Fresno, Calif., (July 5, 2017) – Five Fresno State rodeo men’s and women’s team members capped their season at the College National Finals Rodeo on June 11 through 17 in Casper, Wyo.
Senior Dillon Hushour (Fairfield) claimed the team’s top effort with a ninth-place finish in the steer wrestling final standings. His best time of 5.4 seconds came in the opening round, and he also clocked a 5.5-second time in the short go final round.
Junior Colton Campbell(Klamath Falls, Ore.) was one of six competitors overall that scored in at least two of the six men’s events thanks to his 19th-place finish in the team roping and 27th-place finish in tie down roping.
Two other Fresno State sophomores, Bodi Dodds(Sanger) and Rial Engelhart(Lakeview, Ore.), competed in men’s team roping (19th) and tie down roping (42nd), respectively.
Junior Jamie Giefer(Springville) competed for the Fresno State women’s team and finished 42nd in the breakaway roping event.
The Fresno State competitors earned their bids based on top-three West Coast rankings that were compiled over eight regular season competitions from September through May.
Campbell, Hushour and Giefer also competed at the college national rodeo in 2016, and the team is under the guidance of second-year coach Tony Branquinho.
Campbell was the top returning Fresno State national placer that will return to Casper after a fourth-place team roping healer finish in 2016. His horse, Nic-N-Pine, also received the 2016 NIRA/American Quarter Horse Association Horse of the Year award.
Entering this year’s event, Hushour ranked 12th nationally and second regionally in steer wrestling; Dodds stood 14th nationally in team roping header and third regionally; Engelhart ranked third regionally in the tie down roping standings; and Giefer stood second regionally in the breakaway roping category.
In the regional team rankings, the Bulldoggers men capped the regular season ranked ninth nationally and third in the West Coast Region — one position shy of a national invitation. The women’s team stood fifth regionally.
In recent years, the women’s team has advanced to the national event after second-place regional finishes in 2015 and ’16.
The Fresno State rodeo team dates back to 1946 and officially became a club in 1949 — the same year the first College National Finals Rodeo was held in San Francisco. Today, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association sponsors more than 100 college rodeos that include 3,500 student members and 137 universities.
Do you have voles present in the field? If so they can cause an average of 11% damage in alfalfa, a percentage that can’t be ignored. But how do you manage these pests. Watch this brief video interview with UC Wildlife specialist Roger Baldwin as he answers the question, and read more in California Dairy Magazine.
With new oncoming regulations backed by false ideas about the California dairy industry, coupled with lower dairy prices, dairy producers may feel down and out about the future of their livelihood; however there is hope on the horizon, as shared by Anja Raudabaugh from Western United Dairymen in this brief interview with California Ag Network. Watch this interview and read more in California Dairy Magazine.
Davis, Calif., (June 23, 2017) – The economic costs of heat stress will vary depending on geographic location and facilities. For California cows with access to shade but not fans or sprinklers, losses are estimated to average $110/cow/year. Losses are higher in cows without access to shade.
Cows are more sensitive to heat stress then humans, with production losses starting in the mid 70 degrees in moderate humidity and in the low 80’s in low humidly.
Providing adequate shade may be the most cost-effective heat-stress mitigation available. Addition of sprinklers/soakers or misters/foggers can leverage heat stress reduction provided by shades. Optimal practices will differ from farm to farm, but the majority of western dairies should consider cooling the holding pen and exit lane sprinklers.
For severe heat stress events, the easiest way to tell if cows require emergency cooling is by counting respirations. If more than 5 out of 10 cows (50%) have breathing rates exceeding 100 breaths per minute, immediate action should be taken to reduce heat stress.
Heat stress will of course vary depending on a farm’s geographic location and facilities. One study estimates that California dairies with minimal heat stress abatement (access to shade, but no fans or sprinklers) lose $110 per cow per year. Losses are higher in cows without access to shade. Decreased milk production results in large part (but not exclusively) from reduction in Dry Matter Intake (DMI). California dairies with minimal heat stress abatement are estimated to experience average DMI reductions of 320 lb/cow/year, and a concurrent decrease in milk production of about 650 lb/cow/year. Embryos are also susceptible to increased body temperature resulting from heat stress. Reproduction can suffer even more than milk production with Florida data estimating up to a 53% reduction in conception rates during the summer and into the fall. California operations with minimal heat abatement are estimated to experience in average increase of 12 days open and almost a 1% increase in reproductive culling. Production losses are not limited just to lactating cows. Heat-stressed dairy cows have been observed to produce 1,000 to 2,000 pounds less milk during the next lactation.
