May 11, 2007

In this issue …
Many junior applications due Tuesday
Send your AALF entries soon
Limi Boosters about ready to award funds
Amarillo selected for ’09 NJLSC
‘Performance only’ fee going to $10
Next NALF election will continue trial process
Score a knockout in Round 3
Extend your marketing reach with sponsorships
Now it only takes 2 to coop
Look for new checkoff option on service-fee notices
Genetic evaluation nears
AI, ET calves’ parents need verifications
Polled, color tests made easier
MOE petitions, judges nominations due next month
Take advantage of early registration for BIF
What’s news?
Limousin sales, events

Tuesday, May 15, brings most of the year’s priority deadlines for North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA) members.

• National Junior Limousin Show and Congress (NJLSC) early entries
• NALJA Board of Directors applications
• Awards of Excellence applications
• Leonard and Vi Wulf Scholarship applications
• Limi Boosters Scholarship applications
• Limi Boosters Grant applications
• Limi Boosters State Grant applications

Find more information in the summer 2007 NALJA News, which is available in the “Juniors” section of the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Web site.

[back to top]

The All-American Limousin Futurity (AALF) will be Friday, July 27, in West Monroe, La., in conjunction with the NJLSC. In addition to the traditional Limousin open show, which is one of NALF’s four major Medal of Excellence (MOE) shows, this year’s event will include the fourth annual Lim‑Flex® show and the second annual special fullblood show.

The April issue of the Limousin World included the AALF entry form, or breeders may request one by contacting American Cattle Services (ACS) at (580) 597-3006. Entry forms and fees are due to ACS by Tuesday, May 15. Juniors, take note: Entry in the NJLSC does not enter you automatically in any of the AALF shows.

[back to top]

NALJA members have until Tuesday, May 15, to apply for scholarships and grants from the Limi Boosters, which is giving two $500 scholarships and one $500 grant. Anyone with questions should contact Donna Etherton at (217) 629-7650 or Norma Davis at (325) 784-5071.

State grant applications also are due to the Limi Boosters by Tuesday, May 15. Those grants are available to state associations to help defer the cost of state junior events. Contact Etherton with questions.

All Limi Boosters applications are available in the “Programs” and “Juniors” sections of the NALF Web site.

[back to top]

At its meetings last month, the NALF Board of Directors approved a recommendation from the NALJA Committee to designate Amarillo, Texas, as the site for the 2009 NJLSC. The show’s tentative dates are July 9–18. The Ambassador Hotel will be the headquarters hotel, with the show itself at the Tri-State Exposition complex.

[back to top]

The Board approved a measure from the Operations and Performance Programs Committee to increase the fee for “performance only” recordings to $10 per head effective July 1. The first adjustment to the fee since January 2000 is meant to put performance-only recording on more equitable footing with the Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS), which encourages reporting all data for all animals all of the time.

Breeders can credit their performance-only fees for unregistered animals recorded with NALF toward later registration.

[back to top]

To strengthen the election process for new directors, the Board approved three bylaws changes last June. They were put into effect for a one-year trial to enhance the nominations and voting processes. At its meetings last month, the Board voted to extend that trial through the next election cycle.

The changes address the structure of the Nominating Committee, at-large nominations and absentee ballots. The Board invites ongoing input from NALF members as it evaluates their effectiveness.

[back to top]

Upon a recommendation from the Commercial Marketing and Advertising Committee, the NALF Board approved a third round of the Visions Quest cattle-feeding and carcass-discovery project at the Colorado State University (CSU) Ag Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC) north of Fort Collins, Colo. NALF and CSU will need at least 300 head for the trial.

Enrollments are due to Bo Sexson in the NALF office by Sept. 1, and cattle owners will get credit on their feed bills for the nonrefundable $20 per head entry fee. NALF will attempt to coordinate trucking so the cattle arrive in early to mid-November.

Members-only webcasts to share lessons from the first two rounds of Visions Quest tentatively are scheduled for June 12 and Aug. 14. Watch Partners and the Limousin World for details.

