Monday January 16 Ag News

How much cold can cattle tolerate?
Alfredo DiCostanzo, Beef Systems Extension Educator, University of Nebraska

Cattle are prepared to tolerate cold temperatures because they benefit from heat dissipating from their digestive system.  It is this heat release that serves well during winter but turns into a burden in during summer.  

As calves grow into brood cows or in the feedlot, fat layers accumulate on their body further contributing to insulating internal heat from dissipating in the environment.  Lastly, cattle raised in cold climates will grow thicker and longer hair coats as fall turns into winter.  Hair layers prevent internal heat from dissipating in the environment.  

In contrast, calves are the highest risk of experiencing cold stress because rumen fermentation is not fully developed until several weeks after birth or fermentation capacity is limited by rumen size.  Further, as any cowboy knows, at birth they are covered by placental fluid which further compromises their ability to maintain body heat.  

Preparations for cold weather calving include being alert and having facilities and equipment to protect newborn calves from the cold.  At the very least, considerations should be made to keep calving pairs in a protected area (within a shelter belt or inside a calving barn) with plenty of dry, clean bedding.  At birth, rapidly assisting the cow to dry the calf off and protecting their ears and bodies will reduce the risk of freezing.  In some cases, having access to a calf-warming box may be necessary to prevent calves from freezing.  A blueprint for building a calf-warming box is available at (Calf Warming Box (lsuagcenter.com)).  Several livestock equipment companies also have them for sale.

Although we expect some cold tolerance in adult and finishing cattle, it is important to remember one thing: wind and moisture will reduce insulation effectiveness.  How cold tolerant is a cow or a feedlot steer?  When properly acclimated, cattle tolerate temperatures as low as 18 °F (Table 1).  As described in Table 1, cold tolerance is dependent on coat condition.  Cows not acclimated to cold or with wet hair coats can tolerate temperatures only as low as 59 °F.  Dry fall or winter coats permit cattle to tolerate temperatures ranging from 45 °F (dry, fall coat) to 18 °F (dry, heavy winter coat).  

As with humans, wind exacerbates the effect of cold on cattle bodies. A windchill table (Table 2) lists an effective temperature (windchill) of 0 °F for a still-air temperature of 20 °F with wind blowing at 20 miles per hour (mph).  This means that a cow with a dry, heavy winter coat will feel as if the temperature was 0 °F when the still-air temperature is 20 °F and the wind is blowing at 20 mph.  

Cattle feedlot managers and ranchers use bedding and windbreaks to reduce the effect of wind and moisture on insulation by winter coats. In extreme circumstances, buildings are used to bring cattle indoors to manage moisture and wind conditions. Considerations of building cost and those associated with building management (bedding and labor costs) need to be made before deciding to build a facility to cope with cold weather.  

The effect of cold on cattle performance is dependent on the severity and length of cold stress.  A short cold snap with subzero temperatures and dry weather creates emergency situations with keeping water lines operational and feeding on time but it generally has limited effect on performance.  

Of greater concern to the feedlot manager or rancher are extended cold conditions that bring in moisture and wind.  Precipitation as rain or snow contributes to deteriorating conditions in exposed pen surfaces while windy conditions further reduce insulating capacity of cattle bodies.  

Generally, in confined conditions when feed access is not limited, cattle will respond by consuming more feed in response to cold.  In open ranges where cattle need to cover a lot of ground to meet their intake demands, cattle prefer to hunker down than to seek grass.  Similarly, in pen conditions where it is not easy for cattle to reach the bunk (slippery surfaces, frozen manure chunks, distance from the loafing area to the bunk, limited bunk access), cattle also lower their feed intake.  

Consuming feed contributes to generating heat of fermentation. Results of research from the 1990’s in South Dakota indicated that feeding most of the daily feed offering at night for cattle in a feedlot maintained better performance than feeding 50% of the feed in the morning and 50% of the feed in the afternoon.

Where possible, adjusting feed energy offering is recommended to help cattle cope with cold stress.  A general rule of thumb is to recognize that for every 1 degree below the lower critical temperature maintenance requirements increase 1 percentage unit.  In other words, for the example above and rounding the lower critical temperature up to 20 °F, a cow facing a 20-mph wind during a 0 °F day, will have 20% greater maintenance needs than if the wind was not blowing.  If we expect this cow to consume 28 lb of dry matter, then she should be offered 20% more feed or 5.6 lb more.  

On the positive side, the angle of the sun has now turned so that we will have greater daylight hours.  This is helpful as solar radiation contributes to warming surfaces including haircoats.  In other words, although we are not quite done with cold conditions, we can all begin to enjoy extended hours of solar warmth.  

