Land and Livestock Post

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

JAMES THOMPSONStraight from the horse's mouth.PAGE 3




December 2014— Issue

Cows and deer,deer and cows

Manage rangeland for cattle and deerPAGE 12

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDBRYAN, TX 77802PERMIT # 23

URBANVS. RURALShould city dwellers pick the ag commissioner?PAGE 3

DON’T GO GRAZE CRAZYLimit time in wheat pastures for mature cows.PAGE 5

CHICKENING OUTFast food restaurants cry fowl over beef prices.PAGE 6

MARCHINGORDERSUSDA seeks input on new promotion rules.PAGE 18

December 2014— Issue 1

December 2014— Issue 1 The Land & Livestock Post2

News

From the General Manager

It’s usuallymy luck that when I get up earlyin the freezing cold, pull onmy gear andtrudge out to the deer stand, a bunch of

cows will be along shortly.There is no amount of stealththat canmake up for a herd of1,200-pound animals followingbehind you.Although together they

do notmake for a good hunt,overall deer and cattle are agood pairing. In our cover sto-ry we take a look at managingrangeland for both cattle and deer.We also have a story about how rising beef

prices are impacting the fast food industry,which ties in closely with another story fromthe USDA requesting input onways to pro-mote beef. On top of that, we have an articleabout the drama unfolding inMaui, Hawaii,

withMonsanto over geneticallymodified food.The article does a decent job covering the de-tails, but I think I’m going to work a deal withmy higher-ups to sendme over there to getsome first-hand input.These stories and a few othersmake up the

first of two issues for December 2014. Hopeyou find something you enjoy, and as always,thanks for reading.’Til next time,

• For more information about content or advertising,contact Jesse Wright at [email protected].

JESSE WRIGHT

Shouldcityvoterspicktheagcommissioner?

By NeeNa SatijaThe Texas Tribune

For more than a century, Tex-anshaveelectedtheiragriculturecommissioner, unlikemore thantwo-thirdsof stateswheregover-nors fill the job by appointment.ButasTexas’urbanpopulation

inches toward90percent, shouldthey? Or is there danger that theobscurestatewideposition,oftenseenasastepping-stonetohigheroffice, could get tied up in politi-cal campaigns about guns andGod instead of soybeans andsows?Farmgroups say they still fa-

vor elections, expressing con-fidence that, in this election atleast, voters did fine pickingformer Republican state Rep.

Sid Miller.Miller will oversee a Depart-

ment of Agriculture handlingtasks such as inspecting fuelpumps, regulating pesticidesand administering ahalf-billion-dollar federal school lunch pro-gram. He’s also promised to pro-moteTexasagriculturalproductsworldwide, and encourage moreagricultural producers to cometo Texas.If demographic trends contin-

ue, it may get dicier to letmostlyurbanTexansdecidewho’squali-fied to represent agriculture,farm leaders said. Rather thanfighting for rural Texas, a can-didate might decide to focus onurban needs instead.

Photo by Jerod FosterA field of corn in the Texas Panhandle. Do city dwellers have enough connection withfood production to be able to select a good agriculture commissioner?

See ELECT, Page 4

The Land & Livestock Post December 2014— Issue 1 3

News

“I think we’re safe right nowwith Sid [Miller],” said DarrenTurley, executive director of theTexas Association of Dairymenand chairman of the Texas Ag-ricultureCouncil. “Butwemightnot be next time. ... We’re justvery short on representativesfor rural Texas.”Miller did not respond to re-

quests forcommentforthisstory.The state’s rural population

share has shrunk dramatically,fromclose to40percent in1950 toless than 15 percent today, mak-ing it easier forsomeonewithoutfarmorranchroots tobeelected.The state Constitution does notrequire the agriculture commis-sioner’selection.TheLegislaturecouldmake it an appointed posi-tion.“Whether or not you should

haveanelectedoffice, Ihavebeenconcerned about that for manyyears,” said Charlie Stenholm,a former Texas Democratic con-

gressman who now lobbies inWashington, D.C. “There’s al-ways the danger politically thatyou’re going to get someone thatis going to have a different agen-da than what’s needed,” thoughhe added that Miller’s farmingcredentials are solid and he ex-pectsMiller tostandupforTexasagriculture.The Texas Farm Bureau, one

of thestate’smostpowerful farmlobbies, is less sure. In thisyear’sRepublican primary, it backed JAllen Carnes, a Uvalde farmerwhocampaignedonagriculture-related issues rather than tout-ing his conservative credentialson abortion and gun rights asdid other candidates, includingMiller. Carnes came in last, andthe FarmBureau declined to en-dorse Miller during the generalelection campaign.But even if it’s hard to get ur-

ban Texas interested in rural is-sues, Farm Bureau spokesmanGene Hall said, the position stillshould be elected.

SusanCombs,thestate’soutgo-ingRepublican comptrollerwhoserved as agriculture commis-sioner from 1999 to 2007, pointedout that state lawrequirescandi-dates tohavea farmingorranch-ing background — althoughthat’s easy to get around.“I think the statute isn’t that

strict,” she acknowledged. But,she added, “I have watched anawful lot of agencies withoutelectionsmakemisstepand fum-bleaftermisstepandfumble,andthishelpskeepthemalittlemore

honest.”Still, what exactly the agri-

culture commissioner must behonest about is becoming moreobscure. Few Texans — evenfarmers and ranchers — knowwhat the state Department ofAgriculture does.“They’remore [about]weights

and measures on scales,” saidPeteBonds,presidentof theTex-asandSouthwesternCattleRais-ersAssociation. “I’mnot sure ofthis, but I think they also do gastanks.” Agricultural producersareaffectedmoreby federalpoli-cies like immigration and farmsubsidies, he said.The commissioner’s bully

pulpit role is more directly im-portant to agriculture, Bondssaid. He recounted how outgo-ing Republican commissionerTodd Staples fought for Texasranchers when Mexico signed atradeagreementto importbreed-ing cattle from Canada, but notfrom the U.S. due to concernsaboutmadcowdiseasethere.But

the Canadian cattle still neededto pass through export facilitiesalong the U.S.-Mexico border, so“Todd spoke up and said, ‘Theyain’t coming through Texas,’”Bonds said.And there’s another reason

aspiring politicians want tokeep the office an elected one:It’s an obvious starting point,and winning it gives candidatesastatewide fundraisingRolodex,volunteernetworkandnamerec-ognition.That was certainly true for

Gov. Rick Perry, who won theoffice in 1990. In a campaign adfrom the time, it’s clear that Per-ry—featured incowboyattire—had political ambitions.“RickPerry.Anewleaderfrom

agriculture,” the announcersays, “for Texas.”Disclosure: The Texas Farm

Bureau, the Texas and South-western Cattle Raisers Asso-ciation and Southern MethodistUniversity are corporate spon-sors of The Texas Tribune.

