Serving the Bos indicus Cattle Industry of America | November 2013 AI Issue From One CattlemanSanta Gertrudis To Genetics Another You Can Count On At Briggs Ranches, we offer the finest in Santa Gertrudis Genetics. Performance proven genetics from an industry leader. Breeding practical cattle to satisfy the needs of commercial cattlemen.We want to thank our many customers and welcome cattlemen to see how Santa Gertrudis can enhance your program. Call Us for Santa Gertrudis Bulls and Females Star 5 Certified Santa Gertrudis Commercial Females Your Success is our Goal! Cattlemen are seeing an enthusiastic and optimistic future. Our future has been forged by the lessons learned from our historic past and the optimism of those who have preceded us. Our vision of success revolves around the success of our customers. Call or come by and let us show you our program. Cattle available for sale at all times. Briggs Ranches PO Box 1417 • Victoria, Texas 77902 (361) 573-7141 • Joe Jones, manager (361) 897-1337 • E-mail Robert Briggs Traylor Division San Roque Division San Carlos Division • E-mail Joe Jones: [email protected] (Bloomington, Texas) (Catarina, Texas) (Rio Grande City, Texas) [email protected] THE EAR NOVEMBER 2013 | 1 I am a little late in reporting on this year’s 45th Annual Research Symposium and Con- vention in Oklahoma City, coordinated by Oklahoma State University. There were sev- eral good topics, a couple of which I wanted to relate here. My hat is off to Dr. Megan Rolf and the Animal Science Faculty there. Chris Shivers and I (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension) hosted the 2012 meeting in Houston. The full convention proceedings (plus that of the Columns other meetings over the years) can be found at http://www.beefimprovement.org/. 4 Have You Heard...the Truth 6 The Science of Bos inducus 6 Artificial Insemination (A.I.) is a technique Features that has been around for many years. Live- 16 Why Artificial Insemina- stock systems around the world have recog- tion?...Why Not? nized the economic advantages of utilizing A.I. as well as many other technologies to enhance productivity. However, the United States’ beef industry has been hesitant to broadly adopt this technology which has Departments the potential to produce higher rates of return on investment than creep feeding, 18 Braford Headlines growth promoting implants, ultrasound, embryo transfer, etc. What is the reason 20 Brahman Headlines for the slow adaptation of this technology? Concerns over cost, labor, results and the 21 Brangus Headlines 16 application of A.I. to smaller herds appear to be the most common reasons for the 25 Red Brangus Headlines hesitancy. 26 Santa Gertrudis Headlines Other 27 Industry News 29 Bos inducus Bulletin Board 31 Advertiser’s Index 32 Calendar On the Cover > Brahman cross cow and calf. Photo taken by Richard Hood 2 | NOVEMBER 2013 THE EAR THE EAR NOVEMBER 2013 | 3 Have You Heard.... Serving the Bos indicus the Truth Cattle Industry of America Fall calving season is well underway! It is The EAR Magazine time to start thinking about getting cows bred. c/o AMS Genetics PO Box 10 The decisions of how to go about breeding our Wheelock, TX 77882 cows has never been more economically impor- tant. Physical: 10541 E OSR We are in a steady $1.60+ feeder calf mar- Hearne, TX 77859 ket. Replacement heifer sales are breaking re- cords every week. Corn futures are settled at Phone: 979/828-2722 210 day lows. Cattle inventory numbers still Fax: 979/828-5532 show to be at record depleted levels with very www.amscattle.com/the-ear-magazine/ little reported growth forecasted. From those fundamentals, it appears that the derivative calves one plans today in their breeding decisions could even be in a more lucrative market position 15 to 18 months from today. Brad Wright Billing How do cattle operations maximize profit? No matter the size 979/219-4599 of the cattle operation it has always been PROFIT=per acre pounds [email protected] x market price –per acre operating cost. The secret to success in the cattle business is to increase per acre pounds produced and the mar- Mark Cowan Advertising Sales ketable values without increasing the per acre cost significantly. 903/495-4522 [email protected] This sounds simple in theory, but in reality it can be very complex to achieve with efficiency due to the variability in all three of these Richard Hood annual budgetary numbers. The antagonist nature of the business Advertising Sales in comparing input cost to increase revenue is always the dilemma. 