central livestock

FIRST QUARTER – February 2011
To educate, inform and connect
with customers and supporters.
2 0 1 1
Marketings
In this Issue
1
Central Livestock Website Services
2
Sign up today for the Central Livestock E-Newsletter
2
Jeff Reed: A Year of Opportunities
3
Central Livestock Albany and West Fargo Virtual Market Tours
3
TB Update and Surrounding
States Requirements
4-5 Central Livestock 2010 Photo Contest Results
6-7Temperament and Performance
of Beef Cattle
Keep in mind, your commission is an investment, not an
expense. Bring your cattle to the auction and let them
all bid! We believe in selling cattle the auction way.
Editor: Jena Swanson
Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Reed,
Jena Swanson, Reinaldo Cooke
Central Livestock Website Services
H
ave you visited our website
www.centrallivestock.com?
Many customers regularly
utilize our website for early
consignments, market reports and
sales schedules, but you may not
be aware of the other services our
website provides. Here is a brief
overview of some additional services
on our website.
l DTN: The Central Livestock
website offers you free access to
DTN quotes. DTN allows users to
view current ag commodity prices
and trends, weather, industry news
and more. Central Livestock offers
Graphic Designer: Kay Kristof
Send comments or suggestions to:
jswanson@crinet.com
Central Livestock
Association
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
A Company of Genex Cooperative, Inc.
this free service to allow customers
and website visitors access to realtime market information so they can
make more informed decisions. To
access DTN, visit www.centrallivestock.
com, scroll to the bottom and click
on the DTN logo.
Central Livestock Association
PO Box 419
South St. Paul, MN 55075
1
l DV Auction: All of Central
Livestock-Zumbrota market’s auctions
are broadcast LIVE ONLINE.You
can view Central Livestock-Zumbrota
auctions through DV Auction, a
leading online, live auction broadcaster
specializing in cattle auctions.You can
view the auctions free, simply sign up
for DV by clicking on the DV Auction
link at www.centrallivestock.com, scroll
to the bottom and click on the DV
Auction logo.
l Country Cattle Listings: This
webpage has cattle for sale that
are not coming through a Central
Livestock market or being sold on
TEAM. Consignment information
is listed about the cattle, with the
appropriate agent to contact. To
access the country cattle listings,
visit www.centrallivestock.com, under
upcoming sales, and click on country
cattle listings. These listings are
updated often with new lots from
across the country.
l Twitter: Are you tweeting?
Twitter is a micro-blogging online
community to discuss various
subjects, news and events in realtime. Start following us today, our
username is @clateam. No cost
to signup at www.twitter.com n
Permit No 72
SHAWANO WI
Paid
PRSRT STD
U S Postage
A Year of Opportunities
By Jeff Reed,Vice President, CLA, LLC.
ith the turn of the calendar
to 2011, it is a logical time
to reflect on the past year’s
opportunities and accomplishments.
After a couple of trying years, the
past year provided some profit
opportunities for most livestock
producers. We experienced livestock
prices in the upper 15 percent of
all time highs in cattle and sheep,
and those prices are of course
necessary to cover the higher input
costs experienced in recent months.
We have observed upper Midwest
livestock producers have also been
very creative in controlling costs as
best they can, in an escalating feed
price environment. More producers
are successfully using byproduct
and alternative feed ingredients, and
seeing excellent performance with
these products.
W
From cow/calf operators through
the packers, the livestock industry
in total has shown some amazing
resiliency in 2010, in the face of high
input costs.You should all be proud
to be part of a well-managed and
productive livestock industry here in
the U.S. Exports of many U.S. meat
products are growing, as other
countries recognize we are a reliable
supplier of high quality meat products.
Expectations for 2011 look as
though we are in for potentially
very profitable livestock prices, with
cattle, hog and sheep supply very
tight, domestic demand good, and
exports growing once again. Breeding
herds take time to rebuild and the
U.S cattle herd and sheep flock are
probably still shrinking. It is a good
time to be a U.S. livestock operator.
Profitably marketing your livestock
will continue to be challenging,
as market timing decisions, and
determining market readiness,
becomes more critical to maximizing
your returns. Our staff are here
to help you make management
and marketing decisions. Central
Livestock staff is on the road
every day, so call on them for their
expertise. We are communicating
with feeder and fed buyers every day,
and we want to help you maximize
your selling price in every way
possible. We are here to help make
you more profitable.
