The Impact of Better Forage Conditions

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

 

With the growing season well under way, pasture and range conditions in the U.S. are generally good.  Nationwide, just eight percent of range and pasture is rated very poor, with 14 percent rated poor.  According to the Drought Monitor, there is less drought in the country than anytime since April 2020.  Several important beef cow areas continue to experience drought including much of Kansas, much of New Mexico, Arizona and southwest Texas, central and western Montana, and southern Florida.  Percentages of range and pasture reported as poor to very poor are highest in New Mexico (70 percent); Texas (38 percent), Florida (32 percent), Arizona (27 percent), Kansas (21 percent), and Montana (18 percent).

 

Most of Oklahoma has gotten rain in the past month, with some of the driest areas in the northwest and Panhandle receiving rain this past week.  Just seven percent of Oklahoma pasture and range is rated poor to very poor, with 57 percent rated good to excellent.  Hay harvest, along with winter wheat harvest is proceeding despite some interruptions due to recent rains. 

 

Better forage conditions remove one of the barriers to stabilizing and rebuilding the beef cow herd.  Cattle producers, in many cases, can begin retaining heifers…but are they?  What producers want to do at this point is unclear. Cattle producer expectations are influenced by several considerations.  Despite improved current forage conditions, the threat of rebuilding La Niña conditions later in the year is likely tempering some production plans.  Moreover, while higher calf prices provide incentives to increase calf production, it’s not clear that producers are yet reacting to long term profitability prospects (to retain heifers) as much as short-term revenue from selling more calves now.

 

I suspect some heifer retention is beginning but we will not have any direct data until next year because the July Cattle Inventory has been cancelled. Heifer slaughter data, along with quarterly heifer feedlot inventories will eventually show the impact of increased heifer retention.  However, current heifer slaughter reflects feedlot placement decisions made roughly six months ago and thus will indirectly reflect heifer retention only well after the fact.  Moreover, heifer slaughter data includes both beef and dairy heifers; and the dynamics of beef on dairy crossbreeding is likely confounding heifer slaughter data somewhat.  While it is possible that some yearling heifers from last year may be in development for breeding in 2024, it appears that if (when) heifer retention begins more earnestly this year, it will be with heifers from the current calf crop.  This could include some fall-born heifers being weaned now but is more likely to be spring calves weaned this fall.  Most of these heifer calves will not breed until 2025 and enter the herd in 2026.  

 

Regardless of whether heifer retention is beginning now, the beef cow herd is likely to be smaller yet on January 1, 2025, with limited (at best) herd growth prospects in 2026.  The question of when heifer retention begins is important in two respects.  First, heifer retention will further squeeze feeder supplies and push feeder cattle prices higher.  That is likely to happen later this year.  Secondly, the longer it takes to start heifer retention, the longer the industry will continue to see reduced cattle inventories, smaller beef production, and high average cattle and beef price levels.

 

Gene Editing in Beef Cattle

Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist

 

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a powerful tool for editing genomes. It allows researchers to easily alter DNA sequences and modify gene function. These “intended alterations” accomplished through editing are another potential tool in the tool box of cattle breeders. This technology is primarily useful for simply inherited traits (influenced at one locus of the genome).

 

CRISPR technology has many potential applications that facilitate sustainability, animal welfare and efficiency. These include:

• The opportunity to repair deleterious genetic conditions
• The opportunity to introduce naturally occurring useful alleles into breed germplasm. Specifically, to potentially bring a useful gene from one breed to another breed.
• Introduce traits that change sex ratio of heifers versus bulls.
• Enable breeding schemes to accelerate genetic progress
• Gene edits for disease resistance

 

As of now, the successful gene edits accomplished in cattle include:

• The first gene edited beef calf with reduced susceptibility to a major viral pathogen, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV)
• Knock out of the Myostatin gene to increase lean muscle yield
• Intraspecies Polled allele substitution
• Intraspecies Slick hair allele and gene for diluted coat color to improve heat tolerance

 

The use of this technology in the United States beef industry likely hinges on the regulatory framework imposed. On a global basis, this varies dramatically from country to country. The future of genome editing will likely be governed by the development of a fit-for-purpose, risk-based regulatory framework that fosters innovation, supports trade, creates profit potential and promotes public acceptance. 

 

Reference: Blueprint For The Future – Part 2 Cattle Conference. The Evolution of Technology, Successful Gene Edits, How It Works and the Approval Process Panel Discussion. May, 2024  

 

Theileria orientalis Ikeda: An Emerging Risk in Cattle

Rosslyn Biggs, DVM,OSU College of Veterinary Medicine, State Beef Cattle Extension Specialist

 

Cattle producers and veterinarians continue to fight anaplasmosis in herds across the United States. However, a new emerging infection may pose a similar if not greater threat. Theileria orientalis Ikeda is a tickborne infection, and when identified in United States herds has been associated with the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, a relatively new tick species for the United States. T. orientalis Ikeda has caused major economic losses in Asia, New Zealand, and Australia primarily as a result of deaths or illness in beef and dairy cattle and other associated production losses. Fortunately, T. orientalis Ikeda poses no known human health risks. Neither the tick nor T. orientalis Ikeda has been identified in Oklahoma at this time.

 

As T. orientalis Ikeda invades the red and white blood cells of cattle, it creates clinical signs of disease like those of anaplasmosis including anemia, jaundice, weakness, and even death. Cattle are believed to become infected within three weeks after turnout in pastures with ticks carrying the agent. Signs as previously mentioned appear similarly to those of anaplasmosis including fever, anemia, pale mucous membranes, weakness, and loss of appetite. As the disease progresses, excitement, jaundice, incoordination, and death may be seen. Abortions and retained placentas may also increase. Unlike anaplasmosis which is most often seen in older cattle T. orientalis Ikeda is seen in both young and adult animals with death rates of 5% especially in calves and pregnant heifers.

 

Diagnosis of T. orientalis Ikeda typically involves blood testing. At this time, there is no approved treatment for the agent. Prevention of infection focuses on tick and other vector control on cattle and in the environment. Additionally, the organism has the potential to be spread through the use of contaminated needles so appropriate biosecurity measures should be taken.

 

Producers and veterinarians should monitor cattle closely for ticks and signs consistent with T. orientalis Ikeda infection. As this is an emerging disease, producers and their veterinarians are encouraged to report any unusual species of ticks or signs of disease in cattle to their State Veterinarian.