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Cattle traceability has been evolving for the last 20 years, Identification has migrated from branding to Tattoos, then visual ear tags, and now EID (Electronic Identification) Tags.
Current identification in cattle is visual ear tags; this is the most cost effective form of identification to beef cattle producers. Visual ear tags does have its down side, as it is open to human error, in reading the visual tags, it is time consuming, and visual id on tags can get worn and faded.
Livestock-ID Blog provides complete information on Animal Identification, in all forms of cattle identification from visual ear tags to RFID ear tags.
EID tags are more superior to visual tags, and provide much more value to the cattle producer, as well as the food supply chain.
Benefits of EID Traceability:
EID tags can be read with an RFID reader at a distance, minimizing close contact with cattle.
EID tags can be read at a fast rate.
EID tags have a unique identification number, so there is no duplicate error. The tags also have the country code embedded in the transponder, giving the EID tag an extra form of country identification. In the United States these tags are meet COOL (Country of Origin) requirements.
EID tags eliminate human error in reading the visual identification.
The tag identification, when read with an RFID read, can be downloaded to cattle software for additional rancher management. An effective management tool for tracing various activities within the herd, from vaccinations, and insemination records to other needed management options.
With new technology on the market today from RFID readers to software, this can save cattle producers money, labor, and time in keeping up with the daily tasks of cattle management.
Cattle management software provides the additional tools and information needed for cattle producers to make sound decisions on their cattle.
Livestock-ID, Animal Identification Resources, A blog dedicated to producers, helping with Animal Identification.
Although ranching was my first love, my second love is filmmaking. That’s quite a stretch for a shy farm girl, but filmmaking has always been one of my dreams. So a few years ago, I got involved in a children’s TV series because my daughter was an actor. I ended up writing the show and then producing it. I went on to film school and now video production is my other “labor of love”. I am using my filmmaking skills to promote sustainable agriculture, deserving people, and other worthy topics.
Producing quality cattle – no matter how good they are – won’t help the pocket book if you can’t sell them. Sending them to auction will generally result in a lower price than selling them private treaty or at a breed sale. Advertising is expensive and in this economy, there often isn’t much money left over to do so. The solution? Use the media to your advantage for free! Journalists and filmmakers are always looking for an interesting story.
One way to take advantage of this is to hold an event or field day. This helps in a few ways. It gets people to the ranch to see the cattle, increases your exposure, and it puts a face on the rancher. People are more likely to buy from you if a relationship has been established first. Entice them with free food and a crowd is likely to show up.
A press release is another way to get the media’s attention. Write (or have someone else write) a news release about something special you are doing, a recent accomplishment, or tell them about that field day you are having. Even if you don’t get a bite at first, do this on a regular basis and sooner or later, someone will give you a call to do a story. Better yet, get to know a local journalist. Build a relationship and he or she may want to hear more about what you are doing.
Offer to write articles, a column, or blog for the local news or a high traffic website. This helps them out and you gain exposure.
Offer to speak at a conference. Often the media will show up at even a small conference looking for someone to interview.
Just some advice. Always be careful what you say and how you say it. Don’t ever cast yourself in a bad light. Don’t say anything you don’t want the whole world to hear. Some journalists are looking to create something negative. If you suspect that will happen, don’t do the interview. Also, don’t outright sell. Simply talk about what you are doing, what’s important to you, and what makes your operation/cattle unique. If you are simply passionate about what you are doing, people will want to hear more. Again, establish the relationship and the rest will follow. The bonus is that it doesn’t cost you anything and could greatly benefit you.
Sandra Matheson
Matheson Farms
http://bigdogcattle.com/mathesonfarms
www.mathesonfarms.com
I started 4-H later than most kids. I remember my first 4-H project very well. Her name was “Pride”. She was stout Hereford heifer with big buggy eyes and a bigger attitude. Other than having watched some cattle shows at the local fair, I didn’t have a clue what I was getting into. My most vivid memory of Pride was unloading her from the trailer at the fairgrounds. Even with two strong people at the halter, she got away and ran amuck from one end of the fair to the other for about an hour. It was a big lesson in humility. She got a blue in type and I got the second to the last red in Fitting and Showing. Some people might have been discouraged by the experience, but I vowed on that last day of the fair to come back next year better prepared and see if I could win fitting and showing. So I watched, studied and practiced everything I could and the next year I did win it! It was the beginning of a fun and educational adventure. I went on the win the Fitting and Showing for four years before I retired from 4-H.
