VFD: How it will impact you on January 1
From BEEF Magazine - Dr. Mike Apley, Kansas State University, College of Veterinary Medicine
 Hopefully, everyone is getting up to speed on the rapidly approaching changes coming with the veterinary feed directive. I’ve presented on this topic at numerous meetings, and some issues often come up:
The list of medically important antibiotics which will require a VFD in cattle is really quite short: Examples are tylosin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, neomycin, tilmicosin and chlortetracycline/sulfamethazine (a fixed combination). Concurrent feeding with any other drug must be approved on the VFD, although not as much detail is required for concurrently fed drugs.
Although the veterinarian does not have to specify the amount of feed which may be purchased by entering this on the VFD, someone must still figure out how much feed the producer may buy under the VFD. This will require cooperation between the distributor of the VFD feed and the producer who will feed the final feed product to animals.
The veterinarian will specify the approximate number of animals to be fed and the rate of grams per ton for the VFD drug. The consumption rate of the cattle will determine the amount of feed to be purchased. Read more...
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BQA Self-Assessments foster continuous improvement
Libby Bigler, Colorado BQA Coordinator
You’re BQA certified, but what’s the next step? On a national level, the Beef Quality Assurance program is committed to continuous improvement. That’s why a National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) is conducted every five years. The industry utilizes the NBQA to measure our progress from a beef quality standpoint and ultimately adapt and improve on a large scale. But what are you doing at the ranch level to foster continuous improvement?
Monitoring your implementation of BQA principles is a great strategy to help verify that the principles you learned during your BQA course are being applied on your operation. National BQA has made this step simple by providing self-assessments for producers, which includes check lists for all industry segments. Perform a self-assessment annually and compare your notes year over year to identify where your operation is succeeding, or where you could make some improvements. After all, you cannot manage what you do not measure. Download the self-assessment guides below.
For more information about self-assessments, visit www.cobqa.org or contact your state BQA Coordinator, Libby Bigler at (970) 491-2333 or libby.bigler@colostate.edu.
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Checkoff logs record 3,300 BQA Certifications
From www.beefboard.org - Melissa Jackson, Trade Media Manager for The Sandbox Agency, contractor for the Cattlemen's Beef Board
This fall, more than 3,300 producers from across the country became Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-certified, the largest number in the history of free-certifications supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). And, of those who signed up during the free certification window, 68 percent completed their certification, also the highest percentage in the program’s seven-year history. Through the sponsorship of the BQA certification program, BIVI provides financial support for the Beef Cattle Institute, which developed the certification module.
The checkoff-funded BQA program is important to the cattle industry as it provides producers with a set of best practices for producing quality beef. It also gives consumers the assurance that the beef they eat is both safe and wholesome. Read more...
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Getting off on the right foot: Rubber flooring and your operation
From Progressive Cattleman - Danielle Schlegel, Freelance Author
It is no secret that handling cattle can be stressful for both bovine and humans alike. When considering ways to incorporate key infrastructure systems aimed at reducing stress during handling, flooring is almost always on the list of things to think about for producers.
Rubber flooring systems in processing areas and housing facilities has seen a rise in attention by both scholars  and manufacturers, and for good reason.
Temple Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, who has focused much of her career on production animal welfare and behavior, notes that non-slip rubber flooring systems can greatly reduce slipping and falling in areas such as chute exits and unloading ramps. Read more...
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New Colorado BQA Certified Producers
Alexys Allison
Jana Armstrong
Paola Bacigalupo-Sanguesa
David Blach
Jace Blach
Jeremy Blach
Ben Brent
Matthew Brent
Ralph Brent
Hannah Burnett
Alison Bush
Drew Carlson
Jacob Coraor
Kaitlyn Espinosa
Chandra Fisher
Fallon Flick
Joe Frasier
Mark Frasier
Ryan Frasier
Shayne Garner
Dick Gelvin
Zane Gouker
Katie Greener
Jayden Hilferty
Brittany Hines
Ashli Hirai
Jocelyn Hood
Mariana Hudson
Bailey Jago
Dennis Kaan
Taylor Karlin
Kelli Kolar
Aaron Kravig
Linda Kula
Amy Kunkel
Bethany Liebig
Kelsey Martin
Paul Martin
Lauren McHenry
Jeananne Mosher
Kindra Plumb
Kelsey Pope
Ronny Pope
Eric Poss
Fred Poss
Emily Reeder
Katie Savolt
Laney Sheppard
Angela Smith
Anita Smith
Shawn Smith
Tyler Smith
Kathryn Stephens
Bekah Weatherington
Morgan Weinrich
Wade Yoder
Thank you for your commitment to producing safe, healthy and wholesome beef! Congratulations!
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Magnum Feedyard of Wiggins, CO reminds their crew that BQA is a priority by keeping a BQA sign posted front and center in their processing barn. Magnum Feedyard is one of Colorado's BQA Certified feeding operations that works every day to produce safe, healthy and wholesome beef.
Where is your BQA sign displayed? Email a photo of your sign and we'll post it on Facebook and Twitter!
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Calendar of Events
January 6-7, 2017
International Livestock Forum
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
January 7-22, 2017
National Western Stock Show
National Western Complex, Denver, CO
January 12, 2017
CSU Seedstock Merchandising Team's 4th Annual Lunch in the Yards
National Western Stock Show, CSU Yards Pen, Denver, CO
January 16-18, 2017
CCA Mid Winter Conference
Denver Stapleton Renaissance Hotel, Denver, CO
January 24, 2017
Colorado Farm Show Beef Day and BQA Certification
*Featuring Curt Pate Stockmanship & Stewardship
Island Grove Regional Park, Greeley, CO
February 1-3, 2017
Cattle Industry Annual Convention & NCBA Trade Show
Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, TN
February 8, 2017
San Juan Basin Beef Symposium and BQA Certification
Pagosa Springs, CO
February 21, 2017
CLA Marshall Frasier Beef Symposium
Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Hugo, CO
February 22, 2017
Governor's Forum on Colorado Agriculture
Denver Stapleton Renaissance Hotel, Denver, CO
February 26, 2017
Delta County Livestock Association BQA Certification
Hotchkiss, CO
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Throughout the fall, the Colorado BQA Program has worked with CSU Animal Science faculty to offer BQA certification for students. Since September, the program has certified over 30 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as those working to achieve their DVM.
To the left, dedicated BQA supporter, Bill DeMoss of Mountain Vet Supply in Fort Collins, explains the importance of vaccination and judicious use of antibiotics to CSU's Advanced Bovine Reproduction class at CSU's ARDEC facilities.
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Questions? Contact Us!
Colorado Beef Quality Assurance
Colorado State University
1171 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1171
970-491-BEEF (2333)
www.coBQA.org
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