Elect, from Page 3


Brazos Valley Livestock Commission17th Annual Fall Replacement Sale

Highway 21 East • Bryan, Texas • Saturday December 6, 2014 • 11:00 AM

All cattle are young and screened for quality.Call us to consign your quality females

REGULAR CATTLE SALESTUESDAYS 12:00 NOONFORMORE INFORMATION CALL: (979) 778-0904

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NewsLimiting grazing onwheat pasture best formature beef cows

By Dr. Glenn SelkOklahoma State University

Limited grazing of wheatpasturehasproven tobe thebestandalsomoreefficientapproachfor utilizing this high-qualityforage with mature beef cows.The protein requirements of adry cow can be met by allowingher tograzeonwheatpasture foronedayandreturningher todrypasturegrassand/orhay for twoor three days. A pattern of oneday on wheat and one day off,should meet the protein needsof the same cow after calving.The day on wheat pasture

shouldbedefinedas thatamountof time required for the cow tograze her fill of wheat forage(three to five hours) and not afull 24 hours. This short time onwheat allows the cow to gatheradequate amounts of protein

to carry her over the ensuingdays on dry grass or hay. Athree to five hour grazing limithelps to avoid the unnecessaryloss of valuable forage due totrampling, bedding down andmanure deposits. Dependingon planting date, under normalweather conditions in the fall,enough wheat forage should beaccumulated by late Novemberor early December to supplythe protein needs of about oneto one and a half cows per acrethroughout the winter monthswhen limit grazing is practiced.Producers who decide to use

continuous grazing of small-grainpastures, shouldwatchoutfor the possibility of “grass teta-ny.” Grass tetany normally willstrikewhen older cows are graz-ing small grain pastures in theearly spring and the danger will

tend to subside as hot weatherarrives.Amineral deficient con-dition primarily due to calciumand, toa lesserdegree, tomagne-sium, is thought to be the majorfactor that triggers this disorderand normally affects older cowsthat are nursing calves undertwo to three months old. Drycows seldom are affected.When conditions for occur-

rence of tetany are suspected,cowsshouldbeprovidedmineralmixescontaining12percent to15percent magnesium and be con-sumed at 3 to 4 ounces per day. Itis best for the supplements to be

startedacoupleof monthsaheadof theperiod of tetanydanger sothat proper intake can be estab-lished. Because tetany also canoccurwhencalciumis low, calci-umsupplementationalsoshouldbe included.Symptoms of tetany from de-

ficiencies of both minerals are

indistinguishable without bloodtests and the treatment consistsof intravenous injections of cal-ciumandmagnesiumgluconate,which supplies bothminerals.Cowsgrazing lushsmall grain

pastures should be fed mineralmixes containing both calciumandmagnesium.


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NewsHigherbeefpricescause fast foodchains topushchicken

CANDICE CHOIAPFood IndustryWriter

NEWYORK—Risingbeef pricesmightnot mean the cost of a Whopper is goingto skyrocket, but it could mean you’ll beencouraged to order a chicken sandwichinstead.

Beef priceshaveclimbedinpartbecauseof rising demand overseas and droughtsin recent years that have caused livestockproducers toshrinktheircattleherds.Theaverage, year-to-date price for 81 percentlean ground beef is $2.18 per pound, saidKevinGood,ananalystatCattleFax,aCol-orado-based tracker of the beef industry.That’s up 24 percent from a year ago.

The soaring prices have hurt fast-foodrestaurants that featurebeef asthecenter-piece of their menus: Burger King, Wen-dy’s and McDonald’s — the nation’s threebiggest burger chains — all say they’redealing with higher beef costs.

But fast-food chains, which sometimespassalongadditionalcosts for ingredients

tocustomers, realize there’sonlysomuchpeople are willing to pay for a burger. So,they’re takingothermeasures tohelpeasethe pressure, such as slashing expenseselsewhere or trying to get people to orderother things on their menus.

Arby’s, a chain best known for its roastbeef sandwiches, is rolling out a new lineof steak sandwiches. But without provid-ingdetails,CEOPaulBrownsaid thecom-pany also is looking for “more opportuni-ties”topromotechicken,whichonaverageaccounts for about 10 percent of sales forthe chain.

“There are certain things you can

See FAST FOOD, Page 7

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, FileThis photo shows a Whopper sandwich at a BurgerKing restaurant in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. Soar-ing beef prices have hurt fast-food restaurants thatfeature the meat as the centerpiece of their menus.Burger King,Wendy’s andMcDonald’s — the nation’sthree biggest burger chains — all say they’re dealingwith higher beef costs.


For a free weekly market report log on towww.navasotalivestock.com

10thANNUALFALLFEMALE&BULLREPLACEMENTSALE

FOR INFORMATIONCall 936-825-6545 or Greg Goudeau 936-661-8432

SAT. December 13th, 2014 • 10:00 A.M.

30 3-5 yr. old Brangus Pairs•

25 4-6 yr. old Crossbred Pairs•

25 3-5 yr. old Brangus Bred Cows•

175 3-5 yr. old Crossbred Bred Cows•

25 Bred, Brangus Heifers•

20 Brangus & Brangus Baldy Open•

heifers15 Charolais &15 Angus Bulls from•

Pat Griswold5 Hereford & 3 Sim-Angus Bulls•

from Pied Piper15 Gray Brahman Heifers 18-20•

months old

Expecting500+ Head

All Livestock mustbe received no laterthanWednesday,

Dec. 10th at 5:00 p.m.

Accepting AdditionalConsignments

All consignmentswill be screenedupon arrival.