[back to top]

To provide continuous marketing opportunities for its members and their partners in allied industry, NALF is offering three Internet-based sponsorship programs.

First, NALF will secure sponsors for future webcasts on DVAuction.com. For $1,000 per webcast, a sponsor will get recognition on DVAuction’s home page, in its e‑mailed daily announcement, during the webcast itself, in all advanced publicity and in the related materials archived on the NALF Web site. For more information about a webcast sponsorship, contact Frank Padilla in the NALF office.

Second, NALF will begin accepting sponsors for the Partners e‑newsletter. Starting in September, each issue will offer three sponsor spots. Two-month blocks for each spot will sell for $250 apiece on a “first come, first served” basis. For more information, contact Brad Parker in the NALF office.

Finally, NALF will offer sponsorship opportunities on its Web site. Beginning in October, two sponsor spots will be available for four-month blocks, which will sell via a “Country Auction” (similar to eBay) on DVAuction.com. Bidding will run from July 10 to Aug. 9, and bidder syndicates may include up to five entities. For more information, contact Parker.

More details will be in the June–July Limousin World, in future editions of Partners and on the NALF Web site soon.

[back to top]

Upon a recommendation from the Commercial Marketing and Advertising Committee, the NALF Board dropped the minimum number of members in a breeder advertising cooperative from four to two. The committee also suggested giving breeder and state coops the option of using the NALF trade dress (the red and black bulls) in their approved print advertising, and the Board approved that measure, too.

[back to top]

Starting with fiscal year (FY) 2006–2007, NALF members have had the option of contributing toward a national Limousin commercial marketing “checkoff” at time of registration. The Commercial Marketing and Advertising Committee will use the monies collected so far to increase circulation of the Bottom Line newsletter among prospective Limousin customers and to survey the commercial sector.

More than 130 NALF members have enrolled in the commercial marketing checkoff. Enrollment is easy – just contact the NALF office. You may change your checkoff-enrollment status at any time.

At its meetings last month, the NALF Board approved a proposal from the Membership and Seedstock Marketing Committee to increase the checkoff to $4 per head at time of registration. The 2007–2008 member service fee notices will provide members with an opportunity to join or re-enroll in the new checkoff.

[back to top]

The deadline to submit data for the next International Limousin Genetic Evaluation is June 15. To facilitate reporting, preprinted forms are available free of charge by calling the NALF office. Members also can use the online recording tools available in the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site.

Submitting data before the June 15 deadline is especially important for producers wanting expected progeny differences (EPDs) for Lim‑Flex cattle from Angus or Red Angus sires that have not been included in a previous Limousin genetic evaluation.

New EPDs will be available around Aug. 1. NALF will post the fall sire summary in the “Programs” section of its Web site in mid-August.

[back to top]

Remember the DNA-typing rules for all artificial-insemination (AI) sires.

• Sires born after Jan. 1, 2001, must have a DNA type on file and be parent-verified through either DNA- or blood-typing. If blood-typing is used, sires must have both DNA and blood types on file for their offspring to be eligible for registry.
• Sires born after Jan. 1, 2002, must have a DNA type on file and be parent-verified via DNA-typing, except in cases where a parent is dead and no sample is available for testing. Blood-typing then may be used.

All AI sires also must have protoporphyria (“proto”) genotypes on file at the NALF office. Offspring of an untested AI sire are ineligible for registration until testing determines his genotype.

Breeders must DNA-type and sire-verify donor dams before embryo-transfer (ET) calves can be parent-verified and registered. Before collecting and mailing samples from ET calves to MMI Genomics, contact the NALF office to verify the sires and dams have the proper tests and to obtain the case numbers, which also are available through the “Animal EPD Search” tool on the NALF Web site.

[back to top]

To ensure you receive results for coat-color and polled tests as quickly as possible, follow a few simple instructions.

• Provide your complete member name, address and member number on the sample-submission form.
• Use the complete registration number and tattoo exactly as they appear on NALF paperwork.
• Print all information clearly.

