WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 1511 HWY 59 Fair Play, SC / Please follow SPITZER RANCH on Facebook and visit us on the web at WINTER 2013 NEWSLETTER We had a much less than enthusiastic response to our offer to send SPITZER RANCH NEWSLETTERS to your address rather than sending a paper copy through the mail. We still believe this will get you information in a timelier manner; so let s try again. If you would like to receive our NEWSLETTERS via , please send us an note with your current address. If you choose not to send your , we will continue to send NEWSLETTERS via the postal service. We do purge our mailing list of contacts which are greater than three years old; unless you have bought a bull or female at one of our sales. If you have become a Spitzer Ranch customer we never delete a customer from our mailing list. Our promise to you is that if we have your , we will maintain you on our mailing list forever regardless of whether, or not, you have made a purchase. PERFORMANCE DATA ON DEVELOPMENT OF 2013 SALE BULLS Bulls to sell on February 23, 2013 in Fair Play, SC at the Spitzer Ranch Professional Cattlemen s Brangus Bull Sale have now completed post-weaning growth and development program. Calves were weighed after a 168-day period since weaning with a 3.16 pound ADG and averaging just shy of 1100 pounds at 380 days of age. The complete performance report can be found on page 7 of this Newsletter. While this group of bulls has slightly lower final weight than in years past, it s because they weaned about 75 pounds lighter than normal due to the severe drought ravaging most of South Carolina. Rainfall has not been any more generous through the fall and winter as the Greenville, SC weather station indicates over 11 inches behind normal for 2012 and that weather station has had far more rain than those of us living in the far NW corner of the state. The overall ADG of 3.16 pounds over the 168-day testing period is exactly where we believe our 30 years of experience developing Brangus bulls, and the vast majority of University Research data, would indicate that bulls have enough gain to separate growth performance among bulls and yet not get bulls fat. A high fiber diet consisting mainly of Soy Hulls and Corn Gluten Feed is fed while bulls are on grass (when there is enough water to grow grass) and freechoice excellent quality hay. This ration calculates a projected ADG of pounds. Since bulls will remain on Rye/Rye Grass with that ration plus hay they will still be the pound month old bulls our repeat buyers have come to expect seeing on sale day. Additionally Spitzer Ranch bulls typically carry approximately onequarter inch of outside fat (2013 Sale Bulls are thin at 0.21 inches fat cover) and are athletically sound. Please take a look at the fat cover typically seen with other bull testing programs where many bulls carry one-half inch of outside fat, or even more. That much fat is certainly not conducive to fertility or breeding ability in the pasture and may be detrimental to a long and productive life as a breeding bull. The two tables at the bottom of our performance report on page 7 allow you to compare the average EPDs of all Spitzer Ranch Brangus OUR LEGACY: the Land, the Family, the Cattle (NCBA)

2 Sale Bulls with the average EPDs for Nonparents for the entire Brangus breed. Note that the average Spitzer Ranch Brangus bull is significantly better than the Nonparent Brangus breed average bull in all EPDs but one, and that is virtually a tie. Especially significant with this comparison is our average bull s birth weight (BW) EPD being a full pound lighter while our average yearling weight (YW) EPD is 12 pounds heavier than breed average. Additionally, total maternal (TM) EPD for Spitzer Ranch bulls is 8 pounds greater and for carcass traits both rib eye area (REA) and percent intramuscular fat (%IMF) EPDs are far better than Brangus breed average. Ultrasound scan averages on this set of bulls are: REA sq. in. and IMF 2.82% at a very thin 0.21 in. FAT cover. Sixty eight percent of these bulls have REA greater than 12 sq. in. (largest is