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News

do, which is promote differentitems,” Brown said in an inter-view this week when asked howthe company is dealing with ris-ing beef costs.Alex Macedo, president of

Burger King’s North Americanregion, also said earlier this yearthe company is pushing chickenmore aggressively to offset ris-ing beef costs. This summer,the chain said it brought backits “Chicken Fries,” which aredeep-fried pieces of chicken inthe shape of french fries, after“ongoing guest outcries reacheda point where they could no lon-ger be ignored.”The dish was introduced in

2005 and taken off the menu in2012.Burger King’s website also

currently is promoting its Ital-ian Original Chicken Sandwich,as well as a deal for 10 chickennuggets for $1.49.Burger King is working with

franchisees to reduce restaurantcostsaswell.CarrolsRestaurantGroup,BurgerKing’sbiggestU.S.franchisee, noted that its beefcosts were up 32 percent in thelatest quarter from a year ago.Wendy’s last month also an-

nounced a plan to cut costs by$30 million to offset challenges,which include rising beef costs.SpokesmanBobBertinideclinedto specifyhowWendy’s is adjust-ing itsmarketingstrategy todealwith rising beef costs. But he

said “our varied coremenuwithmany chicken and salad optionsgives us options.”Todrivecustomer trafficin the

U.S., McDonald’s said it’s work-ing to keep prices down despiteits risingcosts for ingredients.Tocounterpressures,whichincludeweaksales,McDonald’sChief Fi-nancial Officer Pete Bensen saidthe company is working withthird-partyexperts toanalyze itscost structure, including staffinglevels.That doesn’t mean fast-food

customers will be shielded fromrising beef costs entirely. Chipo-tle raised prices nationally byaboutanaverageof 6percent thispast year, with the company cit-ing higher costs for ingredients,includingbeef.ButChipotle isen-joyingstrongsalesgrowthand ismoreconfidentabout itsabilitytoraise prices without scaring offcustomers.Companies aren’t expecting

higher beef prices to ease upanytime soon.John Harrington, publisher

of Hastings, Nebraska-basedFeel of the Marketwho analyzesthe cattle market, said livestockproducers just now are startingto replenish their herds after adrought inrecentyears.Assuch,he doesn’t expect prices to easeuntil 2017.“It just takes so long — two to

three years to a breed a cow. Youhavetoget thecalf ontheground,grow the calf and then butcherthe animal,” Harrington said.

Fast food, from Page 6

Agricultural exports set recordSpecial to The Post

WASHINGTON—TheU.S.De-partmentof Agriculturereleaseditsfinal total forU.S.agriculturalexports inFiscalYear2014,whichsoared to a record $152.5 billion(up from last year’s $141 billion).Agriculture Secretary Tom

Vilsack said, “American farm-ersandranchershaveonceagainachieved another year of recordexports. Agricultural exportshave climbed 41 percent in valueover the past five years. U.S. ag-riculturalexportshaveincreasedinvolumeaswell as inmonetaryvalue, which demonstrates an

increasing global appetite forhigh-quality, American-grownproducts.

“The Administration’s Madein Rural America initiative, ledby USDA, remains committed tostrengthening rural communi-ties, andwill continue to focusoninvestments in rural businesses,manufacturing, energy, waterandotherinfrastructuredevelop-ment. Collectively, these effortshelp toexpandexportopportuni-ties for what is grown and madeinruralAmerica,create jobs,andfoster growth that strengthensour nation’s economy.”


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5 Hour CEU Course Friday, Dec. 5 1PMCoordinated by Philip Shackelford, Austin County Extention Agent & Texas AgriLife

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News

Brazos ValleyResults of the Brazos Valley Live-

stock Commission’s Nov. 11 sale:Head: 1,151Steers:200-300 lbs.,$364-$430;

300-400 lbs.,$324-$400; 400-500lbs., $279-$360; 500-600 lbs.,$249-$305; 600-700 lbs., $210-$265; 700-800 lbs., $210-$225.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $300-$345; 300-400 lbs., $259-$3350;400-500 lbs.,$240-$320; 500-600

lbs., $220-$262; 600-700 lbs.,$200-$225; 700-800 lbs., $195-$207.

Slaughter bulls: $120-$144.Slaughter cows: $85-$125.Bred cows: $1,350-$2,400.Cow/calf pairs: $1,900-$2,300.

BuffaloResults of Buffalo Livestock Mar-

keting’s Nov. 8 sale:Head: 1,301

Steers:200-300 lbs.,$300-$360;300-400 lbs.,$285-$350; 400-500lbs., $245-$330; 500-600 lbs.,$235-$305; 600-700 lbs., $215-$262; 700-800 lbs., $205-$232.

Heifers: 200-300 lbs., $275-$340; 300-400 lbs., $245-$335;400-500 lbs., $220-$320; 500-600 lbs., $210-$295; 600-700lbs., $205-$255; 700-800 lbs.,$175-$225.

Slaughter bulls:$105-$152.Slaughter cows: $65-$124.Stocker cows: $1,750-$2,600.Cow/calf pairs: $1,100-$2,675.

CaldwellResults of the Caldwell Livestock

Commission’s Nov. 12 sale:Head: 671Steers:200-300 lbs.,$300-$400;

300-400 lbs.,$300-$395; 400-500lbs., $290-$360; 500-600 lbs.,$240-$300; 600-700 lbs., $220-

$240; 700-800 lbs., $200-$225.Heifers: 268-330 lbs., $280-

$350; 300-400 lbs., $280-$365;400-500 lbs., $270-$325; 500-600 lbs., $240-$300; 600-700lbs., $215-$240; 700-800 lbs.,$200-$220.

Slaughter bulls: $117-$124.Slaughter cows: $70-$111.Stocker cows: $1,300-$2,000.

MilanoResults of the Milano Livestock

Exchange’s Nov. 11 sale:Head: 515Steers:300-400 lbs.,$221-$370;

400-500 lbs.,$247-$357; 500-600lbs., $217-$291; 600-700 lbs.,$196-$249.

Heifers: 300-400 lbs., $236-$339; 400-500 lbs., $230-$315;500-600 lbs., $209-$2617; 600-700 lbs., $193-$225.

Slaughter bulls:$120-$139.

Slaughter cows: $81-$107.Bred cows: $1,150-$1,900.Cow/calf pairs: $1,750-$2,250.