Although we all love to win, it’s the “not winning” that helps us grow as a person and challenges us to learn and improve our skills. If we never stumbled or failed, not much would ever change. So the next time you are last in class or you blank out during oral reasons, smile with “pride” and see it as growing one step closer to your goal. I have won a lot and I have failed even more. Failing is usually necessary for success. Embrace it, learn from it, grow, and that is when you truly win.
Sandra Matheson
Matheson Farms
http://bigdogcattle.com/mathesonfarms
www.mathesonfarms.com
Farmers and ranchers provide food and habitat for seventy five percent of the nation’s wildlife. On average, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, about $6 million in U.S. agricultural products – oilseeds, cotton, grains, meats, vegetables, snack foods, etc., are consigned for shipment for export to foreign markets. Less than two percent of the total U.S. population, only 4.6 million people live on farms, but 22 million American workers produce, process, sell and trade the nation’s food and fiber. For all of this, I THANK YOU farmers for the food on my table and for the rest of the world.
A growing sector on Twitter is giving thanks to farmers too. Many folks have on their avatar ”THANK A FARMER” (if you don’t know what an avatar is…it’s the icon picture or symbol for the person’s identity). Additionally, 17 states have declared November 20 as “Thank A Farmer” Day. Guess who isn’t on the list yet? IOWA. Hello?? We are in the center of agriculture, so I hope our legislators jump on the wagon, heck, why not? The 17 states that do recognize it are: AZ, CO, GA, IL, KS, KY, MO, NM, NC, ND, OK, PA, SD, TX, WA, WI, WY.
My Facebook friend Rhonda Renee Ross is spreading her passion and word through social media networks to “Thank A Farmer” Day. Rhonda is an advocate of farmers and nationally known entertainer. She performed everyday at the Iowa State Fair and shared fun facts about agriculture.
Are you on Twitter? Does your farm have a Facebook fanpage? Do you “get” social media? Explore the internet to find out more or ask your peers. Follow me on twitter @bellanaputz.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thank-A-Farmer/98955691109
If you are showing club calves and investing in all of the things that come with it – show supplies, travel expenses, truck and trailer, clothes and of course the animals – buy atleast one purebred heifer or steer so that you can participate in a National Junior Show of any respective breed during your show career.
The show cattle industry has evolved so much over the years and so many families have gotten caught up in the fluff and puff hype, that they have forgotten to teach some of the basic principles and life lessons garnered from this project. During my show career I got to participate in several National Junior Shows and now as an adult I’ve judged various contests at three different breed events.
I must say our country is not totally going to fall apart in the years ahead, because the good livestock kids will be our future leaders in their communities and probably across the globe depending on their career paths. It is so exciting to hear them speak, learn and develop skills as participants of these events. And no doubt there is a parent, guardian or mentor in their back pockets that need a high five too!
If your state is host to a National Junior event, drive across the state to experience a day or two and align with someone you know, or make a new friend. Exhibitors at these shows love to share their stories, fun times had and friends they may only see once or twice a year because they live so many miles apart. While we all put a lot of emphasis on the 10 minutes in the show ring, we all need to put as much emphasis on the following contests an exhibitor can participate in as well: Team grooming, Cooking, Photography, Speech, Salesmanship, Poster, Herdsmanship, Scholarhips and more.
