President s Message Winter Edition Issue In this issue: Calendar of Events

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1 Winter Edition Issue 103 President s Message Terry Willis Phone: (815) sbfarms@hotmail.com As we start a new year looking ahead to a new calf crop and green pastures, I am going to reflect on the past for a minute. This fall, we lost a long-time cattle person and supporter, Sue Finley. For many years, Sue had been an integral part of GLBGA. Sue s legacy with our group was how adept she was in bringing our quarterly GLBGA Newsletters to your door. Sue took responsibility for taking the articles we submitted and organizing them into a sensible layout, publishing, and mailing out the finished product. The newsletter you received last fall was one of the last things Sue worked on prior to her unexpected passing. Her contribution to GLBGA will be sorely missed. But life goes on and as the saying goes time stops for no one. We are pleased to introduce Jayde Farbo, as our newsletter editor. Jayde comes from a strong cattle background and ties to the beef industry. We plan on using her many skills to try some new and progressive marketing plans. You can read her bio in this issue. This is the time of the year we are putting importance on our bull buying decisions. Everyone is always asking, how much should I pay for a bull? The adage goes a bull is worth what at least two people think. At minimum a bull represents 50% of the genetics in a herd for a single year with no replacements being kept. If you are trying to increase your herd by keeping replacement females, improve your genetic progress, and develop a longterm breeding program a bull can contribute over 80% of your genetic growth. I am not sure how to put a dollar amount on that. If you are not in the market for a new bull, you need to be sure your current bull is ready for the breeding season. He needs to be in good body condition and most importantly, he should have a breeding soundness exam. Make sure you have him checked for hair rings and a semen test prior to turning him out with the cows. For some of us, the calving season has already started, but for others it may be in the near future. Being prepared with the correct supplies and having a plan is critical to your success. There are plenty of good websites out there with checklists and tips to help you get ready. Here is a new one I found that you may like: The Great Lakes board concluded their annual planning meeting for 2018 this January. I am pretty excited about all the great ideas, activities, and events of which are in store for our members. They decided to go old school for the annual field day. It will be just one day and provide time for everyone to visit with old and new friends. The field day will be series of farm tours across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Each of the breeders will present the history and how they manage their cattle operation. There will be plenty of ideas and hopefully you will find some that will benefit your operation. Some of the other events planned for the year will be livestock shows, displays at several state fairs and at Farm Technology Days in Wisconsin. If you have any suggestions or ideas on what GLBGA can do to help you market and promote your farm, please contact any of the board members. I hope to see you at some of these events! In this issue: President s Message Meet the Publisher Dawson Masters Message Gayle s Shoe Box Taking Care of Business New Members Breed Promotion Opportunities Hair Sample Collection Have Ya Herd? Choosing a Bull Is Your Calf Okay? Chocolate Chip Dessert Calendar of Events June 2 GLBGA Spring Field Day Tour de 4 Farms June 29 Open & Junior Midwest Classic June 7th-9th, 2019 High $teaks Carcass Contest July Wisconsin Farm Tech Days August 3-19 Indiana State Fair August 9-19 Illinois State Fair September World Beef Expo

2 Officers & Board Members President Terry Willis Phone: (815) Vice President Jamie Wilkerson Phone (515) Treasurer Terry Etheridge Phone: (715) Secretary Matt Messmer Phone (608) Board Members Jon Fowler Phone: (812) Charles Landeck Phone: (763) John Hamm Phone: (608) Jay Dausman Phone: (574) Eric Finholdt Phone: (507) Directors At Large Cletus Kirshbaum Phone: (262) Public Relations Director Kathi Jurkowski Phone: (815) Editor Jill Messmer Phone (608) messmerizingfarms.com Publisher Lazy J Designs, Jayde Farbo Phone (815) lazyjdesignco@gmail.com Meet Your Publisher Hi! My name is Jayde Farbo, head designer and owner of Lazy J Designs. I grew up on a small commercial cow/calf and row crop operation in Northern Illinois where my passion for the beef industry started. In May of 2016, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Platteville with a bachelor s degree in Animal Science and Agricultural Business. I knew my passions for consumer education and the beef industry could be put to good use, so I started my journey at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas as a graduate student in the Agricultural Communications and Education Department. I am currently the Communications Coordinator & Director of Online Marketing for the Wisconsin Beef Council as well as running my own design business. In my free time, I love to walk the pastures with my camera Hello to all of my frozen friends in the Great Lakes Group! I would first like to thank one of your own, Lisa Lovett for her dedication to the breed and her service on the council. She will truly be missed. I hope everyone has had a chance to read the January issue of the US Belties Newsletter. I am very passionate about bringing the excitement to the society and the shows! I believe with positive excitement about the cattle and the people of this breed, it will most certainly benefit your bottom line. When I think of the Great Lakes Group what comes to mind is that type excitement. I have been able to attend the World Beef and the Belties Unlimited Shows. It s truly amazing to me how you can get so many different breeders to participate and the number of quality and take my 2 year old Aussie to herding trials and training. I look forward to working with you all and the Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association! Please reach out if you have any questions or if I can be of any assistance! Belted Galloway Society President, Dawson Masters cattle is second to none. I m also impressed by the way your group has Farm Tours and the way you help new breeders feel so welcome. I hope that the Great Lakes Group wouldn t get caught up in the rules and ribbons and forget the reason they re one of strongest Regional Groups. I believe that for many of us who have lost our spouse, the Belted Galloway Cattle and its people are truly the one thing that keeps us going. That s why it s so important to continue the excitement in the society and at the shows. I know for me, each year that goes by without Debbie, I turn to the shows and my cattle friends throughout the year to fill that empty hole. Please continue to fill it with excitement and kindness!