NavasotaResults of theNavasota Livestock

Auction Co.’s Nov. 8 sale:Head: 1,507Steers:150-300 lbs.,$200-$440;

300-400 lbs.,$200-$375; 400-500lbs., $175-$355; 500-600 lbs.,$160-$295; 600-700 lbs., $155-$257.50.

Heifers: 150-300 lbs., $195-$400; 300-400 lbs., $185-$325;400-500 lbs., $175-$310; 500-600 lbs.,$165-$285; 600-700 lbs.,$160-$247.50.

Slaughter bulls:$100-$129.Slaughter cows: $85-$116.Stocker cows: $1,200-$2,075.Cow/calf pairs: $2,000-$2,450.

— Special to The Post

LIVESTOCK MARKET REPORT

SouthwestBeefSymposiumset for Jan.14-15 inAmarillo

By Kay LedBetterTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

AMARILLO—TheSouthwestBeef Symposium, jointly hostedby the Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-tensionService andNewMexicoStateUniversityCooperativeEx-tensionService, is set for Jan. 14-15at theWyndhamGardenHotel,3100 Interstate 40W., Amarillo.“Looking to the Future” is the

theme of this year’s conference,

said Ted McCollum, AgriLifeExtension beef cattle specialistin Amarillo.“After some very rough years

of drought, we will address is-suesof concernto the industryatlarge,butalsoat theranchlevel,”McCollum said.Individual registration is $80,

which includesasteakdinneronJan. 14, lunchonJan. 15, refresh-ments and symposium proceed-ings. Registration is required byJan. 9 and seating is limited to150,McCollumsaid,advisingpar-ticipants to register early.Otherswill be put on a waiting list.Registeronlineatagriliferegis-

ter.tamu.edu or by phone at 979-845-2604.The opening session from 1-5

p.m. on Jan. 14 will address big-picture emerging issues in theglobal beef industry, he said.Issues and speakers will be:• The Beef Industry: What’s in

Store Over the Next Five Yearsand Next 10 Years?, Darrell Peel,OklahomaStateUniversity, Still-water, Oklahoma.• Ranching Strategies for the

Long Term, Clint Richardson,Triangle Ranch, Paducah.• Regulatory Issues Facing the

NewMexico andTexas Cattle In-dustry, Karen Cowen, NewMex-ico Cattle Growers Association,Albuquerque, New Mexico; and

Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc.(979) 776-4444 or (800) 299-7355

President - Crystal Dupré ..................................................... Ext. 4613

Publisher and Editor- Kelly Brown ......................................... Ext. 4656

Advertising Director - Ron Prince ........................................ Ext. 4740

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Published by Bryan-College Station Communications, Inc.,P.O. Box 3000, Bryan, Texas 77805.E-mail: [email protected]

All offices are located at 1729 Briarcrest DriveBryan, Texas 77802.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes toThe Eagle, P.O. Box 3000,Bryan, Texas 77805-3000

The Post is printed in part on recycledpaper and is fully recyclable.

See SYMPOSIUM, Page 10


Scott Milligan - Manager39606 FM 1736West • Hempstead, TX 77445806.683.6435 • [email protected]

Rio RanchCharolais& BrangusBulls18-20monthsof ageBorn, Bred and

Developed in the Brazos

Valley for Serious, Profit

Oriented Cattlemen.

News

Ross Wilson, Texas Cattle Feed-ers Association, Amarillo.• Where Do I Go to Get Help

withRegulatoryandLegal IssuesonMyProperty?,TiffanyDowell,AgriLife Extension agriculturallaw specialist, Amarillo.

ThesymposiumonJan. 15willaddressrangelandresourceman-agement inthemorningandbeefherd management in the after-noon. Issuesandspeakerswillbe:• Rangeland Resource Man-

agement in the Panhandle: ALong-TermPerspective,AndrewBivins, JA Ranch, Amarillo.• Tipping Points for Juniper

and Mesquite Control: CanopyCover and Forage Production,Jim Ansley, Texas A&M AgriL-ifeResearchrangelandecologist,Vernon.•Evaluating theCurrentCosts

and Future Value of RangelandImprovementPractices,Richard

Connor, rangeland economist,Texas A&M University, CollegeStation.•ClimateandWeatherOutlook:

Better Days Ahead?, Brian Bled-soe, chief meteorologist, KKTV,Colorado Springs, Colorado.• Heifer Development Strate-

gies, ndy Roberts, U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture-Agricul-turalResearchServiceLivestockandRangeResearchLaboratory,Fort Keogh, Montana.• Genetic Management Tools

for Commercial Cow-calf Pro-ducers, Joe Paschal, AgriLifeExtension livestock specialist,Corpus Christi.•Bull Performance in the Pas-

ture: What We Know, What WeAre Learning, Bruce Carpenter,AgriLifeExtension livestockspe-cialist, Ft. Stockton.

For information, go to aces.nmsu.edu/ces/swbeef/ or con-tact McCollum at 806-677-5600 [email protected].

Symposium, from Page 9


Jesse Wright [email protected]

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Living the good life togetherManagerangeland forcattleanddeer

By RoBeRt FeaRsSpecial to The Post

Ranch profits usually are en-hanced by a diversification ofenterprisesduetoanincreasednumber of revenue sources.Risk also is reducedwhen it

canbe spreadacrossmore thanoneprofitcenter.Acommonranchdiversification isa cow-calf operation and hunting, whichcan be more successful if rangeland ismanaged properly for both animals.Cattle and deer compliment each other

in native range utilization, primarily be-cause they eat different types of plants.On an annual basis, a white-tailed deer’sdiet consists of 52 percent browse (woodyplants), 36 percent forbs (non-woodybroad-leaf plants) and 12 percent grass.The annual diet of cattle is 7 percentbrowse, 12 percent forbs and 81 percentgrass. Because of their plant preference,cattle eat grass that is not beneficial todeerandwillconsumeonlysmallamountsof browse and forbs. There is very littleoverlap in the diets of the two animals.At a cattleman’s field day on the Solana

Ranch near Salado,MikeMichaux beganhis presentation by talking about grassand efforts to keep it healthy. After dis-cussing range management practices, hethentalkedaboutcattleandwhitetaildeer.This rancher has his priorities in the cor-rect order, because available forage is thebackbone of any ranching operation andwithout it, profits suffer.Solana Ranch is owned and operated

by Kirk Michaux and his son, Mike Mi-chaux,whoworktogether todemonstratethat deer and cattle can be managed suc-cessfully on the same land. Kirk’s fatherbought several thousand acres and estab-lished the ranch in 1950. It later becameKirk’s responsibility to keep the ranchonaself-sustainingbasis,which isdonewithcattle and deer.