Look ahead to 2011 National Junior show schedules so that you can participate in your host state and purchase that breed of steer or heifer this fall. Lastly, check out any of these breed shows yet to happen this summer:
http://herefordjuniornational.com/
http://www.angus.org/NJAA/NJAAIndex.aspx
http://www.simmental.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=217
I have been part of many different aspects of the beef industry over my lifetime. We started out as traditional beef producers, first with Herefords and now with Simmental and Angus. The steers and heifers were fed grain, corn silage, and other feeds in a dry lot. The beef was either sold at auction or in my father’s grocery store and butcher shop. Production costs were lower back then so it actually penciled out okay. The cow herd and heifers were put out in large pastures for the summer. That’s the way it was done conventionally and the way we did it.
Many years ago, I was introduced to Holistic Management and a different way of managing the farm and grazing. Since then I have practice high density, short duration grazing and had amazing results. We have since been grass finishing our beef and selling directly to customers.
I definitely see the necessity of feeding concentrates to animals that will be shown or put in a sale. Green animals usually don’t make the grade in the show ring or sale arena. Here’s where I might make waves. It’s too bad that it has to be that way. Grain is expensive and feeding large amounts is not healthy for the animal. In my show days, I saw plenty of heifers fed to obesity and they never were able to milk enough as a cow to raise even an average calf.
So here’s my challenge. With the trends toward health awareness, sustainable ranching, and grass fed/finished beef, would it make sense to have a grass finished market animal class? They are going to look different than grain fed and taste different, but this may be a way to support a more sustainable method of raising beef and allow kids to compete with their animals. A grass fed animal can finish on forage. They may need to be a few months older, but it can be done.
What do you think?
Sandra Matheson
Matheson Farms
http://bigdogcattle.com/mathesonfarms
www.mathesonfarms.com
Just like Beef Producers celebrate May as “Beef month,” our friends in the Dairy industry began celebrating June as “Dairy month” in the 1930′s. And for some us, we benefit daily from their hard work and as livestock pasionado’s (person passionate about something) we must stick together. So let’s raise our milk-filled-glasses to the dairy industry and take a look at these facts.
Got milk?” Well over 15 years ago, the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) launched the campaign “Got Milk?” to defend milk’s share of beverage consumption in California and nationally. Rarely does a campaign last this long and get licensed to multiply parties as it has. The success of this campaign is every marketers dream. The “Got Milk?” campaign was so successful business schools across the country use it in case studies and in books. If you haven’t seen it a (or are just too young to remember), the print campaign featured a full gamut of celebrities from sports icons, to fictional characters, to entertainers with milk mustaches on their faces.
Whether or not you drink milk, eat yogurt, ice cream or sour cream, you probably eat more cheese than any other dairy product. Just think about all the pizza Americans eat each day! And speaking of ice cream, Iowa hosts two great brands –Blue Bunny in Le Mars, Iowa and Anderson Erickson in Des Moines, Iowa.
While it’s still all about the “teets,” the evolution of milking is long past the days of a milking stool. Today we have robotic milking systems (no joke). Innovators in the Netherlands designed a milking system so that dairymen no longer have to fight employee turn over or performance issues and can free up their time for social activities. Since cattle are creatures of habit, smart and adaptable the Lely roboticmilking system launched in 1992 and today is world renowned. Watch it in action here.
Quick dairy facts:
*8.33 million dairy cows in the 23 major U.S. states
*On average one cow produces 1,823 pounds of milk per month
*The 23 states for which the USDA reports milk production are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
*24 cows/day are milked at the Iowa State Fair Milk Parlor (on average)
*LeMars, Iowa is the ice cream capital of the world
(Facts sourced at: Hoard’s Dairyman, Iowa State Fair, Blue Bunny)
And to sum it all up, take a look at this video, SERIOUSLY, you have to take the :60 seconds of your life and be amused by this clever, humorous and fun rap video promoting milk.
40 mph winds, 21″ of new snow, road advisories all over the Midwest and a cattle sale scheduled on Sunday December 27 is a recipe for disaster and by far a cattlemen’s worst nightmare. Luckily, “you’ve got mail,” e-mail that is to inform you of an event postponement.