Please remain vigilant of slippery conditions and extreme cold and dress appropriately.  Lastly, please make it a point to carry your cell phone in a pocket close to your body so that you can access it if you find yourself or others in a bad predicament.



2023 Beef Feedlot Roundtable Series Planned

The 2023 Beef Feedlot Roundtable Series is an event that you won’t want to miss! We encourage feedlot owners, managers, employees, and allied industry to join Nebraska Extension February 7-9th  as we dive into a series of timely topics covering feedlot management. Highlights from the program include the use of roller compacted concrete, implications of increasing hot carcass weight, and new requirements on implanting with speakers from UNL Extension and producers. This year’s program offers a new hands-on component targeted toward feedlot employees, including processing equipment maintenance, euthanasia considerations, and pregnancy management in the feedlot covered by UNL veterinarians from Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center. Spanish translation will be available for the animal health hands-on portion.

Join us from 1:00 -6:00 p.m., with dinner to follow. Cost is $30 at the door.
-  February 7th  in Bridgeport, NE, at the Prairie Winds Community Center
-  February 8th  in Gothenburg, NE, at the Bayer Water Utilization Learning Center
-  February 9th  in West Point, NE, at the Nielsen Community Center

Pre-registration is requested by Friday, February 3rd, and can be completed online at:  https://go.unl.edu/2023roundtable/  or via mail in registration.

For more information, contact Dr. Jessica Sperber, Beef Feedlot Extension Specialist; email:  jsperber2@unl.edu



DECIPHERING A HAY TEST – PROTEIN and ENERGY
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator
 
All hay is not created equal.  Two major values we often judge hay quality on are protein and energy, both of which vary from year to year and between crops.  So how do we use these values when deciding what and how much hay to feed?
 
Protein values in hay tests are typically reported as percent Crude Protein (CP).  This measures the nitrogen portion of the hay.   Not only is this protein important for rumen microbes, it is also important for animal maintenance and growth.
 
When looking at hay energy values, one common measure often used is TDN or Total Digestible Nutrients.  TDN is the sum of the digestible fiber, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate components of a feedstuff.
 
Knowing TDN is useful especially for diets that are primarily forage.  Without consideration, diets may be lacking energy as much or more than crude protein.  Low energy diet can be as impactful to animal condition and performance as those lacking in protein.
 
Being familiar with how animal requirements for protein and energy change between animal class and with demands like pregnancy or lactation can help with decisions about how hay is fed. Keep in mind that in addition to these base demands, environmental conditions like temperature can impact animal needs in the short term as well. With this knowledge, we can feed lower quality hay to dry cows and save high quality hay for pairs at peak lactation or growing animals.  This not only ensures animals are properly fed but can also help control feed costs.



Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board Announces Leadership Change

The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board and Executive Director, Nate Blum, have announced that the organization will undergo a change in leadership in early 2023. Blum has served as Executive Director since February 2019. He has overseen the doubling of growth in sorghum acres in Nebraska, built robust digital branding, and made available on-demand producer and consumer content during his time at the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board.

“Working for Nebraska’s sorghum producers has been an outstanding honor these past four years,” stated Blum. “I am proud of the work we have done together to advance opportunities for diversified cropping and economic systems on farms across the state.”

Blum will transition to a new role as CEO of Sorghum United, an international NGO focused on education and consumer markets development for sorghum and other small grains during the United Nations “International Year of Millets 2023”.

“I am excited to remain in the industry in a broader role which will ultimately aid in furthering new markets demand for climate-smart grains both for American farmers as well as small-holder farmers in other countries. This work is also key in meeting demands around water scarcity, providing nutritious food options, and adjusting agricultural systems to increasingly warm and dry climates,” Blum elaborated. Blum can be reached at: sorghumunited@gmail.com.

Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board Chairman, David Junker shared, “The Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board would like to thank Nate for his time and passion with helping Nebraska sorghum grow in acres, education, and in attracting value-added businesses. We wish him well in his new role with sorghum statewide and internationally. We know he will be successful.”



Collect. Balance. Reconcile. File. Workshop
Date: Jan. 20, 2023 Time: 9:00 am–11:00 am
Nance County Extension, Fullerton
Contact: Jessica Groskopf, jgroskopf2@unl.edu

Keeping farm and ranch records up to date is important but can be a complicated task.

Nebraska Extension is offering a “Collect. Balance. Reconcile. File.” workshop in Fullerton from 9 to 11 a.m. on Jan. 20, at the Nance County Extension Office, 304 3rd St.