I frequently get calls from producers
who thoroughly enjoy and take great
pride in raising and finishing livestock,
but they are totally frustrated with
the livestock price
volatility we are
experiencing.
Jeff Reed
Marketing decisions
have become more difficult to
make, with the volatility. For these
producers, we offer the Central
Livestock hedging program. Putting
some price protection in place at
profitable levels, helps make all of
the difficult decisions a farmer has to
make, seem more manageable. Our
customers also tell us that lenders
are much more open to financing
these high priced feeder livestock,
when at least some price protection
is put in place. If you think hedging
may be of interest to you, contact
any of our field staff.
In this issue of Marketings, you will
find articles highlighting the many
website services offered by Central
Livestock, the 2010 photo contest
winners, Albany and West Fargo
virtual market tours, a bovine
TB update, along with a feature
article discussing how livestock
temperament affects performance.
Temperament and Performance of Beef Cattle
continued on page 7
beef heifers and cows by decreasing
nutritional balance, as previously
described. Also, the hormones
produced during a stress response,
particularly cortisol, directly disrupt
the physiological mechanisms that
regulate reproduction in beef females,
such as ovulation, conception,
and establishment of pregnancy.
As an example, cows with calm
temperament have reduced cortisol
and greater blood concentrations of
luteinizing hormone, the hormone
required for puberty establishment
and ovulation, compared to
temperamental cows.
Accordingly, it was recently
demonstrated that beef heifers with
calm temperament reached puberty
sooner than temperamental cohorts.
Further, beef cows with excitable
temperament had decreased chances
of becoming pregnant during the
breeding season compared with their
calmer cohorts. Similar relationships
were detected when blood cortisol
concentrations were evaluated against
puberty or pregnancy instead of
temperament in those heifers and
cows (Table 2 and Figure 1).
Thank you for your business,
and thank for your confidence
in Central Livestock. n
Sign up today for the …
Central Livestock E-Newsletter
Central Livestock recently started an e-Newsletter, which is e-mailed
biweekly to customers. The e-Newsletter contains company and industry
news, upcoming sales and early consignments. The Central Livestock
website has a link on the homepage to sign up for the e-News.
Therefore, excitable temperament
has detrimental effects on the
reproduction of beef females, which
are likely mediated by elevated
cortisol concentrations.
Temperament & Health
Excitable temperament also alters
the immune response of cattle.
Elevated cortisol concentrations for
prolonged periods lead to cases of
immunosuppression, which means
cattle are more susceptible to
diseases. Further, breakdown of
body tissues triggered by cortisol
and other hormones during a
behavioral stress response may
lead to inflammatory reactions
within the animal.
Research has shown cattle with
excitable temperament have increased
blood concentrations of inflammatory
markers such as ceruloplasmin, an
endogenous protein synthesized in
significant amounts (blood concentrations above 35 mg/dL) during
inflammatory responses. It is important
to remember that immune status not
only determines the health condition
in cattle, but also affects growth
and reproduction.
Improving Temperament
of Beef Cattle
One way to improve temperament
and consequently benefit cattle
production is to adapt them to human
handling. Early studies reported that
cattle acclimated to human handling
had calmer temperament and reduced
blood cortisol concentrations
compared to non-acclimated cattle.
Recently, replacement heifers exposed
to an acclimation process to human
handling for four weeks after weaning
had improved temperament, reduced
cont. from page 6
cortisol, reached puberty and became
pregnant earlier compared to nonacclimated cohorts. However, no
beneficial effects on temperament
and performance were detected
when mature cows were exposed to
acclimation to human handling.
Therefore, adapting beef cattle to
human interaction early in their
productive lives may help improve
temperament and consequently
enhance development and productivity.
Including temperament in culling/
selection criteria might be the most
appropriate way to improve the
overall temperament and consequent
performance of the adult cow herd.
Also, temperament is an inheritable
trait; selecting the cow herd for
good temperament will also improve
temperament of future progeny.
In summary, excitable temperament is
a fear-related behavioral response that
has detrimental effects on the growth,
carcass quality, reproduction and
health of beef cattle. Beef producers
can evaluate cattle temperament
by visual assessments that can be
conducted during common handling
procedures, such as assessing chute
score when cattle have to be handled
for vaccination or weaning. Depending
on the outcomes, producers can
adopt management strategies to
improve the overall temperament
of the cow herd. Examples are early
age acclimation to human handling
and consideration of temperament in
selection/culling decisions, which will
bring benefits to cattle performance
and the consequent productivity
of beef operations containing
temperamental cattle. n References were omitted due to space but are available upon request.
