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Texas Agriculture Archive

Beef 2010:
From feed pens to boxed beef

A unique opportunity to follow cattle through the feeding and packing process to see how management decisions make a difference is being offered, a Texas Cooperative Extension specialist said.

Beef Marketing and Management 2010 is a series of educational activities for beef industry personnel in the Panhandle, said Dr. Ted McCollum, Extension beef cattle specialist.

"Whether you are in the cow/calf, stocker, cattle feeding or allied industry sector; whether you are an owner, a customer-based operator or an employee; this program offers an opportunity to learn more about factors influencing beef quality and value," McCollum said.

The program consists of two components: Beef 2010 educational meetings and Beef 706, he said. All activities will be held at the Herbert F. and Jeannie Kuhlman Extension Center and West Texas A&M University in Canyon.

In Beef 706, teams of participants will select feeder steers at the kick-off meeting Jan. 26. These steers will be placed on feed and followed until finished in July, McCollum said. They then will be followed through the grading and hands-on cutting session.

"Participants will have a chance to experience first-hand the differences encountered in carcass composition and see the production of boxed beef cuts," he said. "The information will be evaluated in terms of the boxed beef value differences among steers and how that translates back to differences in live cattle."

The second component, the Beef 2010, is a series of seven monthly meetings/seminars supporting Beef 706. Topics covered in these seminars will be feeder cattle and carcass evaluation, influence of genetics and management on carcass merit, marketing on carcass grids, and tradeoffs between live and carcass marketing, McCollum said.

Pre-registration is required. To participate in the Beef 706 component, individuals must register for the entire Beef Marketing and Management 2010 program, he said.

Seats are limited to 45 for the Beef 706 portion of the program.

Seating is not limited for the monthly meetings. Registration is $50 and payable to the Extension Activity Fund. Deadline is Jan. 15.

Registration forms are available at Extension offices or at http://amarillo.tamu.edu and should be mailed to Randall County Extension Office, 200 N. Brown Road, Canyon, TX 79015.

For more information, contact McCollum at (806) 677-5600 or Danny Nusser, Extension agent in Randall County, at (806) 468-5543.