sq. in.) while 43% have IMF greater than 3% (greatest is 4.66%). We just have to comment on our replacement heifer Ultrasound scans which averaged sq. in. REA and 5.01% IMF at 0.27 in. FAT cover. Our largest heifer REA is sq. in. and greatest IMF is an amazing 6.91%. Bottom line; across the board the genetics represented by Spitzer Ranch Brangus bulls will sire lighter calves at birth that grow faster and have more muscle and better carcass quality than the breed average Brangus bull. As icing on the cake the total maternal EPD would say daughters of these bulls will out-perform all others as the ultimate mother cow. We continue to base our entire genetic selection program on beating down birth weights, ratcheting up growth, supplying breed leading carcass quality competitive with any breed and quality replacement females. BRANGUS ASSOCIATION RELEASES TWO NEW EPDS Current performance reports on page 7 reflect addition of columns for the two new Brangus EPDs for Calving Ease Direct (CED) and Calving Ease Maternal (CEM). We have all recognized the most obvious factor affecting calving ease, especially in first-calf females, is birth weight and the cow-calf producer has for years used the BW EPD to assist with reducing calving problems. However, even though birth weight is the greatest factor affecting calving ease, we all knew there was more to the equation. Calves of the same birth weight sure do not seem to all have the same shape. Although many researchers have tried to measure muscling, width of shoulders or hips, length of calf, head width, pelvic area of the cow and a variety of others, they did not seem to add anything to the equation more than birth weight alone. Yet it was obvious that factors other than birth weight were having an effect. Some of these may be gestation length, nutritional factors, ratio of calf birth weight to cow pelvic area and quite frankly other unknown factors we are just not savvy enough to currently recognize. The CED EPD is a combination of calf birth weight (BW EPD is included in the CED EPD); and calving ease scores for first-calf females giving birth to those calves. Most Seedstock Breeders record calving ease utilizing the BIF recommended scores where 1 is absolutely no assistance, 2 is minor assistance, 3 is major assistance with a calf jack, 4 is a caesarian section and 5 is an abnormal presentation. The CED EPD collapses this scoring system to Calved Unassisted (Score 1) or Needed Assistance (Scores 2 and 3 and 4 combined), with those abnormal presentations tossed out. Quite simply, if the female had a normal birth, she either calved by herself or she didn t. Using CED EPD is exactly like using the BW EPD except the units are not pounds but percent. It is expressed as a difference in percentage of calves born with no assistance when calves are born to first-calf-cows. Higher values equate to greater calving ease. Note that CED EPD is highly related to BW EPD and it should be since it includes BW EPD. But the relationship is not exact since CED EPD accounts for those other factors previously mentioned. Eventually we will abandon BW EPDs and the Spitzer Ranch Curve Bender Index will be recalibrated to use CED EPD in place of BW EPD. We are convinced CED EPD is a much better tool for reducing calving problems. However, until we all get used to evaluating CED EPDs, we will provide both BW EPDs and CED EPDs. The CEM EPD is also expressed as a difference in percentage of calves born with no assistance, but it is for the first calf from daughters of the animal being evaluated. Again, a higher value equates to greater calving ease and less calving problems. Compare the CED or CEM EPDs as you always have by either comparing two individuals or an individual to the breed average. (The Average CED EPD is 5.0 and the Average CEM EPD is 7.1 for all Brangus Nonparents from the Fall 2012 Sire Summary.) This gives an estimate of which bull is expected to have fewer calving problems when bred to heifers (CED) or which bull will sire daughters with less calving problems (CEM). If you don t quite understand please give us a call and we will be glad to discuss.