Heat stress results from a combination of factors including ambient heat & humidity, local air movement and absorption of radiant (sunlight) energy. Cattle are actually more sensitive to heat and humidity then humans. The best way to anticipate whether environmental conditions will have a negative effect on production is to examine a dairy-specific Temperature Humidity Index (THI) chart. Mild heat stress starts to occur at a THI value of about 72, which corresponds to 77°F and a typical Tulare morning humidity of 50%, or at 82°F at a typical Tulare afternoon humidity of 20%. Even at THI values in this “mild” category, reproductive losses have been documented and milk production can be decreased by approximately 6 lbs/cow/day. Recent studies in high-producing cows suggest that smaller detrimental effects can be at THI values as low as 68. Inexpensive thermometer/hygrometer can be purchased to determine THI values at different locations on the dairy.
Certainly cows that are panting with open mouths are in severe heat stress, but at low to moderate levels producers may not observe obvious signs. As described in a review from the University of California, cows do consistently exhibit certain behaviors when trying to mitigate heat. With rising air temperature and solar radiation cows will increasingly seek shade. Even cows that have deprived of lying for 12 hours will prefer to stand in the shade rather than lie in the sun, sometimes even engaging in aggressive behavior to gain access to it. Either in or out of shade cows will spend as much as 10% more time standing, possibly to increase air flow around their bodies. Cows will reduce their feed intake, in one study up 5% per day in at 90°F. In a Florida study cows without access to shade ate 19% more at night, but were not able to make up of the decreased feed intake, still eating 13% less then cows with shade. Unshaded cows may also spend 2 to 3 times more time standing around the water trough. The most sensitive and practical measurement of heat stress is respiration rate, which unlike rectal temperature, increases in response to heat load with little or no lag in time. Normal respiration rates for cattle are about less than 40 breaths per minute.
If five cows out of 10 have respiratory rates exceeding 100 breaths per minute immediate action is indicated. The University of Missouri has released a smart phone app that allows beef and dairy producers to merge their cows’ breathing rates with local heat and humidity data to instantly determine heat stress rating and recommendations.
General – During times of high heat stress cattle should only be worked during the cool of the morning and vaccination should be avoided. Water intake may double during times of heat stress and water should always be available free choice. Cows consume 50-60% of their total daily water intake immediately after milking so making water troughs easily available after exiting the parlor is useful. Waters should be shaded to encourage consumption.
Feed – There has been considerable investigation into ration formulation to mitigate DMI reductions. Feeding strategies to mitigate heat stress on California operations has been reviewed and typically involve increasing dietary energy density through increased grain or fat. Increased rumen buffering may be necessary to prevent acidosis associated with reduced forage intake and increased high-energy feed intake. Changes in the ration should be made slowly and prior to the onset of hot weather to reduce throwing the cows off feed. Ultimately manipulation of the cows’ diet will result in minimal improvement in production when compared to modifying the cows’ environment.
Shades – It is estimated that heat load can be reduced from 30 to 50% with well-designed shade, increasing production by 10%.
Cows will preferentially seek out shades blocking at least 50% of solar radiation. Shade cloth properly maintained (kept tight) can last for 5 years or longer. A north-south orientation allows the sun to dry the ground under the shade, which should be groomed regularly. Guidelines regarding sizing of shades vary but typically call for at least 40 to 50 square feet per cow. Eave heights of at least 12 to 14 feet are needed to minimize thermal radiation from the roof.
Use of Fans and Sprinklers/Soakers and Misters/Foggers – Sprinklers or soakers use large water droplets to wet the cow. Adding sprinklers to shade can double cow’s relief from heat stress. Fans can be used to further promote evaporation and cooling the cow’s hide, although fans alone may have little or no benefit. Unlike wetting the cow with sprinklers, misters or foggers are used to cool the local air through evaporation and may use less water. Shade and evaporative cooling has been used in a variety of locations on the farm including dry lots, free stalls, holding areas, exit lanes, feed lines and even with pastured cattle. A variety of equipment and farm locations for heat stress mitigation has been reviewed. One place where sprinklers and fans are particularly useful is the wash/holding pen where cows experience the greatest heat stress on the dairy. Optimal practices will differ from farm to farm, but the majority of western dairies should consider holding pen cooling and exit lane sprinklers under shade.
