University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Putting knowledge to work with the people of Maine

Maine Beef Newsletter

Volume 2 Number 8
December 2012
News and events of interest to beef producers in Maine from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Maine, Department of Agriculture, Maine Beef Producers and other agriculture organizations in Maine.  
Free online sources of information:
Maine Beef Production Information by UMaine Extension
Beef Cattle Comments by Mike Baker, Cornell University
Drovers - Cattle Network - America's Beef Business Source 
cattle on pasture
23rd Maine Beef Conference a Success!

Over seventy beef producers and others from Maine attended the 23rd annual Maine Beef Conference held in Bangor recently. They increased their understanding of marketing techniques for better direct to consumer sales while also learning the specific regulations for selling retail cuts of meat to their customers. An important part of the programs was reviewing how to determine their own cost of production to assure that their prices would cover all their costs of getting their animals or animal products to their customers.
The beef and dairy producers who represent over 2,500 animals stated that as a result of the conference they were more confident about their ability to market their meat.
They learned about the conference through the newsletter (31%), mailing (29%), and website (17%.) 94% indicated they would recommend this conference to someone else.
Speakers included: Dr. Jim Ochterski, Cornell University Extension, Dr. Henrettia Beaufait, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry and Gabe Clark, Cold Spring Ranch.
The 23rd Maine Beef Conference was put on by the Maine Beef Producers Association, Maine Grass Farmers Network, University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMaine Extension - home page)  www.extension.umaine.edu (beef page) http://umaine.edu/livestock/beef/ and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Sponsors included:
pineland natural meats logo maine beef industry council logoagway logo nutrena logo  
Ag Trades Show logo Beef Program at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show

The Maine Beef Producers Association, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry are sponsoring
a session to help people considering getting into raising beef learn about management needs from other beef farmers, veterinarians, Department of Agriculture and UMaine Extension staff .  
Starting a Small Herd of Beef
Wednesday, January 9th from 1 pm to 3 pm in the Washington Room at the Augusta Civic Center.

-       Management through the year

-       Handling & facilities

-       Veterinary & health concerns

-      

Farmer panel: Established farmers will discuss how they grew their operation and what they would do differently if they were starting over.  

 

Maine Beef Producers Association Business Meeting

Wednesday, January 9th from 3 pm to 4 pm in the Washington Room at the Augusta Civic Center 

To view the rest of the 2013 Maine Agricultural Trades Show program go to Maine Ag Trades Show Info

 

December Prices - Past Four Years
Beef producers selling through auction houses try to compare the price they receive with the industry average. But that average varies according to when and where the auction is, type and condition of the animals, number of animals in the various categories, number of buyers present, etc.  Ronnie Pollack with Flame Stockyard (Littleton, MA) shared the following information. This is a comparison of four years sales for December. 

Based on live weight with prices per pound low to high.

 
                
       Dec.4,
 
2012     
       Dec.6,

2011
     
     Dec.7,

2010     
       Dec.15,

2009     


 Low   
  High
Low   
   High
Low   
  High
Low     
   High
Canners0.350.500.450.580.320.500.250.36
Cutters0.450.700.480.620.470.520.320.38
Utility0.550.720.650.750.520.630.380.46
Bulls0.780.950.600.780.550.630.450.53
Steers0.901.100.901.150.600.850.500.65
Heifers0.700.800.600.800.550.670.400.54

 

                                     December Beef Cattle Prices

                                        (av. of high low $/pound) 

 

graph of 4 year cattle prices Definitions 

BCS is body condition score of cattle:

  • Canner cows are the thinnest cows with little muscling, BCS of 1 or 2 and dressing percent less than 45%.
  • Cutter cows are very thin and lightly muscled, body condition score of 3 to 5, low dressing percent of 45% to 50% and are usually processed as ground beef.
  • Utility or boning cows have BCS of 4 to 6 and dress out at 50 to 55%. Generally they are boned and used for wholesale cuts and further processing.
  • Commercial or breakers are younger cows with BCS fo 5 to 8 and 55 to 60% dressing percent. Can be used for whole muscle cuts that are higher value than trimmings used for further processing.
  • Bulls are intact males.            
  • Steers are castrated males                  
  • Heifers are intact females, over a year old and never have given birth.   
Can ya help me find a bull? 

This seems to be a more commonly-asked question in Maine and throughout New England as there's been a gradual shift from what was a great many seedstock producers compared to the number of "commercial" cows, to now more and more farms either "direct-marketing" beef, or cow-calf producers marketing more value from their feeder cattle.    

Recognizing the demand for serviceable-age bulls, the Northeast Livestock Expo organizers are considering the addition of a Bull Auction as part of the event on May 18, immediately following the MBPA Spring Feeder Cattle Sale. If you have a bull (or bulls) to sell for breeding in 2013, and would like them to have a new home by June 1, please contact Kevin Woltemath at 207-926-1006, or email [email protected] .

