest of the world,” says Mackenzie Lewis, past North Central State Vice President. “This week really helped open my eyes to other problems that are happening outside of Iowa. It makes me want to work to help find innovative solutions.”

Logan Bauer, past Southwest State Vice President, reflected on the importance of having individuals willing to speak on farmers’ behalf in Washington D.C. “I learned that sometimes a farmer that wears a suit and tie makes the difference that will impact our industry for our next generation of leaders,” says Bauer.

Abrah Meyer, past Iowa FFA Association State President and Iowa’s National FFA Officer Candidate this year, spoke about the importance of utilizing the specific knowledge area’s that individuals have. “We all have specific areas of knowledge and skill that we are extremely passionate about,” says Meyer. “The cool thing about agriculture is that the people involved I the industry form such a strong network. Professionals aren’t afraid to utilize the human resources around them to find answers to their questions.”



USDA Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production

Total corn consumed for alcohol and other uses was 497.1 million bushels in August 2015. Total corn consumption was down 1 percent from July 2015 but up 1 percent from June 2015. August usage included 91.4 percent for alcohol and 8.6 percent for other purposes. Corn for beverage alcohol totaled 3.13 million bushels, up 18 percent from July and up 26 percent from June. Corn for fuel alcohol, at 445.2 million bushels, was down 1 percent from July but up 1 percent from June. Corn consumed in August 2015 for dry milling fuel production and wet milling fuel production was 89.3 percent and 10.7 percent respectively.

Dry mill co-product production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was 1.94 million tons during August 2015, down 3 percent from July 2015 and down 2 percent from June 2015. Distillers wet grains (DWG) 65 percent or more moisture was 1.15 million tons in August 2015, up 1 percent from July 2015 and up 1 percent from June 2015.

Wet mill corn gluten feed production was 343.5 thousand tons during August 2015, up 3 percent from July 2015 and up 7 percent from June 2015. Wet corn gluten feed 40 to 60 percent moisture was 290.7 thousand tons in August 2015, down 8 percent from July 2015 and down 5 percent from June 2015.



TPP Delay in Atlanta Unacceptable for Beef Producers

Statement by NCBA President Philip Ellis regarding the ongoing Trans-Pacific Trade negotiations:

 “The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is greatly disappointed that Trade Ministers of the Trans Pacific Partnership countries have not yet reached an agreement and successfully concluded the negotiations held in Atlanta, Ga. For U.S. beef producers, every day that passes is a lost opportunity in terms of leveling the playing field with our competitors. America can no longer afford to wait another six weeks or six months in hopes of finding a better deal in something that has been negotiated for years. It is time for the United States to lead, and now is the time to conclude negotiations on TPP.

“Unfortunately, the conclusion of negotiations in Atlanta has been delayed by a handful of interests who stand to greatly benefit from TPP, but have decided instead to continue milking the system with their subsidies and protectionist measures, rather than embrace the twenty-first century principles envisioned by TPP negotiators and supporters. Just like past TPP negotiations, hopes had been high this week for conclusion of TPP, only to see talks undermined by threats of political repercussion by industries who care more about protecting their domestic interests instead of ensuring long-term sustainable economic growth through global competition. Their actions have a direct impact on industries like the U.S. beef industry, which has embraced competition and the need for a level playing field and expanded market access.

“We remain hopeful that our negotiators will immediately conclude negotiations and we will see a final TPP deal which benefits both the economic engines of commerce and rural America. We all benefit from greater market access and the competition for a growing consumer base. It is time to move forward. The clock is ticking, and the status quo is unacceptable.”



GROUPS ASK CONGRESS TO EXTEND DEADLINE FOR INSTALLING NEW TRAIN TECHNOLOGY

The National Pork Producers Council, along with dozens of other agricultural groups and business organizations, this week asked the Congress to extend a Dec. 31 deadline for U.S. railroads to install positive train control (PTC) technology on about 60,000 miles of the nation’s 140,000 miles of track. PTC automatically stops a train before certain incidents occur, including train-to-train collisions and derailments caused by excessive speed.

In letters to Senate and House leadership, the groups pointed out that the American Association of Railroads, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Federal Railroad Administration indicated that the majority of rail carriers will not meet the deadline, which was set in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Failure to meet the deadline could mean millions of dollars in federal fines for rail companies, thus, likely prompting them to discontinue on the covered tracks passenger service and freight service for railcars hauling toxic-by-inhalation gas such as anhydrous ammonia.