Other Mitigation Methods – Strategies used to mitigate reproductive losses associated with heat stress have been reviewed. Timed or delayed insemination can lessen the effect of reduced exhibition of estrus and reduced bull fertility associated with heat stress. During heat stress embryo transfer may have double the conception rates compared to artificial insemination, although using ET in all cows may not be economical.
Return on investment is challenging to estimate because of variability in milk price, power costs, existing infrastructure but primarily how many days a year the cooling equipment would be used. Dairies in Florida might use fans and sprinklers for 7 months while those in Kentucky might use them for only three months. Following installation of fans and sprinklers studies in different states, studies have variously reported increased milk production of between 5 and 19% during heat stress months and suggested that the investment could pay for itself in 2 to 4 years. Producers considering installation are advised to review their local climatic data and construction options with a farm engineer and extension specialist.
The University of Arkansas advises that if more than five cows out of 10 have respiratory rates exceeding 100 breaths per minute, then immediate action should be taken to reduce heat stress. The best tools available to livestock producers dealing with heat stress are adequate and accessible drinking water, shade and water-cooling. Dairy producers should be sure that they can milk, water and cool their cows, even in the event of rolling blackouts or power failure. Many producers have back-up generators for their milking parlor, which should be inspected to ensure operational condition. Emergency power should also be available for fans and well pumps. Misters, soakers and fans should be checked to ensure they are operational. Shade structures (especially shade cloths) should be in good repair.
During a heat wave emergency, producers have used a variety of temporary cow-cooling methods:
Fire hoses can be connected to water trucks and used to soak the cattle. Use caution with this method since cattle unused to this treatment may run away from water causing injury.
Temporary soaking lines can be devised using flexible landscaping hose and high volume emitters positioned over the cattle.
Industrial fans have been rented to augment these water-cooling methods.
Temporary shade structures have been erected.
When wetting the animals use large droplets (150 micron diameter sprinklers) not a fine mist, and wet the animals to the hide to saturate the hair for maximum cooling effect. The water should run off the animals. In general, working cattle should be avoided except in the early morning.
Featured in the June issue of California Dairy Magazine, check out the last dairyman in Exeter, Ed Brower as he shares his story in this brief video interview with California Ag Network and in California Dairy Magazine. Dairying runs deep in his family line all the way back to his ancestry in Holland.
The June issue of California Dairy Magazine is now available to read online! Read the latest California Dairy & Feed industry news and technology. Here’s a peek of what’s inside:
Improving Animal Health at Ed Brower Dairy Managing the Last Dairy in Exeter
Is Your Heat Abatement System Ready? Time to Battle the Heat and Protect Your Cows
June is Dairy Month Raise Your Glass to National Dairy Month
Udder Things California Dairy News Briefs
California Milk Prices Back On the Rise Industry Comes Closer to Solving Quota Concerns with New FMMO
Davis, Calif., (June 21, 2017) – Piglet #3 is not sure what to make of the empty kiddie pool where she finds herself standing at the UC Davis Swine Research and Teaching Facility. She grunts softly, sniffs at the ribbed-plastic floor, and glances at the humans watching her explore.
“See how she opens her mouth and sucks in air?” asks Professor Kristina Horback, an animal-cognition expert with the Department of Animal Science. “Pigs use their strong sense of smell to gather information.”
Animal science professor Kristina Horback (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)
Horback is conducting personality tests with several 4-week-old female piglets, identifying aggressive and social behaviors, measuring response to human handling and approach, assessing willingness to explore an open field, and studying alarm response to a novel object. Horback has studied animal cognition in several mammal species, including elephants, chimps, prairie dogs, dolphins and whales. At UC Davis, she is building on her pioneering research examining the role personality plays in the welfare and sustainable production of farm animals, like cattle, sheep and swine.
Horback’s research is helping the nation’s pork industry adapt to new legislative and marketplace demands to raise pigs in group housing rather than in individual crates, which have been the norm for the last 40 years.
“Tina is laying the groundwork for answering a fundamental question in the pork industry: Do we have the right animal?” said Thomas Parsons, a veterinarian researcher at the University of Pennsylvania who works with pig farmers across the nation. “Is one pig better than another in a group setting? Or, is there an optimal combination of personalities?”
There are currently more questions than answers in the field of pig personality, but Horback knows one thing, for sure: A pig is not a pig is not a pig.