3 SPITZER FAMILY NEWS Lots of people ask Tricia and me if we are retired. The appropriate answer is that while I left Clemson University in 2003, we did not retire, but changed employers. By plan, we are busier than ever with a consulting practice, serving on several state and national boards and ranching full time. The only way the first two get accomplished is Patricia has always been an active partner with our cows and can still handle a lot of the day jobs that have to get done on any ranch. Then in her spare time she knits socks and sweaters and creates beautifully artistic quilts. Because we have a set of cows that run with our cooperators (the Hunt family of Hunt s H+, Calhoun, GA) we wind up weaning twice and with two bull testing schedules. Group 1 calves were weaned June 7 at Calhoun and Doc helped haul those calves back to SC. Group 2 calves were weaned at home June 21. Weaning date and weaning weight are also our start date and weight for our bull testing and development program. Therefore, it is critical we get those calves settled and on feed quickly. Takes a little extra TLC, but we have been doing it long enough it has become routine. Our calves typically gain 3 to 4 pounds per day on crabgrass and a commodity feed mix the first month after weaning; and we do not even remember when we have doctored a sick calf. In between weaning dates Doc traveled to San Antonio for the Genetic Performance Solutions (GPS) Board of Managers annual meeting where he chairs the board. This is an exciting group to work with and you will be hearing much more about GPS both here and in magazines and popular press in months to come. The end of August found us plowing up the left-over of our crabgrass grazing and drilling rye/ ryegrass for bull pasture. Some of our neighbors think we are crazy to plant so early. However, men who know much more than I do about winter grazing in the northern tier of the SE say, The best date to plant winter grazing is September first. The second best date to plant winter grazing is September first - next year. Anything else is a compromise. Works for us! Our cow herd thrive on autopilot in early fall so we take advantage with weekend trips. One of our best was a September weekend in Franklin, NC for a Don William s concert. Maybe it s our age, but that s real Country and Western music as opposed to what we hear (usually try to avoid) on radio today. Stayed at an old, really cool B&B and ate gourmet meals for two days. That was an economic splurge that resulted in a fantastic weekend. The end of September Doc traveled to Denver representing GPS in meetings with staff and/or directors of the Limousin and Gelbvieh Associations. GPS is a data service company working with and for breed associations and we were jointly exploring ways we may work together. One of our lesser known hobbies is our red 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Convertible. October 5 and 6 was an overnight in Cartersville, GA for the Dixie Olds cruise-in and show. About 45+/- Oldsmobile cars were there and several were models seldom seen. Made new friends, learned new things, ate good food and had a nice time. John still stays active as cochairman of the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians (SCAV) Large Animal Academy. The SCAV annual meeting was in Greenville October 18 thru 21 this year. Veterinarians from SC and surrounding states took advantage of continuing education at an excellent Large Animal program. First-calf-cows started dropping babies October 27 which limited travels. However, Doc did make it to Atlanta for the GENEX delegate fall meeting in early November. Thanksgiving was a fantastic time as Steve and Kathleen Monk from Yuma, CO spent the entire week with us. Steve and Kathy have an irrigated corn (14 center pivots) and dry-land wheat farm. They also run lots of stockers on summer grass and winter corn stalks as well as having "just enough cows to justify a degree in Animal Science from Colorado State. The important part though is that Steve and Kathy and Patricia and John have a friendship that goes back 45+ years. Everyone should have at least one friendship like that. In school we partnered in a small hog feeding operation that helped two rather poor college couples earn enough dollars to pay tuition and feed themselves. When Steve and John were drafted, the ladies shared a house to save money and give each other moral support. We each had three kids, all close to the same age, who turned into productive citizens. If we are close to CO, we go to the Monks and vice versa. We have shared good times and not so good times and we both know that a distress call from either will get an immediate response of whatever is required to help. Friends like that are special and our relationship with Steve and Kathy somehow continues to grow over the years and means a great deal. As we write this newsletter we have just yesterday emptied our house of family here for Christmas. We had Ben for over a week, Dr. Jason for five days and Dr. Brian, Loretta and the grandchildren from Friday to Friday of the Christmas Holiday. What a time! When you are used to being a couple and

4 almost overnight expand to 10, it is a circus. Fun, hectic, busy, noisy, and crowded; and just quite probably the best family time you can imagine. Now it is so quiet we are going stir crazy and want to do it all over again. We did the usual family things, but also had time for a girls only tea party while the men went to the mountains and the Horse Pasture Wilderness Area for the day. Christmas devotional time is always special when the children are involved. We played lots of games, indoors and out and one night Grampa cooked pie iron sandwiches over the fire-pit for all. Then we burned marshmallows and sat around the fire until everyone was properly smoked and tired. That is the first time in three years we have been able to get all offspring together at Christmas and we are quite jealous of those of you who get to do it regularly. Finally, when you come to Spitzer Ranch for this year s sale, you will see a newly renovated shop and barn with red metal roof to match the house. If you have been here you know we don t run animals through a typical sale ring, but pen them so they are easy to see and move through. In the past we have hosted the noon meal and conducted our actual sale in the garage, but thanks to you we have out grown that space. Renovating the shop gives us almost twice as much room to accommodate our friends and customers in a warm, dry place. Our house is now 32 years old and while we have