University of Missouri Beef Tour
Vernon and Barton Counties
August 30, 2008
12:30 p.m.
Sponsors
Missouri Department of Conservation
Missouri Beef Industry Council
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
FCS Financial
Stop #1 - Green Springs Bull Test Station
Owned by Kent and Kathy Abele and son Cole
Directions: Go 9 miles west of El Dorado Springs on U.S. 54, then turn left onto route K. Go 6.5 miles south/west on K until you come to a large metal sign on the right. Below the metal sign is Green Springs Bull Test sign. Turn right, (north) at that sign and travel north 1.75 miles. The test station is marked by a sign on the right side of the road.
The Green Springs Bull Test Station allows breeders to emphasize the use of feed efficiency and EPD data in bull selection. At the present time there are four tests a year to get all ages of calves with 900 bulls tested annually. Normally 60 to 65% of the bulls qualify for their two sales held at MoKan Livestock Auction in Butler. One sale is held in March and the second in November. Up to 11 breeds are included in any one 112-day test. Bulls in the test are mostly from breeders in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska. The Abeles are conducting the National Braunvieh Test with bulls from all over the United States. Bulls marketed with feed efficiency test data have sold for $500 more than the average bull. Feed efficiency testing costs an additional $125 per head. Not all tested bulls are for sale, some breeders use the test station to evaluate high-performing bulls for their own use.
There will be three stops at the Abele operation—two at headquarters and one at the Abele’s new restaurant. Speakers include the Abele’s describing their operation; Monte Kerley, MU professor of animal science, discussing feed efficiency; and Bob Weaber, MU assistant professor, whose topic will be crossbreeding.
Kent and Kathy Abele have owned their present farm more than 20 years. At the outset of their bull-testing program they had 56 bulls on test but now their testing program includes up to 900 bulls per year. |
Stop #2 — Bushwhacker Conservation Area
Owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation
Directions: From the Green Springs Test Station, go south on the gravel road for 1.3 miles, then right on K for 9 miles west into Nevada. (Route K runs into Business 54) Go west through Nevada on Business 54 and continue 6.3 miles, then turn south on highway 43. Go south on 43 for 13.5 miles through Bronaugh, then continue 1.8 miles south on 43, then left onto Zodiac road. Go east 1.8 miles to the Bushwhacker Conservation Area parking lot.
Wes Spinks will show a herd of 169 steers grazing native warm season prairie pastures managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation using patch burn grazing. A third of the pasture is burned every year which allows steers to achieve a higher average daily gain by selecting to graze burned areas. This is a positive example of what could be done on more than one million acres of Conservation Reserve Program land in Missouri. The land is owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Norman Murray and Brent Jamison, MDC biologists, work with Spinks in carrying out the backgrounding test. This year he had a total of 700 yearlings on pastures—400 on prairie pasture and 300 on fescue. He buys most of his calves from local markets, farmers, and from his own herd of 250 cows. He lives near Jerico Springs.
In addition to Spinks, Norman Murray and Brent Jamison will discuss the basics of patch burn grazing and Rob Kallenbach, MU Extension forage specialist, will speak on stocker systems.
Spinks and his horse keep track of the 700 head he is backgrounding.
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Stop #3 – Nathan Crabtree Family Cow-Calf Operation
Directions: From Bushwhacker Conservation Area, go l.8 miles west on Zodiac Road to Highway 43, then turn left and go south for 4.8 miles. Then turn left onto Route V and go 3.3 miles to the Nathan Crabtree farmstead parking lot on the left.
The Nathan Crabtree family has 75 registered Angus cows plus 150 head of commercial cows in the family’s farming operation near Liberal. His cows calve in the fall and he retains 90% of the females to increase herd size with steers marketed as feeders. He is exploring selling Missouri Show-Me-Select Heifers. The farming operation also produces purebred Angus cattle using artificial insemination and embryo transfer. Crabtree has begun using blood tests to determine pregnancy status. Top end bull calves are retained and sold locally. In addition to the cow herd Crabtree markets hay produced on the farm. He also has CRP acreage that will be coming out of the program in the near future.
Other speakers include Justin Sexten, Commercial Agriculture beef nutritionist, will discuss feeding the cow herdwhile Scott Poock, MU Commercial Agriculture dairy veterinarian, will provide information regarding the chute-side pregnancy test; and Crabtree will describe his future plans for the operation.
Nathan Crabtree and son Lucas describe his work with a 225 cow herd, 75 of which are registered Angus, to produce quality bulls which he sells to other producers.
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Stop #4—Kyle Kirby, Backgrounding
Direction: To get to the fourth stop go west on Highway V to Highway 43 then turn right and go approximately ½ mile North on 43, then turn left staying on Highway V. Continue on Highway V to Highway K and then turn right on K and turn right again on road 85, (the first right).
Kyle Kirby, brother Scott, father JD, and one employee make up the work force on the Kirby farm. Incoming cattle get vaccinated with a four-way shot when they get on the Kirby farm and then are put on high roughage diet and good clear water. They are revaccinated in two-to three weeks and then turned on pasture. The receiving ration includes distillers grains, ground alfalfa hay, prairie hay, and wheat silage. They are developing a new facility to start calves in pens using the receiving ration for a few days followed by turning cattle out on fescue, clover, and bermudagrass pastures. There are 600 head at this facility. Their biggest challenge is managing price risk. They try to use futures markets, end-user contracts, and sell direct to feed yards in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. No cattle are finished on the farm
Other speakers include Stan Cook, Missouri Ag & Small Business Development Authority discussing backgrounding tax credits, Craig Payne, MU Commercial Agriculture beef veterinarian discussing vaccination programs, and Ed Browning, MU extension engineer discussing working facilities.
Kyle Kirby shows off the new facility being prepared for use in the Kirby’s operation.
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Final Stop is a free beef dinner at Liberal.
Map of Program
Planning Committee
Planning of the 2008 Commercial Agriculture Beef Tour to be held in Vernon and Barton Counties started in June at the Cedar County Extension Center in Stockton with Dona Funk, Extension livestock specialist, as hostess. The program committee included Ed Browning, Extension engineer, Carthage; Dona Funk; Joe Pace, adult agricultural educator, Lamar High School, Lamar; Rex Ricketts, coordinator of the University of Missouri Commercial Agriculture program, Columbia; Craig Payne, MU Commercial Agriculture veterinarian, College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia; Justin Sexten, Commercial Agriculture beef nutritionist, Columbia; Steve Clubine, Missouri Department of Conservation biologist, Clinton; Joe Horner, MU Commercial Agriculture dairy and beef economist, Columbia; Dave Darrow, Missouri Department of Conservation biologist, Clinton; and Jay Chism, MU Extension agronomist, Lamar.
Commercial Agriculture Program at the University of Missouir has held the Missouri Beef Tour since 1996.
The Frederick B. Miller Fund
The Frederick B. Miller Fund, Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, provided support for the 2008 Missouri Beef Tour. Miller, a prominent Chariton County farmer and cattleman at Sumner, willed a 1,042-acre farm to the University. It was his desire that the farm be sold and the income from the proceeds be used to support research and extensions and the development of livestock.
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