AUBURN, Ala.—Cow-calf producers across the state will gain valuable insight on how to rebuild their herds successfully during the Auburn University Department of Animal Sciences’ 2017 Beef Cattle Conference Saturday, Aug. 12, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Ham Wilson Livestock Arena at 650 S. Donahue Drive in Auburn.
With the theme “Back to the basics: Pursuing a winning season,” the conference will equip cattlemen and cattlewomen with the knowledge and management tools to better their operations in the most critical areas of production.
“Helping producers take advantage of innovations and practical concepts that will significantly improve their operations now and in the future is a key part of our departmental mission, and our faculty, in partnership with Alabama’s beef cattle community, have organized this conference to support the viability and long-term sustainability of animal agriculture,” said Auburn animal sciences department head Wayne Green. “Sustaining our livestock and animal industries is crucial, as they contribute substantially to the economy of the state and to the well-being of Alabama citizens.”
Featured speakers will be industry thought-leader David Daley, a commercial cattleman and associate dean of the College of Agriculture at California State University, Chico, and Gary Morrison of Urner Barry, a New Jersey–based commodity market news reporting service.
Animal sciences assistant professors Paul Dyce, Fernando Biase and Kim Mullenix will report results from and updates on research supported by the College of Agriculture, the Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The three have expertise in reproductive developmental biology in cattle and forage management and supplementation.
In the conference’s morning presentations, key topics will include strategic crossbreeding, new approaches to improving reproductive efficiency, precision management of forage systems and market projections. The afternoon workshop choices will focus on the use of advanced technologies to optimize reproductive success, calving season preparation, beginning to farm/ranch with a niche in mind, and beef carcass cut-outs and evaluation.
“The 2017 conference is designed to provide members of the beef cattle community a unique opportunity to receive cutting-edge information on topic they consider priorities,” said Don Mulvaney, animal sciences associate professor and Beef Cattle Conference chair. “Given the challenges of today’s market conditions, this conference is one that cow-calf producers won’t want to miss.”
The conference registration cost is $60 before July 31 and $100 after and includes a bound departmental report, conference presentation summaries, content for afternoon workshops and lunch. Mulvaney encouraged producers to register early at http://aub.ie/beef because demand is expected to be strong and space is limited.
For more information on the conference, registration, corporate partnerships or youth discounts, contact the Department of Animal Sciences at 334-844-1521.
