Pork Forum Panel Focuses on Gene Editing

AgWired Animal, Audio, Pork, Pork Checkoff, Pork Forum

The science of gene editing and its potential for the pork industry took center stage Wednesday at the opening session of the annual Pork Industry Forum in Kansas City.

Journalist and author Michael Specter keynoted the session and moderated the panel on gene editing, which included University of Missouri animal scientist Kevin Wells, The Maschhoffs president Bradley Wolter, NPPC director of science and technology Dan Kovich, and Center for Food Integrity CEO Charlie Arnot. “Gene editing is a potentially revolutionary tool that will improve the lives of humans in clear and tangible ways,” said Specter.

Wells was part of a team at the University of Missouri who developed a PRRS resistant pig, which was sold to a private company that is now working on bringing it to market. “With current technologies, the potential is unlimited…to make animals more efficient, that are healthier, that meet our needs and theirs,” he said.

“We have to start now by generating social acceptance of gene editing,” said Arnot. “That means opening a dialogue to build both acceptance and support.”

Listen to interviews with Specter, Arnot, and Wells, as well as the entire panel in the audio files here.

Pork Forum panel on gene editing Interview with Michael Specter, journalist/author Interview with Charlie Arnot, Center for Food Integrity Interview with Kevin Wells, University of Missouri

Download and view photos from the event here: 2018 Pork Forum Photos

Animal Ag Bites 2/26

carrie muehlingAgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • Jack Welch will share his groundbreaking management practices with the attendees of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. The celebrated former CEO of General Electric is highly regarded for his track record of success and his commitment to building leaders and teams. Learn more and register at one.alltech.com for a savings of $400 before March 31.
  • A new study published in the American Journal of Hypertension showed that eating two or more cups of yogurt a week is associated with a lower risk for developing cardiovascular disease in adults who already have high blood pressure. The large-scale observational study, funded by the dairy-farmer-founded National Dairy Council (NDC) and others, is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between eating yogurt and reduced risk in hypertensive adults.
  • Zoetis has developed the first complete Holstein de novo reference genome, giving geneticists the ability to map regions of the genome influencing a range of health and disease outcomes.
  • As the dairy industry evolves and modernizes, dairy companies across the U.S. are looking to capitalize on increasing milk production through international joint ventures with companies that have significant manufacturing, networking and marketing expertise, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. A video synopsis of the report, “Mutual Benefit: JVs with Foreign Dairy Companies on the Rise” is available here and the full report is available at CoBank.com.
  • The Joint Poultry Industry Safety Award Program is accepting applications from poultry industry facilities with outstanding safety programs. The program is open to National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association members with poultry processing plants, further processing facilities, egg processing plants, hatcheries, feed mills and rendering facilities that, through the implementation of innovative and effective programs, have injury and illness rates below the industry average for three consecutive years.
  • Dr. Stewart Galloway, senior swine nutritionist at Hubbard Feeds, will discuss how gut health strategies implemented early in the pig’s life affect its performance and how it can affect producer profitability during a live webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 27. Reserve a spot at the webinar here.
  • The Integrity Beef Alliance is now accepting Hereford bulls as the newest breed sire in the program, which simplifies cow-calf producer management decisions and increases the marketability of calves through the production of high quality, uniform, preconditioned cattle.
  • Leaders of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association announced new officers following elections held during the February board meeting of DMI. Visit dairy.org for more information.
  • The World Brangus Congress will be Feb. 27 – March 3 in Houston, Texas. The Post-Tour will depart from Houston on March 4, and guests will travel across Texas until March 8. For more information or to register, click here.

Blueprint Solutions for Beef Cattle Nutrition

jamie johansenAgribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA, Nutrition

Earlier this year, Alltech launched the premium Blueprint® beef nutrition program for the CRYSTALYX® and Hubbard Feeds brands. The 2018 Cattle Industry Convention was a perfect spot for us to get the scoop. We caught up with Mark Robbins, Ridley Block Operations who said Blueprint Solutions is more than a simple supplement program.

