The Bagpipe - American Highland Cattle Association

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4. Buy livestock from known sources 5. Maintain excellent facilities 6. Implementing a sound preventative vaccination schedule 7. Maintain a good record keeping system 8. Provide appropriate nutrition and effective mineral supplementation Sound management and husbandry are developed from experience and continuous learning. The following list of web sites provides a minimal but useful set of resources to assist you in accessing information of value. Best sources of information: University Sites www.csubeef.com www.iowabeefcenter.org www.ansi.okstate.edu National Cattlemen’s Beef Association www.beef.org Beef Improvement Federation www.beefimprovement.org Marketing Information: Livestock Market Info Center and Cattle-Fax www.lmic.info www.cattle-fax.com Information Sites www.beefstockerusa.com - stocker cattle www.beefcowcalf.com - cow-calf USDA www.usda.gov Beef Publications www.beefmagazine.com www.drovers.com Fencing www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/C774.htm http://muextension.missouri.edu 37
38 MANAGEMENT THE VALUE OF INFORMATION Tom Field, Ph.D. Can you imagine purchasing fertilizer without a thorough evaluation of the soil fertility, expected application rates and desired crop response? The introduction of new cultivars is based on a detailed assessment of expected performance based on experimental plot results. Yet, many continue to purchase herd bulls with only a cursory evaluation of the available genetic information. We can no longer afford the luxury of depending on phenotypic evaluation as the primary method of determining which seedstock will be incorporated into our herds. Agriculture is entering into an age where the development of food systems specifically created to meet the needs of unique consumer niches will force increasing levels of accountability, consistency and information transfer. As commercial cattle producers becoming increasingly sophisticated in the data they require to make both management and genetic decisions, the seedstock sector must accommodate this changing demand for information by offering customers more than an attractive sire. The provision of meaningful data will no longer be seen as a competitive advantage but a prerequisite to market entry. In other words, those with information will gain access to food system markets while those without will find themselves in an increasingly uncompetitive position. “Leaders do not need to know all the answers. They do need to know the right questions,” wrote Ronald Heifetz of the Harvard School of Business. Information management is one of the most discussed subjects by leaders of almost all forms of business and industry and as Dr. Heifetz points out, the critical first step is asking the right questions. In the past decade, the battle cry in the economy has been to build information-based companies where knowledge could effectively function as the centerpiece of value. It would be safe to say that the least enviable job in any company would be that of vice-president of information technology. Despite these challenges, the need for collection of meaningful data and the creation of useful information as an aid to decision-making has not been diminished. It is not an easy task to create meaningful information from the vast expanse of data that can be collected within the industry or even a single cattle enterprise. Thomas Davenport and John Glaser (2002) outline four fundamentals to assuring that information is successfully integrated into the management decisions: Assure that the knowledge base is up-to-date and founded on expert information. Prioritize processes by directing focus in the most critical areas in which information will be utilized and valued. Establish an organizational culture of measurement. Information systems will only work in a culture of commitment. Train people to collect and utilize the information. We have all heard the TQM message that “you can only manage what you measure”. In essence Deming was correct in this philosophy. Only when we develop a disciplined and objective approach to assessing performance against a stated objective or goal is there any real opportunity to sustain improvement. What Deming failed to say was that there is a second rule – what gets paid for gets done more. Keeping both rules in mind suggests that we should only measure the important stuff – those components of the business that contribute to profitability in both the short and the long term. Nonetheless, there have been tremendous shortcomings in the beef industry’s ability to capture data, transform that data into information, transfer the information through the system and to apply it to decision making. We cannot hope to turn beef demand and industry profitability in a favorable direction without access to and use of meaningful information. Simply put, the game cannot be won without knowing the score and how much time is left on the clock. What Records Do I Keep? The first step is to determine what information customers want. This question should be asked directly to those who buy products/services from you. The largest gap in the beef production chain is the lack of conversation between cowcalf producers and their seedstock suppliers. By asking the right questions of both existing and potential customers, genetic providers can better grasp the challenges facing commercial cow-calf producers and the information needed to overcome the obstacles.
Page 2 and 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS BREED CHARACTERIS
Page 4 and 5: Hardiness was also affected followi
Page 6 and 7: BOVINE SKELETON VERTEBRAL COLUMN 1.
Page 8 and 9: SHALLOW HEEL FORE HEEL HIND HEEL a
Page 10 and 11: Knock-Kneed This is a common defect
Page 12 and 13: Bowed Legs, Base Narrow, etc. It sh
Page 14 and 15: GENETICS 101 Scott Barao, Ph.D. Ove
Page 16 and 17: Heritability - Heritability is the
Page 18 and 19: thus can recover nutrients efficien
Page 20 and 21: Monitoring the Animals Producers ca
Page 22 and 23: The following table (taken from the
Page 24 and 25: WINTER FEEDING William Lipsey Weane
Page 26 and 27: Glossary Dry Matter: The actual dry
Page 28 and 29: REPRODUCTION CALVING TIME Making su
Page 30 and 31: the shoulders and chest through the
Page 32 and 33: Feeding Colostrum Colostrum in the
Page 34 and 35: ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION VS. NATURAL
Page 36 and 37: MANAGEMENT BASICS FOR HIGHLAND OWNE
Page 40 and 41: The next step is to undertake the p
Page 42 and 43: A MINIMUM HERD HEALTH PROGRAM FOR A
Page 44 and 45: 2. Have your veterinarian palpate c
Page 46 and 47: ZEALAND FARM: The calves are weaned
Page 48 and 49: TREATMENT OF CALF SCOURS Pat White,
Page 50 and 51: It is a common mistake to give the
Page 52 and 53: species. Another vaccine is given o
Page 54 and 55: CONTROL AND RESTRAINT Ted Millen, D
Page 56 and 57: mean no interference. All cattle ow
Page 58 and 59: going to go with a wood floor, I su
Page 60 and 61: MARKETING AND PROMOTION FARM DIRECT
Page 62 and 63: 4. Contact the local health authori
Page 64 and 65: 6. Final Checklist Farm Direct Mark
Page 66: Highland Breeder’s Guide Sponsors

The Bagpipe - American Highland Cattle Association

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