— Excerpts from Oregon State University Beef Cattle Library
Central
CentralLivestock
Livestock
• www.centrallivestock.com
Association • www.centrallivestock.com
• Rock Creek (320) 629-1122
• South
• South
St. Paul
St. Paul
(800)
(800)
733-1844
733-1844
Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620
2x
7
Temperament and
Performance of Beef Cattle
Written by Reinaldo Cooke , Reprinted with permission from Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Burns
F
or over a century, the word
“temperament” has been
used to define the fearrelated behavioral responses of cattle
when exposed to human handling. As
cattle temperament worsens, their
response to human contact or any
other handling procedures becomes
more pronounced. Within the beef
cattle industry, producers select cattle
for temperament, primarily for safety
reasons. However, recent studies
demonstrate cattle temperament may
also have productive and economic
implications to beef operations.
One of the main hormones produced
during stress responses is cortisol.
Several studies reported that blood
cortisol concentrations are greater
in temperamental cattle compared to
calm cattle. Further, there is a positive
relationship between the techniques
utilized to assess temperament
with blood cortisol concentrations
in cattle. This outcome validates
that excitable temperament can be
classified as a stress response, and is
one of the reasons why cortisol is
commonly considered paramount to
the behavioral stress response.
Is Excitable Temperament
a Stress Response?
First, we have to understand how
temperament affects some of the
body functions in cattle. Stress
response is defined as the reaction of
cattle to internal and external factors
that affect their well-being, and animals
unable to cope with these factors are
classified as stressed. Examples are
extreme temperatures, diseases,
human handling and injuries. Based on
this concept, the agitated and/or
aggressive response expressed by
cattle with excitable temperament
when exposed to human handling can
be attributed to their fear and consequent inability to cope with this
situation; it can therefore be classified
as a stress response. In addition to
altered behavior, temperamental cattle
may also experience changes in their
body physiology, and the hormones
produced during this fear-related stress
reaction influence several factors, such
as growth, health and reproduction.
Temperament
& Bodyweight Gain
Several studies have demonstrated
that temperament affects bodyweight
gain in cattle. As cattle temperament
becomes more excitable, their average
daily gain (ADG) decreases (Table 1).
Central Livestock
This detrimental effect of excitable
temperament on ADG can be
attributed to at least three factors.
[1] Temperamental cattle spend more
time inspecting their surroundings
and reacting against “threats”
instead of consuming forages and/
or supplements, leading to decreased
feed intake compared to calm cattle.
[2] The dietary nutrients that should
be utilized for gain are reallocated
to sustain the altered behavior of
temperamental cattle.
[3] The altered body physiology of
temperamental cattle directly impairs
their bodyweight gain. As an example,
elevated cortisol concentrations
stimulate breakdown of body tissues,
such as muscle and fat deposits, in
order to release energy and protein
to further support the behavioral
stress response.
Temperament
& Carcass Quality
Besides impairing growth rates,
excitable temperament also has
detrimental effects on carcass quality.
Excitable temperament is typically
associated negatively with final
carcass weight and carcass yield grade.
Further, research studies reported
that excitable temperament increases
the incidence of dark cutters,
decreases meat tenderness, and also
increases the percentage of bruised
carcasses. Therefore, temperament
affects a carcass not only by reducing
ADG and consequently carcass yield,
but also directly alters meat quality.
A
majority of Minnesota is
now bovine Tuberculosis
(TB) Accredited-Free.
Those herds located in the TB-Free
area have no federal TB testing
requirements; however, some
states may have certain restrictions.
Producers should continue to
verify import requirements with
the receiving state prior to shipping
animals out of state. Below are
the surrounding states import
requirements:
l Iowa: Cattle of all classes
may enter Iowa when originating
from a TB Accredited-Free area.
l North Dakota: A TB test
is not required for beef cattle. Official
identification for all cattle is to be
listed on the health certificate, and
a permit number must be obtained
from the State Board of Animal
Health. Dairy cattle must have an
individual TB tested within 60 days
of entering North Dakota.
of any age must have one of the
following: Negative individual TB
test within 60 days of import, OR
if the animals originated from an
TB Accredited-Free herd, individual
TB tests are not required but the
accreditation number and date of
the last whole herd TB test must
be on the CVI.
l Wisconsin: All animals,
regardless of age, must have official
identification. The official ID must
be on the Certificate of Veterinary
Inspection (CVI).
