Range Beef Cow Symposium
Range Beef Cow Symposium
November 18-20, 2019 • Mitchell Event Center • Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds • Mitchell, Neb.

Schedule

All events hosted at the Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds, Mitchell, Neb., unless otherwise noted.
Monday, Nov. 18 — BQA Event
1:00 p.m. Registration ($20)
1:30 p.m. BQA Introduction: Importance, NBQA finding, VCPR, recordkeeping, feeding and VFD, employee safety and training, biosecurity
2:00 p.m. BQA Rotation (30 minutes each)
  • Chute Side — Proper injection site; proper injection technique (syringes); proper implanting and handling implants
  • Trailer Walk Around (new and possibly used) — Gross weights and ratings; tools on board, trailer inspection safety and operation; loading recommendations bumper stickers
  • Animal Health Product Handling and Storage (refrigerator and coolers) — proper temperatures and direct sunlight (vaccines and antimicrobials); cooler types (CattleVac, homemade, Merck, etc.); mixing and handling vaccines (read label instruction); modified-live product (use: 1 hour, not carried over); BQA thermometers
  • Fitness for Transport and Euthanasia — Compromised animals evaluation and movement; protocol, proper location and equipment; handling and disposal of euthanized; posters
4:00 p.m. Ron Gill — Stockmanship Demo (live cattle) Processing and Branding;
Sorting; rope, drag, wrestling; processing alley and chutes
6:00 p.m. BQA Wrap-up and Certification Paperwork and quiz; BQA assessment
6:30 p.m. Done
Tuesday, Nov. 19 — Range Beef Cow Symposium
8:45 a.m. Welcome — Karla Wilke, University of Nebraska
9:00 a.m. Underutilization of Technology — Ken Olson, South Dakota State University
9:30 a.m.; Implementing Profitable Reproductive Technologies — Julie Walker, South Dakota State University
10:00 a.m. AI: When Does It Pay? — John Hall, University of Idaho
10:30 a.m. BREAK
11:00 a.m. Benefits of crossbreeding in the commercial herd — Benton Glaze, University of Idaho
11:30 a.m. Alternative Meats and Alternative Statistics: What Do the Data Say? — Alison Van Eenennaam, University of California–Davis
12:15 a.m. LUNCH
1:30 p.m. BREAKOUT SESSIONS
  • How to Take, Preserve and Ship Samples for DNA, BVD or Pregnancy Testing — Kelly Heath, DVM
  • Feed Samples and Reading Feed Analysis, and Mineral tag — Janna Block
  • Cowpieology: Does NUTBAL Work? — Adele Harty and Jay Jenkins
  • Visit Vendors
3:00 p.m. BREAK
3:30 p.m. Marketing Outlook — Jim Robb, Livestock Marketing Information Center
4:10 p.m. The Future of Your Ranch, the Future of Your Vision — Bethany Johnston, Ranch Transition Task Manager, Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition
4:40 p.m. How the RA Brown Ranch Kept the Ranch in the Family — Donnell and Kelli Brown, RA Brown Ranch, Throckmorton, Texas
6:30 p.m. Dinner and Bull Pen Sessions at the Gering Civic Center, 1050 M St., Gering, Neb.
Wednesday, Nov. 20 — Range Beef Cow Symposium
8:20 a.m. Trade Update — Greg Ibach, undersecretery of agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs
9:00 a.m. Cow Lease — Cash vs. Shares: Determining What is Fair — Aaron Berger, University of Nebraska
9:30 a.m. Adding Value to Our Product: Cow-calf, Feedlot and Meat Science Perspectives — Britton Blair, Paul Dykstra, Gary Darnall, moderated by Amanda Blair
10:10 a.m. BREAK
10:30 a.m. Hedging, Marketing, Risk Management: Who Do You Talk To? — Wacey Kirkpatrick
11:00 a.m. Utilizing Technology to Better Understand Cattle Grazing Dynamics — Mitch Stephenson
11:30 a.m. Ways to Dare to be Different — Vern Terrill
NOON LUNCH
1:15 p.m. PAP EPDs for Cow-calf Producers — Scott Speidel, Colorado State University
1:45 p.m. Maternal Influences on the Calf Rumen Microbiome and Subsequent Impacts on Performance and Efficiency — Hannah Cunningham, UW feed efficiency
2:15 p.m. Colostrum, Vaccines and Setting Up the Newborn for Success — Brian Vander Ley
2:45 p.m. Demonstration of Using Dogs to Move Cattle — Juan Reyes
4:00 p.m. BREAK OUT SESSIONS
  • ET Demo, Recips as a Profit Center, Live Demo of Good Recips — Jaclyn Wilson and Scott Lake
  • Correcting Malpresentation at Calving — Caitlin Wiley
  • How To Do Your Homework Before the Bull Sale Starts: EPDs, Goals, and How's He Look — Caleb Boardman
  • Visit Vendors
6:20 p.m. DONE
7:00 p.m. Dinner and Bull Pen Sessions at Gering Civic Center, Gering, Neb.