Farm & Ranch
Ranch technology to be spotlighted at Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 7-9
![](https://ntfronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/22020803_BCSC_SC_128-1024x683-1.jpg)
Beef cattle production event expected to draw 1,900 to Bryan-College Station
The 69th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in Bryan-College Station will offer some cutting-edge information and ranch technology, along with basic beef cattle production information.
The 69th annual Beef Cattle Short Course will introduce cattle producers to new technology designed to help improve overall profitability. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft)
The annual event is set for Aug. 7-9, with more than 1,900 cattle producers expected to come to the Texas A&M University campus, making it the largest event of its kind in the nation. The event is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Department of Animal Science.
Both in-person and online attendance is offered. The cost is $260 for in-person attendance and $160 for online if registered by Aug. 2. The price will increase to $300 after that date. To register, go to https://tx.ag/BCSC23Reg or call 979-845-6931 for more information.
Jason Cleere, Ph.D., conference coordinator and AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in the Department of Animal Science, Bryan-College Station, said they have made a special effort to highlight advancing ranch technology this year.
“We added a session specifically dedicated to beef cattle technologies,” Cleere said. “Some topics include precision livestock data management, cattle electronic monitoring and artificial intelligence on the ranch. As more data is collected on ranches, ranchers need ways to manage it to improve profitability.”
There are also several new companies that will showcase their technologies during the trade show, Cleere said. More than 140 companies are expected at this year’s trade show, he noted.
“We believe this year’s Beef Cattle Short Course offering is shaping up to be one of the best ever, and the interest from ranchers thus far has been great,” Cleere said.
Embracing ranch technology to improve profitability
The special session on technology will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Aug. 8 as a part of the Cattleman’s College sessions. The following are the topics and speakers:
- Optimizing Ranch Profitability by Managing Your Livestock, Grazing and Team All in One Place — Coby Buck, AgriWebb director of strategic accounts, Wray Ranch, Wray, Colorado.
- The Intersection of Technology and Genetic Acceleration: Shaping a Sustainable Beef Industry — Kerryann Kocher, CEO and co-founder of Vytelle, Kansas City.
- Leveraging Drones for Cattle Management: How, What and Why? — Meir Ginsburg, CattleQuants co-founder and director of business development, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Computer Vision for Animal Care — Geoffrey Shmigelsky, co-founder of OneCup AI, Vancouver.
- The Possibilities of Ranch Tech and the Role of Remote Monitoring — Andrew Coppin, Ranchbot Monitoring Solutions, co-founder and CEO, Sydney, Australia.
From horses to grazing management to cattle nutrition
Before the three days of activities surrounding beef cattle, the annual Ranch Horse Program will be Aug. 6 in the Hildebrand Equine Complex. Registration is included within the full Beef Cattle Short Course registration, or individuals can attend just this event for $60.
More than 50 hours of training will be offered in the Cattleman’s College, featuring 20 concurrent sessions, with topics including animal health, nutrition, reproduction, breeding, genetics, selection, research, marketing and handling. The management sessions will cover business, forage, range and purebred cattle, landowner issues and fence building.
The course will also offer attendees 10 Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide continuing education units and 15 veterinarian continuing education credits.
Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere: Wyoming
![](https://ntfronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/tressa.jpg)
By Tressa Lawrence
Ranchers across northeast Wyoming and the surrounding areas saw record moisture levels in 2023. The year 2024 has seen significantly less moisture to date.
Farm & Ranch
Ag Elsewhere: Montana
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By Lindsey Monk
People are finishing up brandings. Here, Danny Walter is shown getting it done.
Farm & Ranch
Animal Disease Traceability
![](https://ntfronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/barry.jpg)
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
On July 6, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted in the Federal Register a proposal that radio frequency identification tags be used as official identification for cattle and bison. Following a period for public comment, the USDA APHIS released a statement on April 24, 2024, with the amended animal disease traceability (ADT) regulation for cattle and bison. The full press release may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/aphis-bolsters-animal-disease-traceability-united-states. Under the new rule, cattle and bison will need to be identified with tags that are both visual and electronic.
The USDA defines ADT as knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they have been, and when the animal disease event took place. A system that allows for efficient traceability of livestock in the United States is essential for animal health and reducing the economic effect of a foreign animal disease outbreak and other diseases on livestock producers as well as others whose well-being depends on livestock production.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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