May 6, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Rancher Q&A Feature: Dean Wang of Baker

As part of the Montana Family Ranching Project, Montana rancher features are imperative for telling the beef story. Today, we feature Dean Wang of Baker, Mont. Dean’s family has been ranching for many generations and now, Dean is continuing the family business with his wife and children. He also owns and operates the Bank of Baker and has served in many community organizations like the Board of Directors for the Montana Stockgrowers Association. After reading this feature, please share the link with your friends in order to help more people learn about Montana family ranching.

Dean Wang of Baker, Montana

Dean Wang of Baker, Montana

What was your favorite part about growing up on the ranch? 

I loved being horseback and the cattle handling.

Tell us about your ranch. 

We run Simmental/Angus cross cattle. I’m most proud of our crew and the infrastructure improvements that they have made and continue to make, and of the effort that they put forth every day. They take great pride in their efforts and I’m proud of our safety record.

What have been some of the trials you’ve had to overcome? 

My parents talk about the blizzard of 1964 and of the agriculture crisis in the 80s, and the drought in 1988.  Karen (my wife) and I moved home in 1994 and cattle prices crashed in 1995 and 1996. Also, there have been substantial weather-related livestock losses over the years, especially during the calving season which is always hard.

Dean with daughter, Lauren on their ranch.

Dean with daughter, Lauren on their ranch.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about life on the ranch? 

How much effort is put into the well-being of the cattle, sheep and horses…especially in poor weather conditions.

What does it mean to you to be able to work with your family every day? 

We talk about that a lot. We’re very fortunate to living in a small town and work with people that we enjoy and care about is great. Plus, we get to have the kids involved in all aspects of the ranch business.

Is there anything you would have done differently on the ranch if given the chance? 

I would have had my ancestors settle on the south side of the snowy mountains.

 9How would describe “building a legacy” on the ranch? 

Luck plays a big part, in that you can only hope that the next generation(s) will have an interest in it.

Do you have any advice for future Montana rancher generations about running a successful beef cattle business? 

Attention to detail, efficiency, and budgeting will be key.

What’s your favorite beef dish? 

Tri-Tip roast and sour dough bread!

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April 24, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Ranching FAQ | Copper Deficiency in Cattle

PBS Ag Live Answering Montana Ranching QuestionsWhat questions do you have about ranching in Montana? We’re teaming up with Montana PBS’ Ag Live program to bring you the answers. The Ag Live program from Montana PBS teams up with experts from Montana State University Extension to discuss everything from pesticide use and agricultural techniques involved in ranching and the cattle business. We ask that you submit questions to [email protected]. These questions will be answered by PBS and MSU Extension, then published in our monthly Digital Newsletter.

Q: The hair coat on my black cows is turning red. My veterinarian said something about minerals. Can you help me?

A: The first visible sign of a copper deficiency in cattle is often a bleaching of the hair coat, which may result in a change to a red/brown color in black-haired cattle. Copper deficiencies may result from a primary deficiency, where copper itself is deficient in the diet, or from a secondary deficiency, which can result when dietary concentrations of copper are adequate, but absorption of copper is limited by the interference of other minerals, such as molybdenum, sulfur, or both. High dietary iron can also reduce copper absorption.

Copper is a critical mineral in the immune and reproductive systems, so if an imbalance is suspected, it is important to investigate further. Samples of forage (grazed pasture, hay, etc.) should be sent to a laboratory for a full mineral screen to determine whether a primary or secondary deficiency is at hand. Once results are obtained, an alteration to the mineral supplementation plan may be in order. Your local county Extension agent can help you with forage sampling, analyses, and interpretation of results.

This week’s question was answered by Rachel Endecott, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist.

Related information:

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April 10, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Ranching FAQ | Feeding Cows For Cold Weather

PBS Ag Live Answering Montana Ranching QuestionsWhat questions do you have about ranching in Montana? We’re teaming up with Montana PBS’ Ag Live program to bring you the answers. The Ag Live program from Montana PBS teams up with experts from Montana State University Extension to discuss everything from pesticide use and agricultural techniques involved in ranching and the cattle business. We ask that you submit questions to [email protected]. These questions will be answered by PBS and MSU Extension, then published in our monthly Digital Newsletter.

Q: During the recent cold spell, my cows were eating me out of house and home! Is there a rule of thumb about how much extra feed cows should get during cold weather?

A: The range of temperatures where cattle (or other mammals) don’t have to expend any energy to maintain body temperature is called the thermoneutral zone. When it gets warmer than the upper critical temperature, cattle have to use energy to cool down. When it gets colder than the lower critical temperature, cattle have to use energy to warm up. You might be wondering, “what is the lower critical temperature?” Like any good animal science question, the answer is, “it depends!” In this case, it depends on hair coat and weather conditions (see table).

Estimated lower critical temperatures for beef cattle. From Beef Production and Management Decisions (Field, 2007)

Coat Description Critical Temperature
Summer coat or wet 59° F
Fall coat 45° F
Winter coat 32° F
Heavy winter coat 18° F

With a summer hair coat, or a wet (to the skin) hair coat at any temperature, the lower critical temperature is quite warm at 59° F. On the other hand, the lower critical temperature for a cow with a heavy winter coat is 18° F. When a cow is experiencing cold stress, the major effect on nutrient requirements is an increased need for energy, which generally indicates the total amount of feed needs to be increased. A simple rule of thumb (more detailed information is available) is to increase the amount of feed 1% for every degree of coldness below the appropriate lower critical temperature.

For example, let’s say you have a 1200-pound cow with a winter hair coat. It’s currently 20° F with a 15 mph wind and you normally feed 24 pounds of hay per day. The effective temperature with the windchill is 6° F, and the appropriate lower critical temperature is 32° F. Subtracting 6 from 32 yields 26, so the amount of hay needs to be increased by 26%. This would be just over 6 pounds of additional hay for a total of about 30 pounds.

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