BJR JR 107 SON - CCI JR Cherokee Classic

This is my Cow ASV Vilari Reg# 1409839; I call her Lady. I got Lady as a six month old heifer and she was my 4-H breeding project. In this picture Lady is just about to give birth to her first Calf.

My Mom told me that I will always remember my first boyfriend, my first car, my first heifer and the first calf. I think that is most likely true about any first that happens in a persons life.

Because this is Lady first calf I set and waited for hours just in case Lady needed help; I am happy to say she did great; Lady said moo and her calf was there. I was lucky to be given straws to BJR JR 107 and  all I was hoping for was a healthy calf to hit the ground. 

On April 7 2012 Lady gave birth to bouncing baby boy (a healthy Bull calf)  I call him Junior (CCI JR Cherokee Classic Reg# 1524773).   

As with all babies all Junior did was eat,

Sleep, and poop!

But before to long he was up and checking out to new big world around him, and growing like a weed.

Here are just a few pictures; the days turned into weeks and the weeks to months.

June 2nd 2012 Lady and Juniors first show Reserve Champion Cow/Calf

Aug. 16th 2012 Grand Champion Cow/ Calf Pair - Junior was Grand Champion Bull

I will post new picture of Junior later. Check back and see how he has grown Junior is now almost 7 months and I need to take some new pictures Junior was weaned at 6months and weighed 640 pounds not bad for a 70 pound baby.

This year I got my Master of Beef Advocacy Degree from the National Cattleman's Beef University and The Beef Checkoff Program.

As soon as I could I but it to work, I joined the Idaho Beer Council at the Elementary School in Gooding Idaho for their food fair to promote the importance of Beef in a balanced diet.

Life on the Farm Living the Education:

There are those who have stated out loud that a degree in agriculture will not be needed , and that the children of those in agricultural  family’s will no longer be able to learn from generations of knowledge. I am a member of the Agriculture Millennial Generation and at my age most of my education comes from the Agriculture Boomers; first hand knowledge or job training so to speak. I am the future of Agriculture; when I finish high school I plan to get a degree in Agriculture, Public Relations (promotion), and Business. Just to insure that you as a consumer can rest easy, and know that the next generation of the Agricultural community who grows the food that you are eating is educated and has your best interest and health at heart.

My on the job or first hand knowledge comes from two families that have a total of more than  200 years of hands on  knowledge, and College degrees in the beef cattle producing community.

My goal is to have both a seed stock or pure bred herd and a commercial herd.

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning; I have learned of should I say have lived with this knowledge as long as I can remember.

I am writing this for the consumer that may or may not know that there are two entirely different types of cattle, Beef cattle and Dairy cattle and the two should not be confuse with each other. Dairy cattle are raised to give milk; and beef cattle are raised to grace your dinner table.  I will be talking About BEEF cattle.

Red and Black Angus (beef cattle)

Holstein (Dairy Cow)

Beef Cows – “a beef cow does not spend a single day in a cattle-fattening feedlot, but instead lives on grass and hay her entire life, being retained for breeding and nursing: her job is to generate more cattle. Beef cows have a nine-month gestation period and usually give birth to a single calf either in the fall or in the spring. Most these calves are called "commercial" cattle as opposed to "purebreds," which are born from both a sire and dame of purebred ancestry. The majority of calves in this country are born in the spring and sold in the fall. The average calf weighs between 80 and 85 pounds at birth and lives on a diet of grass and its mother's milk. The calves run beside their mothers until they are weaned, which usually occurs when the calves are between six and eight months old and which time the calves will weigh between 500 to 650 pounds.”

The best Pure bred heifers are usually registered and kept to restock the herd, and the others are sold as commercial heifers; they are called replacement heifers. Cows are called heifers until they have conceived and have given birth to a calf.

“The Bulls that are used are usually purebred cattle in which multi-generational pedigrees have been maintained by a breed association; these bulls are produced by purebred breeders; who’s sole intent is to provide seed stock for the commercial beef cattle producer. These purebred producers test their cattle for weight gain and meat quality, and keep extensive records on their pedigreed livestock. When commercial producers purchase a bull in the spring or fall of the year, they are aided by a pedigree and by computerized records that indicate how a particular sire's offspring might perform. The price of these commercial bulls usually ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, while the purebred sire that was used to produce them might cost upwards of $20,000 or more.” Only the best of a breed makes the grade to become a registered purebred bull. A mature bull can weigh anywhere from under 2000 lbs to over 3300 lbs.