In 2014, railroads shipped about 1.3 million tons of anhydrous ammonia, which is the most concentrated nitrogen fertilizer, as well as the basic nitrogen product used to manufacture other nitrogen fertilizers, including urea. “The inability to produce or deliver crop nutrients to farmers will negatively impact crop yields and food supply,” said the agricultural groups in their letter. They and the business organizations have asked congressional lawmakers to extend the deadline by Oct. 31.



U.S. RAISES PORK MARKET ACCESS ISSUES WITH CHINA

Lack of access for U.S. pork to the Chinese market has been raised over the past few weeks, including in connection with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington, D.C. (The issue also was raised by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in his meeting with Jinping last week, and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials raised the matter when they visited China a few weeks ago.)

Of immediate concern for the U.S. pork industry is getting packing plants and cold storage facilities reapproved for eligibility to export pork to China. Currently only 13 plants are approved for export to the Asian nation, representing less than half of the industry’s total slaughter capacity. NPPC has been working with USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to get the facilities relisted. FSIS has approved for 17 U.S. establishments “corrective action plans” that should make them eligible to ship pork to China. NPPC is continuing to work with U.S. government officials to get China to fully open its market to U.S. pork.



Pork Supplies Slightly Higher in 2016
Chris Hurt, Purdue Universitty

The pork industry has largely overcome the impacts of the 2014 porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Pork producers have been disciplined in limiting expansion after record 2014 profits.

As a result, pork supplies should be only modestly higher in 2016 and provide prices which cover all costs of production. However, there are some concerns for the longer run as global meat and poultry supplies continue to expand with a weak world income base.

The industry is rapidly leaving behind the impacts of the 2014 PED virus. The number of pigs per litter has set new quarterly highs in each of the three quarters so far this year. In the most recent summer quarter, the number of pigs per litter reached an all-time high of 10.39.

The PED virus left a deficit in market hogs a year ago, but that deficit will rapidly close by the end of this year. This can be seen in the current count of market hogs compared to year-ago levels. Pigs that were 180 pounds or larger on September 1 were up 10 percent. While 10 percent higher is a large increase, it is a reflection of the deficit of market hogs one year ago.

The number of market hogs weighing 120 to 179 pounds that will come to market in October and early November was up 8 percent, but the number of 50-to-119 pound pigs that will come to market from late November to early January was up only 3 percent. Finally the under-50 pound pigs that will be the foundation of the first quarter 2016 supplies were down modestly.

In the U.S. Department of Agriculture's September Hogs and Pigs report, producers indicated that they had expanded the breeding herd by just 1 percent. In addition they were going to decrease fall farrowings by 2 percent and winter farrowings by 1 percent.

Pork supplies are expected to be up 4 percent in the final quarter of 2015 with a combination of 5 percent more hogs and 1 percent lower weights. For 2015, pork supplies are expected to be 7 percent higher than supplies in 2014. Supplies for 2016 should be about 1 percent higher than in 2015 with the first three quarters being down one percent, unchanged, and up one percent, respectively.

Hog prices averaged near $55 per live hundredweight for the third quarter of 2015 and are expected to drop to an average in the higher-$40s in the final quarter. Prices are expected to average near $50 in the winter and then move up seasonally to the mid-$50s in the second and the third quarters of 2016. Prices in the final quarter of 2016 are anticipated to be in the mid-to-higher $40s.

For the 2015 calendar year, hog prices are expected to average about $51 on a live weight basis. Current projections for 2016 are for a similar average price. These prices are in sharp contrast to the $76 record high prices of 2014 when PED reduced pork supplies.

Costs of production in both 2015 and 2016 are expected to be similar, around $51 per hundredweight. Costs for both years are the same as the projected price, and thus at breakeven. These cost projections include costs for full depreciation and a normal rate of return for all capital and labor. Therefore, break-even means all costs are covered.

After the record profits of 2014, there has been concern that the industry would over-expand. At this point that concern has not developed with supply and demand anticipated to be in balance for the coming 12 months. This also serves as a warning to the industry to make sure that further expansion plans remain moderate.

There seem to be growing threats in the future for the meats sector. Those include continued expansion of total meat supplies into 2016 and 2017 with rapid expansion of poultry and increased beef supplies. The large drop in finished cattle prices in recent weeks suggest that retail beef prices could begin to drop this fall and provide added competition for pork. In the longer run, beef supplies will continue to expand for multiple years.

Potential weakness of meat and poultry exports is also a concern with slowing world economic growth and a strong U.S. dollar.

Feed prices will remain low for the next nine months due to strong yields for 2014 and 2015 crops and weakened exports. Animal product producers will want to take advantage of harvest price lows this fall. However, longer-term, managers need to remain aware that low feed prices are not guaranteed if weather should turn more adverse in some important growing areas.