CALF_News_April_May_2019

11 CALF News • April | May 2019 • www.calfnews.net Can you guess which supplement they prefer? The research shows calves prefer supplements with IntelliBond ® trace minerals trace minerals www.micro.net (317) 486-5880 Smart minerals, smart nutrition... smart decision SULFATE FREE N o C o p p e r S u l f a t e • N o Z i n c S u l f a t e • N o M a n g a n e s e S u l f a t e • TraceMineral MADE IN USA Three studies confirmed it. When given a choice, beef calves are more than twice as likely to consume supplements with IntelliBond ® trace minerals compared to sulfate or organic sources of trace minerals. 1-3 Switch to IntelliBond trace minerals for better palatability, plus higher bioavailability, increased fiber digestibility, less leaching and less binding with antagonists. 1 Wiebusch, 2015. JAM. 2 Caramalac et al., 2017. J. Anim. Sci. 95:1739-1750. 3 Micronutrients trial #2017BC106USCZM. IntelliBond ® is a registered trademark of Micronutrients, a Nutreco company. © 2019 Micronutrients USA, LLC. All rights reserved. Check out the data and discover the benefits of a sulfate-free trace mineral program at micro.net/species/beef . The latest on Electronic Logging Device (ELD) regulations on livestock haulers was among several issues discussed during the NCBA Live Cattle Marketing Committee meeting at the Cattle Industry Convention. ELD is designed to provide more safe cargo transport by truck. However, regulations that would force livestock truckers to stop for rest while pulling a loaded trailer could create hard- ship and health problems for cattle or other livestock. Thankfully, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has exempted livestock haulers from ELD requirements. FMCSA’s website states: “Transporters of livestock and insects are not required to have an ELD. The statutory exemption will remain in place until further notice. Drivers do not need to carry any documentation regarding this exemption.” This action came about after NCBA and state and regional livestock groups pointed out the harm that could come to cattle or other livestock if they were required to remain confined to a trailer for extra-long periods of time during all types of weather. The committee noted that even with the exemption, the measure isn’t permanent and will require approval by Congress. Additional measures will be needed to educate the new Congress on animal welfare situations involved in ELD regulations. On the cattle marketing side, Don Close of Rabobank in St. Louis discussed the large numbers of overall protein sources, with higher numbers for beef, pork and especially poultry production. “We know absolutely that we have a lot of protein coming at us in the coming years,” he said. However, a higher domestic per capita meat consumption and strong beef exports will help offset high numbers, he said. The percentage of high-quality beef continues to grow, with carcasses showing a 20 percent increase in Choice and Prime grades the past 15 years. Close said that was a key behind contin- ued strong beef demand. “I feel beef demand will continue to be stronger than most economists will project,” Close said. “North America is pristinely positioned to be the supplier of quality and ultra-high-quality product globally. But don’t think for a second that our competitors don’t know this.”  LIVESTOCK MARKETING COMMITTEE NOTES T H E C A T T L E C O M M U N I T Y G A T H E R S I N N E W O R L E A N S