3 We all know Gayle and LeRoy but did you all know that she opened her own store June 1st She writes, I carry a little bit of everything to fill the nitch in my community. Animal health books, books, gift Items, grooming supplies, tack, clothing, wonderful silk scarves, cards, yard art, fencing and bird feeders and food. The store is in an old bank building that was built in It still has a double door vault that I use for back stock. She told me of her twisted X boots, too. Carrying the best selection in the tristate area. She can ship anything. Good Luck with your new venture! Taking Care of Business Welcome these new members! Tuyla Pufahl Wisconsin River Farms 118 Grayside Ave Mauston, WI Alyson Reed Wisconsin River Farms 1024 Cottontail Drive Forney, TX Joseph Schloss NKids Farm 5420 Farrell Rd. Dexter, MI Phone: pdschloss@gmail.com Patrick D. Schloss NKids Farm 5420 Farrell Rd. Dexter, MI Phone: pdschloss@gmail.com Travis Johnson Thebar1 Farms State Hwy 9 SW Bertrami, MN Phone: thebar1homestead@gmail. com Harold Steele th Ave. Holcombe, WI Phone: hs3779@aol.com Breed Promotion Opportunities The GLBGA has traditionally offered breed promotion funding for state and national level shows. The purpose of the funding is to cover expenses associated with activities that promote the Belted Galloway breed. At the recent GLBGA Annual Meeting, the GLBGA Directors have considered extending this funding to other venues such as county shows or other significant cattle shows, where breed promotion may be justified. To better understand the available opportunities within the GLBGA area, the Directors are seeking nominations from the GLBGA members for potential promotional opportunities. If you would like to nominate a show for consideration for GLBGA promotional funding, please send in a nomination with information that explains why your proposed show would be a great venue for the promotion of Belted Galloways. The board will evaluate nominations and if selected, funding will be provided for promotion. Please send your nomination via to sbfarms@ hotmail.com for consideration The Great Lakes Belted Galloway Association s Board of Directors held their annual meeting on January 27th, Important business was discussed, new ideas were passed around and delicious cookies were eaten! The board is excited to host a youth fitting clinic, Tour de Farms and much more! To help promote GLBGA over the years we have supplied a free (paid for by us) GLBGA membership when selling cattle to new - non members. This is a great promo for everyone as it helps them get connected with a great group of people and promotes your business. So please consider this when selling cattle! Thanks TEK Cattle Terry & Karlyn Etheridge Don t you remember how excited you felt when you got your first Belted Galloway?!

4 Taking a Hair Sample Tail hairs should be pulled (not clipped) from the animal s tail switch Comb or brush out the switch first to remove dead hairs Wrap 5 to 15 hairs around your finger about 2 inches from the end of the tail, then give a sharp pull Sample size: 20 hairs will provide enough sample for basic parentage testing hairs will provide enough DNA material to conduct a variety of tests in the future (Note: some breed associations require 60 hairs) Ensure the sample includes the root bulbs as this is where the DNA is located Ensure the tail hair is dry and clean to ensure the lab will process the sample and to prevent cross contamination of the DNA Store in a clearly labelled paper envelope in a dark/dry location such as a filing cabinet or drawer Use a separate paper envelope for each animal Cattle Hair Sample Checklist: Record eartag number on envelope Collect hair from tail switch Obtain at least 40 hairs with follicles Take at least 2 pulls Inspect follicles- do NOT touch follicles Clean pliers and hands between animals How do you store your tattoo letters and numbers? I have found by using an old piece of Styrofoam that I can organize everything and put them in their place after each use as pictured below. I try to disinfect between each use. I use Barbacide that barbers use, there are other disinfectants to use that might be better, too. Anything to stop the spread of warts and other diseases. I have a nice little lid to cover it all up and keep it together. HAVE YA HERD? You ll be getting your dues are due, notice soon. This year it will be a separate mailing and once again, you can pick how you want to advertise your farm in our advertising programs. Beef Tip: Lice are bad this year. Lice infestation is running strong till about March, don t stop fighting! NO CAMP! Sad to say, we will not be having a much-needed camp this year. We realize that camp is like a wedding, you must plan over a year in advance. Everyone is pretty much booked already. Next year, for sure. In remembrance... So, sad to hear of one of our fellow breeders, Mike Schutt from Minnesota passed away shortly after Thanksgiving. His herd will be dispersed. His wife told me, he sure enjoyed his Belties High $teaks Carcass Contest Wisconsin River Meats, John Hamm, In Mauston, WI will be hosting the 2019 GLBGA field day June 7th-9th. We are going to hold a Belted Galloway carcass contest in conjunction with the field day! So keep an eye out for a steer candidate you can enter in the High $teaks Carcass Contest 2019! There will be premiums awarded. Watch for more information in upcoming issues.

