PAGE 2 FRIDAY Oct. 21, 2016
com
Workshop set for
Nov. 18 in Overton
By ADAM RUSSELL
adam.russell@ag.tamu.edu
OVERTON A green-
house and nursery regula-
tory compliance workshop
is scheduled for Nov. 18 in
Overton.
The workshop will be held
at the Texas A&M AgriL-
ife Research and Extension
Center, 1710 Farm-to-Market
Road 3053 N. in Overton. The
event begins with registration
at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
Cost of the program is $20,
which includes lunch. Reg-
istration is only available on-
line at https://agriliferegister.
tamu.edu/.
Five Texas Department of
Agriculture continuing edu-
cation units two laws and
regulations, two integrated
pest management and one
general will be available.
Applicators must bring their
licenses to the meeting to reg-
ister for the units.
The session is specifically
designed for greenhouse
ornamental and nursery
growers, although some ma-
terial may apply to green-
house and outdoor veg-
etable growers, forages and
orchards, said Erfan Vafaie,
Texas A&M AgriLife Exten-
sion Service entomologist,
Overton.
Vafaie said the program
topics are top priorities for
many East Texas growers.
The first half of the workshop
will cover pests and patho-
gen management, and plant
species that perform best in
East Texas, he said. The sec-
L R

GONZALES LIVESTOCK
MARKET, INC.
Sale date: Oct. 15
Receipts this week: 1059 cale.
Calves and yearlings $2-3 lower
on beer quality.
Packer cows sold steady.
Stocker-feeder steers:
Medium and large frame No. 1:
150-300 lbs. $155-175
300-400 lbs. $136-147
400-500 lbs. $125-134
500-600 lbs. $116-128
600-700 lbs. $105-113
700-800 lbs. $96-106
Bull Yearlings:
700-900 lbs. $80-90
Stocker-feeder heifers:
Medium and large frame No. 1:
150-300 lbs. $125-160
300-400 lbs. $115-120
400-500 lbs. $109-114
500-600 lbs. $103-105
600-700 lbs. $92-101
Packer cows:
Good lean ulity and
commercial, $51-53;
Cuers, $56-69; Canners, $44-55;
Low yielding fat cows, $52-54
Packer bulls:
Yield grade 1 and 2, good heavy
bulls, $71-73; light weights and
medium quality bulls, $68-71.
Stocker cows: $950-1,400
Pairs: $1,100-1,600
View sale live at caleusa.com
HALLETTSVILLE LIVESTOCK
COMMISSION CO., INC.
Sale date: Oct. 11
Cale on hand: 1618
Packer cows
Higher Dressing Ulity and Cuer
Cows: $52-61
Lower Dressing Ulity and Cuer
Cows: $45-54
Light Weight Canner Cows: $32-45
Packer bulls
Heavyweight Bulls: $70-74
Ulity and Cuer Bulls: $64-70
Light Weight Canner Bulls: $60-65
Stocker and feeder
calves and yearlings
No. 1 steer and bull calves
Under 200 lbs.: none
Gonzales
Livestock Market, Inc.
Working hard to
ensure quality service
for all our customers.
David Shelton
830-857-5394
Mike Brzozowski
830-857-3900
Sponsor for Agriculture Page
Hwy 90A Gonzales 830-672-2845
Live Broadcast www.cattleusa.com
ond half will bridge the gap
between industry and regula-
tors with regard to regulatory
compliance and audits.
Some growers in East Tex-
as have already faced some
large fines and would like oth-
ers in the industry to avoid the
same fate, Vafaie said.
Scheduled speakers in-
clude:
Vafaie General Inte-
grated Pest Management and
New Invasives.
Dr. Brent Pemberton,
Texas A&M AgriLife Re-
search horticulturist, Over-
ton Top Performers and the
Peoples Choice Awards in the
Overton Trials, plus Texas Su-
perstars 2017.
Dr. Kevin Ong, director
of the Texas Plant Disease
Diagnostic Laboratory, Col-
lege Station New and Old
Pathogens to Watch Out For:
Integrated Disease Manage-
ment Strategies.
Dr. Mark Matocha,
AgriLife Extension state ag-
ricultural and environmental
quality safety specialist, Col-
lege Station New Environ-
mental Protection Agency,
Worker Protection Standard
and Occupational Safety and
Health Administration Regu-
lations.
Mark Evans, Texas De-
partment of Agriculture in-
spector, Dallas New TDA
regulations and What to Ex-
pect During an Audit.
The workshop will end
with a question and answer
session.
For more information, call
Vafaie at 903-834-6191.
of cattle to achieve maxi-
200-300 lbs.: $140-195
300-400 lbs.: $132-150
400-500 lbs.: $112-150
500-600 lbs.: $104-122
600-700 lbs.: $98-114
700-800 lbs.: $95-107
No. 1 heifer calves
Under 200 lbs.: none
200-300 lbs.: $110-134
300-400 lbs.: $105-126
400-500 lbs.: $100-122
500-600 lbs.: $96-114
600-700 lbs.: $94-106
700-800 lbs.: $88-97
Good stocker cows
& heifers: $1,850-2,350
Medium stocker cows
& heifers: $1,200-1,550
Good cow & calf
pairs: $1,850-2,550
Medium cow &
calf pairs: $1,400-1,700
The market was a lile higher
this week. Beer quality classes
sold $2-4 higher in most weight
brackets most notably on the
heavier weights. Plainer and
eshier kinds connue to lag.
Packer cows and bulls sold $2
lower on approx. hd total.
