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BEEF Cattle questions may be directed to the OSU Extension BEEF Team through Stephen Boyles or Stan Smith, Editor
Previous issues of the BEEF Cattle letter
Issue # 326
February 12, 2003
What Does "ORANGE" Mean to Me Agriculturally? - sources: Dee Jepsen, OSU Dept. of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering; News Release from Department of Justice and Office of Homeland Security
I'm certain you're all aware by now, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2003, Homeland Security Secretary Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft elevated the national Homeland Security Advisory System from a "Yellow" to an "Orange." Most of the information available to date has been in regard to how individuals and businesses might appropriately react to this heightened level of concern for Homeland Security. But, what should "ORANGE" mean to agriculture, and more specifically cattlemen?
First, we need to recognize that the colored rating system is simply an indication of the level of risk that the Federal Government believes exists for terrorist threat to Homeland Security. The risk ratings include Green (low), Blue (guarded), Yellow (elevated), Orange (high), and Red (severe). The last time the Nation was alerted to a level Orange was immediately following the events of September 11, 2001. At that time, the announcement was met with confusion and at times, cynicism. As we have once again been placed at level Orange, it's important that we begin to evaluate exactly what that means to us as individuals.
While the federal government provides state agencies with emergency guidelines to follow, it cannot dictate operational procedures. However, as individuals, we should consider our options for farmstead security and evaluate any situations or events that are not easily explained for potential causes. More specifically, farm owners should:
In addition to these steps, producers have the right to restrict access to their farm facility based on their operation's risk. Employees and delivery drivers should be reputable, and unexpected guests or delivery person should be scrutinized.
Furthermore, the Department of Justice has called for increased security level in the following specific areas:
1. Foreign animal disease (FAD) surveillance should be increased nationwide. No potential FAD cases should be disregarded. Potential hoaxes should be treated as suspect incursions of FAD's until proven otherwise. Specific attention should be directed at livestock and poultry concentration points.
2. Investigators and laboratory personnel should implement an appropriate level of personal protection when examining animals, carcasses, and submitted samples until potentially zoonotic diseases can be ruled out.
3. Physical security on farms, livestock concentration points, and quarantine stations should be heightened. Limited animal movements and farm contacts should be kept to essential people for continued operations.
To summarize the Department of Justice's actions for a local producer is to stress the need for early detection of livestock diseases or problems. Producers should contact their local veterinarian for diagnoses. Some producers may try to self-diagnose a herd health problem, or even under report it in fear of having their herd quarantined. However, when we're at Orange, we should be reporting any abnormality that may be a bio-security threat to the nation's food chain.
Farms are at risk for a variety of reasons. Besides agricultural chemicals and chemical application equipment, livestock are susceptible to foreign animal diseases. When the country is operating at level Orange, agricultural communities are encouraged to be alert to unusual activities, and suspicious farm visitors. Looking out for fowl play is something everyone can do to ensure a safer farm community.
Learn more about risk level Orange, and the Department of Homeland Security at: http://www.dhs.gov or click on the Homeland Security link on the Ohio Government web page at: http://www.state.oh.us/
Several Grazing Schools are Scheduled
Last summer's drought conditions, and the subsequent shortage of forages in Ohio has resulted in significant interest this winter in pasture management. Ohio's NRCS grasslands management specialist Bob Hendershot says, "The cheapest way to feed ruminant animals is to have the animals harvest the feed themselves."
With this in mind, the Ohio Integrated Forage Management Team has developed programs to teach grazing management. Hendershot says these producer education programs provide an opportunity to learn about Management Intensive Grazing. Topics covered included Setting Goals, Forage Species Selection, Understanding Plant Growth, Evaluating Your Resources, Matching Plant and Animal Needs, Paddock Layout and Design, Water System Development and Environmental Concerns. Locally programs have been sponsored by USDA-NRCS, local SWCD, and OSU Extension Offices.
Over 85 schools have been held across Ohio thus far with over 2,000 participants. There are Basic and Advanced Schools. Extension also has developed a Forage Production Workshop for hay and silage producers. All these programs are 2 to 3 evenings in length and some include an on farm exercise.
There are currently more than a dozen grazing schools and meeting programs planned around Ohio. Find them listed on the OSU Extension Beef Team web calendar (http://beef.osu.edu/calendar/) or contact your local OSU Extension for details about the next one that is planned in your part of the State.
Prevention and Treatment of Calf Diarrhea - W. Mark Hilton, DVM (reprinted with permission from the Purdue Beef Top Hand publication)
With spring calving season just around the corner, we will likely see some calves that develop diarrhea. Why do some herds rarely, if ever, have calves with scours while other herds seem to battle the disease frequently?
