Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The Montana Beef Network has three primary objectives: educational programs aimed at provided research-based information and meeting BQA standards; certification of beef producers through standardized BQA educational protocols; and information feedback from the feedlot and packing plant to the cow-calf producer showing if the calves met industry requirements for quality, consistency, and red meat yield. Funding was used to increase the footprint of BQA in Montana. County agents were trained to provide this educational program to producers at the local level. The training has been presented to over 3,000 producers in the state and more than 1300 are currently certified. With the completion of the new manual over 500 producers have gone on-line and renewed their certification. Producers can certify through a class, written material, or on-line format using the Internet. Additional projects which were implemented include: One to two day short course, in which issues pertinent to the beef industry are presented. The programs were called Montana Beef University or Montana Livestock Forum. The Montana Livestock Forum for 2007 focused on the energy issue and the 2008 forum was centered on conventional and natural beef. Through BQA programming, MBN personnel conducted approximately 650 personal conversations or telephone conversations with individual beef producers and food animal veterinarians to assess risk for livestock disease and outline animal management protocol to address the assessed risk of disease.BQA personnel held approximately 40 public meetings, seminars and workshops with beef producers and veterinarians to assess risk for livestock disease and management protocol to address the assessed risk of disease. Emphasis during 2006-2007 was placed on demonstrating new technologies for identification and traceability of cattle born in Montana but harvested in the Midwest. The cattle certification and tracking component of the project has used the grant funds for electronic identification tags for producers and to secure the feedlot and carcass data on the calves. The difficulty in convincing all the various segments of the beef industry to cooperate has resulted in a less than desirable rate of return of carcass data. Changes were made to the program to improve rate of data return by working more closely with the feedlot managers to make certain that we receive carcass data. The data captured throughout the process is summarized and explained to the producer to show how they might modify their breeding or management practices to improve the quality of their product. This is done by uploading captured data to a data management service and returning data back to the ranch. Research has been conducted to help producers add value to their beef cattle through changes in their nutrition management, health management, or marketing management protocols. . A study on the readability of thirteen different electronic ear tags and three different panel readers was initiated. The results of this study have demonstrated that it is possible to read the tags at the speed of commerce. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The Montana Beef Network (MBN) is a producer-driven partnership between the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Montana State University, and uses a systems approach to help producer's market consistent, source and process-verified feeder cattle and establish an information network to provide production feedback. The Network also utilizes its resources to undertake research and educational issues that are of concern to Montana beef producers. One very visible consumer and producer concern about beef is food safety. It has become a concern for the beef industry at all production levels. Beef producers must address methods to improve and document ranch biosecurity and biocontainment protocols to prevent food safety events and thus, irreparable harm to beef's market share. Utilizing the processes and organizational structure developed by the Montana Beef Network, the proposed research and educational programs will continue to develop an animal identification and traceability system to address the animal health, biosecurity, and food safety concerns expressed by producers and consumers. The beef industry has become more consumer-focused and specific quality and consistency targets are being established in all segments of the industry. To satisfy customer concerns over food safety and quality and return additional revenue to cattle producers, a systems network has been put into place to ensure that a quality and consistent product is being produced. Central to this networking approach is the rapid exchange of information between the producer and the end user (feedlot, packing plant). This systems approach for information exchange is the foundation of the Montana Beef Network. The decision was made that beef quality assurance was a valid approach to take to reach the Montana cow-cal producer. County agents became the trainers in conjunction with the MBN team. Programs were put on, to include hands on chute side training as well as classroom education on nutrition, genetics, record keeping, etc. As part of the BQA certification process, livestock producers who desire to enter into the Montana Beef Network are presented with the guidelines to follow for certification of their weaned/feeder calves prior to marketing. The main emphasis of this certification is documentation of calf age, origin, and health protocols due to recent requirements of domestic consumers and international export markets. Cattle certification resulted in a total of 255,151 head of cattle tagged since the beginning of the project in 1999. Results of feedlot performance and information feedback to the cow-calf producer are being continually provided to the rancher as soon as animals are harvested and data is returned to the MBN A study was initiated on the readability of thirteen different electronic ear tags and three different panel readers. The results of this study have demonstrated that it is possible to read the tags at the speed of commerce. This study is on-going to determine the retainability of these tags in ranching situations at three different locations in the state
Publications
- Paterson, J.A. 2007. Why should I keep cowherd records Because they add value Proc. Applied Repro Strategies in Beef Cattle, Sept 11 and 12, Billings, MT Sept 11 and 12, Billings, MT.
- Wallace, L., J.A. Paterson, A. Kellom, R. Clark and M. harbac. 2007. Readability of thirteen different RFID ear tags by three different multi-panel reader systems for use in beef cattle. Proceedings of the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Scientists. Volume 58.
- Paterson, J. 2007. The Safety of Beef. The Handbook of Bef Safety and Quality (Deb Vanoverbeck, ed) Oklahoma State University Press.
- Standley, T.T., J.A. Paterson, K.D. Skinner, B. Rainey, A.J. Roberts, T. Geary, G. SMith and R. White. 2007. the use of an experimental vaccine in gestating beef cows to reduce the shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the newborn calf. Professional Animal Scientist.
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Progress 09/01/05 to 09/01/06
Outputs
Beef Quality Assurance education and certification of Montana producers was and continues to be an ongoing project for the Montana Beef Network. Educational programs on a variety of topics, such as the National Animal Identification System, registering premises, Beef Quality Assurance practices, beef cattle marketing, and ranch management issues, were offered throughout the state by one-on-one producer interactions, in local meetings, via interactive television technology, through newsletters and newspaper stories, and through large state-wide meetings. MBN staff members assisted producers with tag application and data collection for source, age, and process verification through on-site visits. The Montana Beef Network staff are working closely with state officials to determine the impact of premises registration, animal identification, and animal movement tracking on the livestock industry in Montana. A long term tag retention study continues that will evaluate the
retention and readability of different radio frequency tags placed in a large cow herds and also readability at livestock markets.
Impacts
The fourteen hands-on identification programs were well received by producers. Producers who source and age verified calves through the Montana Beef Network are pleased with the premiums received. MBN observes a large amount of interest due to age and source verification and the potential of export markets. We continue with a focus on voluntary marketing options and added value versus the mandatory national identification system.
Publications
- W.T. Choat, J.A. Paterson, B.M. Rainey, M.C. King, G.C. Smith, K.E. Belk and R.J. Lipsey 2006. The effects of cattle sex on carcass characteristics and longissimus palatability. Journal of Animal Sciences 2006 84:1820.
- B. M. Rainey, J. A. Paterson, R.J. Lipsey and M.C. King. 2006. Effects of beef cattle age and barley grain processing methods on rate and efficientcy of gain and nutrient digestibilities. Prof Animal Science 22(2006) 236-244.
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