CALF News Aug./Sept 2018

27 CALF News • August | September 2018 • www.calfnews.net Continued on page 29  Even the Smallest Components Can Have a Big Impact According to research trials, the strain Lactobacillus acidolphilus BT-1386 found in Micro-Cell probiotics has been shown to: • Decrease shedding of E. coli O157:H7 1 • Reduce re-infection of Salmonella 2 • Increase average daily gain 3 • Improve feed to gain 4 Probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus BT-1386, available exclusively fromLallemand Animal Nutrition, was added to the 2015 pre-harvest production best practice (PBP) document released by the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo). It is commercially availableforpurchaseunderthebrandnames Micro-Cell FS and Micro-Cell FS Gold . Every ration component plays an important role on overall performance and ensuring you provide the best beef product to the consumer. Consistent performance lies in the details. Micro-Cell® probiotics are high quality feed additives that feature proven bacterial strains that help your cattle maintain an ideal intestinal balance. Micro-Cell probiotics are a small yet critical component and another tool to help you produce a top quality product that consumers want. 1ProductionBestPractices (PBP) toAid in theControlofFoodbornePathogens inGroupsofCattle.Beef IndustryFoodSafetyCouncil Subcommittee on Pre-Harvest. Spring 2015. Accessed March 19, 2015. 2 Tabe ES, Oloya J, Doetkott DK, Bauer ML, Gibbs PS, Khaitsa ML. Comparative effect of direct-fed microbials on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in naturally infected feedlot cattle. J. Food Prot. May 2008; 3(71): 539-544. 3 Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Unpublished. United States. 1996. 4 Hutcheson D and Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Unpublished. United States. 1986. LALLEMAND ANIMAL NUTRITION Tel: 414 464 6440 Email: LAN_NA@lallemand.com www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com ©2016. Micro-Cell is a registered trademark of Lallemand Animal Nutrition. Not all products are available in all markets nor are all claims allowed in all regions. man, he ran 30 broodmares and three studs, started his own colts and sold them at the Central Nebraska Horse Sale. He and Molly Woodward began the sale in October 1998 for area horse breeders to sell their home-raised stock. Dobesh kept his fingers in sale manage- ment for about seven years before hand- ing it over to new supervision. A slump in the horse market in 2000 prompted Dobesh to reduce his broodmare band, although he still keeps a few mares and brings in outside horses to breed. He took up another long-time family occupation in 2000, working at the livestock auction markets in Kearney and Lexington yards, where good help is always appreciated. He’s still there. Chuckwagon catering Having yet another iron in the fire, Dobesh and friend Mark Phillips, enjoy- ing a good cookout, started a catering service in 2010.Why would someone do this? I can attest to the fact that Dobesh’s mother, Bonnie, was the finest ranch cook to grace five counties. She instilled in her son an interest in good food and how to prepare it. The trait runs as deep in his family as the admiration of a good horse. All the cooking at Chuckwagon Cater- ing is done behind a regular chuck- wagon, in dutch ovens over an open fire. To see for yourself, visit www.facebook. com/GregDobeshChuckwagon. Back to cows The Dobesh herd north of Broken Bow is anything but traditional. Made up of retired Corriente roping calves, they are solid colored and moderate framed. Dobesh’s connections to the roping crowd enable him to purchase heifers inexpensively, and moderate cow weights keep maintenance costs low. The cows milk well and are hands-off kind of mothers, not to be messed with during his six-week calving season. Dobesh says 80 percent of the herd will settle on the first cycle, and he expects to wean a 98 percent calf crop this fall. Calving begins about April 10. Angus bulls are used and a zero-percent calving assist rate was achieved in 2018 on 92 cows. Dobesh acknowledges the hit in price his calves can take on sale day but maintains that the economics and effi- ciency of the cows are proving worth his time. The calves are almost always solid black and all are polled. I found them to have a breedy, quality look. Cows are grazed at home on double- cropped pivots until July first, then sent to native grass pastures leased for the summer. Family Greg Dobesh glows when he talks about his family. Jan owns a family counseling business in Broken Bow. She is also a licensed lay pastor who fills in at area churches when the regular pastor is called away. Dobesh was quick to point out that his wife gives “one hell of a sermon.” The couple has one son, Barry. He is a graduate of the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, having acquired the love of cooking that permeates his family. Barry has traveled the United States, working