|
In this issue
Beef Seedstock Conference in Ames
Storing Grain
BRANDS
(Beef Ration and Nutrition Decisions Software
Water, the Important Nutrient
Livestock Revenue Insurance is Back!
Beef Seedstock
Conference Coming to Ames
By Beth Ellen Doran, ISU Extension Beef Field Specialist
The science surrounding beef
genetics, expected progeny differences (EPDs), and DNA continues to evolve
at a rapid pace. To address this, Iowa State University, several industry
associations and affiliates are hosting a one-day Beef Seedstock Conference
entitled Genetic Innovations for Breeding Programs.
The conference, beginning at 11:00
a.m. on December 2, features speakers from Iowa State University, Cornell
University, Colorado State University and ABS Global discussing the use of
gene markers in EPDs, economically relevant traits, and the current status
for DNA testing and gene markers. In the evening, a panel of seedstock
producers will explain how they use current technologies and their future
plans.
The attendance fee is $30 if
registered before November 29, and $35 thereafter. The conference will be
at the Comfort Inn & Suites Starlite Village at I-35 and 13th Street in
Ames.
For additional information, including
a registration form, visit the Iowa Beef Center website,
www.iowabeefcenter.org, or contact Donna Watson at (515)294-0847 or
dpeters@iastate.edu.
Storing Grain
by Joel DeJong, ISUE
Crops Field Specialist
We have, in most of
NW Iowa, an abundant crop of corn this year. We have a large amount of corn
in storage, and some is too wet and maybe too warm for safe storage. Also,
some corn is stored in structures and piles where there is inadequate
aeration and poor protection from precipitation and soil moisture.
Therefore, it is
probably a good idea to review some key points of grain storage - and also
refer interested readers to more in-depth information. Remember - this is
like your savings account for the winter - but unlike a bank, this "money"
can go out of condition and lose value if not monitored carefully!
The University
of Minnesota has some excellent information on stored grain management - and
it is available free on the Internet. An excellent reference is titled
"Management of Stored Grain With Aeration" found here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC1327.html . It
is several pages long, but really should be reviewed by almost everyone
storing grain over the winter - and into the summer.
Another publication "Natural-Air Corn Drying
in the Upper Midwest" can be found here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/DC6577.html .
It discusses the details of drying grain in
the bin without using fuel for drying when possible.
Here is a small segment from the
first publication on fan operation during cool-down periods - that I get
frequent questions about:
During the cool-down period, the
objective is to reduce the temperature of the grain below 35 F but not lower
than 20 F. In southern Minnesota (also quite true for NW Iowa) a range of 25
to 35 F would be reasonable. The fan should be operating when the average
weather is capable of cooling. Since the stored grain has a large heat
storage capacity, it serves to average the outside temperatures during fan
operation. If the 24-hour average outside temperature is 10 F or more below
the exhaust temperature, adequate cooling is being accomplished. A good
guideline to follow is to let the fan run continuously night and day when
the exhaust temperature from the bin is at or above the maximum daily
temperature.
The normal day-night temperature variation
is about 20 F. When the exhaust temperature from the bin is the same as the
maximum daily temperature (usually afternoon) the average 24-hour
temperature will be about 10 F lower and adequate cooling is being
accomplished.
A question often raised is the effect
of relative humidity on fan operation during aeration. Table 4 shows the
equilibrium moisture content of grain at several relative humidities for a
60 F temperature.
Table 4. Equilibrium moisture content of grain at 60 F
Relative Humidity 50% 60% 70% 80%e
humidity
Corn 11.4% 12.9% 14.5% 16.4%
Soybeans 8.6% 10.5% 12.8% 15.7%
If the average relative humidity of
the ambient air
during fan operation is at or below the
equilibrium moisture content of the grain, no moisture can be added to the
grain. The average 24-hour relative humidity during reasonably fair weather
is never high enough to cause a problem. A day or two of fan operation
during rainy weather or other high relative humidity periods will do no harm
if the fan operates for a day or two of fair weather following these
periods. The only thing to avoid is extensive fan operation during rainy,
wet weather after the fan has run enough to cool the grain to within 5 to 10
F of the average outside air temperature.
Aeration should be started as soon as grain is delivered to the bin. Grain
out of a high-temperature dryer or grain combined during warm, sunny days
will always be cooled by immediate fan operation. Cooling progress should be
checked and the fan run enough to cool the grain to within 5 to 10 F of the
average outside air temperature. Extensive fan operation beyond this
(particularly in bad weather) should be avoided. The temperature of the
grain can be reduced to the desired level in several steps if necessary.
The bin should be cooled to 25 to 35
F where it will be held during the winter holding period. Be sure all parts
of the bin are cooled. The top center of the bin will be the last to cool
with upward airflow and the bottom center will be the last to cool with
downward airflow.
Lots more can be found in these
references. If you are storing grain, I think taking time to review this
material would be a great idea!
BRANDS (Beef
Ration and Nutrition Decisions Software)
by Dennis DeWitt, ISUE Livestock Field Specialist
BRANDS
is a series of spreadsheet programs using the net energy and metabolizable
protein systems, working in conjunction with Microsoft Excel to assist
producers in balancing rations for various classes of beef cattle to
optimize the utilization of on-farm resources:
-
Beef Cow
Module - uses criteria like
condition score, production stage, breed type, weather conditions and
feedstuff utilization to determine if herd nutritional demands are met.
