It is important to take care of your animals, for them to take care of you,” registered Angus producer Cindy Ulm said at the March meeting of the South Central Cattlemen’s Association held March 11, 2010.
The meeting was a panel discussion relative to best practices and techniques used on local producers’ own operations. Panelists included association members from the area: Cindy Ulm; Don Proffitt, fertilizer dealer and cattle producer; Barry Slayton, Executive Vice President West Plains Bank and cattle producer; and Randy Pace, FCS Financial and cattle producer.
Ulm started the discussion with some general comments about herd health and practices. “In general watch your cattle and know them because they will tell you what they need by what they eat and how they act.”
She also talked about some of the vaccination programs they’ve used and tried in the past in relation to parasites. “We have learned that you need to change things up sometimes. Some animals can build a resistance to the medications we use for parasites so it’s good to change the brand and type of product you use,” she added.
She also spoke about breeding soundness testing for breeding bulls. “In our operation we semen test our bulls each time before they are turned out with cows. We want to make sure we have good bulls and don’t have problems,” she added. “We don’t cull bulls based on one test because they might be having an off day, but we use the testing as the base for our breeding decisions. If they have subsequent poor test results we take them out of our herd,” she reasoned.
Don Proffitt added to the discussion with the topic of rotational grazing. “I know this has been talked about a lot in the past, but it is a good discussion, and we are able to use it to our benefit on my farm,” he explained. “For us, having the smaller pastures allows us ease in moving cattle, and it is better for the grass.”
Proffitt uses electric fence to separate his acreage into small, workable paddocks. “It is better for our soil; the cows are calmer because we are in and around them more often by moving them almost weekly, and it works for us.”
Of course with the smaller pastures or paddocks, water for all can be a little tricky. “It seems like I’ve used about every type of water system, but for me pond tanks are always the best option. But the most important thing to remember is whatever the size of your rotational grazing area; animals must have fresh water to make the grazing effective.”
Panelist Barry Slayton agreed, “Pond tanks are the most cost effective, (they) don’t use power and generally don’t freeze,” he said. “It just depends on your situation whether or not you can utilize this type of watering system.”
“At the end of the night, there were lots of thoughts going through the room,” concluded South Central Cattlemen’s Association president Wayne Nichols. “I am pleased with the discussion and the topics that were mentioned, and look forward to more meetings where we can learn from one another.”
In conclusion of the panel, Vice President Tom Hambelton had taken notes and highlighted some areas the group might like to have more in depth future discussions.
The Association
The South Central Cattlemen’s Association was formed last fall to be a resource for cattle producers in Howell, Oregon, Shannon and Ozark counties. “Several years ago we had a Howell and Oregon Cattlemen’s Association,” explained president Nichols. “When that group ran out of gas, so to speak, there was still a core group that was interested in having an association in the area.
“We believe it is needed in the area with Howell County and the Ozarks ranking so high in cattle production in the state of Missouri,” he said. “We contacted the state office, gathered information about the state and local by-laws and decided to form a more regional group than just a county.”
The group was organized last fall, and elected members and held their annual meeting in January 2010 as a sort of kick-off event for the association. “We have about 75 dues paying members and of course are looking to grow that number,” explained Nichols. “We want to help build a network of producers where we can learn and grow the cattle industry right here in southern Missouri.”