“Land and water conservation is ournumber one goal,” said Mike Michaux.“Wewant tokeep theranchproductive forfuture family generations.My sonwill bethe fourth generation Michaux that willmanage the ranch.”

Management practices“Ourrangemanagementpracticesben-

efit both deer and cattle,” Mike Michauxsaid. “The cattle stocking rates are pur-posely conservative so that we can retaingrass for drought periods and maintain

good soil condition.“We plant oats in some of our fields for

winter grazing and sorghum for summergrazing. This gives us the opportunityto graze cultivated crops while our pas-

See RANGELAND, Page 13

Photos by Robert FearsDeer help control brush and weeds which enhances the growth of grass for cattle. On the cover, Solana Ranch aerially sprays prickly pear.


News

tures rest.Cattle arealso rotatedamong pastures. Normally wemaintain enough grass so thatthe cattle are not forced to eatbrowse and forbs, leaving themfor the deer.”“Continual prickly pear and

cedar control programs aremaintained,”KirkMichauxsaid.“These two plants are seriousinvaders and provide very littlebenefit to deer or cattle in ourarea.Hydraulic shearsmountedona skid steer loader areused tocut cedar at ground level, whichleavesroots in thegroundtocon-trolsoilerosion.Sincethespeciesisblueberry juniper, itdoesn’t re-sprout.Weaerially spraypricklypear with either Surmount orTordon 22K.“Care is taken to avoid spray-

ing our hardwood trees that in-cludeelm,pecan,postoak,black-jackoakandliveoak.These treesbenefit deer by providing coverand a fall food supply of pecansand acorns. The groves of treesalsoprovidethecattlewithshadeandprotectionfrombadweather.Understory growth such as su-mac, hackberry, and wild grapeare left for deer browse”Cedar and other woody plants

regularly are removed from theriparian areas on the SolanaRanchwhichresults inspringre-

juvenation. The flowing springssupply the creekswithyear-longwater that benefit both, the deerand cattle.

Stocking ratesTheUnitedStatesDepartment

of AgricultureNatural Resourc-es Conservation Service helpsthe Michauxs with their cattle-grazingplans.Forageinventoriesnormally are taken twice a year.The first sampling is taken dur-ing the first part of July, when70 percent of the forage hasbeen produced. Forage produc-tion is measured again after thefirst killing frost in the fall. Thissecondmeasurementshowshowmuch foragewas consumeddur-ing the growing season and howmuchisavailable forwinter feed.“Forage production can eas-

ily be determined with a com-mon yard stick, which is usedto square off one square yard onthe ground,” said Jeff Goodwin,Natural Resources Conserva-tion Service state rangelandmanagement specialist. “Forageavailable forgrazing is clippedatground level inside the square,put intopre-weighedbagsandal-lowed to air dry for two to threedays. Then the dried forage isweighed in grams. Pounds offorage per acre are determinedbymultiplying the netweight by

10.7. Forage is clipped at enoughlocations across the pasture un-til a representative sample is ob-tained.”“Once the amount of total

available forage is determined,the next step is calculation ofavailable animal days per acre,”Goodwin continues. “An animalunit consumes approximately26 pounds of forage per day.Let’s assume we have 50 cowsthat collectively will consume1,300 pounds of forage per day(50 X 26 = 1,300). If we estimate4,000 pounds of forage per acreand there are 150 acres in thepasture, we have a total forageproduction of 600,000 pounds(150 X 4,000 = 600,000). We wantto use 25 percent which gives us150,000poundsof availableforage(600,000X0.25=150,000).Dividingthe amount of available forageby the daily herd consumption

Rangeland, from Page 12

Photo by Robert FearsCedar or juniper is controlled on the Solana Ranch by individual plant treatment witha backpack sprayer.See DEER, Page 14


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tells us that we have 115 grazingdays in that particular pasture(150,000 ÷ 1,300 = 115). Eventssuch as drought, grasshoppersorarmywormscouldchangethisnumber, so constantmonitoringis necessary.”

Deer management“Deer population sizes are

managed with the help of TexasParks and Wildlife,” Kirk Mich-aux said. “We take annual deercensusesduringAugustandSep-tember by spotlight surveys. Adeerspotlightsurvey isamethodof sampling a given area of landand its deer density. There aredesignated routes on the ranchwhich we drive and stop everytenth mile each year before cen-sus is taken. At the stops, weestimate the length of visibilityperpendicular toeachsideof the

road. These measurements plusthe length of the route are usedto calculate visible acres.”“During thecensus, theroutes

are driven at night and all ob-served deer are counted andlisted on the tally sheet as bucks,does, fawns, or unidentified,”Mike Michaux said. “We sendthe census numbers along witha completed information formon our past year’s managementpractices to the Parks & Wild-life field biologist. He uses oursubmission and his own habitatcondition evaluation to deter-mine the deer habitat carryingcapacity. By comparing the deercensus with carrying capacity,the number of deer that need tobe harvested can be estimated.”Carrying capacity is the

number of animals an area cansupport while maintaining thehealth of the animals and thehabitat. In general, when deer

densitiesare lowerthancarryingcapacity, food isabundant.Whendeer numbers exceed carryingcapacity, both deer and habitatare stressed.Cattle and deer complement

each other in range manage-ment. At proper stocking rates,cattle control grass density andheight which opens the canopyfor forb production providing asource of deer food. Correct cat-tle stocking rates also reduce theamount of plant litter, resultingin lessfirehazard.Deerhelpcon-trol certain typesof brushwhichenhances grass production andthey browse on the lower treelimbs improving cattle accessfor shade. To reap benefits froma cattle/deer combination, deerpopulations must be kept in bal-ance with habitat condition andcattlenumbersmustbemanagedtomatch theamountof availableforage.