Need help markeng your
livestock, call 361-798-4336.
NIXON LIVESTOCK
COMMISSION, INC.
Sale date: Oct. 17
Volume: 1034
Steers:
200-300 lbs. $100-110-148
300-400 lbs. $99-109-125
400-500 lbs. $97-107-125
500-600 lbs. $87-97-118
600-700 lbs. $84-94-109
700-800 lbs. $83-93-125
Heifers
200-300 lbs. $90-100-125
300-400 lbs. $94-104-125
400-500 lbs. $92-102-255
500-600 lbs. $85-95-145
600-700 lbs. $86-96-150
700-800 lbs. $83-93-110
Slaughter cows: $35-67
Slaughter bulls: $51-72
Stocker cows: $750-1,325
Pairs: $1300-1325
Pete Scarmardo, owner of Brazos Valley Livestock Commission, discussed market trends in feeder cale at the recent
Brazos Valley Beef and Expo.
Replacing heifers a critical decision
By BLAIR FANNIN
b-fannin@tamu.edu
BRYAN Spiraling cattle
prices in recent weeks are
not leaving much wiggle
room when it comes to mar-
keting calves and replace-
ment females to fit current
trends, according to cattle
experts.
The recent Brazos Valley
Beef and Forage Expo held
at the Brazos Valley Live-
stock Commission featured
talks that included purchas-
ing replacement heifers,
evaluating feeder cattle and
marketing the right type
helps keep my annual cow
mum profits. The program
was sponsored by the Texas
A&M AgriLife Extension
Service beef and forage
committee.
One of the traits we are
looking for when purchas-
ing replacement heifers is
docility and temperament,
said Dr. Joe Paschal, AgriL-
ife Extension beef cattle spe-
cialist, Corpus Christi. I
want my heifers to be calm
and to protect her calf. I
dont want her to run away
from me or try to run over
me as I approach.
Paschal suggests talking
to local sale barn operators
to find out what buyers are
wanting in calves marketed
each week. That will give
the beef producer key in-
sight as to which breeds or
crossbreeds of replacement
heifers to consider when
buying.
After all, why not pro-
duce what the market
wants? Paschal said.
Ideally, Pascal said pro-
ducers should be developing
heifers to calve at 24 months.
Most beef producers like
to have crossbred heifers in
their herd because of hybrid
vigor. A popular option is
a Brahman and Hereford
cross or Brahman and An-
gus cross. Both these com-
binations have hybrid vigor,
which Paschal said, is like
having an insurance pro-
gram giving you a greater
chance of having them bred
and calving at 24 months.
Structural soundness
E BARR
Feeds, Inc.
Garden Seed In Bulk
(Best Price)
Over 96 Varieties
212 St. Louis Street, Gonzales, TX 78629
830-672-6515
Fax: 830-672-1215
Mobile: 830-857-4419
Email: behrig@gvec.net
Agriculture Page Sponsor
www.gonzalesinquirer.
PHOTO BY BLAIR FANNIN /TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE
is also important, he said. are more branded beef pro- branded beef. Its not people
We want heifers that have grams than ever, then youve buying cattle and taking a
good frame size and the got all the commodity beef gamble. They are purchas-
ability to calve with ease. (U.S. Department of Agri- ing the type of cattle that fits
One thing to keep in culture grades) that is not their specifications.
mind is annual cow cost.
Paschal said the average cow
cost is $600 annually, which
includes feed and taxes.
One thing that drives
up the cost of replacement
heifers is hay and purchased
feed, Paschal said. In some
parts of Texas, you can get
away with not feeding any
hay at all. In my area in South
Texas, I dont feed any hay at
all. I stockpile forage and uti-
lize rotational grazing. That
cost in line. But for those in
South Central Texas, it can
be cold, muddy and nasty
during the winter, so you
have to feed hay. Just keep
XPRESS
in mind how expensive hay TRUCK ACCESSORIES
is to produce or purchase.
There are feeding strategies
*High Performance *Performance Tuning
Exaust Systems *Bumpers
that can be developed to
keep those costs in check. *Tool Boxes *Grill Guards
Meanwhile, Pete Scar- *Bed Covers *Steps
mardo, owner of Brazos Val-
ley Livestock Commission, *Off-Road Equipment *Hitches
told attendees cattle prices *Headache Racks *Tonneau Covers
have been very volatile.
The futures market has 717 N. Hwy 123 Bypass Seguin, Texas 78155
been used more as a trading
(Located directly behind Valvoline Express Care)
tool than a speculative tool,
he said. Thats made things (830)379-8100
very difficult for the cattle
market. Somewhere, we will
reach a bottom.
Through October, fed cat-
tle prices continued to trend
lower, he said.
Weve got to get some eq-
uity back into these cattle,
he said. We have no bar-
gaining power in the cash
market. Until we reach a
peak in the cattle supply,
the U.S. dollar gets weaker,
our industry has some big
problems. There are a lot of
people who have lost money
over the last 18 months.
However, Scarmardo said
the packing industry has
continued to have strong
processing margins of $150
to $200 a head. He said feed-
yards are being filled with
specific types of cattle being
bought.
What they buy is dic-
tated by corporate speci-
fications, he said. There
Nixon Livestock
Commission, Inc
SALE
Every Monday-10:30am
1924 US Highway 87 E, Nixon, Tx
830-582-1561 or 830-582-1562
All Livestock Insured and Bonded
We will be closed on Monday, July 4
Gary Butler Rodney Butler
830-857-4330 861-645-5002