South Dakota: No test
required from TB Accredited-Free
zone for beef cattle. All dairy breed
cattle six months of age and older,
other than steers and spayed heifers,
must be negative to an official test
for TB 60 days prior to entering. n
TB test requirements: All bovines
Albany and West Fargo Virtual Market Tours
C
entral Livestock is pleased
to release virtual market
tours of the Albany and
West Fargo markets. This project
was inspired from the 2009 fall
delegate meetings, and approved
by the Central Livestock Board of
Directors. The latest virtual tours
feature the Albany, Minn. and West
Fargo, N.D. markets, and highlights
the facilities’ livestock flow, animal
handling, customer service and
market improvements. Central
Livestock’s virtual market tours are
available at www.centrallivestock.com
and http://www.youtube.com/user/
centrallivestock n
Temperament
& Reproduction
Nutritional status largely determines
reproductive performance in cattle;
therefore, excitable temperament may
indirectly impair reproduction in • www.centrallivestock.com • Rock Creek (320) 629-1122 • South St. Paul (800) 733-1844
6
TB Update and Surrounding States Requirements
Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620
3
Central Livestock 2010
Country Scenery
Photo Contest
—————— Results
1st Runner Up:
“Winter Fun in the Sun”
Jeanne Meidl, Barrett, Minn.
Winner: “Raking Hay with his Favorite Team”
Debbie Klejeski, Sturgeon Lake, Minn.
Winner: “Autumn Pastures” Ashley Mikshowsky, Bangor, Wis.
Livestock Scenes
1st Runner Up:
“Love at First Sight”
Jeanne Meidl, Barrett, Minn.
1st Runner Up: “Blizzard” Diana Moe, Spring Valley, Wis.
Thank you to everyone who
participated in the sixth annual
Central Livestock photo contest.
Winner: “Sushi at the Fair”
Darla Smith, Kathryn, N.D.
We again had several great
entries in all categories.
Kids & Livestock
Central Livestock
• www.centrallivestock.com • Rock Creek (320) 629-1122 • South St. Paul (800) 733-1844
4
Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620
5
Central Livestock 2010
Country Scenery
Photo Contest
—————— Results
1st Runner Up:
“Winter Fun in the Sun”
Jeanne Meidl, Barrett, Minn.
Winner: “Raking Hay with his Favorite Team”
Debbie Klejeski, Sturgeon Lake, Minn.
Winner: “Autumn Pastures” Ashley Mikshowsky, Bangor, Wis.
Livestock Scenes
1st Runner Up:
“Love at First Sight”
Jeanne Meidl, Barrett, Minn.
1st Runner Up: “Blizzard” Diana Moe, Spring Valley, Wis.
Thank you to everyone who
participated in the sixth annual
Central Livestock photo contest.
Winner: “Sushi at the Fair”
Darla Smith, Kathryn, N.D.
We again had several great
entries in all categories.
Kids & Livestock
Central Livestock
• www.centrallivestock.com • Rock Creek (320) 629-1122 • South St. Paul (800) 733-1844
4
Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620
5
Temperament and
Performance of Beef Cattle
Written by Reinaldo Cooke , Reprinted with permission from Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Burns
F
or over a century, the word
“temperament” has been
used to define the fearrelated behavioral responses of cattle
when exposed to human handling. As
cattle temperament worsens, their
response to human contact or any
other handling procedures becomes
more pronounced. Within the beef
cattle industry, producers select cattle
for temperament, primarily for safety
reasons. However, recent studies
demonstrate cattle temperament may
also have productive and economic
implications to beef operations.
One of the main hormones produced
during stress responses is cortisol.
Several studies reported that blood
cortisol concentrations are greater
in temperamental cattle compared to
calm cattle. Further, there is a positive
relationship between the techniques
utilized to assess temperament
with blood cortisol concentrations
in cattle. This outcome validates
that excitable temperament can be
classified as a stress response, and is
one of the reasons why cortisol is
commonly considered paramount to
the behavioral stress response.
Is Excitable Temperament
a Stress Response?
