CALF_News_June_July_2019

27 CALF News • June | July 2019 • www.calfnews.net “Cattle Friendly ~ Call Today! 402 - 693 - 2221 utonomous atch-chute lite www.dodgemfg.com Award-winning author Temple Grandin is famous for her groundbreaking approach to decoding animal behavior. Now she extends her expert guidance to small- scale farming operations. Grandin’s fascinating explanations of how herd animals think – describing their senses, fears, instincts and memories – and how to analyze their behavior, will help you handle your livestock more safely and effectively. order your copy today Grandin Livestock Handling Systems Over 30 years experience in research, custom design, and construction of facilities for happier, healthier animals. (970) 229-0703 • www.grandin.com Guide to WorkinG With Farm animals Order your copy today on Amazon.com! “And we have learned that we can improve marbling while also improving maternal functions.” He said improvements in traits can be seen in scrotal cir- cumference, age of puberty, age at first calving, birth weights, calf survival, milking ability, calving interval and mature weight. Better genetics in all breeds are helping enhance carcass quality. McCully noted that in the mid-2000s, only about 55 percent of all carcasses graded Choice or Prime. That increased to 65 percent in 2011 and to 80 percent today. “Multiple generations of genetics have led to this,” he said, adding that about 1 billion pounds of CAB product is sold annually.“We see nothing that suggests we will see a drop in quality. “The expectations of bull buyers, feedyards, cattle buyers and consumers have changed. Consumers want more quality. That strong demand has helped hold cattle prices up.We have an exciting opportunity in front of us without increasing the cost.” Do you need a written lease? – Probably Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&MAgriLife Extension law specialist, has become a popular speaker on the Extension meeting circuit for ranchers and farmers. The TSCRA convention will be one of her biggest this year, and she had some timely answers to questions about grazing leases and other forms of leases. Oral leases can be valid under Texas law, she said, but it is safer to have the lease agreement in writ- ing. And if it’s a lease for 1 Continued on page 29  CAB ® ’s Mark McCully says efforts to improve carcass quality can also improve reproductive quality. Tiffany Lashnet, Texas A&M AgriLife law specialist, encourages producers to get their lease agreements in writing.