“It’s the total replacement of inorganic trace minerals with organic trace minerals which are bioplex, selplex and organic selenium. The inorganic trace minerals are sulfates, oxides and chlorides. Even though we have used them for years, we have always known they do have some baggage. They aren’t nearly as available, they do degrade vitamins in mineral mixes and they aren’t as palatable. Inorganic trace minerals also have a tendency to serve as an antagonist in the absorption of other trace minerals,” Robbins said.

The Blueprint Solution program is available in a number of free-choice supplements to meet the needs of any type of operation.

“The one thing customers will notice about the CRYSTALYX Blueprint compared to one of our older products is how much lower the trace mineral levels are. That is because the organic trace minerals have a much higher bio-availability. We need to get our customers and dealers to understand these organic minerals perform much higher,” Robbins said.

Listen to the complete interview here: Interview with Mark Robbins Ridley Block Operations

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Frost Seeding Tips For Your Pasture

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Alfalfa, Cattle, Forage, Grassland Oregon, Seed

Frost seeding is the broadcasting of seed onto the frozen surface of the soil. The freezing and thawing cycle of the soil surface will allow for the seed to work into the top 1/4 inch of soil. With the seed in place, it can germinate and begin growing as soon as weather conditions become favorable.

The folks at Grassland Oregon say a new option for better hay is cold-tolerant Frosty berseem clover. Frosty has been shown to increase yields up to 20%, increase protein by 12%, RFV by 11% and profits by up to 25%. Frosty is excellent for frost seeding into declining alfalfa stands as it is not affected by alfalfa’s allelopathy. Frosty berseem clover is the most cold-tolerant berseem clover available on the market today.

One grower in South Idaho stepped outside his comfort zone and decide to give Frosty berseem clover a try. Justin Place of Place Farms in Homer, Idaho (photo credit) acted on an advertising card sent to him last year and planted Frosty berseem on 132 ac. to help break his grass on grass rotation cycle. Here’s what he had to say about his experience.


Animal Ag Bites 2/19

AgWired Animal, Animal Bites

  • The National Dairy FARM Program is now the first livestock animal care program in the world to be recognized internationally for its industry-leading animal welfare standards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture affirmed this week that the program complies with the International Organization for Standardization Animal Welfare Management/General Requirements and Guidance for Organizations in the Food Supply Chain.
  • CattleFax celebrated its 50th anniversary at its annual business meeting, held in conjunction with the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention. Participants saw a video highlighting the history and progress of CattleFax. The organization also elected its 2018 officers during the meeting.
  • Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam will give attendees at the 2018 Stakeholders Summit a glimpse of how animal agriculture has evolved over the years while offering advice for those facing pressure to return to the old ways. The Summit, set for May 3-4, 2018, will be held at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.
  • The American Sheep Industry Association Washington, D.C., Trip is scheduled for March 5-7, 2018. Attendees will once again stay at the Marriott Courtyard Washington Capitol Hill/Navy Yard. Those interested in attending should consult with their state sheep association. Attendees will travel into the nation’s capital on Monday, March 5, before meeting with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the following day. Time that afternoon and the morning of March 7 will be reserved for visiting with congressional leaders. For more information, visit www.sheepusa.org or email Chase Adams at chase@sheepusa.org.

Alltech Tests EPNIX Benefits on the Farm

jamie johansenAgWired Animal, Alltech, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Nutrition

Alltech’s EPNIX has moved past the proof of concept stage and on to large-scale field demonstrations on the efficacy of the product. We caught up with Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech’s Ruminant Research Director, at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention to get an update.

“We have multiple locations throughout North America, Canada and Mexico evaluating the technology on farms to see the benefits we can bring through EPNIX,” Dr. Holder said.

EPNIX has been positioned to be used as an alternative to antimicrobial growth promoters and Dr. Holder even mentioned it’s potential for replacing antibiotics.

Listen to our complete conversation here: Interview with Dr. Vaughn Holder, Alltech

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

Understanding Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Agribusiness, AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA, NCBA Convention

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus is a devastating disease in cattle. But many producers may not realize that Type 1b is the most common subtype of the disease. Dr. Steve Foulke with Boehringer Ingelheim said many vaccines do not even cover Type 1b.

“The vaccines that are out there on the market contain Type 1a and Type 2a in them, but they generally don’t have a Type 1b actually in them,” said Foulke. “So, the diseases are all the same, but do we cover for everything? So that’s where it’s really important to know whether the vaccines you’re using to prevent BVD are going to protect against the most common BVD that’s actually out there.”