renovated and redecorated several times it seems a never ending task. Patricia decided that the entire second floor needed a face lift. We also replaced all eight windows in living and dining rooms which has made a huge difference in eliminating drafts and saving on heating bills. A RECKLESS COWBOY By Francis Henry Frank Maynard ( ) Taken from the book Cowboy s Lament: A life on the open range as Edited by Jim Hoy from original writings of Frank Maynard. Frank began punching cows at the age of 16 in 1870 and spent many years in the Wichita and Medicine Lodge areas of the Kansas plains. Only recently was it discovered he was the cowboy song writer who created The Streets of Laredo in 1876 by reworking an old Irish ballad. We highly recommend this book to all who love the western way of life and, especially enjoy reading how it really was during the early cattle drives and the beginning of the cattle industry. I am a reckless cowboy, the prairie is my home, At the early age of sixteen I first began to roam, I drove from sunny Texas, in the year of seventy-one, When the boys all come to Newton and kicked up lots of fun. Next summer found me ranging on the raging Arkansaw, Where we all grew wild and lawless, in the town of Wichita, From thence I drifted westward, to a country wild and strange, In the valley of the Salt Fork, I found a winter range. The winter was so dreary, I thought twould never end, And when at last twas springtime, we drove up to Great Bend, Next winter found me ranging on the Medicine Lodge, Headquarters for the last year, was the reckless town of Dodge. There, gamblers, shrewd and tricky, are watchful as a cat, To trap some luckless snoozer from Texas or the Platte, Now, I am like an Indian, I never can find rest, For settlements keep pushing farther toward the west. So, farewell, friends and kindred and all I once held dear, I am a reckless cowboy far out on the frontier. POINTS TO PONDER Those who strive to eliminate all risk are aiming at the end of all progress. We had rights long before we had government. Some of the worst government encroachments on freedom are the result of attempting to legislate against failure. Any man who looks to government, rather than his own two hands, for his primary source of security will surely be disappointed. We attain social maturity when we learn that government is the last, not the first, place to go for help. No proper government or practical business can exist without integrity as its bedrock foundation, and yet there is no such thing as the integrity of a group. Integrity is an individual quality and each man establishes his own by the way he extends his private conscience into words and deeds. This he does without leadership, and regardless of the slogans and banners which may be set before him All from THE LAST WORD by Dick Beeler Surely all of our friends (us included), Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Liberal can learn something from Mr. Beeler s thoughts.

5 COW PRODUCTION RECORDS Are you concerned with how the Seedstock Producer you purchase bulls from manages their cows? Do they allow cows to slip from Spring to Fall calving seasons, and back again? Do they carry over open cows to the next year? Does it matter? We think it should be important to you to understand that their management practices directly affect the inherent fertility of their cow herd. When you make a bull purchase, you are incorporating the fertility genetics from that herd into your own herd. Many reproductive traits do not have extremely high heritability and that is why it is critical to do everything you can to push genetics in the right direction. If your parents did not have any children, chances are you won t either, is a humorous old quote. But with beef genetics, If your cows don t deliver a calf each and every year, chances are their daughters won t either, is a very serious matter. At the right is the DATA BLOCK we at Spitzer Ranch have published in our catalogs for many years now. We are one of the very few, maybe the only, Seedstock Producer who provides a snapshot of the production record of the dam of every bull selling. While we provide all the usual performance information and EPDs just as we are obligated to do; we additionally provide very valuable dam information. Please direct your attention to the last lines in the block labeled Dam s Progeny Record and Dam s Progeny Ultrasound. By the numbers: 29 is the herd identification number of the dam, 30 tells you how many years old this cow was when she gave birth to this calf and 31 tells you the number of progeny she had to that point in time. Simple math; if she calved as a two-year-old (as she should) she should have one less calf than her age in years. That is, if she was 2 when this calf was born, she would show 1 calf; if she was 10 when this calf was born, she should show 9 calves. If that relationship (Age -1 = # Prog) does not hold you should ask why. There are valid reasons why - held open to flush as an embryo donor, purchased cow, extreme drought, bull went bad, etcetera. The point is there should be a reason that makes sense to you. The rest of the Dam s Progeny Record supplies the average actual birth weight (32) for the number of calves listed in # Prog followed by a series of ratios for adjusted birth weight (33), 205-Day weaning weight (34) and 365-Day yearling weight (35). By definition a ratio of 100 is the average for all animals in a contemporary group or in this case the entire cow herd. You can then see if the progeny of this cow ratio above or below the average. As you might expect, it takes a tremendous cow to be an old cow and have average ratios above 100. As cows are replaced by daughters better than themselves, their ratios will go down over time. Dam s Progeny Ultrasound lists the average for ultrasound scans for REA (36), % IMF (37) and Fat (38) adjusted to 365-Days of age. These data are for all bull calves born to this dam that made it through the culling process to earn the right to be bulls. Heifer calves are not included as their REA as yearlings is always much smaller and the %IMF and Fat always much greater. That s just the difference in the way bulls and heifers develop and averaging bulls in with heifers for ultrasound data will yield erroneous results. For all you data junkies; go to and hit SEARCH; enter the Bull ID and follow instructions. When you get to the bull s expanded record, click on the dam s registration number which takes you to her data sheet. Scroll down to Dam Production Report and click. You now have the complete cow record; all calves.

