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 www.NALF.org North American (303) 220-1693 |
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NALF News Thirty herds joined the Limousin Inventory Management System (LIMS) from Feb. 16, 2007, to Feb. 15, 2008. The total number enrolled in the whole-herd data-reporting system now stands at 138, representing 10,388 spring-calving and 2,699 fall-calving cows. Active North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) members may conduct business using the Web-based LIMS. Participants pay an annual fee of $15 per active cow and, in turn, can record, register and transfer her calf for that birth year. That is a $12 per calf savings compared to the least expensive registration and transfer fees. LIMS participants also contribute more complete and comprehensive production information that leads to better expected progeny differences (EPDs). Find the LIMS sign-up page in the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site. You must enroll fall-calving cows by July 15. Enrollments for spring-calving cows are due Feb. 15. Between Jan. 1 and March 1, Limousin breeders listed more than 750 bulls for sale by either private treaty or public auction on the Limousin Exchange Bull Listing Service. At that pace, they will best the 1,105 bulls listed in 2007. Breeders can add bulls via the secured, members-only portion of the NALF Web site. Once logged in, click the “List Bulls for Sale” link. The service is virtually free because NALF credits the $5 listing fees toward the bulls’ eventual transfers. NALF directs bull buyers to the Limousin Exchange through its advertising and staff members’ personal contacts. Once on the NALF home page, potential customers can search for herd-sire prospects by clicking the “Bull Listing Service” link. They can identify their selection criteria to obtain information about matching bulls then sort the results by specific traits. The NALF Board of Directors will gather for its spring meeting April 15–16 in Denver, Colo. Contact any Board member or Kent Andersen in the NALF office to suggest agenda items. Breeders must parent-verify artificial-insemination (AI) sires and sire-verify donor dams via DNA 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 NALF Web site’s EPD and pedigree lookup. If you use GenMARK to conduct DNA tests for coat color, provide the laboratory with the animals’ complete registration numbers or tattoos. It is impossible for NALF to record their test results without complete identifications. State and regional association leaders need to notify NALF after their elections. Those updates are the basis for the Web site’s state contacts, and they ensure all information – including that regarding cooperative marketing, junior activities and news releases – gets to the correct people. If you do not have one, request an update form from the NALF office. Start planning for this summer’s junior events.
The South Dakota and Minnesota associations will host the “Trail to Excellence” 2008 NJLSC. The Sheraton Hotel in Sioux Falls will be the headquarters. For reservations, call (605) 331-0100 or visit www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/NALJA on the Web. The overflow hotels are the Ramada Inn, (605) 336-1020, or the Sleep Inn, (605) 339-3992. Find the 2008 NJLSC schedule in the “Juniors” section of the NALF Web site. North American Limousin Junior Association (NALJA) members soon should receive the summer edition of NALJA News, containing more show information and entry forms. At the 2008 NJLSC, juniors will have a new opportunity to exhibit Lim‑Flex® bulls. To qualify, junior exhibitors must have bred and own the bulls, which must have purple registration papers from NALF. All NALJA members 17 years or older may apply for the board of directors if they will not turn 23 during the two-year term. Active members entering their freshman or sophomore years at four-year academic institutions and majoring in animal science or closely related fields may apply for the prestigious $500 Leonard and Vi Wulf Scholarship. Hands-on experience with Limousin cattle, proven excellence and leadership, and effective goal setting could earn $750 Awards of Excellence for up to three NALJA members. Applicants must have been 19 to 21 years old on Jan. 1, 2008, and be in good standing with NALJA. They also must be active in some segment of the beef industry or enrolled in an ag major in college. Previous recipients may not reapply. The “Juniors” section of the NALF Web site offers all three applications and more information about each one, or contact Kate Maher in the NALF office. They are due May 15. NALJA members have until 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 Susan Carmichael, (859) 328-7355, or Norma Davis, (325) 784-5071. State grant applications also are due to the Limi Boosters by May 15. Those grants help state associations defer the costs of junior events. Contact Carmichael with questions. All Limi Boosters applications are available on the NALF Web site. Complete, accurate data collection and reporting are fundamental to keeping your production information and the entire Limousin herdbook as informative as possible. And it is best to start with a current herd inventory. Online recording and LIMS are available through the secured, members-only portion of the Web site. Record cattle; update your herd inventory; and submit performance data with Web-based tools that mimic the traditional forms’ familiar configurations. If you prefer to put pencil to paper, request your free, preprinted registration applications, which list all active cows in your inventory. Either way, for your data to be included in the next genetic evaluation, you must submit it error-free by June 15. Among the many reasons to transfer ownership of the bulls you sell is the quarterly Bottom Line newsletter, which goes to all commercial producers who have had bulls transferred to them in the last three years. Besides each issue’s current information about the Limousin breed and its role in the beef industry, the mailing panel credits you – the seller – for activating the “subscription.” When transferring animals, be sure to include buyers’ full names and addresses. Complete information guarantees they receive the Bottom Line and ensures NALF can process the transfers correctly. The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) annual meeting and research symposium is North America’s leading forum for discussing genetic evaluation and improvement. This year’s “Beef Beyond Borders” conference will be in Calgary, Alberta, June 30–July 3. Organizers expect more than 500 attendees. Visit www.canadianbeefbreeds.com on the Web for program details, online registration and hotel reservations.
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