Steers are bulls that do not make the grade as a commercial bull.  A steer is a bull that has been castrated  to prevent breeding with cows and heifer calves it can also be thought of as a form of birth control; in addition "also to prevent them from being aggressive and hurting other cattle or those working with the cattle. As well as improving the quality of the meat for the consumer." Castrating a bull calf is done at a very early age two or three days old and sometime even a little older.   The elastrator  bloodless method is when an elastrator band (it looks like a very small rubber band) is placed around both testicles to cut off the blood supply to the testicle and causes the scrotum to fall off in about  two weeks. This method is much like putting a rubber band around a wart to cut off the blood supply and the wart dries up and falls off; this is a very humane practice. Most of the beef that makes it to your dinner table comes from these types of cattle (steers). A finished steer can weigh about 1200 to 1400 pounds.

“Many ranchers consider themselves grass farmers. Their job is to convert grass to beef as efficiently as possible. Cattle spend between 80 and 100 percent of their lives on grazing lands and have played a role in the sustainable agricultural and Eco systems for centuries. Their manure and urine naturally fertilize the grasslands, and their hoofing action breaks up the crust of the soil.” Ranchers and cattlemen are great environmentalist and cattle play a key role in maintaining soil productivity and keeping forages in a healthy condition.

My information
Dad, Grandfather, Grandmother, Great Grandfather.
and two of the best cattlemen in my area.

Science Backed information

http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu

 http://business.highbeam.com

Beef Production Medicine and Management

http://www.agintheclassroom.org

My next blog will be - Cattle the Digestion Process and What They Eat.

Tracking Beef’s Shrinking Footprint ( fromThe RAAA news letter)

A study published in this month’s Journal of Animal Science found that raising a pound of beef in the United States today uses significantly fewer natural resources, including land, water, feed and fuel than in the past. “The Environmental Impact of Beef Production in the United States: 1977 compared with 2007” (Journal of Animal Science, December 18, 2011) by Jude Capper, Ph.D., Washington State University, documents that each pound of beef raised in 2007 used 33 percent less land, 12 percent less water, 19 percent less feed and 9 percent less fossil fuel energy than equivalent beef production in 1977. Waste outputs were similarly reduced, shrinking the carbon footprint of beef by 16.3 percent in 30 years.

According to Capper’s research, improvements in the way cattle are raised and fed in the United States between 1977 and 2007 yielded 13 percent more total beef from 30 percent fewer animals. Raising more beef from fewer animals maximizes natural resources while providing essential nutrients for the human diet. As the population increases, it is crucial to continue the improvements demonstrated over the past 30 years to meet demand for nutrient-rich beef while reducing resource use and mitigating environmental impact. Turning back the clock on these advancements is not the solution to feeding a world population that recently reached 7 billion and will grow to 10 billion by the year 2050, concludes the author.

“As the number of mouths to feed increases and the quality of diets in many areas around the world improves, the demand for nutrient-rich protein like beef will increase,” says Capper. “At the same time, resources like land, water and fossil fuels will become increasingly scarce. These realities are like two trains speeding toward each other on the same track. If we listen to alarmists shouting at us to slow down, we could face a head-on collision of epic proportions. The only way to avoid this disaster is to accelerate the pace of progress.”

Capper attributes much of the reduction in beef’s environmental footprint to raising cattle on grass pasture before finishing them on an optimal balanced diet of grasses, grains and other forages in a feedyard. According to previous research conducted by Capper, each pound of grain-finished beef requires 45 percent less land, 76 percent less water and 49 percent less feed and at the same time generates 51 percent less manure and 42 percent fewer carbon emissions than grass-finished beef.