6 ESTRUS SYNCHRONIZATION In our WINTER 2012 Newsletter we promised a discussion of what has worked best for us as far as getting cows pregnant following synchronized AI. Apparently someone reads our musings as we have been reminded that we have not followed up on our promise. Therefore, what follows is a discussion of our best results. VIRGIN YEARLING HEIFERS - 14-Day CIDR+PG with Timed AI Our best result with heifers is a little complicated and takes planning ahead, but we find the extra effort well worth it at pregnancy check. You must initiate this system 33 days before the AI start date. Day 1 - Insert CIDR Day 14 - Remove CIDR Day 30 - Inject Prostaglandin (PG) Day 33 - AI HR after PG and Inject GnRH at AI There will be lots of heifers in heat after CIDR removal but do not breed them as this will not be a very fertile heat. If it bothers you, don t look as you will mess up the whole system if you breed them then. There is no heat detection with this system and heifers are bred at a set time following PG. Heifers are also more time critical of the interval from PG injection to timed AI and we like to be as close to 66 hours after PG as possible. For example; with only one person thawing semen and inseminating, we can breed head per hour; therefore, if we have 20 head to breed we want to start at 8:00 AM and be done by 10:00 AM. We would then inject PG at 3:00 PM on day 30 and that would mean 9:00 AM on day 33 is 66 hours and we are no more than one hour before or one hour after the 66 hours with our timed AI. You can do your own math based on how fast you can AI in your system, but the time critical interval is hours from PG to timed AI. In consulting herds where we have 50+ heifers to breed, we generally sort them into 2 groups and inject PG at the appropriate time to each group to be very close to 66 hours with the group. Don t forget to inject GnRH at timed AI. Volumes of research data and our own experience tell us we will get 55% to 65% of the total heifers treated pregnant to the timed AI, with no heat detection. Our management system is to wait 15 days after the timed AI and do an intensive heat check for 10 days and breed the repeats; then turn in a bull. Thus we get 60% pregnant to timed AI the first time around and 60% of the remainder to the second AI service for a total of 84% +/- pregnant AI and the bull breeds the remainder. MATURE COWS - 7-Day CO-Sync+CIDR with Timed AI Our cow system is actually pretty simple and has worked well. One caution is it is a waste of time and money to treat cows less than 30 days after calving. We generally sort them off when we place CIDRs in the main cow herd and turn them with a bull at that time. If your calving season is 70 days or less, there won t be many cows in that group. If it is a significant number of cows you can always wait and treat them later. For the few cows we have it s just not worth a second go-round of synchronization. Day 1 - Insert CIDR and Inject GnRH Day 7 - Remove CIDR and Inject Prostaglandin (PG) Day 10 - AI HR after PG and Inject GnRH at AI As with heifers, we do not heat detect but breed at a set time following PG. Cows are a little more forgiving on time interval from PG to timed AI, but we work hard to get all cows bred between 60 and 66 hours after the PG injection. Don t forget to inject GnRH at timed AI. Our management is to also temporarily wean calves (called temporary calf removal or TCR) for the interval from PG to timed AI. We do this for two reasons; 1. Data show we will induce a fertile ovulation in a few cows that would not respond if we did not employ TCR; and 