First, we have to understand how
temperament affects some of the
body functions in cattle. Stress
response is defined as the reaction of
cattle to internal and external factors
that affect their well-being, and animals
unable to cope with these factors are
classified as stressed. Examples are
extreme temperatures, diseases,
human handling and injuries. Based on
this concept, the agitated and/or
aggressive response expressed by
cattle with excitable temperament
when exposed to human handling can
be attributed to their fear and consequent inability to cope with this
situation; it can therefore be classified
as a stress response. In addition to
altered behavior, temperamental cattle
may also experience changes in their
body physiology, and the hormones
produced during this fear-related stress
reaction influence several factors, such
as growth, health and reproduction.
Temperament
& Bodyweight Gain
Several studies have demonstrated
that temperament affects bodyweight
gain in cattle. As cattle temperament
becomes more excitable, their average
daily gain (ADG) decreases (Table 1).
Central Livestock
This detrimental effect of excitable
temperament on ADG can be
attributed to at least three factors.
[1] Temperamental cattle spend more
time inspecting their surroundings
and reacting against “threats”
instead of consuming forages and/
or supplements, leading to decreased
feed intake compared to calm cattle.
[2] The dietary nutrients that should
be utilized for gain are reallocated
to sustain the altered behavior of
temperamental cattle.
[3] The altered body physiology of
temperamental cattle directly impairs
their bodyweight gain. As an example,
elevated cortisol concentrations
stimulate breakdown of body tissues,
such as muscle and fat deposits, in
order to release energy and protein
to further support the behavioral
stress response.
Temperament
& Carcass Quality
Besides impairing growth rates,
excitable temperament also has
detrimental effects on carcass quality.
Excitable temperament is typically
associated negatively with final
carcass weight and carcass yield grade.
Further, research studies reported
that excitable temperament increases
the incidence of dark cutters,
decreases meat tenderness, and also
increases the percentage of bruised
carcasses. Therefore, temperament
affects a carcass not only by reducing
ADG and consequently carcass yield,
but also directly alters meat quality.
A
majority of Minnesota is
now bovine Tuberculosis
(TB) Accredited-Free.
Those herds located in the TB-Free
area have no federal TB testing
requirements; however, some
states may have certain restrictions.
Producers should continue to
verify import requirements with
the receiving state prior to shipping
animals out of state. Below are
the surrounding states import
requirements:
l Iowa: Cattle of all classes
may enter Iowa when originating
from a TB Accredited-Free area.
l North Dakota: A TB test
is not required for beef cattle. Official
identification for all cattle is to be
listed on the health certificate, and
a permit number must be obtained
from the State Board of Animal
Health. Dairy cattle must have an
individual TB tested within 60 days
of entering North Dakota.
of any age must have one of the
following: Negative individual TB
test within 60 days of import, OR
if the animals originated from an
TB Accredited-Free herd, individual
TB tests are not required but the
accreditation number and date of
the last whole herd TB test must
be on the CVI.
l Wisconsin: All animals,
regardless of age, must have official
identification. The official ID must
be on the Certificate of Veterinary
Inspection (CVI).
South Dakota: No test
required from TB Accredited-Free
zone for beef cattle. All dairy breed
cattle six months of age and older,
other than steers and spayed heifers,
must be negative to an official test
for TB 60 days prior to entering. n
TB test requirements: All bovines
Albany and West Fargo Virtual Market Tours
C
entral Livestock is pleased
to release virtual market
tours of the Albany and
West Fargo markets. This project
was inspired from the 2009 fall
delegate meetings, and approved
by the Central Livestock Board of
Directors. The latest virtual tours
feature the Albany, Minn. and West
Fargo, N.D. markets, and highlights
the facilities’ livestock flow, animal
handling, customer service and
market improvements. Central
Livestock’s virtual market tours are
available at www.centrallivestock.com
and http://www.youtube.com/user/
centrallivestock n
Temperament
& Reproduction
Nutritional status largely determines
reproductive performance in cattle;
therefore, excitable temperament may
indirectly impair reproduction in • www.centrallivestock.com • Rock Creek (320) 629-1122 • South St. Paul (800) 733-1844
6
TB Update and Surrounding States Requirements
Albany (800) 733-6828 • Zumbrota (877) 732-7305 • West Fargo (800) 733-4620
3
A Year of Opportunities
By Jeff Reed,Vice President, CLA, LLC.
ith the turn of the calendar
to 2011, it is a logical time
to reflect on the past year’s
opportunities and accomplishments.