 

 The Maine Beef Producers Association is in the process of updating and redesigning their website. A committee has been established to work with a web designer to make this site an asset to the members of MBPA, potential members and people interested in finding out about beef production in Maine. The committee welcomes your suggestions and recommendations to make this site as helpful as possible. Please send your suggestions to:
Bob Dusoe, [email protected]
Dan Costain, [email protected]
Phil Newcomb, [email protected]
Jenn Grant, [email protected]
Donna Coffin, [email protected]
or Jacob Guimond,
[email protected]
michele walsh2
  New State of Maine Veterinarian

A New England native, Michele's interest in animal health and veterinary medicine started with time spent on relatives' dairy farms in Ireland. She moved to mid-coast Maine in 2001 after graduation from veterinary school. Walsh received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in English and Irish literature from Brown University and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Walsh has had a long-term interest in disease ecology and agriculture, especially as related to animal husbandry and food safety. She was a veterinarian in clinical practice with mixed and companion animals, then worked five years with a Maine aquatic animal diagnostic laboratory. She has been a research collaborator on wildlife health and ecotoxicology projects from eastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to South Africa. She has practiced in Maine, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and New Brunswick, Canada.

The state veterinarian has worked on disease surveillance programs in the U.S. and Canada and has performed regulatory work on food animals and aquatic wildlife from all parts of the globe. She has also led biosecurity workshops for food animal producers throughout the U.S. and has experience with international animal and animal-product import and export policies.

Walsh's new responsibilities include overseeing Maine's certification and testing programs to ensure compliance with interstate and international requirements for the exportation of animals; helping dairy producers improve milk quality; preventing the introduction and spread of contagious, infectious and parasitic disease among poultry and livestock; and monitoring Maine's agricultural fairs.

Walsh and her husband live in Round Pond.

Aroostook County Beef Producers News

Jacob Guimond reported
1)      The Aroostook Beef Producers continues to operate a load out facility in Houlton. The facility is used as a drop off point for County Producers who wish what to take advantage of direct marketing their cull cows. A pot load was shipped in November, the load resulted in the highest returns to date. Another load is being planned for early January.
2)      Stan Maynard a freezer beef producer has been making great strides in securing funding for a brand new USDA inspected slaughter house for the County. If all goes well he is hoping for a ground breaking this summer.  
Reproductive Fertility in Herd Bulls

Herd bulls have a large influence on many aspects of beef operations, especially an operation's profitability. For example, percent calf crop weaned is the single most important factor influencing profitability, and the number of cows bred during the breeding season plays the largest role in percent calf crop weaned. Therefore, an operation's profitability is directly tied to the herd bull's breeding capability. In addition, herd bulls supply half of the genetics to all the calves he sires; therefore, bull selection can be the most powerful method of genetic improvement in the herd.
Herd bulls also influence overall herd fertility more than any other single animal; the loss of fertility by a bull can mean the potential loss of an entire calf crop. For the above reasons, and because greater than 90% of the beef cows in the United States are bred by natural service, it is important that bulls be managed to optimize breeding performance. There are several factors that influence bull fertility. First, the bull must have developed properly and have reached puberty to be fertile. Second, the bull's physical characteristics, such as scrotal circumference, mating ability, and semen quality, play a role in his fertility. Third, the bull's libido and social dominance influence his fertility. Also, disease and infection can reduce the fertility of the bull and can spread to the cow herd.

Dr. Jim Weber with UMaine Dept. of Animal and Veterinary Sciences plans to resume the annual bull testing if local veterinarians are unable to test beef herd bulls in your area. Farms will be charged a travel fee (mileage plus the rental of a van) plus about $50 per bull tested.  The exams will test for physical defects, sperm abnormalities / low counts, and venereal diseases (trich and vibrio).

Ideally, he would prefer to do two to three group exams where local producers haul their animals to a central location with squeeze chutes and power.  This arrangement will also allow several producers to share travel costs. It is important that producers have adequate facilities to enable him to do the tests. If you or a group of farms are interested in getting your bulls tested and your local veterinarian is unable to do this for you please contact Donna Coffin or Cindy Kilgore.