“As we work on solutions for the future it is important to understand how far the U.S. livestock industry has come in reducing its environmental footprint in the recent past and how this significant reduction was achieved,” says Capper. “The facts are in. Improved cattle diets in the feedyard and responsible use of science-based technologies to improve the ability of cattle to convert feed to pounds of beef, reduces the amount of land, water and fossil fuels it takes to raise beef. “

Capper says focusing resources to provide more nutrient rich foods like beef, which provides more than 10 percent of the daily recommended value of ten essential nutrients and vitamins for less than ten percent of daily calories (based on a 2,000 calorie per-day diet), is a critical success factor in meeting nutrition needs at home and abroad.

”Making the best use of resources like land, water and energy to raise nutrient-rich beef is the key to sustainability,” says Capper. “The result is delicious, healthful beef you can feel good about.”

This project was supported by the Beef Checkoff Program through a research grant from state beef councils in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Washington.

Learn more about your beef checkoff at

Colorado Cattlemen Beat WWP

Idaho Cattle Association.The Executive Update is a weekly newsletter sent to members of the Idaho Cattle Association.http://www.idahocattle.org/

The Colorado Cattlemen‘s Association (CCA), the U.S. Forest Service, the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners, and thirteen livestock producing families this month prevailed against a lawsuit filed by Western Watersheds Project (WWP). In 2009, CCA and Chaffee County joined ranchers in protecting their right to multiple-use grazing of public lands by intervening in a lawsuit filed by the anti-livestock grazing WWP, which sought to deny renewal of grazing in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

 

According to a CCA press release, the appeal by WWP objected to the renewal of the grazing permits, claiming that the decision violated the Forest Plan in various ways including wildlife protection, protecting soil productivity, protecting water quality, and protecting archaeological resources. The decision to renew had in fact been approved after a thorough environmental review. The Forest Service grazing decision also incorporated adaptive management principles to improve environmental conditions in the forests. The ranchers and the Forest Service worked together to develop management steps that would address resource issues and still be cost-effective. Upon reviewing the briefs and the administrative record, the court affirmed the decision of the Forest Service and allows continued livestock grazing under the adaptive management that everyone committed to do.

 

This ruling is very helpful in the greater fight against extremist groups as they continually file lawsuits with similar claims to those of WWP. The victory is also a testament to the great job CCA has done along with their members in collecting monitoring data to defend grazing decisions in the face of court challenge.

Red Angus plays a strong role in profitable ranching

Cattlemen across the nation are recognizing the role genetics play in increasing both quality and profitability of their cowherds. Breeders and industry professionals who attended the annual BrainTrust meeting in Denver, Colo., held during the National Western Stock Show, discussed the direction of the beef cattle industry and Red Angus’ impact on profitability.

For complete story follow this link

Idaho JR. Beef Expo

Lady

 This was my first year attending the Idaho JR. Beef Expo in Twin Falls Idaho. I have only shown at County level and had no ideal what to expect. I show my heifer Lady and one of my steers Fabio. Attended a Judging Contest and a grooming clinic put on by  Sullivan's My heifer nor my steer placed; but the education more than paid for the entry fees.      (Education Is Power)

There was at least eight head of Red Angus at the Expo this year; the most in the barn in this area that I have seen, and who know maybe one of these day we will have A Red Angus Class; as for this year we had to show in the all other breeds class.

Lady

Fabio

Fabio

It was nice to see other Red Angus there. I wish I would have interview the young lady showing her cattle; but I guess hind sight is 20-20 I will make a point of that next time There is Red Angus in the barn. Just so you know they had some beautiful Heifers at the show.

Sorry Haun Family these are the only pictures I got.

Cattlemen care: Idaho’s beef industry unites against hunger

Cattlemen care: Idaho’s beef industry unites against hunger

It’s no secret that cattle producers have generous hearts, and one program that is clearly showcasing this is Beef Counts, the first-known program of its kind that provides a means for Idaho’s beef producers to assist less-fortunate consumers right in their own backyards.

Described by the Idaho beef industry as a multi-faceted public relations and community-help campaign, Beef Counts brings together all of Idaho’s beef industry in partnership with the Idaho Foodbank, to provide nutrient-rich beef to help end hunger in Idaho.



Read the compete story follow this link

Beef Understanding What you are Buying and Eating

 Today I went to the Bates Custom Butchers and graded my two remaining steers.

Cindy Kinder the Extension Educator for Gooding County was my teacher.