“Pigs have distinct personality traits that remain relatively stable throughout their lives,” Horback says. “They are not going to react to the same stimuli in the same way.”
Pigs are hierarchical, and battles for dominance can get bloody. Fifty years ago, pigs were housed in open barns and had to fight for the feed farmers tossed on their floor. Dominant pigs got more, timid pigs got less, and some pigs suffered miscarriages in the scramble. To protect pigs and their productivity, the industry switched to “gestation stalls,” which are 2-by-7-foot enclosures that let each sow eat in peace but do not provide enough room for them to turn around.
Prompted by complaints from animal-welfare groups, consumers, and 70 brand-name retailers like McDonald’s, the pork industry is now transitioning from crates to group pens. Gestation stalls have been banned in the European Union and in 10 U.S. states, including California. Working with Parsons and other colleagues, Horback is helping farmers and pigs adapt to housing that provides room to roam and protection from aggressive kin. Personality research can help.
“For 40 years, swine genetics has focused on production traits like weight gain, litter size and disease resistance,” Horback says. “Have we been inadvertently breeding for specific behavior and personality traits? Are some personality traits better than others, not just for the individual but for the group as a whole?”
Farmers prefer pigs that gain a lot of weight, and aggressive piglets often eat more. But if dominant pigs get fat at the expense of the others, that might not provide a net gain.
If you remove aggressive pigs from the group, will social and passive pigs grow bigger and be more content? Researchers also wonder whether bold pigs are better equipped to deal with another sow’s aggression, or if a few dominant personalities improve social order.
“Right now, we’re just identifying the differences,” Horback says. “We need to see a lot more numbers before we can confidently say what personality traits, or mixture of traits, work best in a group.”
To assess a person’s personality, psychologists rely on self-reporting surveys like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Since Horback cannot interview the pigs, she puts them in situations that “let them show their true colors.”
Spunky, aggressive piglets squeal (loudly!) when held firmly by humans for one minute. Passive pigs do not squeal as much when handled, perhaps out of resignation. Sociable sows are the first to sniff their fellow pen mates, and they interact more easily with humans — snuffling at their boots and such.
Fearful pigs often freeze when they are isolated in a strange environment, which takes us back to the empty kiddie pool where piglet #3 is standing at the UC Davis Swine Facility. Piglet #3 is not overly vigilant — not pacing or frozen in place. Horback is also assessing how pigs respond to a novel object — in this case the blue, vibrating Bumble Ball she places in piglet #3’s makeshift pen. The toy bounces in unpredictable patterns and can lurch forward without warning, simulating a predatory attack.
“I try to make the experiments as ecologically relevant as possible,” Horback says. “It’s not as convincing as casting a stuffed badger into a colony of prairie dogs [as Horback did several years ago while working with Professor John Hoogland from the University of Maryland]. But it seems to work.”
Piglet #3 keeps a close watch on the Bumble Ball before sniffing it and rooting at the floor.
“Pigs love to root,” Horback says. “That shows she’s letting her guard down and exploring the environment. She’s coping with the isolation and Bumble Ball quite well!”
In addition to measuring personality traits, Horback will soon start testing piglets for “cognitive bias,” or mood, to see if certain personality traits correlate with “positive affective states,” or optimism. In previous research, Horback has seen evidence of a link between aggressive personalities and a positive mood.
“Are mean pigs happier?” she asks. “We don’t know yet, but we’re keeping an open mind. And checking our primate bias at the door.”
Sacramento, Calif., (June 20, 2017) – A departing upper-level trough early in the week left cooler air across parts of the State with a few lingering showers on Monday. Rainfall was mostly limited to Monday across the far northeastern corner of the State near Alturas, which received just over half an inch of rain on Monday. A few isolated sprinkles moistened parts of the central and northern Sierras on Monday, as well. This quickly gave way to a building mid-level ridge over the southwestern United States, which brought dry air and hot conditions to much of the State.
Temperatures rose dramatically last week, with very hot temperatures across nearly all parts of the State except perhaps the coastal northern areas. Very warm temperatures helped accelerate snowmelt in the mountains. Both Mt. Whitney in the south and Mt. Shasta in the north were still snowcapped on their peaks, with Mt. Shasta expected to remain so for some time. Snowcover elsewhere is now limited to a band about 40 miles wide between Tahoe and the Sequoia National Forest, at elevations above 8,000 feet. There was still eight feet of snowcover at these locations, with the area just north of Yosemite still estimated at six feet of snowcover.