 Source: eXtension.org  

Angus Bull Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training
Beef Quality Assurance is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program that provides systematic information to U.S. beef producers and beef consumers of how common sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA guidelines are designed to make certain all beef consumers can take pride in what they purchase - and can trust and have confidence in the entire beef industry.
The next BQA Training March 2, 2013 at the Witter Center, UMaine, Orono Campus. 
Topics include: biosecurity, What is BQA and impact on carcass quality, E-coli and other diseaseas you can catch from your animals, overview of drug practices, facilities, flight zone, transportation, recordkeeping and hands-on cattle handline, current diseases and vaccinations.  
Cost is $25 for adults and $10 for youth age 19 and under (includes lunch.) Bring warm clothes, wear boots that are washable. The afternoon session is outside and all footwear will need to be washed before approaching the barn area. If you plan to come please contact Cindy Kilgore at 215-4968 or [email protected]   
Value-Added Beef Webinar Series
Beef producers interested in marketing live animals for custom harvest or beef cuts directly to consumers face financial, marketing and legal challenges. The Tennessee Value-Added Beef Program has started a series of online seminars (webinars) designed to help producers understand the risks and gain information and skills to effectively manage these likely obstacles. Maine beef producers are invited to participate for free.
Webinars will be held the second and forth Tuesday evenings of the month from October 2012 to March 2013 from 7:30 pm to 9 pm Eastern Time. Links to the archived sessions will be made available online at http://cpa.utk.edu
To receive a link by email to join each webinar, send an email to [email protected] with the following information (name, county, state and email address.)
Schedule of Webinars
01/08/13  Marketing: It's not magic, it's mandatory
01/22/13  Making special claims about your beef on the label and off
02/12/13  What you should know about your product
02/26/13  What you should know about your product (continued) and become sales tax savvy
03/12/13  Developing effective marketing materials and tools
03/26/13  Resources Round-up: available resources for local beef marketers

Questions? Contact Megan Bruch at [email protected] or (931) 486-2777.
 
Grass Farmers Conference
Pat Bates provided the tentative agenda for this spring's Grass Farmers Conference. Afternoon speakers and times are subject to change.

  8:00 -   9:00 registration visit vendors
  9:00 -   9:15 introductions
  9:15 - 10:15 Ray Archeleta
10:15 - 10:30 break
10:30 - 11:45 Ray Archeleta
11:45 - 12:00 Awards
12:00 -   1:00 lunch
  1:00 to finish butcher demonstration 
  1:00 -   2:00 seed representative 
  2:00 -   2:15 break (vendors)
  2:15 -   3:15 NRCS (followed by possible Ray Archeleta question and answer)???
  2:15 -   3:15 producers prospective on pork, chicken and beef
 
To receive Maine Beef News: All Maine beef producers are welcome to subscribe to the Maine Beef News for free. To keep costs down we are asking folks to sign up for the electronic version at http://bit.ly/PPfarming If you prefer surface mailed Maine Beef News, please call Melissa Libby at (207)581-2788 or send your mailing information to UMaine Extension Livestock Office, 134 Hitchner Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04479-5735. Currently we are only able to offer free mailed copy for free to Maine residents. 
MBPA logo and top of brochure Join the Maine Beef Producers Association The Maine Beef Producers Association is accepting dues for the 2013 year. For more information on this organization go to  http://bit.ly/U5MSWu 
Featured UMaine Extension Publications / Store
The following agriculture related Extension publications are available or can be ordered at the Extension Office nearest you.  You will notice that some publications are free and some have a cost recovery charge.  Many other publications are available for free online or may be purchased at our secure
publications web site .
  • Managing and Marketing for Pasture-Based Livestock Production Provides an introduction to pasture-based livestock production, including sustainability, benefits, and the science and art of pasture-based systems. covers defining vision, mission, and goals; using resource inventories in farm planning; allocation of farm resources; and direct marketing; as well as marketing feeder cattle, dairy, and hay. 116 pages, 2006. $21.00.
  • Barns and Manure Storage Safety 4-page bulletin covers general barn housekeeping, hay storage, dusts, manure pits and lagoons. See item 2365 for the entire Maine Farm Safety Program. 2002. Download it for free or buy a printout $0.75. 

Calendar

  • Second & forth Tuesdays of the month Value-Added Beef Webinar Series, 7:30 pm to 9 pm Eastern. To receive link by email to join each webinar, send an email to [email protected] with your name, county, state and email. Links to archived session will be made available online at http://cpa.utk.edu  
  • January 8 to 10, 2013 Agriculture Trade Show - Ag Trades Show Info 
    • Tuesday 1:45 pm Maine Meat program  
    • Wednesday 9 am Maine Angus Association Director Meeting followed by membership social & brainstorming for 2013 planning 
    • Wednesday 1 pm Maine Beef Producers Association program & meeting    
  • February 6th St. John Valley Winter School, 6-7pm Weed Identification in pasture and hay land (1 Pesticide Recertification Credit). 7-8pm Direct marketing techniques and tips for agricultural products, Donna Coffin, UMaine Extension.  Contact Andrew Plant or call 207-764-3361 for details.    
  • March 2, 2013 Beef Quality Assurance Training  Witter Farm, University of Maine, Orono.  
  • March 23, 2013 Grass Farmers Conference Fairfield, ME
  • May 18, 2013 Spring Feeder Calf Sale at NELE, Windsor, ME followed by a Bull Auction. Contact Pete Dusoe 207-416-5441 or 207-948-3233 or email [email protected] for info on the feeder calf protocol and sale and Kevin Woltemath 207-926-1006, or email [email protected] for information on the bull sale.   

 

Contact Info
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
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