D2-Lancasttr Farming Saturday, November 1,1986
Pork Checkoff Begins Today
DES MOINES, lowa - The new
national legislative checkoff for
pork producers goes into effect
today. All U.S. pork producers are
now required to check off all
classes of swine at a rate of .25 of
one percent of gross value. For the
first time, importers of hogs and
pork products will also participate
in the checkoff.
The nation’s pork producers
have had a checkoff program in
operation for many years, but in
most states it has been voluntary.
Under the largely voluntary
program, about 40 percent of the
nation’s pork producers were not
checking off but were benefiting
from the various checkoff support
programs. Under the new
program, all U.S. pork producers,
as well as importers, are required
to invest their fair share in in
dustry programs and projects
through the checkoff.
The new checkoff is expected to
Franklin 4-H Beef Club Holds Sale
GREENCASTLE - “Julius” a
1,285 pound Angus-Chi crossbred
steer owned by Kurtis Meyers, 17,
of Greencastle was named the
grand champion steer at the 51st
annual Franklin County 4-H Baby
Beef Club’s sale. Julius was
purchased by Boss’s Steak and
Seafood House of Chambersburg
for $3 a pound. Hoss’s also bought
Dana Statler’s champion light
weight steer for $1.03 a pound.
They plan to donate this steer to
the Chambersburg Area High
School Band to be raffled off for the
band’s trip to Florida.
Reserve grand champion honors
went to Nicole Lebo, 14, of
Greencastle who showed a 1,230
pound Angus-Chi-Limonsin
crossbred steer named “Ollie.”
OUie sold for $2 a pound and was
purchased by Grove Technical
Training Center of Shady Grove.
Nicole also placed first in in
termediate fitting and showing.
The champion mediumweight
steer was shown by David Sheiss of
Chambersburg. This steer weighed
1,185 and was bought by Smith’s
Implements of Mercersburg for
$l.OB a pound. David also placed
first in novice fitting and showing.
Regina Lebo, Greencastle
showed a 1,325-pound steer to win
champion medium heavyweight
division title. This steer was
purchased by County Market of
Chambersburg for $1.41 a pound.
Regina too took first in fitting and
showing in the senior division and
was named the show’s champion
showman.
The heavyweight champion title
was won by Donnie Sheiss of
7 States Nominate Bulls To New York Test
ITHACA, N.Y. Sixty five beef
cattle breeders from seven states
have nominated their top young
herd bull prospects to the 1986-87
New York Bull Test.
The enrollment for this bull
“Class of ’B7” includes 40 Polled
Herefords, 26 Angus, 19 Sim
mentals, seven Charolais, three
Red Angus, two Limousins, one
Santa Gertrudis and one Salers.
The nominated bulls come from
herds in New York, Connecticut,
Maryland, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania' and Ver
mont
generate approximately $lB
million annually, compared to the
$lO million that has been collected
under the largely voluntary
program.
Under the new checkoff, hogs
are assessed only once in each
class (feeder pig, market hog or
seedstock). Generally, markets
(including packers and dealers)
are responsible for collecting the
checkoff, except in the cases of
seedstock and farm-to-farm sales.
In the case of seedstock, the seller
or breeder is required to remit the
checkoff. The new law requires the
buyer to remit' funds in farm-to
farm sales.
The new National Pork Board,
whose 15 members were officially
appointed earlier this month, will
have the responsibility of collec
ting the checkoff and deciding how
the funds will be dispersed. It is
expected that the board will
contract our specific projects and
Grand champion steer at the Franklin Co. 4-H Baby Beef
Sale was shown by Kurtis Meyers. Nicole Lebo had reserve.
Chambersburg with a 1,320 pound
steer. This steer was also pur
chased by County Market for $1.25
a pound. Donnie placed first in the
junior fitting and showing classes,
and was also named champion
fitter of the show.
Two highlights of the sale came
when two area businesses donated
the steers they had bought back to
the club to be resold with the
proceeds going to the club.
Roy Rogers Restaurant pur
chased Steve Clapsaddle’s 1,040
pound steer for 87 cents a pound
The 140-day uniform, unbiased
test program to measure and
evaluate the young bulls will be
conducted at Cornell’s Livestock
Teaching and Research Center at
Harford. The official test period
will begin Nov. 24 and end April 13.
programs to existing industry
organizations, including the
National Pork Producers Council.
The board is expected to hold its
first meeting in early November.
The new checkoff was designed
to generate additional funds for
promotion, research and consumer
information and that is where the
bulk of the new funds are expected
to go in order to provide the
greatest return for producers by
strengthening the position of pork
in the marketplace.
A referendum of all pork
producers will be held 24 to 30
months after the checkoff goes into
effect. Until that referendum, pork
producers will be entitled to a
refund upon request to the
National Pork Board. Refund
forms are available from the
National Pork Board, P.O. Box
9114, Des Moines, IA 50306, and
from state pork producer
association offices. Requests for
refunds will be honored until 30
days after the month of sale. If the
referendum is approved, no refund
will be offered from that point on.
The National Pork Board has the
primary responsibility of en
forcing the new checkoff. Failure
tumpij wirr .he collection
i equirements could result in fim'
of up to $l,OOO for each unreported
sale, and the payment of 1.5 per
cent interest per month on late
payments.
and resold it for the club for 81
cents a pound to the AC&T Com
pany of Hagerstown.