Deer, from Page 13


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NewsProducerscancaptureextradollarswithhistoric cattleprices

By Blair FanninTexas A&MAgriLife Extension

Service

BRENHAM — Though cattleprices have reached historichighs, therecouldbepotential tomake extra dollars and possiblyadd more young cows to a herdat current prices, according to aTexas A&M AgriLife ExtensionService economist.

Levi Russell, AgriLife Exten-sioneconomistinCorpusChristi,toldattendeesat therecentSouthCentralTexasCow-Calf Clinic inBrenham the cattle market hascontinued its historic price rundue to supply constraints.

“Part of the reason for thesehigh prices is low supply,” hesaid. “Overall, it doesn’t appearthese prices are going to leveloff anytime soon due to the factthere are fewer beef cows outthere.”

Russell said data indicatescontinued strong consumer de-mand, both domestically and forexports.

“This makes most folks thinkthesehighpriceswill continuetohold,” he said.

Prices for 700-pound to800-pound steers in the first

quarter of 2015 suggest $229 perhundredweight to $333 per hun-dredweight, according to DavidAnderson, AgriLife Extensionlivestock economist, CollegeStation.

Those prices are expectedto remain relatively steadythroughout 2015 as more ranch-ers continue to rebuild herdsslowly, Russell said.

Russell said simple manage-mentpracticessuchascastratingcalves can add more dollars to arancher’s pocket.

“I want to emphasize there’ssome real value in castratingyour calves,” Russell said.

He said those who do not cas-trate will receive discounts up to8 percent.

“Those who don’t choose tocastrate would be better offselling those calves before theyreach 600 pounds,” he said.

Russell also demonstratedthe Bid Price Estimator for BeefCows, a spreadsheet programthat can assist beef cattle producers when deciding to buyreplacementcattle.Theprogramallows producers to input an ex-pected rate of return againstthe net cash outlay for buyingreplacement cattle.

The spreadsheet takes intoconsideration annual operatingcosts as well as financing infor-mation.

“Peoplearesaying femalesareexpensive togooutandbuyrightnow,” Russell said. “But that netpresent value is what indicatesyour return on investment.”

To access the spreadsheet, goto bit.ly/1jOtkRj.

Texas A&MAgriLife Extension Service photos byBlair Fannin

Above, Levi Russell, Texas A&M AgriLifeExtension Service economist in CorpusChristi, discusses cattle market trendsand options for ranchers to consider whenlooking to buy replacement heifers.Below,data indicates continued strong consumerdemand for beef, both domestically andfor exports.


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NewsTask force to combact antibiotic resistance in agriculture

By DonalD StottSOklahoma State University

STILLWATER, Oklahoma —Challenges related to the evo-lution of antibiotic resistantbacteria have led to a newmulti-disciplinary, multi-institutionalcollaborativeendeavor,TheTaskForceonAntibioticResistance inProduction Agriculture.Created by the Association

of Public and Land-Grant Uni-versities and the Association ofAmerican Veterinary MedicalColleges, the task force is com-posed of representatives fromU.S. agricultural and veterinarymedicine colleges, land-grantuniversities, the production ani-mal agriculture community andthe pharmaceutical industry.“Thegoalof the task force is to

advise the U.S. government on aresearchagendaandalso tohelppublicly disseminate informa-tion about the use of antibioticsin production agriculture,” saidtask force member Thomas G.Coon, vice president, dean anddirector of Oklahoma State Uni-versity’sDivisionof AgriculturalSciencesandNaturalResources.Officials fromkeyfederalagen-

cies are expected to serve asobservers to the task force andleaders from public universitiesinMexico andCanadawill serveas ex officio members, as willrepresentatives of the TheAsso-ciationof PublicandLand-GrantUniversities and theAssociationof AmericanVeterinaryMedicalColleges.“The collective expertise and

experience of its members willallow the task force to serve asaknowledgeable sourceof infor-mation and insight,” Coon said.The World Health Organiza-

tion and the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention haveexpressed concerns about somebacteria having developed de-fenses against different classesof antibiotic compounds.In addition, President Barack

Obama has issued an executiveorder describing antibiotic re-sistant bacteria as a nationalsecurity priority and directing

variousexecutivebranchdepart-ments and agencies to develop aspecific planof action to addressthe issue bymid-February.“Asleaders inagriculturalani-

mal production and well-being,we must provide sound and ap-propriatecarewhenconsideringthe use of antibiotics in rearinganimals for food production,keeping in mind that the prob-lem did not develop solely asthe result of antibiotic use inanimals,” said Dr. Jean Sander,deanof OklahomaState’sCenterfor Veterinary Health Sciences.Sander said antibiotics are

developed from naturally occur-ring substances in the environ-ment and contact of bacteria inthat environment may result insome level of resistance evenwithout use in animals.

“Also, theuseof thesemedica-tions inhumanmedicine to treatviral diseases that are not affect-ed by antibioticsmust be includ-ed as part of a holistic approachto any regulations in this area,”she said. “To accurately definethe scope of this problem, all an-tibiotic usemust be reviewed.”Andrew T. Maccabe, Asso-

ciation of American VeterinaryMedical Colleges executive di-rector and ex officio task forcemember, said his organizationlooks forward to collaboratingwith the APLU and federal gov-ernment on what he calls “thiscritical issue,” noting many ofthe Association of AmericanVeterinary Medical Colleges’member institutions are based

at land-grant universities suchas Oklahoma State.TheAssociation of Public and

Land-Grant Universities is a re-search,policyandadvocacyorga-nization representing 237 publicresearchuniversities, land-grantinstitutions, stateuniversity sys-temsandaffiliatedorganizations.Founded in 1887, the associationis North America’s oldest high-er-education association withmember institutions in all 50states, the District of Columbia,fourU.S. territories, Canada andMexico.The Association of American

Veterinary Medical Colleges isa nonprofit membership orga-nization working to protect andimprove the health and welfareof animals, people and the envi-ronmentbyadvancingacademicveterinary medicine. Membersinclude all 35 veterinary medi-cal colleges in the United Statesand Canada, as well as 14 inter-national colleges of veterinarymedicineandsevendepartmentsof comparativemedicine,amongothers. Dr. Eleanor Green, deanof Texas A&M’s College of Vet-erinary Medicine and Biomedi-cal Sciences, is president elect ofthe organization.