My husband and I raise, buy and sell cattle. Therefore we receive many sale catalogs in the mail, e-blasts and interact in many online communities specific to cattle activities. We’ve been on both sides of the fence – I mean we’ve hosted sales and traveled to many. If you can’t get buyers to your event, a year or more of preparation is down the tubes and your banker might be calling.
Do you take a customer management system for granted? If you have, here’s a fantastic example why you shouldn’t shelve this project for 2010. Interacting and sharing messages with your event participants is critical to the long-term success of your relationship. Kudos to Roecker Cattle Co. for emailing and informing me of the sale postponement and updating your website to inform folks of the new schedule.
If you’re in the cattle business and selling cattle, don’t take marketing lightly. It can make the difference of profitability at the end of the year or scrambling to make the year-end farm payment. It’s no joke and you’ll probably have to spend a little to make a little.
Fall sales are on the horizon, it’s time to dot the i’s and cross the T’s. Don’t be lazy gathering pictures as magazines can’t wait “until you get to it.” Have respect for our friends in the print world, as they like to sleep too!
Good looks don’t mean everything! A while back, I used to think that if the calf looked good, he/she WAS good. I was not alone. Many dollars have been spent on eye appealing and prize winning cattle only to have them disappoint down the road. Many of them literally were sent “down the road” leaving a big hole in the pocket. In recent years, I have become “smarter”.
I have several criteria for making my selections. Some are measured in degrees. Others are absolute (all or none) types of traits. Let’s start with the absolutes.
Temperament: If a calf shows any flightiness or aggression, I won’t look at it again. When a stranger walks into a closed herd that’s not used to visitors, that group may run off. However, if the group is calm and only one or two run off, then I would not be interested in the flighty ones. If an animal is high headed in its own environment, what will it do at its new home or at the show? It’s just not worth having someone getting hurt – no matter how good looking a calf it is. If the animal shows too much boldness or aggression, it is a definite no.
Soundness: If a calf shows signs of unsoundness at a young age, it will likely only get worse as the animal ages and carries more weight. This is especially important in a breeding animal, but a steer needs to walk, too! Feet and legs are the foundation of the animal and are critical if you are expecting performance and longevity.
Age for the show: Although you want a calf to make minimum weight on show day, you must consider the calf’s age and maturity. Maturity will vary with the breed. You want the calf to finish by show time and not just be growing. The prettiest steer in the ring won’t win if he isn’t finished. A steer of lesser conformation and more finish will beat that pretty steer that’s not finished. And of course, finish will also depend upon how the steer is fed.
EPDs can be both variable and absolute in my book. In a breeding animal, traits such as calving ease, birth weight, and maternal milk are of critical importance. Dealing with calving problems costs the producer both time and money. It makes a world of difference when I use a calving ease bull on my heifers. Those 70 lb calves come out much easier than the 100 lb ones! The API is a great index that predicts the potential of a breeding animal. Above average birth weight or minus milk numbers will immediately eliminate that heifer or bull from my consideration. When the paper says the cow’s milk EPD is really low, my experience has been that she won’t raise a decent calf. I look for an acceptable range in those EPDs. In steers, heifers, and bulls, I pay attention to the marbling EPD. Even if the steer in not in a carcass show, somebody has to eat him. I raise grass finished beef and I want my customers to be happy.
Of course, I want a show calf that looks good. When a calf carries a great deal of weight from show feeding, you can’t often get a true picture of what that calf really looks like. If you are buying a calf off the ranch, ask to see the dam and sire if possible. If a cow still looks good, has a decent udder, and is sound and functional after having a calf or two, that gives you a much better picture of what to expect from your heifer calf when she grows up. This is also true of frame score. A big cow is likely going to have a calf that will grow up to be big as well. I have had a terrible time reducing frame score in the offspring of some of my older (big) cows even using moderate framed AI bulls. Culling usually works the best.
In summary, true beauty is more than skin deep. I want a calf with eye appeal, but also want it to perform, be functional, make money, and in the case of a female, stay in the herd for many years.
Sandra Matheson
Matheson Farms
http://bigdogcattle.com/mathesonfarms
www.mathesonfarms.com
