River Valley Beef Cattle Conference offers cattle producers latest recommendations for herd, forage management

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

MORRILTON, Ark. — This year’s River Valley Beef Cattle Conference will offer cattle producers from 12 counties the latest research-based recommendations for cattle producers in herd health and pest management, along with market outlook for the beef cattle industry.

BEEF — Cattle producers from Arkansas' 12-county River Valley area gather with Division of Agriculture experts to get the latest research-based information. UADA graphic

The conference will be on Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. – noon at the Conway County Fairgrounds, 901 E. Elm St. in Morrilton. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $20, payable at the door, and includes a steak lunch.

The annual conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, brings together faculty, livestock economists and extension specialists to share research-based information to help producers plan and manage their operations efficiently.

Cattle producers from the River Valley area — Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Newton, Perry, Pope, Scott, Sebastian and Yell counties — are invited to attend.

“This year’s conference will bring together experts from the Division of Agriculture who will share the latest recommendations for dealing with armyworms, protecting herd health, and assessing cattle for optimum performance,” said Bob Harper, Logan County extension staff chair. “The industry market outlook will also be discussed.”

Armyworm update

Pope County Extension Agent Brandon Yarbery will discuss options for controlling armyworms and review products that are available this year for controlling pests and products that have worked successfully in the past.

“Last year was one of the worst years we’ve had for armyworms,” Harper said.

The pests appear in the spring and can severely damage forages, hay yields and seed production. Infestations can be easily overlooked when the caterpillars are small and eating very little.

Vaccination programs

Kristen Midkiff, extension animal health and wellbeing specialist for the Division of Agriculture, will discuss vaccination strategies in beef cattle, including options for calves, weaned calves and for the breeding herd for both developing heifers and the cowherd.

“Vaccines are an important portion of a herd health program, as we are protecting our cattle from infectious diseases by allowing their immune system to be able to recognize the pathogens,” Midkiff said. “There are many viruses and bacteria that cattle can be exposed to in their lifetime, and vaccinating gives us an opportunity to set our cattle up for success for future interactions with these agents.”

Midkiff, who has a doctorate in beef cattle health, nutrition, and physiology from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville, joined the Division of Agriculture last fall.

Evaluating Longevity

Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist, will discuss assessing beef cattle for optimum performance.

“She will focus on evaluating cows for the? long term and selecting cows that will stay in the herd and remain productive,” Harper said.

Market Update

James Mitchell, extension livestock economist, will discuss industry outlook and provide highlights from the annual cattle inventory report published Jan. 31. Other topics include cow-calf and feedlot profitability, beef demand and impacts of New World screwworm on the beef and cattle trade.

Conference agenda

• 8:30 a.m. – Registration

• 9 a.m. – Introductions: Kevin Van Pelt, Conway County extension agent

• 9:05 a.m. – Welcome: Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas

• 9:10 a.m. – Armyworm Update – Brandon Yarbery, Pope County extension agent

• 9:30 a.m. – Vaccination Programs for Beef Cattle Producers, Kirsten Midkiff, extension animal health and wellbeing specialist

• 10:15 a.m. – Break

• 10:30 a.m. — Evaluating Longevity: Annual Beef Cattle Assessment for Optimum Performance, Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist

• 11:15 a.m. – Market Outlook, James Mitchell, extension livestock economist

• Noon – Lunch and adjourn

For more information about armyworms in Arkansas, visit https://www.uaex.uada.edu/armyworms

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture publications or extension programs, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Federal officials working to keep U.S. free of nightmarish screwworms

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The New World screwworm is the stuff of nightmares.

Named for its habit of screwing into the living flesh of warm-blooded animals with its razor-sharp mouth hooks, they are maggots — the larvae of Cochliomyia hominivorax, a fly with large orange eyes, a dark blue or green metallic body bearing three dark stripes.

Adult New World screwworm fly, characterized by its large orange eyes and bluish or greenish metallic body and three back stripes. (Image by  Judy Gallagher (lCreative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license)

All but disappeared from the United States since the 1960s, the New World screwworm has prompted fresh concerns from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the livestock industry after a case was reported in southern Mexico last fall.

This prompted the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, to put in effect a temporary ban on importation of live cattle, bison, horses and other livestock from Mexico.

“The United States Department of Agriculture had successfully eradicated New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966,” said Kirsten Midkiff, extension animal health and wellbeing specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The last case that we had in the U.S. was in October 2016 in Florida, and swift action was taken to eliminate the presence by March 2017.

“Because of this new case in the southern part of Mexico, APHIS announced on Dec. 13 that there will be a release of $165 million in emergency funding to protect U.S. livestock, pets, and wildlife,” Midkiff said.