After a couple of trying years, the
past year provided some profit
opportunities for most livestock
producers. We experienced livestock
prices in the upper 15 percent of
all time highs in cattle and sheep,
and those prices are of course
necessary to cover the higher input
costs experienced in recent months.
We have observed upper Midwest
livestock producers have also been
very creative in controlling costs as
best they can, in an escalating feed
price environment. More producers
are successfully using byproduct
and alternative feed ingredients, and
seeing excellent performance with
these products.
W
From cow/calf operators through
the packers, the livestock industry
in total has shown some amazing
resiliency in 2010, in the face of high
input costs.You should all be proud
to be part of a well-managed and
productive livestock industry here in
the U.S. Exports of many U.S. meat
products are growing, as other
countries recognize we are a reliable
supplier of high quality meat products.
Expectations for 2011 look as
though we are in for potentially
very profitable livestock prices, with
cattle, hog and sheep supply very
tight, domestic demand good, and
exports growing once again. Breeding
herds take time to rebuild and the
U.S cattle herd and sheep flock are
probably still shrinking. It is a good
time to be a U.S. livestock operator.
Profitably marketing your livestock
will continue to be challenging,
as market timing decisions, and
determining market readiness,
becomes more critical to maximizing
your returns. Our staff are here
to help you make management
and marketing decisions. Central
Livestock staff is on the road
every day, so call on them for their
expertise. We are communicating
with feeder and fed buyers every day,
and we want to help you maximize
your selling price in every way
possible. We are here to help make
you more profitable.
I frequently get calls from producers
who thoroughly enjoy and take great
pride in raising and finishing livestock,
but they are totally frustrated with
the livestock price
volatility we are
experiencing.
Jeff Reed
Marketing decisions
have become more difficult to
make, with the volatility. For these
producers, we offer the Central
Livestock hedging program. Putting
some price protection in place at
profitable levels, helps make all of
the difficult decisions a farmer has to
make, seem more manageable. Our
customers also tell us that lenders
are much more open to financing
these high priced feeder livestock,
when at least some price protection
is put in place. If you think hedging
may be of interest to you, contact
any of our field staff.
In this issue of Marketings, you will
find articles highlighting the many
website services offered by Central
Livestock, the 2010 photo contest
winners, Albany and West Fargo
virtual market tours, a bovine
TB update, along with a feature
article discussing how livestock
temperament affects performance.
Temperament and Performance of Beef Cattle
continued on page 7
beef heifers and cows by decreasing
nutritional balance, as previously
described. Also, the hormones
produced during a stress response,
particularly cortisol, directly disrupt
the physiological mechanisms that
regulate reproduction in beef females,
such as ovulation, conception,
and establishment of pregnancy.
As an example, cows with calm
temperament have reduced cortisol
and greater blood concentrations of
luteinizing hormone, the hormone
required for puberty establishment
and ovulation, compared to
temperamental cows.
Accordingly, it was recently
demonstrated that beef heifers with
calm temperament reached puberty
sooner than temperamental cohorts.
Further, beef cows with excitable
temperament had decreased chances
of becoming pregnant during the
breeding season compared with their
calmer cohorts. Similar relationships
were detected when blood cortisol
concentrations were evaluated against
puberty or pregnancy instead of
temperament in those heifers and
cows (Table 2 and Figure 1).
Thank you for your business,
and thank for your confidence
in Central Livestock. n
Sign up today for the …
Central Livestock E-Newsletter
Central Livestock recently started an e-Newsletter, which is e-mailed
biweekly to customers. The e-Newsletter contains company and industry
news, upcoming sales and early consignments. The Central Livestock
website has a link on the homepage to sign up for the e-News.
Therefore, excitable temperament
has detrimental effects on the
reproduction of beef females, which
are likely mediated by elevated
cortisol concentrations.
Temperament & Health
Excitable temperament also alters
the immune response of cattle.
Elevated cortisol concentrations for
prolonged periods lead to cases of
immunosuppression, which means
cattle are more susceptible to
diseases. Further, breakdown of
body tissues triggered by cortisol
and other hormones during a
behavioral stress response may
lead to inflammatory reactions
within the animal.
Research has shown cattle with
excitable temperament have increased
blood concentrations of inflammatory
markers such as ceruloplasmin, an
endogenous protein synthesized in
significant amounts (blood concentrations above 35 mg/dL) during
inflammatory responses. It is important
to remember that immune status not
only determines the health condition
in cattle, but also affects growth
and reproduction.