Thehuman factorAntibiotic resistance has

been called one of the world’smost pressing public healthproblems. Almost everytype of bacteria has becomestronger and less responsiveto antibiotic treatment whenit is really needed. Theseantibiotic-resistant bacteriacan quickly spread to fam-ilymembers, schoolmates,and co-workers - threateningthe community with a newstrain of infectious diseasethat is more difficult to cureandmore expensive to treat.For this reason, antibiotic re-sistance is among CDC’s topconcerns.Antibiotic resistance can

cause significant danger andsuffering for children andadults who have common in-fections, once easily treatablewith antibiotics. Microbes

can develop resistance to spe-cificmedicines. A commonmisconception is that a per-son’s body becomes resistantto specific drugs. However,it is microbes, not people,that become resistant to thedrugs.If a microbe is resistant to

many drugs, treating the in-fections it causes can becomedifficult or even impossible.Someone with an infectionthat is resistant to a certainmedicine can pass that re-sistant infection to anotherperson.In this way, a hard-to-treat

illness can be spread fromperson to person. In somecases, the illness can leadto serious disability or evendeath.

—Centers for Disease Controland Prevention



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NewsUSDAseeks inputonnewbeef promotionorder

Special to The Post

WASHINGTON — The U.S.Department of Agriculture’sAgricultural Marketing Serviceis seeking input from the pub-lic to guide its development ofa new industry-funded promo-tion, research and informationorder (also known as a “check-off program”) for beef and beefproducts.

The new order would be in ad-dition to the existing beef check-off program, providing Ameri-can beef producers with moreresources for the marketing oftheir products and research tohelp strengthen the country’sbeef industry.

“Beef industry representa-tives agree that this importantprogram needs more resources.

USDA is stepping up at a criticaljuncture to help achieve the in-dustry’s goal,” said AgricultureSecretary Tom Vilsack. “Withthisactionwecanboost researchinvestments, increase beef ex-ports, and encourage folks hereat home to support Americanbeef producers.”

Beef industry leaders agreethat the current fee of $1 per-head-of-cattle per producer istoo little. The $1 assessmenthas remained the same since1985 when Congress first cre-ated the beef checkoff program,and the amount can be changedonly through Congressional ac-tion. This assessment providesresources for marketing to pro-mote beef sales, research, and

See USDA, Page 19


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many other benefits for produc-ers. An additional supplementalprogramsuchastheoneUSDAisproposing would enhance avail-ableresources,whichwouldhelpthebeef industryaddress impor-tant issues including improvingand enhancing nutritional andconsumer information throughinitiatives such as consumer ad-vertising, education, researchand new-product development.Additional resources could

help increase demand for beef,both domestically and interna-tionally, thus benefitting cattleproducersand thedomesticbeefindustry. USDA is acting to helpbeef producerscontinuetoenjoythese benefits— and strengthenthem— in a way that works forall producers.Interested individuals and

organizations are invited to pro-vide their views concerning pro-visions that would be includedin the new order. A referendum

on an order established underthe 1996Actwould be conductedwithin three years after assess-mentsbegintodeterminewheth-er beef producers favor the pro-gram and if it should continue.A second referendum would beheld within seven years of thestart of the program.Interested parties have un-

til Dec. 10 to submit commentson any of the issues below, andcomments should reference theappropriate heading:1. Who should be assessed?2.What shouldbe theboard

structure?Who is eligible to serve?Should there be a relatively

large delegate body appointedby theSecretary thatwouldelectand recommend from within it-self a smaller board?What should be the size of the

board?What should be the term of

office?3. How should the board be

selected?

Who may nominate eligiblecandidates to serve?What should be the nomina-

tion and selection process?4. What should be the pow-

ers and duties of the board?5.Whohasdecision-making

authority?Should funding decisions be

madebythe fullboardorasmall-er body elected fromwithin thisboard?Should funding decisions be

made in conjunction with otherorganizations such as the Fed-eration of State Beef Councilsor the current Cattlemen’s BeefPromotionandResearchBoard?6. How should the assess-

ment rate be determined?Should the assessment be a

specified amount, a percent ofvalue, or an amount determinedby board?If a specified amount or a per-

cent of value, should there beprovisions for adjustments tothe rate by the board, and with-out subsequent producer refer-

endum?Should there be a de minimis

exemption forcertainsizeopera-tions or classes of cattle or beef?Should there be temporary

or permanent provisions for re-funds of assessments?7. How should assessments

be collected?Should the States or the na-

tional board collect the assess-ment?Shouldbeassessmentbelevied

at all points of sale, at slaughter,or at some other time?8. When should the refer-

enda be conducted?USDA will consider written

comments in developing its pro-posal for a Beef Promotion, Re-search and Information Orderthat provides for a promotion,research, and information pro-gram for beef and beef products

USDA, from Page 18

See COMMENT, Page 23

The Land & Livestock Post December 2014 — Issue 1 19

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NewsAnimalHealthCommissionadopts rules for livestock industryTexas Animal Health Commission

The Texas Animal HealthCommissionheldaregularcom-missionmeetingonSept. 16at itsheadquarters inAustin. The fol-lowing rules were adopted dur-ing the meeting and are now ineffect:• Chapter 38, Trichomonia-

sis, Testing/Herd Certifica-tionThe commission adopted two

new testing requirements andtwo herd certification programrequirements for trichomonia-sis, also known as trich.Testing Requirements —

If a bull is sold and later foundto be infected with trich, otherbull(s) from the infected bullsoriginal herd of origin may berequired to be tested if the bullwas not exposed to female cattleafter the sale, and prior to test-ing by the new owner. A secondrequirement states that if a bullis found to be infectedwith trichon property not owned or man-agedby theoriginalbycaretakerof the bull (a stray), other bull(s)from both the unit of origin andbull(s) found on the premiseswhere the bull was last locatedmust all officially be tested fortrichomoniasis.