5 Save the Date! GLBGA Field Day Tour de Farms June 2nd, 2018 Starting and ending at Klover Korners Farms for dinner, auctions and more! Touring: Sunny Brook Farms Oak Valley Farms Beeler s Double B Book in hotel room block: Hampton Inn, in Beloit, WI Code: BGC Phone: More information coming soon! Are You in the Market for a New Herd Bull? When it s time to replace your herd bull it can be a difficult decision. I know some of you will think I am just giving you the bull, but here are some of my thoughts on selecting the perfect replacement The number one purpose of a bull is to get the cow bred. Now there are many bulls that will fulfill that expectation. But will they meet your objectives and long term goals? You need to write down your goals because they are just dreams until you put them in writing. What is important to you: weaning weight, calving ease, days to market, meat quality, etc. 2. Do your homework before visiting breeders. Let the breeder know what you are looking for and let them help you match up a bull to meet your needs. 3. Ask questions, as many as you can think of, remember the only stupid question is the one you don t ask. 4. Do they have data to provide to you: birth, weaning, yearling weights, calving ease, carcass data, etc.? 5. Evaluate the bull s dam. Would you buy her? If not, why buy her calf. How many replacement heifers has she produced or other bull calves. If she is a young cow, what about her dam or sisters what have they produced? 6. If he is a mature bull you need to look at his calves. How many of them would you like to own? 7. What is the history of the breeder? What is their track record producing replacement cattle? 8. Evaluate the pedigree; look at the generations of performance that has been built. (We all know about 1 hit wonder songs) it holds true in cattle too. Stacked performance means consistency in the offspring being produced. 9. Has the bull had a soundness exam? Semen test, if old enough? What vaccinations did he get? Herd health? 10. Talk with past customers, are they happy? Would they buy from that breeder again? 11. Trust your judgement, do stories match, sound correct, does something look or feel off? If so, then it probably is. 12. Most importantly do you like the bull? If you can go see him more than once. Things can look different on another day. There is no sure thing in bull buying, but the more positive things you can do to help you make the right choice the better your odds in buying the right bull for your herd. Submitted by: Terry Willis The fastest way to warm one is directly,with warm water. This direct contact is quicker than warm air. A hot box is great but works best for mild cases when a newborn calf is chilled and needs to dry out. Feedlot Magazine

6 Is Your Newborn Okay? If your calf is shivering and has not nursed, it could be susceptible to hypothermia. A simple test to check and determine if your calf needs extra attention is to place your finger in its mouth. The inside of its mouth should be nice and warm. A cold mouth is an indicator it needs to be warmed up some more. Does it have sucking reflexes? How does its belly feel tight and full or gaunt? If it s acting lethargic and humped up then it s in trouble! Make sure the cow s udder is not plugged and open them up if you can. Sometimes just milking them out and putting a bottle in the calf s mouth will jump start them. Happy Calving!

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8 GLBGA 112 West Hill St. Blanchardville, WI Like us on Facebook! Ingredients oz package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough softened 8 oz brick style cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioner s sugar 8 oz frozen whipped topping 1.5 cups low-fat milk 3.9 oz instant chocolate pudding 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips Instructions Chef Chuck Landeck s Famous Chocolate Chip Dessert Press cookie to the bottom of a greased 9x13 cake pan. Cook at 350 for 13-15,minutes and let cool. Mix cream cheese and sugar, then add 1 cup of the whipped topping and mix. Put this on top of the cookie dough. Mix the pudding mix and milk according to the directions of the pudding mix. Spread on top of the cream cheese mixture. Let cool to set. Spread the remainder of whipped topping over the pudding. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the whipped topping Cool and serve! { Folks, tune in to Discover Wisconsin on March 17th to see our friend Barb Beeler on it We sure hope they got a shot of her Belties, too! {