Partners                                       August 16, 2004

Working together for efficient production of lean, healthy beef.

 

In this issue…

Board meets this week

State fair frenzy

Proven Sire Trait Leaders and Focus Dams now available

Got milk EPDs?

Western Regional Exposition Limousin Junior Show results

Gotta be there

Taste test

 

 

Board meets this week

The NALF board of directors is meeting this week from Aug.18-20 in Denver, Colo. If you have any last-minute requests or opinions you would like to voice, please contact a board member before Wednesday. As Aug. 31 is the end of the NALF fiscal year, budgets for the past year will be reviewed and dollars for the upcoming year will be divvied up.  On the genetic evaluation side, prototype EPDs for Yield Grade and Percent Retail Product will be discussed, as well as Multi-Trait Economic Indexes. In addition, the board will review current parentage verification rules, policies and procedures. Plans for the Visions symposium, which is scheduled for Dec. 2-4, 2004 in Ft. Collins, Colo., will also be outlined.

 

 

State fair frenzy

With state fair season upon us, NALF would like to remind you that a variety of promotional merchandise is available, including, pens, magnets, decals, caps, wind shirts and vests. If you would like to order any of these items, or receive Visions 2004 Symposium buttons for distribution, please call Erica at 303/220-1693.

 

 

Proven Sire Trait Leaders and Focus Dams now available

 

You can now view the Fall 2004 Proven Sire Trait Leaders and Focus Dams under the Programs button on the NALF web site. 

 

In order to be recognized as a trait leader, sires were required to have:

1)      sired at least one calf born on or after January 1, 2001

2)      a birth weight and weaning weight accuracy of .50 or higher

3)      an accuracy of .50 or higher for the trait in which leader status was designated

 

To be listed as trait leader, sires also had to meet certain EPD requirements for that particular trait:

 

            Calving Ease Direct, greater than 11

            Birth Weight, less than -0.6

            Weaning Weight, greater than 52

            Yearling Weight, greater than 79

            Milking Ability, greater than 23

            Calving Ease Maternal, greater than 7

            Scrotal Circumference, greater than 0.4

            Stayability, greater than 19

            Docility, greater than 23

            Carcass Weight, greater than 24

            Ribeye Area, greater than 0.28

            Marbling Score, greater than 0.05

 

Focus Dams had to meet three basic qualifications:

1)      Complete production histories, measured by the number of calves reported to NALF with weaning data

2)      Minimum reproductive requirements, measured by maximum age at last calving

3)      Superior ability to produced pounds of weaned calf, measured by a MPPA of 105 and higher

 

Because it becomes increasingly difficult for older calves to achieve the Focus Dam designation, dams with six or more calves are called Proven Focus Dams, while those with three through five are called Prospect Focus Dams.

 

Because the Proven Sire Trait Leader and Focus Dam lists are in PDF format, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open them.

 

 

Got milk EPDs?

 

Because of changes in the University of Georgia’s accuracy calculation, accuracies for some animals dropped from a numeric value last spring to a P or P+ this fall.  This was especially true for milk EPDs on animals with no daughters in production. 

 

Although the change generally was not problematic, some animals did not get a milk EPD because of a rule in the NALF Member’s Manual regarding computation of interim EPDs.  We have since modified the rule for computing interim EPDs to read as follows: 

 

In order for an animal to have an EPD for any trait other than milk computed with P or P+ accuracy, either its parents (sire and dam) or its sire and maternal grandparents must have EPDs with numeric accuracy. In order for an animal to have a milk EPD computed with P or P+ accuracy, either its parents (sire and dam) or its sire and maternal grandparents may have EPDs with numeric, P or P+ accuracy.

 

We enacted this modification after the new EPDs were put into production.  If you received performance certificates, whole herd EPD reports, dam summaries or data downloads between July 21 and August 4, please make sure your animals have milk EPDs.  If they don’t, please contact the NALF office to receive an updated report.

 

 

Western Regional Exposition Limousin Junior Show results

 

Bruce Lawrence of Anton, Texas officiated over 32 head of cattle from five states that were exhibited at the Western Regional Junior Show in Winnemucca, Nev.

 

Lance Bierlink led out the Grand Champion Steer with a 1350-pound son of Wulf’s Rambler.