Setting up a barrier

1944 bulletin from Florida Extension Service features discussion on managing screwworm before the pest was eradicated in the U.S. in 1966 (U of A System Division of Agriculture image by Jon Zawislak)

New World screwworms are endemic to Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and countries in South America. Panama was considered the border for screwworm prevalence, but recently the screwworm has trended north into Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and the southernmost areas of Mexico.

In 1972, USDA and Mexico started a screwworm eradication program to create a biological barrier distributing sterile flies which disrupt reproduction. The sterile flies were raised in a facility in Mexico and dispersed using specially equipped planes. In 2006, a new sterile fly production facility was built in Panama, with flies distributed along the border between Panama and Columbia, pushing the barrier further south. According to the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, an average of 60 million sterile flies were dispersed weekly.

Midkiff said the emergency funds are being used to support surveillance efforts, animal health checkpoints, and collaborate with Mexico and Central American countries to establish a new barrier on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and re-establish the Panamanian barrier.

Precaution and prevention

Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said she’s been getting questions from ranchers. However, she wants to emphasize that “currently, there is no outbreak in the U.S., we have imposed restrictions on live cattle imports from Mexico out of caution.

“This could cause disruption of the overall cattle supply, especially in regions such as Texas and an overall reduced supply of cattle in the market. This also can cause uncertainty in the market,” Justice said. However, “prevention of the screwworm entering the U.S. is imperative, as there could be major economic losses associated with the pest with devastating consequences for animal health and welfare.”

Economic concerns

The United States imported 1.23 million head of feeder cattle from Mexico in 2024. Mexico is second only to Canada in terms of supplying beef to the U.S.

However, during “the last five weeks of the year, we imported zero,” said James Mitchell, extension livestock economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “This is important because we typically observe a seasonal high in Mexican cattle imports during December. These cattle are fed in U.S. feedlots before being processed into beef in preparation for grilling season, which spans from Memorial Day to Labor Day.”

Mitchell said the import ban increased cattle prices, particularly in Texas and other border states.

“However, it also had negative effects on feedlots already struggling to maintain capacity due to tighter domestic cattle supplies,” he said.

The potential cost of a New World screwworm outbreak in domestic herds could be substantial, depending on its severity. Implementing an import ban is a logical step to reduce the risk of such an outbreak. Prior to its eradication in 1966, New World screwworms cost the U.S. livestock industry more than $100 million annually, according to a 1991 presentation by James E. Novy, assistant chief of program evaluations and planning of veterinary services for USDA.

What to look for

New World screwworm flies lay eggs on an open wound or around an orifice, and after a few hours the eggs will hatch and larvae burrow into the wound to feed. The maggots are unique in that they have sharp mouth hooks that cause extensive damage, tearing into the host tissue. Unlike other species, these maggots will only feed on living tissue.

“Being vigilant about New World screwworm is the key to keeping it out of the United States,” Midkiff said.

 Early signs for the screwworm are enlarged or draining wounds, discomfort, and the presence of eggs or larvae near superficial injuries, according to APHIS. Other signs in animals — both mammals and birds — may be irritated behavior, head shaking, the smell of decay, evidence of fly strike, or the presence of maggots in a wound.

“If screwworms are diagnosed, then affected animals will be quarantined until daily wound care and treatments of infected animals are successful,” Midkiff said. “If the USDA investigates cases and it is deemed necessary, then additional control measurements including insecticidal treatment of the environment or sterile screwworm fly release may occur.”

If you suspect a screwworm infestation, contact your veterinarian or state veterinarian.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Cattle buying, steak sampling coming to the 2024 Beef and Forage Field Day in Hope

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Researchers and extension specialists with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will present on future forage programs, hay verification and winter feed options at the Beef and Forage Field Day next month.

BEEF AND FORAGE — The 2024 Beef and Forage Field Day will take place on April 5 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope. Research updates, cattle buying tips and vaccine management are all on the agenda. (Division of Agriculture photo).

The event is scheduled to take place on April 5 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope. Those interested in registering or learning more about the event can contact the center at 870-777-9702. There is no cost to register.

Alongside the research and extension updates, Daniel Rivera, associate professor of animal science and the center’s director, will be introducing Jonathan Kubesch, a new assistant professor and forage specialist who starts with the Division of Agriculture on April 1. Experts from outside the Division of Agriculture will also discuss cattle markets and outlooks and the proper management of vaccines for cattle health.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to compare steak samples from cattle that were finished at the station against steak bought from a grocery store. This was made possible as part of an Arkansas Beef Council grant, Rivera said.

“I am excited to showcase the projects we have done at the station, as well as having a local order buyer discuss discounts and premiums and have that visual example for the producers,” he said.