The second steer donated back
was purchased by Red Pensmger’s
State Farm Insurance Agency of
Greencastle. They- purchased
Darren Meyers’ 1,165 pound steer
for 84 cents a pound. This steer was
resold by the club to Hick’s
Chevrolet-Volvo for 79 cents a
pound.
The club had a very successful
sale with the steers averaging $l.ll
a pound.
The test program will conclude
with the annual Bull Test Sale May
Information about the Bull Test
may be obtained from William
Greene, 130 Morrison Hall, Cornell
University, Ithaca, N. Y. 14853.
The Value Of A Bull
Perhaps this is not the time of
year when most area cattlemen
consider their bull needs for the
1987 breeding season. But, maybe
it's a good time to plan ahead
considering the favorable outlook
of the beef cattle industry for the
next few years. Red meat supplies
are dropping, feed costs have
plummeted, interest rates are
lower, energy costs are lower, and
inflation remains at a lower level,
all positive factors for the cattle
feeding industry. The potential to
place a large number of animals on
feed is real and the preceding
factors will encourage cattle
feeders to competitively bid for
; i eder animals this fall and winter.
To take advantage of this upturn
in the cattle business, cow/calf
operators should be interested in
helping themselves from a genetic
standpoint, an opportunity to boost
their productivity by the use of
high quality bull power. Obviously
the use of artificial insemination
and the wide selections of sires
available from breeders and bull
studs would be an appropriate
approach to this genetic boost if
you select semen from bulls with
highly accurate EPD’s (expected
progeny difference) or EBV’s
(estimated breeding values).
It has been proven many times
the additional pounds you can add
to your weaned calf crop by going
this route. Most cattle are still sold
by the pound; it only makes sense
to take advantage of this lesson. By
using bulls with highly accurate
EPD’s or EBV’s you can also do
yourself a favor in selecting for
calving ease and maternal ability.
Not everyone utilizes A.I.
technology, and of those who do,
not everyone achieves 100 percent
success with conception. What
happens to all the cows who do
unsettled by A.I. or embryo
transplant? Must they be culled
from the herd? From a
management standpoint,
narrowing your breeding season
and limiting your calving season to
less than 90 days (less than 60 is
even better) makes sense
economically considering labor
savings, feed savings, and
marketing proficiency.
The need for a natural herd sire
becomes important in shortening
the calving season. Perhaps you
are achieving an 80 percent. A.I.
conception rate or are using
ASSUMPTIONS
1. Herd size- 60 commercial cows
2. Use 2 bulls- named “A” and "B”
3.95% calf crop
4. All calves are sold at 300 days of age
5. Use bulls for 6 years
6. Feeder calf price = $7O/cwt
7. Bull "A” sires calves that gain 2.0 pounds per day of
age
8. Bull “B" sires calves that gam 2.5 pounds per day of
age
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN RETURN TO THE
COMMERCIAL CATTLEMAN?
300daysx2 0# WDAx $.70/cv«t x2BralvesxC/, o
$70,560- return from bull “A"
300 days x 2.5# WDA x $.70/cwt x 28 calves x 6 years =
$88,220- return from bull "B”
THE SIMPLE DIFFERENCE IS $17,640
If 25% of the females are retained as replacements
the difference is $13,230.
natural herdsires exclusively. Is it
not also important to use high
quality bulls as natural herdsires?
Maybe your selection is limited as
compared to the selection of A.I.
sires, however by the use of sire
summaries and performance data
your choice of a natural herdsire
can be more scientific and ac
curate.
Consider that one major beef
breed association has just com
pleted a sire evaluation report
analyzing over 32,000 bulls. Their
final listing entails data from 1193
bulls currently in use in the United
States today, as well as, a list of
1298 young sires with EPD
projections. Surely from reports
like these a commercial cow/calf
producer should be able to make
some sound decisions when
selecting his next herdsire. Indeed,
you certainly want to consider
your bull prospect’s individual
performance and physical ap
pearance in your final analysis.
There are many good sons of
progeny proven bulls with stacked
pedigrees that can make a
financially positive difference for
you.
The following illustrations
should sell you on the use of sire
evaluation information. Fleetwood
Farms in Delaplane, Va. has
recorded weaning weights during a
13 year period from 1970-1983. An
average of 630 calves were bora
annually in this herd, with the
average weaning weights in
creasing from 346 pounds to 461
lbs. from 1970 to 1983. With the use
of A.I. and sire evaluation sum
maries, Fleetwood Farm invested
$23,639 in semen over a 12 year
period. Can this be money well
spent? By considering the in
creased value of the 1983 calf crop
over the 1970 group we can
calculate increased value as
$50,715. (Number of calves bom,
630, multiplied by the difference in
weaning weight, 115 lbs., times a
price per pound of 70 cents. Now
consider the following illustration
in regards to sample herd bulls
“A” and “B”.
hope all of this gives you
something to think about over the
winter and I hope you will do some
of your own research and
preparation before purchasing
your next herdsire. It can certainly
be economically positive!
THE WORTH OF A BULL