This workshop will focus on four steps to prepare books for accountants or make it easier for business managers to do them on their own. Nebraska Extension Educator Jessica Groskopf will discuss collecting the necessary documents, balancing check registers or financial software, reconciling accounts and filing paperwork for agricultural operations.

This workshop is free to attend, but registration is required by calling the office of Nebraska Extension in Nance County at 308-536-2691.



Free Value Added Producer Grant Webinar Hosted by ChopLocal and Stewards Unlimited

With a renewed emphasis on small meat processors and local foods, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently has several grant opportunities available to strengthen local meat supply chains. One of those grants is the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), under the purview of USDA’s Rural Development.

ChopLocal, a farmer-owned company dedicated to helping farmers and small meat processors sell more meat online, is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday, January 24 at 6 pm EST/7pm CST to help producers learn more about the VAPG. The webinar will review the grant requirements, and Stephen Ussery from Stewards Unlimited, an agricultural grant writing service, will share tips on writing successful grant applications.

“Grant-writing can be an intimidating process for farmers,” says Ussery, “but I’ve found that the Value Added Producer Grant is a great place to start.” Ussery has written several successful VAPG applications for farmers in the past, including the Barreras Family Farm in Blair, Nebraska, which received $249,518 for beef processing through the Value-Added Producer Grant.

Many farmers selling direct-to-consumer, including livestock farmers, are eligible to apply for VAPG. The maximum grant award is $250,000, which must be matched by the farmer. A reduced cost-share match requirement of 10 percent of the grant amount is available for a portion of the funds.

“Because the VAPG funds can be used to offset processing and marketing costs, the grant can really accelerate the growth of a direct-to-consumer farm business,” says Katie Olthoff, ChopLocal.

Producers interested in learning more about the VAPG and other grant opportunities can register for the webinar at http://sell.choplocal.com/vapg-2022.



Chairman Thompson Announces Agriculture Committee Roster for 118th Congress

Today, the House Republican Steering Committee selected the Republican members who will serve on the House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress. Following the announcement, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, issued the following statement:

"I welcome this diverse group of legislators to the House Committee on Agriculture for the 118th Congress. It’s imperative we hit the ground running through a rigorous hearing schedule, listening sessions, and aggressive oversight. I look forward to working closely with my colleagues as we put forward commonsense solutions that provide certainty for rural America."

Returning Members
Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (PA-15), Chairman
Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08)
Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01)
Rep. Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
Rep. David Rouzer (NC-07)
Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01)
Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02)
Rep. Dusty Johnson (SD-AL)
Rep. Jim Baird (IN-04)
Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01)
Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15)
Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02)
Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03)
Rep. Brad Finstad (MN-01)

New Members
Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03)  
Rep. John Rose (TN-06)
Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13)
Rep. Mark Alford (MO-04)
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)
Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15)
Rep. John Duarte (CA-13)
Rep. Nick Langworthy (NY-23)
Rep. Max Miller (OH-07)
Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19)
Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03)
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03)

NOTE: The House Steering Committee is responsible for recommending Members to serve on standing Committees in the House of Representatives. The recommendations are subject to approval by the House Republican Conference.



Free NCBA Trade Show Admission for FFA Members

The annual Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show brings producers and their families from across the country together for education, entertainment and engagement. This year’s event, Feb. 1-3 in New Orleans, also provides an opportunity for the industry’s youth to gather, learn and share ideas.

To encourage young producers to participate, there will be a special FFA Day at the NCBA Trade Show on Friday, Feb. 3. The first 50 FFA members to register using the code “FFA” will receive complimentary trade show admission.

The NCBA Trade Show offers new and experienced cattle producers opportunities to network, learn, shop and dine. It is a solutions center with more than 350 exhibitors across eight acres featuring animal health products, equipment, irrigation technology, software, trailers and so much more. In addition to finding the right product or service to solve any problem, there are a variety of educational opportunities within the show.

New in 2023, Cattle Chats will feature 20-minute beef industry educational sessions, with special spotlight sessions focusing on sustainability. Attendees can also stop in the Learning Lounge to enjoy informal, face-to-face talks in an intimate setting right on the trade show floor. Industry leaders will tackle topics such as ranch succession, effective probiotics, deworming protocols, animal welfare and tax trends. The popular Stockmanship & Stewardship Demonstration Arena also returns with stockmanship experts providing low-stress cattle handling demonstrations, Beef Quality Assurance educational sessions, industry updates and facility design sessions.

FFA members must use the code, FFA, to receive free NCBA Friday Only Trade Show registration. A variety of other registration options are also available. For more information and to register and reserve housing, visit convention.ncba.org.