MMI Genomics runs color and polled tests every week. Samples must arrive at the laboratory by Tuesday to be included in that week’s testing. Results generally are available by Thursday of the next week (about nine days later).

The laboratory also is offering bundle and volume discounts. Bundle pricing for polled and color tests for the same animal is $132 – a nearly 10 percent savings. Breeders must request both tests when they submit samples to qualify for the discount.

When breeders submit 25 or more samples at once for the polled test, they will save $14 per sample. Contact the NALF office for information about additional savings when submitting 50 or more samples at once.

Note that MMI Genomics can run parentage, coat-color and polled tests for a single animal from one FTA card. Order sampling kits and instructions or request complete information about the MMI Genomics Breed-Tru™ tests from the NALF office.

[back to top]

State and regional associations can petition NALF for permission to host an MOE show. Association leaders have received petition forms, rules and approved-judges lists. If there is a local or state show you would like counted for MOE points, submit the petition form – which is available in the “Programs” section of the NALF Web site – by June 15.

The NALF Show Committee will accept nominations for the approved-judges list until June 30. Active annual and lifetime members can send them via mail, fax or e‑mail. Provide your member number or herd prefix and the nominee’s address and phone number. The Show Committee will vote on the nominees at its July meeting, which will be in conjunction with the NJLSC.

Direct all MOE questions to Lorrie Taylor in the NALF office.

[back to top]

The 2007 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Research Symposium and Meeting is June 6–9 at the Hilton Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colo. Early registrations are due Tuesday, May 15.

BIF was founded 40 years ago as a means to standardize programs and methodology and to create greater awareness, acceptance and usage of beef cattle performance concepts. This year’s meeting features opportunities for producer input on guiding the future of genetic evaluation and improvement of the U.S. beef herd and for learning about the field’s latest research findings and progress.

The meeting begins June 6 with a National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) symposium examining “40 Years of Beef AI.” The June 7 session begins at 8 a.m. with a look at BIF history before moving into the day’s focus of “Performance Programs at a Crossroads.”

The morning program on June 8 will follow the theme “Challenges to Conventional Wisdom.” Lunch and committee meetings will make up the afternoon program.

To learn more about the conference agenda and registration, visit the BIF Web site.

[back to top]

NALF has issued the following news release since the last issue of Partners:

• May 11 – Limousin Visions Quest Round 2 Passes 150-Day Mark

Limousin news releases are archived in the Web site’s “What’s New” section. NALF encourages its members to share them with their local news outlets.

[back to top]

May 12 – Fourth Annual All-Homozygous Limousin Sale and Milam Cattle Co. Mature Cow Herd Dispersion, Wellsville, KS
May 12 – 15th Annual Ohio Valley Limousin Ass’n Sale, Mineral Wells, WV
May 19 – Kervin–Hall–Coyote Hills Annual Limousin Female Sale, Chattanooga, OK
May 26 – Southern Exchange Sale, Harrodsburg, KY
June 2 – Minerich Land and Cattle Co. All-Pairs Sale, Richmond, KY
June 2–3 – Texas Field Day, Fort Worth, TX
June 8–9 – Heartland Regional Junior Show, Spencer, IA
June 9 – Ohio Valley Junior Limousin Show, Mineral Wells, WV
June 9 – Limousin Breeders Ass’n of the Carolinas Field Day, Clinton, SC
June 10 – Ohio Valley Open Limousin MOE Show, Mineral Wells, WV
June 15–16 – Oklahoma Field Day, Sand Springs, OK
June 15 – Western Limousin Expo Junior Limousin Show, Klamath Falls, OR
June 16 – Western Limousin Expo Open Limousin Show, Klamath Falls, OR
June 16 – Eastern Regional Junior Limousin Show, Murfreesboro, TN
June 17 – Southeast Summer Classic Open Limousin Show, Murfreesboro, TN
June 23–24 – Missouri Field Day, Montgomery City, MO