| Illinois co-products meeting to focus on cattle concerns |
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By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent
PEORIA, Ill. — Beef cattle producers face huge challenges this year as grain prices remain high and hay in short supply, causing many to re-evaluate their bottom lines and turn to more co-products to fill the void for feeding operations.
The Beef Cattle Co-Products Conference set for Nov. 28 in Springfield, Ill., will address many of the challenges related to economic survival in this time of give-and-take between the booming ethanol market and Illinois’ livestock industry.
The conference will be at the University of Illinois extension building at the State Fairgrounds.
Headlining the conference will be Rick Rasby, extension beef cattle specialist from the University of Nebraska, who will discuss Storage, Handling and Timely Buying of Co-Products along with Using Co-Products in Growing and Backgrounding Diets.
Joining Rasby will be Dr. Daryl Strohbehn, beef cattle specialist from Iowa State University, who will present thoughts on the topics Cow and Heifers Rations Using Co-Products – Winter/ Summer Supplementation and Ruminant Digestion and Metabolism with Emphasis on Co-Products.
The conference comes at a time when media spotlight is focused on higher grain prices and its perceived trickle-down effect on the pocketbooks of American agricultural producers and consumers, which some economists attribute to an increased demand for corn for ethanol production.
Grant Bedel, manager of Medina Valley Farms in Peoria County, said higher grain prices “absolutely” affect the 300-head Registered Black Angus operation he tends for the Miller family near Mossville, Ill.
“I think it’s made a huge impact,” Bedel said, “and as a result of higher prices, we try to feed a lot of corn gluten products or distillers’ grains to cut down our costs.”
Bedel said Medina Valley’s feed prices, like corn commodity prices, have doubled in just the past couple of years.
He feels ethanol byproducts like distillers’ grains, when managed properly, offer a healthy and valuable option for livestock feed.
“The biggest advantage of using (co-products) is the savings in feed costs,” Bedel said. “But, you have to be real careful about the total percentage of the distillers grains you use; you can’t use it as a full source for feed.”
A prime topic of discussion at the conference will be balancing feed co-products and nutrition. Dr. Paul Walker of Illinois State University will discuss Mineral Concerns: Balancing and Supplementation When Using Co-Products. In addition, Dr. Ken Nimrick, the 2006 BIF Commercial Producer of the Year and beef cattle professor from Western Illinois University will present Standing Corn and Co-Products for Wintering Beef Cattle.
UoI’s Dr. Larry Berger, beef cattle professor and researcher, will offer insights on Utilizing Co-Products in Finishing Diets, while Dr. Dan Faulkner, beef cattle extension specialist, will discuss Early Weaning and Feeding Co-Products.
Other topics of discussion will include New Co-Products from Corn Dry Grind Ethanol Production and Co-Products Plants and Availability.
Co-sponsors of the conference include University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Beef Assoc. and the Sen. Simon E. Lantz Memorial Lecture Fund.
The conference will begin with registration at 8:45 a.m. and will conclude around 4:45 p.m.
Conference cost is $18, which covers a meal and a bound copy of the meeting’s proceedings. Late and at-door registration will be $25; the reservation deadline is Nov. 21. Reservations can be made through the East Peoria Extension Center at 309-694-7501, ext. 224.
For additional information, contact Dave Seibert, animal systems educator in the East Peoria office. |
| 10/24/2007 |
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