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KLA, K-State host Ranch Management Field DayBy Jennifer M. Latzke Producers from around the northwest Kansas region gathered at the Rafter B Outfitters near Russell Springs for one of the annual Kansas Livestock Association-Kansas State University Ranch Management Field Days Aug. 16. The field days, hosted each year in various corners of the state, focus on topics relevant to cattle producers. Cattleman Tracy Brunner, Ramona, served on the industry-wide checkoff task force and National Cattlemen's Beef Association checkoff study group. He presented the group's recommendation to raise checkoff collections from $1 to $2 per head. He reminded producers that "it's all about demand, and without demand for our product, we're irrelevant to the customer." He added that government to government relations are not always best for the beef business and the checkoff offers access to foreign customers that our government can't get us. The checkoff also offers the ability to manage issues that crop up in the beef business. "The world is influenced by media and there are people out there without our ideas with the money to advance their idealism," he said. The checkoff offers a way to get credible experts to the media to present the beef producers' side of an issue. Speaking with one united voice with a constant message can't be done with a volunteer-funded checkoff, he added. Cattle handling presentation Participants at the Russell Springs field day were treated to a hands-on demonstration from Dr. Lynn Locatelli, a veterinarian specializing in low stress livestock handling. She used volunteers to demonstrate the principles of the Bud Williams method of cattle handling, "herding" them through a mock processing facility. Locatelli explained that cattle view human handlers as "predators." By using appropriate body language handlers can acclimate cattle to their surroundings and move them in a less stressful manner. Cattle are pressure sensitive, Dr. Locatelli said. With simple movements, a handler can cue his cattle to move away from him in a straight line. The younger the calf, the easier it can be to practice this technique. For example, wean calves are very sensitive to human behavior because they've lost their leaders, Dr. Locatelli said. These calves will look to humans for body language cues and if done properly the handler can condition calves to work with less stress and at a gentler pace. Another example is the behavior or range cattle versus feedlot cattle. In feedlots, pen riders are in the pens daily, but most work a pattern of movement that desensitizes the calves to their presence. Enough so that as the cattle get accustomed to pen riders movements they get rid of the sensitivity they have and will become tougher to work. She advised that riders should practice calm movements of calves each day as they check the pens to keep calves accustomed to moving calmly. Feeding distillers grains K-State beef cattle specialists Chris Reinhardt and Twig Marston spoke to the group about their research efforts into storing and handling distillers grains. With the advancement of ethanol production capabilities across the High Plains, cattlemen are going to have to learn how to efficiently store the valuable byproduct for livestock feed, the duo explained. For the most part, smaller producers should look into feeding distillers grains only if their costs of handling and storing the product don't outweigh the cost of the product itself, Reinhardt said. "The cow-calf guy has a little more flexibility because he can take his cattle on and off a ration of distillers grains better than a grow yard can," he said. Feeders, though, have to maintain a rate of gain and switching rations when the yard's out of distillers grains can be a problem. Storage of distillers grains is difficult for producers who need long term solutions. Dry distillers grains don't offer as many spoilage opportunities as wet, but the fine particles make the product especially dusty, Marston said. Wet distillers grains are a good product, but the buyer pays to ship water and there's a spoilage issue, he added. Producers have to take into account how much distillers grains they can use in a definite time frame so that they don't have spoiled product on their hands, Marston advised. Also, when storing, it's important that oxygen is sealed out to prevent mold, Rienhardt said. Bagging systems, such as are used for silage storage, work in some instances, but they are difficult to handle. When packing, the distillers grains can't be compacted enough to get oxygen out, without blowing a hole in the side of the bag, the two researchers explained. Studies in Nebraska have seen some success when bagging distillers grains if they blend in a compressible material such as hay. "If you mix about 14 percent straw and 86 percent wet distillers grains and put it in a bunker, it should pack like silage," Marston said. Producers should also consider the variability of the distillers grains due to the plant's production from day to day and the fact that many plants may prefer to deal with larger producers who can take more distillers grains off their hands.Keith Harmony, a range scientist at K-State, rounded out the program by leading producers into the nearby pasture to identify local plant species. He said knowing what grasses and forbs exist on a range site is the first step producers should take before changing a grazing strategy. Rafter B Outfitters, a cattle, crop and hunting business operated by Brent and Shelly Weinland, hosted the field day. Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. ******cutlines to go with photos*********** LOW STRESS HANDLING livestock handlers can move their cattle in a low stress manner. (Journal photos by Jennifer M. Latzke.) RANGE PLANTS participants the many plant species that can be found in western Kansas pastures and discussed the roles each play in grazing strategies.
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