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Cattle Marketing, Animal Welfare To Be Featured At BIG Conference

Cattle marketing options, animal welfare standards and herd restocking will be featured topics at the 2016 Blackland Income Growth Conference set for Jan. 5-6 at the Waco Convention Center.
 
The annual conference is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Waco Chamber of Commerce.
Cattle marketing options, animal welfare standards and herd restocking will be featured topics at the 2016 Blackland Income Growth Conference set for Jan. 5-6 at the Waco Convention Center. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Blair Fannin)
Cattle marketing options, animal welfare standards and herd restocking will be featured topics at the 2016 Blackland Income Growth Conference set for Jan. 5-6 at the Waco Convention Center. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photo by Blair Fannin)
 
The conference is being held a month earlier than usual to give farmers more time in advance of corn planting to incorporate much of the information shared at the conference, coordinators said.
 
The beef session will feature the following topics and speakers:
 
– Animal welfare standards, five freedoms of cattle, Dr. Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist and associate department head for animal science at Texas A&M University, College Station.
 
– Cattle marketing options, Dr. Jason Banta, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Overton.
 
– Restocking and growing a quality herd, panel discussion.
 
Beef session attendees will receive 2.5 Beef Quality Assurance credits.
 
Registration for the main Blackland Income Growth Conference is $20 per person and includes lunch. Several sessions will award continuing education units. Producers can download the brochure at http://bit.ly/1WwKzd4 to see specific continuing education credit allocations, sessions and speakers.
 
Producers will also be able to take part in the Mid-Texas Farm and Ranch Show at the convention center. Vendors and agricultural equipment dealers will be on hand to showcase the latest in farm supplies and implements.
 
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Trending Video

FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.