979/224-6150 Creep feeding, replacement cattle development, and fertilizing pas- [email protected] tures are examples of significant input increases that can return size- able dividend, but could also decrease profits if not managed properly. Trey Kirkpatrick Advertising Sales 979/324-5518 In basic cattle management to maximize profit the three most im- [email protected] portant organizational numbers to improve annual profit are: 1. % Live calves born and weaned Crystal Devoll 2. Average age of calves weaned and sold Graphic Designer/Layout Artist 3. Separation in weight of calves weaned and sold 979/820-8358 [email protected] A management tool one can use that can affect and improve all three of these is AI (Artificial Insemination). AI has been proven time and time again in research projects in all environments to not only increase revenue, but in contrast it has been also proven to in signifi- cant cost savings. Member: This is “The Ear” magazine’s AI issue. There are many cattle pro- ducers in this issue advertising their AI sires that can be used in both purebred and commercial operations. We encourage you to contact them if you would like to explore possibly using AI in your cattle Published on the first day of each month. Correspondence on all phases of operation. the cattle business is invited. Publisher reserves exclusive right to accept or reject advertising or editorial material submitted for publication in The EAR magazine. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to : The EAR c/o AMS We look forward to serving you. Genetics, PO Box 10, Wheelock, Texas 77882, 979-219-4599, FAX 979-828- 5532. Richard Hood 4 | NOVEMBER 2013 THE EAR THE EAR NOVEMBER 2013 | 5 The Science of Bos indicus featuring Dr. Joe Paschal Professor & Livestock Specialist The Beef Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Improvement Corpus Christi, Texas Federation Sexed Semen, Cowherd Efficiency and Genetic Mutations The night before there was an evening reception and the National Asso- I am a little late in reporting on this year’s ciation of Animal Breeders hosts an educational symposium (usually geared 45th Annual Research Symposium and Con- around enhancing reproduction and artificial insemination practices). This year there were some of the same types of presentations. Two stuck out in my vention in Oklahoma City, coordinated by mind. One was by Dr. Dustin Dean of Sexing Technologies who discussed in detail the process of sexing semen. I have used a considerable amount of Oklahoma State University. There were sev- sexed semen in the past few years, almost all of it in Eared cattle, for both eral good topics, a couple of which I wanted large purebred herds and a few show heifers. If the estrus synchronization gets the cows or heifers into a good standing heat it works really well and to relate here. My hat is off to Dr. Megan folks are pleased about it! However I (and others I am sure) have had less success with it on cows that don’t come into (or show) heat or estrus. I prefer Rolf and the Animal Science Faculty there. to use unsexed semen in those females (and do) but the odds of a pregnancy Chris Shivers and I (Texas A&M AgriL- are lower than I like. ife Extension) hosted the 2012 meeting in A second presentation in the Symposium was by a good friend of mine and a terrific reproductive physiologist, Dr. David Patterson, who is an Extension Houston. The full convention proceedings Beef Specialist at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Dave has done (plus that of the other meetings over the quite a bit of reproductive research in his state and throughout the Midwest and is specifically interested in increasing conception rates from AI using years) can be found at http://www.beefim- sexed semen. His presentation showed that inseminating anestrous cows at 72 hours after CIDR removal with sexed semen resulted in conception rates provement.org/. I am not sure if it is by de- around 30% compared to 50% with unsexed semen. In cows exhibiting sign or not but when you click on that link estrus, the pregnancy rate with sexed semen averaged 65%. I had always thought that the difference, which I have experienced as well but in Eared a set of really nice F1 tiger stripe females is cattle, was due mainly to the number of cells in a ½ cc versus a ¼ cc straw. In Dave’s work, if the cows didn’t come into heat they weren’t bred (using the first thing you see! The pictures do in- the AM/PM rule) until 72 hours. He decided that perhaps the sexed semen clude some black and red cattle but one of needed more time to become “capacitated”, to charge up for fertilization, so he gave the anestrous cows an injection of GnRH and then inseminated the others has a herd of cows with distinct them 20 hours later (regardless of heat signs) and he moved the conception rate up to 50%! I have tried this in a few Eared females but not enough to EAR! We are making some headway, there have really have a definite result.