Temperature highs were in the 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 80s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 40s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 50s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.
Silage corn planting was completed. Fields were being prepared and planted with summer beans, Sudan grass, and silage sorghum. Wheat harvest for grain was approaching completion. Small grains such as oats and barley were being cut and baled, or harvested for grain. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn planting continued and earlier planted fields were growing well, with some developing tassels. Cotton was being irrigated and growing well.
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums continue to be harvested. Some orchard floors were lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Grapevines continued to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color. Kiwi fruit were thinned. Cherry harvest was wrapping up for the season. Navel orange harvest was nearly complete. Valencia orange harvest continued. Grapefruit harvest was drawing to a close. Old citrus trees were being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Since bloom was complete for seedless tangerines, removal of the protective netting began.
Weed control in almond orchards was ongoing. Pistachio, walnut, and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Mechanical and chemical weed control operations continued in nut orchards.
In Colusa County, row crops such as tomatoes were growing at a fast pace. In San Joaquin County, tomatoes and sweet corn were growing well. Summer vegetables were harvested and offered for sale at local Farmer’s markets. Field ground preparation and planting of crops continued. In Fresno County, tomatoes were kept fresh by continual irrigation. Red onions, carrots, and peppers were harvested. Onions for seed were irrigated. In Tulare County, summer vegetables were harvested and shipped domestically. Italian squash, peppers, and cucumbers were harvested. Eggplant and tomatoes continued to grow and mature. In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested. Some growers reported exceptional yields. Dehydrated onions were harvested and shipped out of the valley for processing. Large insect activity was reported in onion fields.
As the summer heat dries out the grasses and forbs, range and dryland pasture forage quality began to deteriorate. Foothill range and valley dryland pasture was in fair to very poor condition. Some cattle were moved to higher elevation range. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in vegetable fields.
Davis, Calif., (June 20, 2017) – A 4-H sheep or goat project has something in common with ranchers raising animals for a living. In both cases, one objective is profit.
“Profit is not a dirty word,” said Dan Macon, UC Cooperative Extension assistant specialist in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. “How many of you are using fair animals to save for college or buy a car? You’re in business.”
More than 100 participants – mostly 4-H members and their families – took part in the UC Cooperative Extension Sheep and Goat Workshop.
Macon spoke at a Sheep and Goat Workshop in Hollister for 4-H members, FFA students and local sheep and goat producers, organized by UC Cooperative Extension livestock and natural resources advisor Devii Rao. About 30 of the workshop participants represented the industry, 70 were young producers and family.
Macon discussed the direct and indirect costs of rearing animals, the optimal timing for breeding so lambs and kids will be weaned when grass is naturally abundant, and tactics for protecting sheep from predators.
“I call this, ‘Big dogs, hot fences and fast sheep,’” Macon said. “Someday I’m going to write a country song with that title.”
The big dogs are guardian animals that are not socialized to humans, but rather kept with sheep from the time they are tiny puppies. Donkeys and llamas can be effective guardians if the predators are coyotes and dogs.
UCCE advisor Roger Ingram covered the opportunity to manage rangeland with a flock of sheep or herd of goats. The concept is “targeted grazing.”
“Think of yourselves as grass and brush farmers with four-legged combines to harvest,” Ingram said.
He advised animal caregivers to learn to identify plants, as some are good for the animals, and some are not. For example, poison hemlock and milk weed are problem plants for certain animals.
Ten-year-old 4-H member Cody Watson attended the workshop with his grandmother Susan Gardner.
“Raising animals teaches responsibility and accountability,” Gardner said. “The kids learn where food comes from.”
Raising animals is fun, and teaches children responsibility and accountability.
Gardner was a 4-H member as a child, but when her children were growing up, she didn’t have the income for property to house animals.
This isn’t a problem for 4-H youth in San Benito County. A 4-H barn sits close to downtown where kids can keep animals in exchange for working on the facility’s upkeep. That’s where 4-H member Marisa Tobia keeps her lambs and swine.
“It’s fun,” Tobia said. “I’m there with all my friends.”
Ever heard of the Gold Standards for raising dairy calves and heifers? If you are in the business of raising future dairy producing cows, watch this brief interview with Bob James from the Dairy Calf & Heifer Association as he talks about their industry Gold Standards.