Foulke said BVD can cause more than just diarrhea in cattle. It’s more commonly expressed as a respiratory virus or a reproductive issue, causing early abortion, fetal or congenital malformations, or other problems. The virus also suppresses the immune system, making cattle more susceptible to other diseases.

Listen to Jamie’s interview with Dr. Foulke at the 2018 Cattle Industry Convention: Interview with Dr. Steve Foulke, Boehringer Ingelheim

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

A Preview of 2018 National Pork Forum

jamie johansenAg Group, AgWired Animal, Livestock, NPPC, Pork, Pork Checkoff, Pork Forum

The 2018 National Pork Forum will take place February 28 – March 2, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event serves as the annual business meeting for the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

“The purpose of both organization’s delegate sessions is to really look at the key issues. Producers have the opportunity to discuss those issues and determine the direction for the industry,” said Cindy Cunningham, Assistant VP of Communications for National Pork Board.

NPPC will likely be discussing the 2018 farm bill and trade renegotiations. On the checkoff side, Cindy said they will be discussing new technologies impacting the industry, how the checkoff has changed the way it delivers information and pork exports.

“Each year about a third of the producers who are attending and representing their state are new to Pork Forum. Producer delegates are selected at the county level to attend their state Pork Congress. From there they are selected to attend the National Pork Forum as delegates,” Cindy said.

She added the discussion which takes place between delegates is truly fascinating and their passion for the pork community shines.

Listen to our complete chat here to learn more about the upcoming event. Interview with Cindy Cunningham, National Pork Board

Alltech’s Bio-Mos for Gut Health

jamie johansenAgribusiness, AgWired Animal, Alltech, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, NCBA

When it comes to gut health in cattle, a tried and true product from Alltech is Bio-Mos. The 2018 Cattle Industry Convention was a great spot for us to get a refresher on how this product is performing in the field and at the bunk.

“You will see an increase in immune response, a reduction of those bad bugs, you will see an increase in feed efficiency, health of the animal and immunoglobulin levels in colostrum. Overall, it is just a great product to add to your operation,” said Zach Postin, Alltech Sales Representative.

Bio-Mos comes in a concentrated form which is mixed into fields, in a mineral or in a crumble to serve as a top-dressing or mixed on the farm.

Postin said stressed situations are seen at all stages of the growing process. Cow/calf operations can feed it right before and after calving. It should also be fed right before and after weaning to keep gut regulated. At the stocker level, Postin said it’s also great for ensuring smooth transitions.

Listen to my complete interview with Zach here: Interview with Zach Postin, Alltech

2018 Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show Photo Album

USDA, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Sign MOU

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Cattle, Dairy, Dairy Group, Dairy Management Inc.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDA and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy to jointly promote and enhance environmental sustainability in the dairy industry. The pact extends and builds upon a MOU originally signed in 2009.

Secretary Perdue signed the MOU with Arizona dairy farmer Paul Rovey, chairman of Dairy Management Inc. and an Innovation Center board member, at DeGroot Dairies in Hanford, Calif.

“USDA and the Innovation Center will continue to work together to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies and increase energy efficiency improvements on U.S. dairy farms,” Secretary Perdue said. “These improvements will help producers diversify revenues and reduce utility expenses, while they strive to support their families and local communities by operating economically, environmentally sustainable dairy farms.”

“USDA has resources that can help the dairy industry be successful but in many cases they are difficult to find because they are spread out through various agencies,” Secretary Perdue continued. “This MOU hopefully will be a potential navigator to the Innovation Center and give a ‘green light’ to interact with our agencies and centralize our various research and voluntary conservation efforts to reach their goals.”

“Over the years, we have pursued creative and common-sense ways to work together that have allowed us to develop research, technologies, and on-the-ground practices that move us closer to our collective goals,” said Barb O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center. “The Innovation Center is proud of the synergy that has resulted from our collaboration with USDA, and we have no question that this public/private partnership works in the best interest of farmers, our dairy community and, most importantly, consumers of dairy who trust us to produce nutritious products they can feel good about feeding to their families.”