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September 2020 Newsletter – Practical Ration Balancing & Whole Animal Buying

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Catawba Valley Cattlemen’s Association
(meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month)
This month’s “double” meeting is on Tuesday,  5 p.m. & 6:15 p.m., September 8, 2020, At Howard Reinhardt’s Forest.

Gps: 6793 Startown Rd., Maiden

Meeting Agenda                                                 
5–5:45 p.m. – First Educational Program: Practical Ration Balancing & Whole Animal Buying(5 min.),
(Due to Covid we are encouraging folks over 65 to attend the first educational meeting)
Speaker:    Glenn Detweiler, Livestock Extension Agent, MS
5:45–6:30 p.m. First group – Eat Subs. Read inside to see all rules for wearing masts and sitting.
6:15–7 p.m. Second group – Eat Subs. Read inside to see all rules for wearing masts and sitting.
Order your sub (1) call our office Friday 8 -5 or (2) type in or use Google Form to get an online order form  Or (3) text Glenn’s cell before 8:30 a.m. Mon. if you definitely want roast beef. All other orders may be placed until noon Tuesday at office or Glenn’s Cell. (Please avoid calling on Sunday & Monday – Labor Day Holiday. Thanks)
6:30 – 7:15 (Time may vary) Business Meeting:  Mr. Brandon Bowman – President. Topics 1) Move BBQ to Nov.? 2) Add $ to: Dairy Steer Proj.- Kids. 3) Fairground wants $2000 for lights, fans, electric in new barn.
7:15–8 p.m.:   Second Educational Program: Practical Ration Balancing & Whole Animal Buying (5 min.).
Speaker: Glenn Detweiler, Livestock Extension Agent, MS
8 p.m. – Meeting adjourned.
Announcements
Because of COVID-19, we strongly encourage staying home if you are sick, have other chronic health issues ie. diabetes, cancer etc. We are working on connecting to Zoom if you still want to hear the meeting. Call on Tues. am to our office. 828.465.8240 so we can provide the numbers or info needed for you to be able to get in on this informative meeting. My cell phone is 405.219.1902.

Ø  We will be taking a mineral order. Checks must be written to Bartlett Milling and # of bags written on Check. Price/bag is 16.47. It has good reports, especially with the fly control.

Ø  A pesticide “V” training is at this same location on Thursday evening 6:-8. Sub may be ordered by calling the office

Ø  Grant money is available via the FSA. This now includes all livestock! Call 704-872-5061 Ext. 2 Statesville office or Dallas office in Gaston County 704-922-3806. Or go to: CFAP       Deadline is Sept 11.

   Three hundred plus “all-natural” calves weighing around 600 pounds were sold by the CVC Alliance in the last 3 weeks to graze on wheat fields or eat forage in feedlots. The CVC Alliance group received a higher price due to maintaining the requirements for “all-natural” fed beef. Requirements do not allow the use of antibiotics or growth hormone stimulators (implants). Some supplementation is allowed; however, cattle gains must rely heavily on forage and grass. All our livestock farms can appropriately be called forage production enterprises – a business of converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into a high quality all-natural human food resource: namely beef. This is because cattle can digest foods that humans cannot use, mainly grass and forage. —-With good management, grass & forage are an extremely valuable renewable resource. As such, it represents the least expensive feed resource to maintain animal health and production in cow-calf operations. A combination of excellent grass/forage production, grazing management practices, cattle genetics that match the forage resources, and a well-timed calving season results in minimum reliance on purchased and harvested feeds. On average, 50 % plus of total operating costs in cow-calf enterprises are associated with nutrition because pasture management, harvested hay, and concentrate feeds make up the majority of that cost. Consequently, the nutritional program represents a major target to trim cost of production. However, it is widely recognized that the nutrition status of the cow is closely related to reproductive performance. If too many corners are cut in the nutritional program, pregnancy and calving rate dramatically suffer. At times, the cow-calf producers in our group need to feed a concentrate to further increase body condition of the cows. —-To implement and maintain an efficient supplementation program for grazing or forage fed cattle, the following must occur. First, we identify specific supplementation needs. Second, we must estimate nutrient content of standing forage or hay which may vary greatly. Third, (once the first and second nutrient requirements steps have been established), determine supplemental needs by comparing the first two steps. Fourth, it is a matter of finding feedstuff at the cheapest price to meet the animal’s nutrition requirements. —-When looking for feedstuffs, we must have a set of priorities to maximize intake and meet nutrient requirements. The first priority is the protein requirement to maximize forage intake. Many years of research have consistently shown that protein supplementation is extremely effective for cattle grazing protein-deficient forage. In fact, energy supplementation will not be effective if dietary protein is deficient. Once protein is met, the second priority is energy intake. The decision must be made whether the cattle need to maintain body weight, or gain weight, or be allowed to lose some weight (in the case of some cows). This decision will dictate how much supplemental energy will be provided. Last 2 priorities, vitamin and mineral requirements should be compared to make certain the vitamin and mineral intake will solve any potential deficiencies. It should be noted that protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals all are important and necessary. One can think of a wooden barrel with each board representing each needed ingredient. In order for the barrel to hold water all board staves need to be at the correct level to maximize the water held. If one board is short that is where the water first leaks out. It also tells us how much water is held in the barrel. So it is with these ingredients. The ingredient, which is low, will limit the maximum growth of an animal. Since grasses do not always have high levels of protein or energy, it takes a lot longer for calves to grow to 600 pounds unless their mothers are high milk producers. CVCA surveys show some want to work on balancing rations in detail. We hope to focus on one of a number of areas we need to understand to balance rations. Due to Covid 19, we will do an early and late educational program starting with a hay analysis from a local field. Bring calculators of any form. We will meet at Howard Reinhardt’s pavilion. The governor’s rules include wearing a mask at all times except when sitting at your table. To maintain 6’ between people, we will sit only at the ends of the table, not on the sides unless you drove together in the same car then you may sit on the sides of the table. The lane to the outdoor pavilion is only a single lane. Wait at the barns until allowed to enter. Follow signs. Howard’s is on west side, 2 miles south on Startown Rd once you exit off of 321 at Exit 33 or from Lincolnton, 6.5 miles north of Reepsville Rd. Turn West into yard at sign “Windy Hill Farm”. Gps 6793 Startown Rd. Maiden. Call the office 828-465-8240 to order your meal from Subway & select meeting time.