What i enjoyed most about Will Gilmers guest lecture.

Mr Gilmer talked about manyuseful things during his guest speaking. I enjoyed so many popint that he made that it is hard to pick just one that i enjoyed the most.

Record high hay prices

Hay prices across the us will be record high again this year.this winter will be much more difficult to find hay than last year.  This link will tell you all about it. http://cattletoday.com/archive/2012/November/CT2873.php

Grass Fed Cattle

For many produces grass fed beef is looking like a more economical choice. With corn prices high and cattle prices high for some people although you might  not get the amount of gain with grass fed beef the lower input cost could make up the difference. If you buy a 500# steer at $1.50 and keep him for 60 days on feed at 3 pounds a day then sale at 680# you can make money. but if you buy the same steer and put him on grass for 90 days at 2 pounds a day you make the same money with fewer inputs, which increases your profit.

Hay Production in Mississippi

Hay production in Mississippi has been very good this year in spots. The rainfall in central Mississippi has been above average but in the north and south parts of the state has been pretty dry. This link will explain it a little better. http://cattletoday.com/archive/2012/November/CT2869.php

Benefits of Pre-Conditioning Cattle

Pre-Conditioning is the phase of preparing cattle to enter the stocker phase of the industry or to be directly placed in the feedlot. This phase of the calves life can be very stressful. During this time these animals will be dehorned, castrated, branded, dewormed, etc.... It can also be a very profitable time for the producer. There are Three main benefits to pre-conditioning your cattle: Additional weight gain, Seasonal price increase, and a potential price premium associated with preconditioning
management practices implemented at the ranch.

Injection sites in cattle.

As more and more portion-controlled retail cuts of the most expensive beef, primarily steaks,
are produced by centralized processors, it has become evident that injections can result
in blemishes at the site of injection. These defects must be trimmed and discarded, often
condemning two or more steaks to the tubs labeled “Non edible.” The costs of trimming can be
as much as $40.00 per head.
Initially, it was thought that feedlots were the primary source of the problem; that the blemishes
resulted from injections given when cattle were processed at the time of entry into the feedlot.
It is now known that blemishes resulting from injection of calves will persist until slaughter.  In fact, the $40.00 per head loss at slaughter, results from administering black leg vaccine in the rear leg of calves at brading time .

Broadcasting vs. Drilling Ryegrass

This is the time of year for producers to be thinking about planting their ryegrass. There are lots of methods to plant ryegrass you just have to decide on which is the best for you. a lot of people just break the entire pasture up and drill or broadcast the seed. The main down fall to this method is you mess up the grass that is already established for summer grazing. you can also just broadcast or drill with no disking at all and keep your summer grass. My favorite method is to turn your disc blades straight and disc the pasture, then broadcast the seed. with this method you will get a stand a little earlier than with no tillage and you do not cut the roots on your summer grass. I also like to mix a little wheat and oats in with my grass that way i can put cattle on it a little earlier.

Harvest residue may be a good choice for producers.

With the drought throughout the mid west being one the the worst on record producers should consider looking at corn residue for supplemental feed. although there may not be a whole lot of whole corn in corn stalks there is still some. it is estimated that there is 3 bushels per acre of corn left in the field that does not pass through the combine. and also 50% of total corn plant yield still remains in the field. these numbers go up in dry years due to the amount of stress on the plants. when is is dry and corn does not have the nutrients it needs it causes some plants to fall over and these can be rolled up just like hay. Although the best utilization come from grazing cattle directly on the corn stalks, if you are going to bale them it is best to cut them with a stalk cutter first to reduce stalk size.

Hay Shortage

Hay in the mid-west is very short due to the drought. This is making Producers make decisions about what to do with their calves and cows. With hay being short and it costing a arm and a leg if you can get it you want to make sure that is is going into the highest producing animals. This might be a good time to look at culling a few more cows or weaning your calves a little earlier. Another option is to send your calves to a backgrounding or feed yard at a lighter weight.

High corn prices putting pressure on cattle market

The droughts of that have come about this year will put a lot of pressure on the cattle market. Mainly because of the corn crop. with corn being the main ingredient in livestock feed and the shortage driving prices to record highs it makes it hard for the producer to make a living. last years drought in the southeast region left a lot of producers sending cattle to other Midwestern states that were not quite as dry, where as this year all of those state experienced a drought. So where can we send the cattle now? With grass in short supply this may leave no choice but to send calves straight to the feed lot and with corn also in shirt supply at record prices it does not seem like there is a good answer.

There is lots going on with the cattle market around the country. This link will give you some examples. http://agfax.com/2012/08/22/arkansas-cattle-deaths-blamed-on-drought-stressed-forage/