A cattle order buyer purchases cattle at livestock auctions, usually on behalf of another party, like a stocker operator, feedlot or meat processing company.

“Hopefully producers can come away with insight on what type of cattle they should be producing,” Rivera said.

Rivera thanked the Ouachita district extension ag agents for working with him to put the event together.

Speakers and topics:

• Kubesch will discuss his upcoming forage programs with the Division of Agriculture.

• Michelle Johnson, a graduate research assistant in the department of animal science, will share updates on her beef finishing study.

• Les Walz, agriculture and forages educator, will discuss the hay verification program.

• Maggie Justice, assistant professor and beef cattle specialist, will discuss winter feed options.

• Jake Cartwright, director of commodity activities and economics for beef, equine and dairy, for AR Farm Bureau.

• Ken Blue, senior food animal technical consultant at Elanco, and Harold Newcomb, technical services veterinarian at Merck Animal Health, will host a veterinarian roundtable to discuss vaccines and methods to improve calf health.

• Lanny Ford, owner of F&F Cattle, will discuss the good and bad traits he looks for when purchasing cattle.

The schedule is as follows:

• 9:00-9:30 — Registration

• 9:30-9:45 — Future forage programs with Kubesch

• 9:45-10:00 — Beef finishing study with Johnson

• 10:00-10:30 — Hay verification program with Walz

• 10:30-11:00 — Winter feed options with Justice

• 11:00-11:30 — Cattle Market Outlook with Cartwright

• 11:30-12:30 — Veterinarian roundtable on vaccines and methods to improve calf health with Blue and Newcomb

• 1:00 — Premiums and discounts in purchasing feeder/stocker cattle with Lanny Ford, F&F Cattle

Lunch will be served from 12:30-1:00 p.m.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Justice focuses on the needs of beef cattle producers

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — About a year after Maggie Justice discovered a passion for animal science research as a sophomore at Clemson University, she found what would become her credo: “What does this mean for our producers?”

Justice joined the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture as an assistant professor and beef cattle specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service in May.

Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist for the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

In a way, Justice was born into her career.

“I grew up on a commercial cow-calf operation in South Carolina,” she said. Justice said she and her three sisters “learned to work on the farm and were part of the cattle operation. Like most of our cattle farmers, especially in the Southeast, it was secondary income.”

Justice’s father was a retired lawyer and her mother was a school teacher but “the farm was definitely a family affair on the weekends,” she said.

Growing up, “I was very active in 4-H and came to love extension because of my time in 4-H,” Justice said.

Justice followed in all of the family’s footsteps, heading to Clemson University. She knew she wanted to study animal science but didn’t want to go to vet school.

“I was kind of steered toward research as an undergrad and started that as a sophomore, and fell in love with it,” she said. “Luckily, I had a great mentor that I stayed on with for my master’s. She noticed that I like to talk to people, and kind of noticed I had a passion, in that I always asked her questions about ‘what did her research mean for our producers?’”

That mentor is Susan Duckett, professor and Ernest L. Corley Jr. Trustees endowed chair of the Animal and Veterinary Sciences department at Clemson.

About a year into the research, Justice told Duckett that she “wanted to be an extension specialist so I could help producers like the ones I grew up with.”

Going her own way

Justice gives a lot of credit to her dad, who raised four girls.

“My dad is the ultimate girl dad. He instilled in all four of us that we could do anything we set our minds to,” she said.

That “anything” included Justice’s passion for shooting sports, especially shotgun. She was a competitive shooter in 4-H and also for her high school. It’s a sport she shares with her grandfather.

Justice also describes herself as a “horse girl.”

“As far as horse stuff goes, I was the black sheep of the family,” she said.

“My sisters rodeoed and actually had a younger sister who went to school on a rodeo scholarship. But I showed horses,” Justice said. “I showed Western pleasure and hunter under saddle. Because of that, I was super competitive in the 4-H education contests; horse bowl, hippology, was a horse ambassador for the state and then eventually was a state officer because of my involvement in the horse project.”

Adapting to Arkansas

She has enjoyed her newly adopted state.

“I love Arkansas. Everyone has been so welcoming, so open to my program, and excited for me which has made my job easy and enjoyable,” Justice said. “I’m just excited to help the agents build their programs in their counties and ultimately help the producers in this state.”

Mike Looper, head of animal science for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and the Division of Agriclture, said Justice earned the job amid an “extremely strong applicant pool.”

“When Maggie interviewed for the job, we knew she was the perfect fit for the department as well as for our beef producers in Arkansas,” he said. “You might say she came in on day one and embraced extension and the idea of helping farmers and ranchers be more efficient, and ultimately more profitable.”    

Justice received her master’s degree at Clemson and her Ph.D. at Auburn University.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.