To grade my beef we measured the size of the rib eye, back fat, and figure the kph fat, and you must have the carcass weight. 
These two beef graded prime minus and choice plus. 

Grades are based on the amount of marbling in the meat and the age of the animal. Marbling is the flecks and streaks of white fat you find distributed throughout the meat. In general, the higher the degree of marbling, the more tender, juicy, and flavorable the meat will be. Higher grade meats come at a higher cost.

Beef is best in flavor and texture when cattle are between 18 and 24 months old, so the grading favors younger animals.


Meat graders assign a yield grade to a carcass by evaluating:

1. the amount of external fat;
2. the hot carcass weight;
3. the amount of kidney, pelvic, and heart fat; and
4. the area of the ribeye muscle.

There are eight distinct grades of beef recognized by the USDA.

USDA Prime Beef

•  is the ultimate in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.

USDA Choice Beef

Choice grade beef has less marbling than Prime, but is still of very high quality. This is the most popular grade of beef because it contains sufficient marbling for taste. 
Just over half of the beef graded each year earns a grade of Choice.

USDA Select beef

This is generally a lower priced grade of beef with less marbling than Choice. Select cuts of beef may vary in tenderness and juiciness.


USDA. In order of descending quality they are:

• Prime
• Choice
• Select
• Standard
• Commercial
• Utility
• Cutter
• Canner  

To Read complete articles and click any of the links. 

I got all my information from
http://meat.tamu.edu/beefgrading.html 
http://www.bbqreport.com/archives/barbecue/2006/03/02/understanding-the-usda-beef-grading-system/


for more information click the links above.

I Have Been Giving This Some Thought

 I am not sure if the majority of the American Consumers really understands the impact that the loss of BLM ground for grazing will have on their personal and financial lives.

Once upon a time Buffalo roamed the plains. Sadly, this is no longer true; but when they did roam, they grazed and in the search for food, they also cut large paths that acted as firebreaks. The thundering herds of Buffalo did not harm the environment; the fact is that they worked the ground with their hoofs and grazed off vegetation that later in the summer would become a fire hazard.  The grazing off of this vegetation in now done by cattle and other livestock, their hoofs now work the ground and stimulate the new growth of vegetation that not only feeds the livestock the following spring but the wild game during the winter months.

Wildfires happen it is just part of nature; the fact is that the cattle graze off the fuel that feeds these wildfires, which in turn saves wildlife habitats, and the scenic beauty that we have all grown to expect.  Wildfires cost the American taxpayers millions of dollars per year to put them out. The loss of grazing permits means you as taxpayers will have to foot the bill for not only putting out the fire but also the lost trees, vegetation and habitats.

Ranchers and cattlemen are great environmentalist. We as American consumers need them and the wildlife needs them. After a wildfire, the cattle and livestock still need to be fed, watered and cared for; to meet the needs of their cattle, or livestock. These hard working souls (rancher, cattlemen) work to return the burnt out BLM ground to it natural state, clean water ways so that they run freely, and reseed vegetation usually at their own expense; this is done to not only to feed their livestock; but also to repair the wildlife habitats.To be a true Stewart (environmentalist) of the land you have to get your hands dirty.

Ranchers, Cowboys, Cattlemen live and breath their lifestyle; they are not on a vacation their way of life is hard work. The one perk that they do have is the beauty of the great outdoors, even though it comes with extremely hot summers and very cold winters. 

As I said; Buffalo once roamed; how sad it will be if generations to come say, once upon a time there were Cowboys/Cowgirls, Ranchers, and Cattlemen/Cattlewomen.

Remember that food we eat does not grow on the grocery store shelves.

Keep America strong let us eat what we grow; Look for the Country of Origin on the label.

 That’s my opinion and story and I am sticking to it.

Cattlemen, Ranchers, Farmers, Are the Backs on which This Country was Built

Cattlemen, Ranchers, Farmers are in my opinion a soft spoken, hard working, breed. Most spend their days from sun up to long after the sun goes down seven days a week twelve months a year working alone; So when they do speak I found that I better be listening.

Here lately these hard work souls have been being attacked by some who would like to but them out of business.  Here are a few videos you won't see on the Evening News. If they go out of business we as a Nation will most likely go hungry.