-
Heifer
Module
- a calendarized or lifecycle approach that can go back to a baby
calf and be utilized through the 3rd trimester of the first
pregnancy to develop heifer rations. This program incorporates the
target weight concept to assist in balancing rations that meet target
daily weight gains.
-
Growing Bull
Module - takes into account
factors influencing nutrient demand and feedstuff choices to determine
if weight gain goals are met.
-
Breeding Bull
Module - for breeding age
bulls. Like the Beef Cow Module in concept, this program assists in
optimizing the use of feedstuffs in maintaining the herd bull battery.
-
Feedlot
Module - helps solve everyday
feedlot ration problems. Besides normal cattle descriptions, frame
size, facility type, environment and feedstuff mixes are used to
calculate if daily gain goals are met. Implant type, Optaflexx, & MGA
are included. Purchase all Standard Editions Modules described above
for one low price of $200.
Brands
Professional is for the
frequent ration developer. It includes all the modules with numerous
enhancements. Key to this edition is the ability to evaluate rations for
group ranges in weight and production stages. Requires Excel 2000 or later.
Added features include:
All modules incorporated into one version with shared feed library;
capability of multiple feed library storages; multiple client with multiple
ration storages; added professional ration analysis printout. Price is $400.
Minimum
requirements:
Standard Editions run on Windows 95, Excel 5.0 and beyond; Professional
Edition runs on Windows 98, Excel 2000 and beyond. Order from ISU Extension
Distribution Center by E-mail:
pubdist@iastate.edu For assistance in operating the BRANDS spreadsheets
contact Beth Doran,
doranb@iastate.edu or
Dennis DeWitt,
dewitt@iastate.edu
Water, the Important
Nutrient
by Dave Stender, ISUE Swine Field Specialist
Water is an important
nutrient that is often overlooked. Its availability (access) and
acceptability (quality) can impact pig performance. Water intake leads to
feed intake.
Dr. Mike Brumm,
Extension Swine Specialist at the University of Nebraska, says water can be
a predictor of tomorrow’s pig performance. With the advent of
all-in/all-out pig flows, the swine industry has made great progress at
determining overall performance and cost of this performance for nursery,
finisher, and wean-to-finish facilities. However, closeout summaries
provide a look at what was (daily gain, feed conversion, cost of gain, etc.)
following sale of the last pig from a group. What’s missing is a monitor on
the biological process of growth during the growth period.
Attempts to monitor the
growth process by measuring feed fed has limitations. In most facilities a
better predictor and monitor of performance is water usage. While feed
intake is dependent on feed being delivered to the feeder, and the feeder
dispensing feed, water is generally under the direct control of the pigs,
assuming drinking devices are maintained in working condition in each pen.
Unlike feed usage, it is relatively easy to monitor water usage on a daily
basis. All that is required is a water meter installed in the drinking
water line.
Dr. Mike Brumm, working
with the Iowa Pork Industry Center, has developed a water usage chart. This
MSExcel spreadsheet has been developed to create barn sheets to record and
display in graphic format daily water usage. Download this free spreadsheet
at:
www.ipic.iastate.edu
As a general starting
point, producers charting daily water usage should pay closer attention to
pig health and behavior any time there are three days of decreased water
usage in a row or a 30-40% decline in water usage from day to day. These
guides are only that – a starting point for using water usage to monitor
relative pig health and performance. As more producers and caregivers gain
experience in monitoring water usage, and relate patterns to a variety of
conditions, including season of the year and changes in climatic conditions,
it is possible that at specific sites other patterns may emerge as critical
predictors of pig performance and health.
Call 712/225-6196 or
email
dstender@iastate.edu Dave Stender, ISU Extension Swine Field Specialist
if you want a free copy of or have questions about the water usage
spreadsheet.
Livestock Revenue
Insurance is Back!
By Ron Hook, ISUE Farm Management Specialist
Sale of livestock
revenue insurance was suspended last December after BSE was discovered in
the US. After some revisions the product is once again available to
livestock producers.
Livestock Risk
Protection (LRP) insurance is available to producers for finished hogs,
feeder cattle and fed cattle in 19 states. LRP protects against declining
livestock prices only. LRP insurance can be sold at any time with premiums
and guarantees changing daily.
Livestock Gross Margin
(LGM) insurance is available to producers for farrow-to-finish, finishing
feeder pigs, or finishing SEW pigs. The revenue that can be insured under
LGM is actually the return over feed costs. The guarantee is based on
projections for three risky variables: the price of market hogs, the price
of corn, and the price of soybean meal. LGM insurance is sold only on the
last business day of each month. An estimate of the LGM premium is
available at the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development website:
http://www.card.iastate.edu/ag_risk_tools/lgm/
On October 26 a fed
cattle price of $74.25 in March was available for $.89/cwt. A feeder cattle
price for 6-900# steers of $90.10 in March was available for $1.23/cwt. A
lean hog price of $56.01 in January was available for $1.15/cwt. A gross
margin of $70.12 for farrow-to-finish could be covered for an estimated
$1.39/cwt.
Premium information and
price guarantees available can be viewed on the RMA website at:
www.rma.usda.gov/tools/. More information on livestock revenue
insurance is available in Extension publication FM 1871 available on line
at:
www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/FM1871.pdf or at the county
Extension office.
If you have questions
about LRP or LGM contact Ron Hook, 712-754-3648 or
rhook@iastate.edu This may be a good time to see how these revenue
insurance products fit in your livestock marketing plan!
View as
Word Document
or pdf
Back to Field and Feedlot Homepage |