Improving Temperament
of Beef Cattle
One way to improve temperament
and consequently benefit cattle
production is to adapt them to human
handling. Early studies reported that
cattle acclimated to human handling
had calmer temperament and reduced
blood cortisol concentrations
compared to non-acclimated cattle.
Recently, replacement heifers exposed
to an acclimation process to human
handling for four weeks after weaning
had improved temperament, reduced
cont. from page 6
cortisol, reached puberty and became
pregnant earlier compared to nonacclimated cohorts. However, no
beneficial effects on temperament
and performance were detected
when mature cows were exposed to
acclimation to human handling.
Therefore, adapting beef cattle to
human interaction early in their
productive lives may help improve
temperament and consequently
enhance development and productivity.
Including temperament in culling/
selection criteria might be the most
appropriate way to improve the
overall temperament and consequent
performance of the adult cow herd.
Also, temperament is an inheritable
trait; selecting the cow herd for
good temperament will also improve
temperament of future progeny.
In summary, excitable temperament is
a fear-related behavioral response that
has detrimental effects on the growth,
carcass quality, reproduction and
health of beef cattle. Beef producers
can evaluate cattle temperament
by visual assessments that can be
conducted during common handling
procedures, such as assessing chute
score when cattle have to be handled
for vaccination or weaning. Depending
on the outcomes, producers can
adopt management strategies to
improve the overall temperament
of the cow herd. Examples are early
age acclimation to human handling
and consideration of temperament in
selection/culling decisions, which will
bring benefits to cattle performance
and the consequent productivity
of beef operations containing
temperamental cattle. n References were omitted due to space but are available upon request.
— Excerpts from Oregon State University Beef Cattle Library
Central
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Livestock
• www.centrallivestock.com
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• Rock Creek (320) 629-1122
• South
• South
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(800)
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Keep in mind, your commission is an investment, not an
expense. Bring your cattle to the auction and let them
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FIRST QUARTER – February 2011
To educate, inform and connect
with customers and supporters.
2 0 1 1
Marketings
In this Issue
1
Central Livestock Website Services
2
Sign up today for the Central Livestock E-Newsletter
2
Jeff Reed: A Year of Opportunities
3
Central Livestock Albany and West Fargo Virtual Market Tours
3
TB Update and Surrounding
States Requirements
4-5 Central Livestock 2010 Photo Contest Results
6-7Temperament and Performance
of Beef Cattle
Editor: Jena Swanson
Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Reed,
Jena Swanson, Reinaldo Cooke
Central Livestock Website Services
H
ave you visited our website
www.centrallivestock.com?
Many customers regularly
utilize our website for early
consignments, market reports and
sales schedules, but you may not
be aware of the other services our
website provides. Here is a brief
overview of some additional services
on our website.
l DTN: The Central Livestock
website offers you free access to
DTN quotes. DTN allows users to
view current ag commodity prices
and trends, weather, industry news
and more. Central Livestock offers
Graphic Designer: Kay Kristof
Central Livestock
Association
A Company of Genex Cooperative, Inc.
l DV Auction: All of Central
Livestock-Zumbrota market’s auctions
are broadcast LIVE ONLINE.You
can view Central Livestock-Zumbrota
auctions through DV Auction, a
leading online, live auction broadcaster
specializing in cattle auctions.You can
view the auctions free, simply sign up
for DV by clicking on the DV Auction
link at www.centrallivestock.com, scroll
to the bottom and click on the DV
Auction logo.
l Country Cattle Listings: This
webpage has cattle for sale that
are not coming through a Central
Livestock market or being sold on
TEAM. Consignment information
is listed about the cattle, with the
appropriate agent to contact. To
access the country cattle listings,
visit www.centrallivestock.com, under
upcoming sales, and click on country
cattle listings. These listings are
updated often with new lots from
across the country.
Send comments or suggestions to:
jswanson@crinet.com
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
this free service to allow customers
and website visitors access to realtime market information so they can
make more informed decisions. To
access DTN, visit www.centrallivestock.
com, scroll to the bottom and click
on the DTN logo.
l Twitter: Are you tweeting?
Twitter is a micro-blogging online
community to discuss various
subjects, news and events in realtime. Start following us today, our
username is @clateam. No cost
to signup at www.twitter.com n
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