JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — Kansas Cattlemen’s Association (KCA), in partnership with Merck Animal Health, hosted a regional cattlemen’s meeting in Yates Center, Kansas to discuss industry topics on the evening of March 26th. The meeting took place at the 4-H Community Building. Dr. David Rethorst provided attendees with Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certification and Steve Tegarden with Merck Animal Health discussed Implants & Strategic De-worming Programs.
The meeting began with a brief overview of KCA and policy positions with the CEO of KCA, Tyler Dupy. He touched on how KCA’s focus within the Beef Industry is geared toward the interests of independent cattle production. He also spoke about alternative meat programs including vegetable-based products and cultured meats.
Second, Steve Tegarden, Merck Animal Health, spoke about herd health, strategic de-worming programs, and facts about implants & their value. A critical element with regard to de-worming is timing. Secondly, consistency and testing is also important to understand the efficacy of the de-worming program. Tegarden then discussed implant technologies and the impact they play in return on investment. For example, implants have a $40 return for a $1 investment based on a 23lb gain at $1.75/lb sale price. Additionally, using an implant like Ralgro can actually contribute to sustainable beef production by improving weight gains without using additional natural resources.
BQA training was provided by Dr. Dave Rethorst of TriCounty Veterinary Center of Herington. Dr. Rethorst was previously the Director of Outreach and Herd Health for the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University. First, Dr. Rethorst discussed the significance of BQA and the circumstances which brought about its development. The program focused on cattle handling and husbandry, animal health and proper vaccination methods, and other aspects of production to keep beef consistent, wholesome, and relevant to consumers at the point of purchase.
A USA-Beef meal was provided to the attendees prepared by Bolling’s Meatery and Eatery. A special thank you to the generous hearts of the Woodson County ladies that prepared the evening’s desserts.
We would like to thank Joel Ireland for being KCA’s boots on the ground for the event. Joel helped to organize the local planning of the meeting.
Sponsors of the meeting included: Merck Animal Health, Ireland Cattle, Ruma-Lic Liquid Feed, Eureka Livestock Sales, State Auto Farm & Ranch, O’Malley Equipment Company, Piqua State Bank, Yates Center Elevator, Flyin’ 3 Veterinary Service, Heartland Tractor, Fredonia Livestock Auction, Cleaver Farm and Home, and Frontier Farm Credit.
— Kansas Cattlemen’s Association
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