Six-part online North Region Beef Cattle Conference set for May

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Producers will find the North Region Beef Cattle Conference online beginning May 5, with six segments offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service North Region agents and specialists. The North Region covers District 1 and District 2, headquartered in Amarillo and Lubbock, respectively.

Each session will be held from 6-9 p.m. and will be delivered via ZOOM. There will be a one-time $10 fee per participant plus a $2.24 payment fee payable online. Registration is now open. Payment must be by credit or debit card or PayPal.

Upon registration, participants will receive email confirmation with additional instruction. Participants must register at least one hour prior to the first meeting they attend. After that, no additional fees will be charged.

The following is a list of event dates, speakers and topics:

Health and reproduction

Session 1, May 5:

 – Host Jody Bradford, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Carson County.

 – AgriLife Extension speakers: Tom Hairgrove, DVM., cattle veterinarian specialist, College Station; Jason Smith, Ph.D., beef cattle specialist, Amarillo; Bruce Carpenter, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Ft. Stockton; David Anderson, Ph.D., livestock economist, College Station; and Justin Benavidez, economist, Amarillo.

 – Topics: Reproductive development and herd health, economics of reproduction decisions.

 Session 2, May 7:

 – Host: Derek Williamson, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Armstrong County.

 – AgriLife Extension speakers: Smith; Joseph Zotter, Texas Wildlife Services, wildlife biologist, Canyon; Anderson and Benavidez.

 – Topics: Keep/cull decisions, body condition scores, predator issues, economics.

 Nutrition and supplementation

 Session 3, May 12

 – Host: Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Floyd County.

 – AgriLife Extension speakers: Smith, Anderson and Benavidez.

 – Topics: Nutrient requirements and forage value, economics.

Forage health and grazing considerations

Session 4, May 19

 – Host: Andy Hart, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Hale County,

 – AgriLife Extension speakers: Tim Steffens, Ph.D., range specialist, Canyon; Anderson and Benavidez.

 – Topics: Integration of livestock into farming practices, budget analysis of no till, limited till, cover crops and livestock diversification. 

Session 5, May 21

 – Host: Marcel Fischbacher, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent, Moore County.

 – AgriLife Extension speakers: Steffens; Smith; Jason Banta, Ph.D., beef cattle specialist, Overton; Anderson and Benavidez.

 – Topics: Grazing management plans, supplementation and grazing distribution, prussic acid in forages, economics.

Beef quality and efficiencies

Session 6, May 26

 – Host: AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agents J. D. Ragland, Ph.D., Randall County, and Mason Carter, Briscoe County.

 – Speakers: Smith; Juan Pineiro, DVM, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension dairy specialist, Amarillo; Ty Lawrence, West Texas A&M animal science professor, Canyon; Brady Miller, Texas Cattle Feeders Association director of market, membership and education, Amarillo; Darren Turley, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen, Austin; Benavidez and Anderson.

 – Topics: Learning efficiencies from dairymen, research/carcass data update, beef/dairy industry panel, markets and economics.