Herd Management — Thefirstamendmentallows thecom-mission toevaluate theeffective-ness of a herd control plan andauthorizes the Texas AnimalHealth Commission can chooseto continue or disapprove theherd plan based on the progressor lackof progressmadewiththeinfected herd. A second amend-ment requires all herd ownersenrolled in the Trich Herd Cer-tification Program to have ad-equate perimeter fences aroundtheir property to prevent the in-gress or egress of cattle.• Chapter51,EntryRequire-

ments, Cattle & SwineThe commission added two

exemptions to trichomoniasis(trich) testingrequirementscon-cerningthe intrastatemovementof breedingbullsenteringTexas.The commission also added anentry requirement for non-com-

mercial swine entering Texas.Cattle — The first testing

requirement exemption is forTexas breeding bulls movingdirectly to an out-of-state fa-cility that tests their gain andfeed conversion for cattle (bulltest stations). Such bulls do notneed to be tested to return backto the Texas premises of originas long as the bulls have beenkept separate from female cattlewhile participating in the feedtrial. The second exemption isfor breeding bulls that originatefrom a herd that is enrolled in atrichcertificationprograminan-other state that is substantiallysimilar to the Texas CertifiedTrich Free Herd Program, andconfirmed by the Texas AnimalHealth Commission.Swine—Fornon-commercial

swineenteringTexas forreasonsother than immediate slaughter,the commission now requiresaccredited veterinarians toinclude a statement on certifi-cates of veterinary inspection(i.e. health certificates) that theswine have not originated froma premises known to be affectedby Novel Swine Enteric Corona-virus Disease(s), and have notbeen exposed to Swine EntericCoronavirus Disease(s) withinthe past 30 days.• Chapter 39, Scabies and

Mange MitesThe title and content of this

chapterwasmodified to identifyaccurately thatscabiesandothercontagious skin diseases identi-fied in the chapter are caused bymangemitesandtoallowtheuseof new types of acceptable treat-ments formangemites.

• Chapter 45, ReportableDiseases,NovelSwineEntericCoronavirus Disease(s)The commission added Novel

Swine Enteric Coronavirus Dis-ease to the list of reportable dis-eases.The following rules were pro-

posed:• Chapter 43, Tuberculosis,

Movement Restriction ZoneBased upon the recommen-

dations of the 2014 “BovineTuberculosis Risk Assessmentfor El Paso and Hudspeth Coun-ties,” the commission proposedamendmentsthatwouldredefinethe Movement Restriction Zoneand specify that the El Paso andHudspeth County MovementRestrictionZonerestrictionsarelimited to bovine. The proposalwould also remove the previousannual andbi-annualTB test re-quirements. Further, future TBtesting of susceptible species inthe Movement Restriction Zonewould only be required if deter-mined epidemiologically to benecessary by the commission.• Chapter 49, Equine, Piro-

plasmosis Testing RacetrackFacilitiesThe proposal would broad-

en the existing definition of a“racetrack facility” to includefacilities that are not licensed bythe Texas Racing Commission.This requirement is intended toensure that horses that competeat unsanctioned racetracks aretestednegativepriortoentryintofacility.• Chapter 40, ChronicWast-

ing Disease, Movement Re-striction ZoneIn 2012, the commission es-

tablished two Chronic WastingDisease zones (Containmentand High Risk) in portions of ElPaso, Hudspeth and Culbersoncounties inWestTexas toprotectagainst the spread of ChronicWasting Disease. Because thetwo original zone movement re-quirementswere identicalwhenpassed, the commissionhas pro-posed to combine the two sepa-rate geographical zones into asingle new zone defined as the“Containment Zone”. There is

no change in zone requirementsorboundaries,butsimplyanamechange. TheHighRisk zone con-cept still is valid, andmay be ap-plicable forother locations in thefuture if necessary.• Chapter51,EntryRequire-

ments, SwineTo be consistent with USDA

animal disease traceability andinterstate movement require-ments, thecommissionproposedchangestoswineentryidentifica-tion requirements to accept reg-istration tattoos and earnotchesasofficial identificationmethods.• Chapter 57, Poultry,

Larynogotracheitis VaccineVirusFor poultry entering Texas,

the commission proposed anamendment to require accred-ited veterinarians to certify onthe required health certificatethat the poultry listed on it have

not originated from an area thathas had “active chicken embryooriginLaryngotracheitisvaccinevirus”circulatingwithin it in thepast 30 days.

Toviewthedetailsof therules,go towww.TexasAnimalHealthCommission.state.tx.us/regs/code.html.Complete details of the rule

proposals are available on theTexas Animal Health Commis-sion website at www.Texas Ani-mal Health Commission.state.tx.us/regs/proposals.htmlFor more information, go

to www.Texas Animal HealthCommission.texas.gov or call1-800-550-824


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under the 1996 Act.The new programwould oper-

ate concurrently with the BeefCheckoff Program authorizedunder the authority of the 1985Act.Details of thenoticeof inquiry

appeared in the Nov. 10 FederalRegister. Commentsmay be sub-mitted online at www.regula-tions.gov or sent to Beef Promo-tion, Research, and InformationOrder; Research and PromotionDivision,Room2096-S;Livestock,PoultryandSeedProgram;AMS,USDA, STOP 0249; 1400 Indepen-denceAvenue,S.W.;Washington,

D.C. 20250-0249; telephone num-ber 202-720-5705.In September, Secretary Vil-

sack announced his intentionsto increase USDA’s involvementto support beef producers andhelpensurethatthebeef checkoffprogram canmove forwardwithbroad-based producer organiza-tion support.Theneworderwould be devel-

oped under the Commodity Pro-motion, Research, and Informa-tion Act of 1996.The proposed program would

be inaddition to theexistingbeefpromotionandresearchprogramestablished under the Beef Pro-motionandResearchActof 1985.

Comment, from Page 19

Fire closesMississippimuseum forweeksJACKSON,Mississippi (AP)—

TheMississippiAgriculture andForestry Museum is expected toremainclosed to thegeneralpub-licuntilDec. 1 after aNov. 13fire.

AndyProsser,deputycommis-sionerof agriculture, toldWJTVin Jackson (bit.ly/1u24Sjk ) thefacility will be made availableto individuals or groups who al-ready had scheduled rentals forevents.

Threebuildings—achildren’sbarnyard, a veterinary educa-tional building and a mainte-nance shed — were destroyed.Among the burned items were100-year-oldveterinaryartifacts,maintenancetoolsandgolf carts.Nopeoplewere injured.Clean-

up was beginning.Deputy Chief Fire Marshal

Ricky Davis said investigatorshave foundnoevidenceof arson.


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