The keys to prevention of calf diarrhea are:
Many of the diseases that cause neonatal diarrhea occur at fairly specific times. The four most common causes of calf diarrhea and the time they occur are:
If you are having calves with diarrhea at two weeks of age, vaccinating your cows with E. coli is not likely to help.
Treatment of neonatal diarrhea: If you have calves with scours, formulate a plan of prevention with the assistance of your herd health veterinarian.
For treatment of the calves, the key is early intervention with oral electrolyte solutions. There are many products on the market and some are excellent while others are quite poor. Again, ask your veterinarian for the best products available.
A calf that is 8% dehydrated and weighs 100# has a fluid volume deficiency of 8# or 1 gallon. This calf also has a daily requirement of about 1 gallon; so, just to get this calf back to normal hydration, he needs 2 gallons of fluids.
A sample treatment schedule for this calf would be:
After two-three days of this schedule, most calves are back to normal. If, after this time, the calf is still listless, have your herd health veterinarian re-examine the calf.
A helpful technique for helping to slow down or stop a scours outbreak is to move the cows yet to calve to a new location if you are having a scours outbreak. The calving area becomes quite contaminated during a scours outbreak, and every new calf born adds to the problem. Move the cows that have not calved to a new, clean area, and, many times, the outbreak is over.
If you seem to battle neonatal diarrhea in your calves frequently, sit down with your herd health veterinarian and develop a plan of prevention. As the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
OBT Weigh Day and Open House Approaching
The 84 day weights will be taken on the bulls participating in the 34th annual Ohio Bull Test next Tuesday, February 18 in Belle Valley. The processing will begin about 9 a.m. and will also include collection of additional data such as pelvic area, scrotal circumference, and hip height. Guests are welcome to observe and also walk through the bulls at that time.
The OBT Open House and Bull Preview is scheduled for Saturday, March 1 this year. More details on the Open House will be published here next week. Also, guests are invited to observe the collection of carcass data via ultrasound on March 3 in Belle Valley.
For more details on Ohio Bull Test, visit the OBT website (http://bulltest.osu.edu) or contact Justin Lahmers (jlahmers@ohiobeef.org or 614.873.6736).
Last week was generally good in the livestock markets, especially in beef. The Choice cutout values were up from $2.50-$3 on the week depending on which weight and grade you examine. Live cattle prices were up at least $2 from week-earlier levels, there was a big volume of trade at $82 toward the middle of the week, and some cattle topped at $82.50. In spite of the impressive performance in the cash market, the futures, especially the nearby February, traded down during the week and its close on Friday at $80.47 was down $2.13 from week-earlier levels. It appears that the nearby February contract had waited for the cash market to show some improvement so it could justify $82 and above in that contract. Then, when the cash market improved, the futures immediately backed down. April, which increasingly to me shows a double top now at $80, closed out the week at $77.10, down some $2.87 from week-earlier levels. Monday's session brought higher prices in the futures pit with the nearby February up 92 cents and the April up 85 cents. Boxed beef values in early Monday trade had softened a bit, however, and there is still some uncertainty in this complex.
I would continue to sell rallies toward the $80 highs in April with some concerns about whether we can hold that level. Feedlots are current right now in mid-February, but that could change significantly depending on weather and how the different weight groups are bunched by the time we move to April. I believe we ought to sell this market on rallies.
In the feeder cattle, I was surprised to the see the March break down through what I thought would be strong support at $78, and Friday's and Monday's sessions moved down to test the $76 level across some early-October lows. Monday's close was a strong close with this nearby March contract up some 92 cents, and I would be looking to buy this contract and buy the late spring and summer contracts to place long hedges. It is a bit dangerous picking bottoms here, but I think, fundamentally speaking, $76 is certainly low enough. There is also technical chart support across the early October lows, and I expect to see a significant rally from this level in the feeder cattle contracts. Remember, you can sketch a relatively steep downtrend line across the early January and the late January highs on this March contract and watch for a close above that downtrend line to give a buy signal if you are inclined to be a bit more conservative and make sure the market has put in some bottoming action before you buy.
Visit the OSU Beef Team calendar of meetings and upcoming events
BEEF Cattle is a weekly publication of Ohio State University Extension in Fairfield County and the OSU Beef Team. Contributors include members of the Beef Team and other beef cattle specialists and economists from across the U.S.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension. TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868
Fairfield County Agriculture and Natural Resources