 

In the Bred-and-Owned Show, Grand Champion Bull went to SRWC Night Watchman, a 12/18/03 son of MAGS Kaptain America, shown by Shane Waldemar, Lynden, Wash. The Reserve Champion Bred-and-Owned Bull, MNM Never Ending Summer, is a 9/8/03 son of Wulf’s Guardian, bred-and-owned by Meghan Hauck, Wheatland, Calif. Meghan also brought out the Grand Champion Bred-and-Owned Female, MNM Nibbles, a 9/1/03 daughter of COLE Wulf Hunt. The reserve champion female was CSFM Natasha, a 9/19/03 daughter of MAGS Kaboom owned by Chad Stevens, Selah, Wash.

 

In the junior female show, Mindin Ferguson of Wheatland, Calif. exhibited the Grand Champion Female with EXLR Elba 514N. Elba is a 9/8/03 daughter of AUTO Black Dakota. Reserve Champion Female went to MAGS Napella, a 1/10/03 daughter of Anders Jag, owned by Brittany Barton of Jarrell, Texas.

 

The Best Pair of Heifers was shown by Mindin Ferguson.

 

In the showmanship competition, Meagan Millerberg, Draper, Utah, won the junior division. Chad Stevens took the intermediate contest and Shane Waldemar, Lynden, Wash., was the champion senior showperson.

 

Gene Raymond of Garnett, Kansas judged the open show. Results were as follows:

            Grand Champion Bull ­– MAGS Norbert, 5/11/03 son of MDRC TUBB Lucky

Strike, owned by Magness Land and Cattle, Platteville, Colo.

            Reserve Champion Bull – EF Mainstay, 9/20/02 son of AUTO Black Dakota,

owned by Etherton Farms, Express Ranches, Magness Land and Cattle

            Grand Champion Female – JBRH Sheza Looker, 9/25/01 daughter of EXLR

Dakota with 1/16/04 heifer calf by JCL Baxter at side. The pair is owned by Magness and JB Ranch.

            Reserve Champion Female – MAGS Nepal, 1/11/03 daughter of AUTO Black

Dakota, owned by Magness Land and Cattle

 

 

Gotta be there

 

August 21—Alabama Limousin Association Field Day, Auburn University

August 28—Limousin Breeders of the Carolinas Annual Fall Sale, Anderson, SC

August 28—Elmgrove & Friends Summer Sell-A-Bration, Listowel, ON, Canada

September 4—Seedstock Showcase Sale, Burbank, OH

September 11—Gold Rush Sale, Bay Minette, AL

September 12—East Central Oklahoma Limousin Assn. Sale, Seminole, OK

September 18—Arkansas State Sale, Ozark, AR

September 18—Dogwood Farms Production Sale, Axton, VA

September 19—Midwest Select Sale, La Monte, MO

September 25—Florida Jr. Field Day, Okeechobee, Fl., Okeechobee County Agri

Civic Center

September 25—Bluegrass Spectacular Sale, Mt. Sterling, KY

September 26—Heart of Oklahoma Limousin Assn. Fall Sale, Shawnee, OK

 

 

Taste test

Courtesy of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

 

Cheese "Steak" Pizza

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1

pound ground beef

1

small onion, sliced thin, separated into rings

1

small green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

3/4

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

1

package (16 ounces) thick prebaked pizza crust (12-inch)

2

cups shredded mozzarella cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

 

1.

 

Heat oven to 400°F. Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 6 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until beef is not pink and vegetables are crisp-tender, breaking beef up into small crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with salt and pepper.

 

2.

 

Place pizza crust on baking sheet. Top with beef mixture, then cheese. Bake in 400°F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sooner Trailer – official trailer sponsor of NALF’s MOE program

When you purchase a Sooner trailer, Universal Trailer Corporation Horse/Livestock Group will donate $100 to the NALJA scholarship program as part of their sponsorship of NALF. Please remember to give Sooner your membership number when you buy a trailer to help support the juniors! If you bought a Sooner trailer in the last year, please call Laura Bodell at 303/220-1693.
 
              

 

 

 

 

We send you this newsletter because we believe you have a special interest in the success of the Limousin breed. To remove yourself from our list, email Wally and type “unsubscribe” in the email subject line.

 

The North American Limousin Foundation produces NALF Partners on a regular basis, and distributes NALF Partners to all NALF members with an active email address on file as well as a few other interested folks.

 

Laura Bodell, editor, laura@nalf.org. Have something to share? Click here to send your comments and news. Want to view back issues? Click here.