2. We don t have to sort calves off of cows twice to get cows through the chute for CIDR removal/ PG and again 60 hours later for timed AI. Even though calves will bawl, a lot, the TCR is harder on you than the calves if you treat them right. Offer the absolute best quality hay you can find twice each day so it is clean and fresh and make sure they can reach clean, fresh water at all times. Additionally, do not allow calves in one at a time, but unite cows with calves as a group and do it in the corral or a small trap. As with heifers, we consistently achieve 60% +/- pregnancy rates to the timed AI based on total number of cows treated. Our management system with cows is to wait a week after timed AI and then check heat for about 20 days. There will be a few cows that short cycle after treatment and will be in heat a week or so after timed AI. Then we will turn in a bull. As with the heifers, we will usually achieve about an 85% AI pregnancy rate with the timed AI plus breeding the repeats and the bull gets to breed the rest. Hope this helps. Certainly not the only way too successfully AI your heifers and cows, but it works for us. Our goal is to get as many AI pregnancies as we can with minimal stress on us and our management system. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

7 ID SPITZER RANCH Professional Cattlemen's Bull Development Program Test DAY Off-Test Report ~ November 22, 2012 EPDs Adj Weaning Adj Yearling Number Sire BW CED WW YW MK TM CEM SC REA %IMF FAT Date WT WT RAT NC ADG RAT WDA SC FS WT RAT NC Y108 Lambert of Brinks 317R /17/ Y111 TCB Catawba Warrior R /21/ Y118 SR Cadence Warrior S /26/ Y121 TCB Catawba Warrior R /28/ Y122 TCB Catawba Warrior R /29/ Y123 TCB Catawba Warrior R /29/ Y124 SR Cadence Warrior S /30/ Y129 SLF Mr Elixir's Punch 797U /08/ Y133 SLF Mr Elixir's Punch 797U /15/ Y146 SR Cadence Warrior S /07/ Y156 PR Elixir 698L /23/ Y157 Scipio of Brinks 99T /21/ Y12 WW Cherokee 535W /17/ Y1 SVF 535N35 23 T /26/ Y4 MC Nuff Said 889T /20/ Total Bulls Birth Test-Development ID SPITZER RANCH Professional Cattlemen's Bull Development Program Test DAY Off-Test Report ~ December 6, 2012 Number Sire BW CED WW YW MK TM CEM SC REA %IMF FAT Date WT WT RAT NC ADG RAT WDA SC FS WT RAT NC Y164 TCB Catawba Warrior R /30/ Y166 TCB Catawba Warrior R /05/ Y167 MC Alliance 000P /06/ Y174 TCB Catawba Warrior R /15/ Y177 MC Alliance 000P /21/ Y187 SR Medicine Man W /04/ Y170 Aces TF Wrangler 145/ /12/ Y179 TCB Catawba Warrior R /22/ Y185 MC Alliance 000P /30/ Y189 SR Medicine Man W /09/ Y193 SR Medicine Man W /05/ Y197 SR Medicine Man W /12/ *Y209 Yon Right Time T342 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 11/24/ Total Bulls *Y209 is an Ultrablack Average EPDs SPITZER RANCH BRANGUS BULLS - Tests and EPDs BW CED WW YW MK TM CEM SC REA %IMF FAT SPITZER RANCH Bulls EPDs Average EPDs BRANGUS Nonparents - Fall 2012 Sire Summary EPDs BRANGUS Non-Parents BW CED WW YW MK TM CEM SC REA %IMF FAT Birth Adj Weaning Test-Development Adj Yearling

8 SPITZER RANCH Professional Cattlemen s Performance Tested Brangus Bull Sale Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 1:00 PM (EST) At the Ranch in Fair Play, SC Exit North off I-85 at Exit 2, Go North on SC HWY 59 for 2 miles and look for our ranch sign on your left. The Female Sale has been CANCELLED. Sale catalogs sent only on request unless you are a former buyer; in which case you will receive a catalog sometime in early February. PRSRT FIRST-CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 400 ANDERSON, SC RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED