September 29, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSU selects new vice president, dean of agriculture

Charles Boyer MSUBOZEMAN – Charles Boyer from California State University, Fresno, has been chosen to lead the College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station at Montana State University.

Currently dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Boyer will begin his new role as MSU’s vice president of agriculture and dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture on Dec. 15.

“As the state’s land-grant university, MSU is committed to enhancing and strengthening our partnership with agriculture, the No. 1 industry in the state. Dr. Charles Boyer’s vast experience advancing research, teaching and service, as well as his success working with producer groups and his successful fundraising track record, make him an outstanding choice to lead these efforts,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado.

Boyer said he anticipates working closely with the agriculture community at MSU and throughout the entire state. “I look forward to the opportunity to build on the strong partnerships between MSU and the agricultural community,” Boyer said. “These partnerships are already strong, and they will benefit us all as we work together to find new ways to serve the agricultural community of Montana.”

MSU elevated its dean of the College of Agriculture to a vice presidential position earlier this year, in recognition of its importance to the state’s economy and the MSU mission. The new vice president of agriculture will lead the College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station.

MSU’s College of Agriculture has approximately 1,028 students with 11 bachelor degree programs, nine master degree programs and four doctoral degree programs from five departments and one division. Historically, it has been among the top three MSU colleges in terms of research activity. The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station conducts research at seven research centers strategically located across the state to address the diverse climatological challenges of Montana’s agriculture industry.

Boyer earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Eastern Oregon State College and a master’s degree and doctorate in genetics, both from The Pennsylvania State University.

In 2006, he was named dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at California State University, Fresno. Prior to the appointment, he served as associate dean and associate director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agricultural Sciences, at Oregon State University; as professor and head of the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University; as chairman of the Intercollege Graduate Program in Genetics at The Pennsylvania State University; as professor and associate professor of plant breeding and genetics at The Pennsylvania State University; and as assistant professor of horticulture at Rutgers University.

Boyer takes over from Glenn Duff, who has been interim dean and director since Jeff Jacobsen stepped down in September 2013. “The College of Agriculture was in very good hands with Dr. Duff, and we’d like to thank him for his service,” Cruzado said.

Boyer was selected after a national search conducted by a 22-member search committee that was composed of industry and academic representatives. The committee was chaired by Brett Gunnink, dean of the MSU College of Engineering.

“MSU thanks Dr. Gunnink and all of the members of the search committee for their exceptional work throughout this search,” Cruzado said.

September 4, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana Young Stockgrower Spends Summer Down Under

Written by Kelsey Haughian

Kelsey in the lead of 500 weaner calves to trail across the river.

Kelsey in the lead of 500 weaner calves to trail across the river.

Gidday all! I am Kelsey Haughian, a senior animal science student at Montana State University, who has recently returned to Montana after 3 months on a remote cattle station in South Central Queensland, Australia. I was asked to give a little break down of my internship and experience down under!

I interned with Australian Agriculture Company (AACo), a company that is on its way to becoming fully integrated in the beef industry (from breeding/genetics to feedlots to slaughter facilities). AACo owns about 600,000 cattle across wide areas of Australia‘s Queensland and Northern Territory. The property I was at, Wylarah Station, is the breeding and genetics base for AACo. They operate on 30,300 hectares (about 117 sections) with a carrying capacity of 7,000 head on 550mm (22 inches) of rain a year.

Trailing 700 Wagyu cows in the dust to the next paddock.

Trailing 700 Wagyu cows in the dust to the next paddock.

I had the opportunity to work with the world’s largest herd of Wagyu cattle as well as elite Brahman/Santa Gertrudis/Bonsmara/Senepol/Charolais composite herds owned by AACo. The Wagyu stud herd (female sires) are now the largest herd of Wagyu in the world and produce offspring for AACo’s branded beef product that is sold mostly to Japan. This beef is very unique as the feeder cattle are on feed anywhere from 400 to 700 days! This length of time is for adequate marbling and growth time for the best quality of Wagyu. These cattle are fattened at one of the company’s feedlots (I had the opportunity to visit it during my stay and it is quite impressive!). At my station (Aussie term for ranch), we had about 2,000 Wagyu studs that were monitored like any registered herd in the US ­ records on performance are highly extensive!

The elite Composite herds at the station have been closely monitored for economically important traits (high fertility, adaptability, fast growth, feed conversion efficiency, as well as carcass traits) to increase efficiency and productivity of the company. My station provides the base genetics of Composites for the larger stations in the northern region of Australia, including bulls and replacement heifers to keep optimal levels of each breed within the Composite breeds itself.

Kelsey at the backgrounding paddocks with "re-hydrating" bullocks in the background.

Kelsey at the backgrounding paddocks with “re-hydrating” bullocks in the background.

One of the most unique aspects of the my internship was the actual handling of cattle. As is well known, cattle have distinct flight zones, and a good grasp on these zones makes for easier, more efficient processing/gathering/etc. Wylarah hires a contractor who specializes in “breaking” cattle; “teaching” them to work with people, horses, and dogs as well as process through yards (known as corrals to us!). The contractor works with the newly weaned calves for a couple weeks. The idea behind this “breaking” is to increase efficiency and decrease stress. If the cattle are relaxed and stress free, performance is increased. It is also used on the genetic side; to cull the flighty and keep the calm cattle, which is important with the large scale of the company. The low stress handling was a constant learning experience for me; the cattle work for you, you don’t work for them. I will miss mustering(also known as gathering) with a couple packs of dogs!

Looking out over the bush at the far end of the station.

Looking out over the bush at the far end of the station.

I can’t say enough how exhilarating this “holiday” was for me! The personal growth and cultural experience was just as beneficial as the livestock experience. I can’t express how thankful I am to the Wylarah Station staff who accepted me as one of the “family.” This internship would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the financial assistance from scholarships, grants, and family. MSU’s Exc.e.ed Grant helped tremendously with airfare and transportation; I am very appreciative to receive their financial assistance to fulfill a life long dream. I have so many stories and experiences to share, so feel free to contact me with questions!

Call it an internship, working holiday, or an experience of a lifetime…either way, I had the most amazing opportunity in Australia on a working cattle station!

August 6, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSU students tie for second in national animal science competition

Montana State University Animal Science Academic Quadrathalon(The following is a press release from Montana State University. To learn more about the team’s regional win earlier this year, click here.)

BOZEMAN — Four students from the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at Montana State University tied for second place in the National Academic Quadrathlon, held July 20-21 in Kansas City, Mo., and Manhattan, Kan.

Anna Downen of Columbia Falls, Preston Kiehl of Winnett, Jessica Roloff of Bozeman, and Ben Stokes of Pflugerville, Texas, competed in a four-part contest that consisted of a comprehensive written exam, impromptu oral presentation, hands-on lab practicum, and a double-elimination quiz bowl tournament.

The MSU team competed with four other universities, including Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University and Texas A&M University. The MSU team won the oral presentation and took second in the lab practicum.

“Anna, Preston, Jessie, and Ben did a fantastic job representing MSU at the contest. I’m extremely proud of them and their hard work. It’s exciting that MSU holds our own with much larger schools. It only increases our confidence that our program is turning out students who are well-prepared for their future careers,” said team adviser Rachel Endecott.

Three of the four students graduated from MSU in May. Kiehl has one semester remaining and plans to return to his family ranch. Downen now lives in Fairview and works at a Sidney veterinary clinic. Roloff works on a ranch near Lewistown. Stokes is starting a master’s degree at Iowa State University.

The national contest was held in conjunction with the 2014 joint annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association, and Canadian Society of Animal Science.

July 9, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSU students win regional animal science competition for second year in a row

Members of the MSU quadrathlon team are (from left) Ben Stokes, Jessica Roloff, adviser Rachel Endecott, Anna Downen and Preston Kiehl. (Photo from the American Society of Animal Science).

Members of the MSU quadrathlon team are (from left) Ben Stokes, Jessica Roloff, adviser Rachel Endecott, Anna Downen and Preston Kiehl. (Photo from the American Society of Animal Science).

BOZEMAN — Four students from the Department of Animal and Range Sciences at Montana State University won the Western Region Academic Quadrathlon, held June 23-25 in San Angelo, Texas. They will now advance to the national competition to be held July 20-21 in Kansas City, Mo.

Anna Downen of Columbia Falls, Preston Kiehl of Winnett, Jessica Roloff of Bozeman and Ben Stokes of Pflugerville, Texas, competed in a four-part contest that consisted of a comprehensive written exam, impromptu oral presentation, hands-on lab practicum and double-elimination quiz bowl tournament. This is the second year in a row that MSU has won the regional contest.

The MSU team competed with five other western region universities, including California State University-Chico, Brigham Young University-Idaho, New Mexico State University, Oregon State University and University of Wyoming.

“Anna, Preston, Jessie and Ben did a spectacular job representing MSU at the contest. I’m very proud of their hard work. It’s exciting that MSU now has back-to-back wins in the regional contest,” said team adviser Rachel Endecott.

Three of the four students graduated in May. Kiehl has one semester remaining and plans to return to his family ranch. Downen now lives in Fairview and works at a Sidney veterinary clinic. Roloff is working on a ranch near Lewistown, and Stokes is starting a master’s degree at Iowa State University.

The regional contest was held in conjunction with the 2014 Western Section American Society of Animal Science meetings, hosted by Angelo State University. The national contest will be held in conjunction with the joint American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Science and Canadian Society of Animal Science meetings.

June 20, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Feeding Weedy Hay: Implications for Future Weed Problems?

Rachel Endecott, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist

In the past few years, many Montana beef cattle operations have purchased hay, sometimes from many counties away, and even from another country based on the Canadian hay that we’ve seen move south the past few winters! Some of that hay might have been fairly weedy, or have different weeds than are found in your area. Just how well do weed seeds survive after going through the digestive system of a ruminant?

A Canadian study from the early 1990s evaluated weed seed viability after 24 hours of rumen incubation for many common weeds. In general, they found that after 24 hours in the rumen, grass weed species were more adversely affected than broadleaf weed species. Many broadleaf weed species have harder seed coats than grass weed species, which was suggested to be the main reason for the difference between grass and broadleaf species. The table below summarizes the results of the study, comparing viability of seeds after 24 hours in the rumen versus a control group (no rumen exposure).Weed Species Treatment and Digestibility in Cattle Rumen Chart

The study also found that the diet the cow was on when the seeds were incubated in the rumen had an impact on some species’ seed viability. For example, wild oats and field pennycress were not impacted much by rumen incubation when the cow was consuming an all-forage diet, but when the cow was consuming a mixed diet of grain and forage, the viability of these weed seeds was dramatically reduced. This suggests that the lower pH environment in the rumen due to grain supplementation may have been better able to decrease seed viability.

What about noxious weeds? Are their seeds impacted by rumen exposure? Several different research projects at Montana State University have tackled this question over the years. Sheep, goats, and even mule deer have been used in these studies rather than cattle, since most cattle avoid grazing these weeds.

Sheep and mule deer were dosed with 5,000 spotted knapweed seeds, and then seeds were recovered from the manure. Less than 20% of the dosed seeds were recovered, and large variability existed in seed viability (0-26%), but it was always lower than the control (98%). In a study evaluating leafy spurge, 18% of dosed seeds were recovered, and sheep were found to be more effective than goats in decreasing seed viability (sheep: 14%, goats: 31%, control: 90% viability). Digestion of sulfur cinquefoil seeds by sheep and goats decreased viability of immature seeds by 92% and of mature seeds by 64%. The difference was attributed to the hardened seed coat of mature seeds limiting digestive impacts.

Weed seed viability is impacted by passage through the rumen to varying degrees. It is important to keep a close watch on areas where weedy hay was fed this winter to ensure proper and timely management of any weed infestations.

References:
Frost et al., 2013. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 66:51-55
Lacey et al., 1992. Weed Technology. 6:599-602.
Wallender et al., 1995. Journal of Range Management. 48:145-149

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May 28, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana 4-H Brand an Animal Program Supports Youth

Montana 4-H Brand an Animal photo

The Montana 4-H Foundation “Brand an Animal for 4-H” program expands learning opportunities for more than 20,366 4-H youth and 4,200 volunteers throughout the state. By branding an animal for 4-H, you can help offset the costs of statewide events and activities available to all Montana 4-H Youth, enabling more kids to experience 4-H.

The brand is applied to the left rib on cattle, either by use of a bar iron in multiple steps, or a one-piece branding iron which can be obtained from the Montana 4-H Foundation, or by contacting your County Extension Agent. When the animal is branded, the top of the 4 is closed, and the bottom bar of the 4 must connect to the dash and the centerline of the “H.” Once branded, the animal becomes the property of Montana 4-H. When each animal is sold, the State Brand Inspector overseeing the sale will see that proceeds are sent to the Montana 4-H Foundation as the registered owner of the brand. If you prefer not to brand an animal with the 4-H brand, proceeds can be designated to 4-H at the time of sale. All recognition still applies.

Donors will receive a decorative plaque, will be listed in annual publications, and recognized at statewide events.

Funds will support statewide 4-H programs and help create opportunities for 4-H youth to attend and compete at events such as MT 4-H Congress and West- ern Roundup in Denver. Priority will be given to the 4-H Livestock programs, including 4-H Livestock and meat judging teams. We thank you for helping to make this a successful program and for supporting MT 4-H youth!

For more info call: (406) 994-5911 Or e-mail: [email protected]. To participate, send the Donor Name, Address, Phone, E-mail, and Animal Description to Montana 4-H Foundation, 211 Taylor Hall Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

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March 31, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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Montana nutrition conference, livestock forum set for April 22, 23 at Bozeman

Montana Stockgrowers’ Ryan Goodman will be speaking on Tuesday night at the Montana Nutrition Conference and Livestock forum in Bozeman. MSGA hopes everyone will take the opportunity to attend the meeting and to hear from a great line up of speakers over the two days.

montana state extension logoBOZEMAN — The future of ranching will be the focus of this year’s Montana Nutrition Conference and Livestock Forum in Bozeman.

The conference will begin the afternoon of Tuesday, April 22, and run through the morning of Wednesday, April 23, at the GranTree Inn, 1325 N. 7th Avenue.

Speakers will cover a wide variety of topics, including water quality and mineral supplementation, the importance of mycotoxins in Montana, treating low quality forages to improve feeding quality, applying genomic selection, estate planning, the October 2013 blizzard in South Dakota, and the future of feed-grade antibiotics in livestock.

The Tuesday evening program will feature Carrie Mess, a Wisconsin dairy farmer and blogger, and Ryan Goodman, manager of communications at the Montana Stockgrowers Association, speaking on “Social Media: Understanding the Power of Reaching Our Customers.” Two scholarships sponsored by the Montana Feed Association will also be awarded.

The conference is organized by Montana State University Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Rachel Endecott in conjunction with the Montana Feed Association.

Cost to attend both days of the conference is $115. Attendees can register online with a credit card at https://www.montana.edu/nutrition/. A conference brochure is available at http://animalrange.montana.edu/conferences.htm

The schedule and speakers are:

Tuesday, April 22

  • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Registration
  • 12:30 p.m. — Welcome
  • 1 to 2 p.m. — Water Quality and Mineral Supplementation. Mark Petersen, USDA-ARS Fort Keogh
  • 2 to 3 p.m. — Mycotoxins: Importance in Montana –Barry Jacobsen, MSU
  • 3 p.m. — Break
  • 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. – Treating Low Quality Forages to Improve Feeding Quality. Tim Bodine, Performix Nutrition
  • 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. — Application of Genomic Selection: New Frontiers in Animal Breeding. Jennifer Thomson, MSU
  • 5:30 p.m. — Social
  • 6:30 p.m. — Dinner and program
  • Scholarship presentations
  • Evening speakers: Social Media – Understanding the power of reaching our customers. Carrie Mess, Wisconsin dairy farmer, and Ryan Goodman, manager of communications, Montana Stockgrowers Association

Wednesday, April 23

  • 7 to 8 a.m. — Breakfast, grad student poster judging
  • 8 to 9:30 a.m. — Think You Know Who Gets Your Property When You Die? Think Again…Even If You Have a Will! Marsha Goetting, MSU
  • 9:30 a.m. — Break
  • 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. — October 2013 Blizzard in South Dakota: What Are the Ramifications? Ken Olson, South Dakota State University
  • 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. — Using Feed-Grade Antibiotics in Livestock: What Changes Should We Prepare For? Russ Daly, SDSU
  • 11:45 a.m. to noon – Presentation of graduate student poster awards. Pat Hatfield, MSU
  • Noon — Conference wrap-up
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March 24, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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REEF Supports Collegiate Trip to JBS, NCBA Offices, National Western

Montana State University Collegiate StockgrowersInstead of spending winter break watching TV, the Collegiate Stockgrowers clubs (CSG) of Montana organized a tour to learn more about the beef industry. Several CSG members drove to Denver to learn more about the next step in the beef production supply chain.

“Most of our club members have a cow-calf background. They sell their calves off when the time is right and start the process again. Ultimately, they don’t know too much about where those calves go next,” said John Henry Beardsley, president of the Collegiate Stockgrowers at Montana State University.

This trip offered the opportunity to find out what that next step is all about. The group toured JBS headquarters, along with Five Rivers feedlots. “Feedlots are looking for specific qualities and it was interesting to learn more about what we can do on the cow-calf end to help,” said Beardsley.

Montana Stockgrowers Research and Education Endowment FoundationA visit to the feedlots wasn’t the only destination on the trip. The group then visited the office of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to learn about how the organization works to promote beef on a national level, implement producer education programs, and tackle policy issues in Washington, D.C. “I never realized just how much NCBA does for us. It was great to learn more about them,” said Steel Anderson of Livingston, Montana.

Finally, the group ended up at the Stockyards to check out all the show cattle and sales at the National Western Stock Show. “Overall, the trip was a huge benefit to everyone. It showed us what happens outside of Montana, along with shedding new light on the endless opportunities in the agriculture industry,” said Beardsley.

The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Research & Education Endowment Foundation helped fund this trip to Denver. This type of learning opportunity is just one of the ways the Foundation is helping the next generation of Montana ranchers.

“Beef industry education and leadership development are a priority of the Foundation,” said Dusty Hahn, foundation chairmain. Please consider a donation to the Foundation to help us continue funding our future.

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Montana State University Collegiate Stockgrowers
March 21, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSU Collegiate Stockgrowers Update

Montana State University Collegiate StockgrowersThe new semester at Montana State University brought a brand new officer team for Collegiate Stockgrowers. We are excited to announce the team and introduce you to each officer. Fresh ideas are rolling around and we are eager to take on the busy year.

Stepping into the President role is Kelsey Haughian, a junior studying Animal Science Livestock Industry and Management. With her younger twin brothers, she grew up on the family cow/calf ranch near Kinsey and her father was elected to the MSGA Board of Directors last year. Her hobbies include cat snap chats, sewing wild rags, and making forever memories. Taking on the Vice President office is Andrew Seleg. Andrew is a senior, majoring in Animal Science. He grew up on a cow/calf ranch near Rosebud, and served as the club treasurer last year.

Jeremiah Jansen is holding the Treasurer position. He is from a cow/calf operation by Lavina and majoring in Animal Science Livestock Management and Industry, with a Range Management minor. In his spare time, he enjoys cutting down trees, fixing fence, and working cattle. Filling the Historian office is Brittany Hansen, from a ranch by Ekalaka. She is a freshman, with an undecided major, but is interested in the medical field. She enjoys ice fishing, skiing, and playing basketball with friends.

There are two officers filling the College of Agriculture Student Council Representative positions. One is Sean Palmer from Culbertson. He is an Agriculture Education major, with a teaching option and minoring in Animal Science. Some of his favorite pastimes are spending time with his family and riding his dirt bike and snowmobile. The other representative is freshman John Manley. He grew up on a cattle ranch by Drummond and is majoring in Animal Science. He enjoys sports and team roping.

Three Forks native, Karoline Rose is the new Social Media Specialist. She is a senior, majoring in Animal Science with an Agriculture Business minor. In her free time, she enjoys working with the local 4-H members and going home to help her brother and father on the ranch.

That leaves me, Marni Wade, the club secretary. I’m a sophomore from Baker majoring in Business Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management and an additional minor in Accounting. When not in school, I enjoy roping, beading, and fishing.

As with last semester, our meetings are on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month. If you are in Bozeman, feel free to stop by and don’t forget to check out our Facebook page!

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February 28, 2014 Comments are off Montana Stockgrowers Association
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MSU Extension offering new publications on soil nutrient management for forage crops

montana state extension logoBOZEMAN – Forage crops provide substantial income to many Montana farmers. They are also an integral part of livestock production systems. Improvements in forage production through good soil fertility practices have the potential to increase income for farmers and ranchers.

Montana State University Extension has recently published two bulletins, “Soil Nutrient Management for Forages: Nitrogen” and “Soil Nutrient Management for Forages: Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, and Micronutrients.” These publications present soil nutrient management options for Montana forage production systems based on regional research results.

The key to nutrient management for optimal forage yield and quality is to select the right fertilizer source, rate, placement and timing for your operation, known as the 4R concept.

“These are usually interrelated. For example, the right rate, placement and timing are very dependent on the source,” said Clain Jones, co-author and Extension soil fertility specialist in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences (LRES) at Montana State University. In addition, selecting the right crop and the best management practices to maximize legume nitrogen fixation are also critical. “Getting it ‘right’ not only increases your bottom line, it also protects soil, water, and air resources,” said Jones.

Nitrogen is the most common nutrient that needs to be added for production of forages containing a low percentage of legumes, while phosphorus and potassium are more important for those dominated by legumes. The correct balance of nutrients can influence stand species composition and is important for efficient fertilizer use and forage yield and quality. Fertilizer rates should be based on soil tests or plant tissue concentrations to ensure adequate amounts, yet minimize the risk of forage nutrient concentrations that are toxic to livestock.

Timing of fertilizer application depends largely on the source in order to optimize the amount of nutrient that gets taken up by the crop, rather than lost to the environment. “Nutrient sources that slowly release their nutrients over time, such as manure, phosphate rock or elemental sulfur, can extend benefits over years, while many commercial inorganic fertilizers are more immediately available,” said Jones. Legumes may be the most economical source of nitrogen. “Because fertilizer can become tied up temporarily in the soil and plant material, the economic benefit of fertilization should be evaluated over several years,” said Jones.

Adequate nutrients are key to sustaining stand health and most likely are less expensive than reseeding or interseeding. If stands are largely desirable species, rejuvenating old forage stands with fertilizer is more effective than mechanical rejuvenation methods such as aeration or harrowing. “Well thought out nutrient management on forages can easily pay for itself,” said Jones.

The bulletins are available as printed copies from MSU Extension, www.msuextension.org/store, or (406) 994-3273, as well as online at Jones’ webpage at http://landresources.montana.edu/soilfertility/publications.html.