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Here is your daily Oklahoma farm and ranch news update. 
 

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The state of Indiana's largest poultry producing county continues to be ground zero of the largest outbreak of Avian Influenza- with a total of 10 Dubois County locations in the process of being depopulated or depopulation is complete.

The number of birds euthanized (or to be euthanized) as of Monday morning was just over 240,000 turkeys- the current number this morning has grown to just over 400,000, with a commercial layer operation now inside the kill zone.

According to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health website, the Dubois County location number 5 that showed a turkey population of 22,225 as infected and depopulated now has a related commercial layer operation associated with it.  Indiana is calling that location 5.2 with 156,000 commercial layers.

The website calls that location as one that has received "dangerous contact" but "not infected."  However, it appears that officials have decided that those birds could be a problem in keeping this strain of the virus going, so the flock is in the process of being depopulated.

At this point- no H7N8 has been found outside of Dubois County. Officials are saying it appears to be a North American originated strain- which is not as dangerous as the Asian strain that caused huge losses last year.

Click here for the webpage showing the status of the ten locations within Dubois County where the disease has been found.

Peel: What Cow-Calf Producers Should Maximize

Mondays, Dr. Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, offers his economic analysis of the beef cattle industry. This analysis is a part of the weekly series known as the "Cow Calf Corner" published electronically by Dr. Peel and Dr. Glenn Selk.

"Cow-calf production occurs across most of the U.S. in a wide variety of production environments. I had a very enjoyable opportunity to visit several ranches in southern Florida last week and learn more about the challenges of cow-calf production in one of the most unique production environments in the country. Producers in this region are keenly aware of the need to match cattle to the environment and of the tradeoffs between production targets and costs of achieving those targets. Though perhaps not as obvious in less extreme environments, the decision principles used by the Florida producers are the same for cattle producers everywhere.


"It is easy for ranchers to focus on various production attributes and get caught up maximizing technical measures of production such as weaning weights, conception rates or stocking rates. However, as those Florida producers are keenly aware, it is obvious that maximizing narrow production measures will not be economical. For example, attempting to maximize conception rates will result in increasing cost to achieve the last increments of additional conception. The correct approach is to optimize by increasing conception rates until the value of the last percent of additional conception is equal to the cost of achieving that level of conception. In a more adverse environment such as southern Florida, that optimal level of conception is likely to be lower than it would be in more moderate situations. The need to optimize rather than maximize applies to other production measures such as weaning weights, stocking rates, and the rest. The biggest weaning weights or highest calving percentages may provide coffee shop bragging rights but it is usually a costly gloat."

Click or tap here to read more about matching cows to their environment.  

2016 Oklahoma Youth Expo Coming Soon to Oklahoma City

The 2016 edition of the Oklahoma Youth Expo is less than 60 days away. OYE will be held March 9 - 18 at the State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. Exhibitors are getting their animals ready by participating in jackpot livestock shows across the state. OYE Executive Director Tyler Norvell said it's fun to hear how excited people are for this year's show.


"I think we're in a great spot," Norvell said. "I think it will be our second best year ever in terms of the premium sale and the scholarships given out and it's still very positive. People still want to be involved with the program, even though resources are tight and they let you know we're doing what people want us to be doing."

I talked with Norvell about the 2016 OYE. Click or tap here to listen to the full interview or to read more.


The 101st year of OYE will be held March 9 - 18 at the State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The Grand Champion Drive will be held on March 17th at State Fair Arena. The Sale of Champions will be held on March 18th at 4pm in State Fair Arena. Livestock entries are due by February 19, 2016.   Click or tap here for more information.

Producers Need to Ensure Cows are Getting Proper Energy Requirements in Cold Weather

With the colder months in full swing, cattle producers will need to be ready for challenges when it comes to managing your beef cow herd. January and February often brings the most volatile extremes in terms of cold weather with extended time periods of excessively cold weather. Kansas State Research and Extension beef systems specialist Justin Waggoner talks about why cold weather can bring an increase in nutrient requirements. As spring-calving herds are approaching the third trimester or are already calving, Waggoner said that increases their nutrient requirements and additional cold stress adds another layer.


Waggoner said it's important that you understand your cow's winter tolerance. He says it relates to a benchmark called lower critical temperature. Cold stress increases maintenance and energy requirements for a cow in good condition. Waggoner said the energy density in a ration needs to be increased by one percent for each degree below the lower critical temperature. If a cow has a dry winter coat, the lower critical temperature is right around freezing at 32 degrees. Once a cow grows a sufficient winter coat, he said cows can withstand temperatures as low as 18 degrees before experiencing cold stress.


Waggoner discusses some ways producers can make sure their cows are getting the right supplementation for more energy, which is more critical than protein when it comes to avoiding cold stress. He said cold stress increases energy requirements, but it does not increase protein or mineral requirements. With most operations on a low quality forage, a dormant native grass or corn stalks, he said if producers have a feed stuff, like hay, that is higher quality than the forage base that the cows are on - to utilize that and maintain the standard level of protein supplementation.  Click or tap here to

Microbes, Animals, Still Living in Frozen Soils

Despite the frigid temperatures in northern climates, the soil in your yard is still teeming with life. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) January 15 Soils Matter blog post explains that many microbes and other soil-dwelling life are still active in winter.


Mary Tiedeman, a soil scientist, says, "soil is essential to life underground. Soil protects plant roots, animals, and microbes from freezing in the winter. As air temperatures drop below 320F (00C), water within the top layers of the soil will eventually freeze. This is commonly known as the frost layer."


Organic matter layer of dead and decomposing leaves, etc. (30 cm = 12 inches) above Alaskan "permafrost" provides insulation throughout the colder months, as well as nutrients for plant life during growing season.  Click or tap here to read more about the soil microbes - bacteria and fungi that live in the soil year round.

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National Summit Examines Policy, Education and Economics of Antimicrobial Stewardship

Leaders in the veterinary and human health communities, the livestock sector, consumer groups and federal and state regulatory agencies will gather in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20-21 to discuss policy, education and economic issues of the stewardship of antimicrobial drug use in food animals.


The national summit, Antibiotic Stewardship: Policy, Education and Economics, will convene at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. The summit continues through Thursday, Jan. 21.


A collaboration of Farm Foundation, NFP, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), the Association of American Veterinary Medicine Colleges (AAVMC) and USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), the summit will highlight the diverse issues involved in stewardship of antimicrobial drug use. The program is targeted to livestock producers, feed suppliers, veterinarians, academics and government agency staff. The summit is an opportunity to advance the conversation on the industry's adaptation to the changing landscape of antimicrobial drug use. A full agenda of the summit is available.  Click or tap here to read more about this national summit. 

Boxed Beef Prices Top Out- Start a Seasonal Slide in the Latest Weekly Report from Ed Czerwein

 

According to USDA Market News Reporter Ed Czerwein, based in Amarillo, "the daily spot Choice boxed beef cutout ended the week last Friday at $232.47, which was 27 cents higher compared to previous week but it had been over $235 all week except on Friday when it started to collapse. This daily spot Choice cutout had jumped $44 up to that $235 figure in a little less than three weeks. There were 573 loads sold for the week in the daily boxed beef cutout.

"The daily cutout has skyrocketed up since right before Christmas as retailers made the big switch from hams and turkeys back to beef which is normal seasonal change. However the decline that began late last week is also a normal seasonal change that usually runs until late in February."

Read more of Ed's regular weekly report- and listen to his commentary as well by clicking here.

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