Helix Red Polls

Melissa Neal
P O Box 768
Lilydale VIC 3140
Email:  gneal@melbpc.org.au

Travelling in the US and Studying Abroad at Michigan State University

Semex/Phoenix Genetics MSU Scholarship 2006

 (Sorry, photographs not available yet)

My travels around the US. Michigan State University is the red dot

Last March I was honoured to receive the 2006 Michigan State University Scholarship to travel and study in the United States of America for 8 months. Since the start of July I have been very lucky to have travelled extensively for seven weeks throughout the summer, from Canada and North West America, down through the central US and Texas in the South. Throughout this time I attended various agricultural and beef industry events across the country and visited ranches in nearby locations.

The 22^nd Biannual Commonwealth Agricultural Conference held in Calgary, Western Canada was an extraordinary event I thoroughly enjoyed. Run by the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) and hosting representatives from 53 countries, the conference was based around the theme "Market Expectations for Food and Farming Realities".

Thirty-one Youth Delegates (35 years or less) involved in agriculture and most particularly Agricultural Show Societies, were involved in the Next Generation Forum at the conference. While many of the topics discussed were common agricultural issues faced internationally, I also gained a much greater understanding of the diversity across some of the Commonwealth Nations I had not previously considered.

Some of the papers presented included agricultural and consumer trends, marketing, animal and plant genetics, Commonwealth learning, and sustainable agriculture. Sessions on shows discussed economic benefits to the local area, the importance of volunteers, meeting the expectation of visitors and especially the education of public into food and farming.

As the conference was held in conjunction with the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, (the cowboy capital of the world), our evenings were spent at Stampede Park cheering on the chuck wagon racing and rodeo, viewing livestock and the rest of the showgrounds.

Next Generation Youth Delegates at the RASC Chuck wagon racing at the Calgary Stampede

The Phoenix Genetics Beef Breeders Tour was an exceptional week, passing through 6 states from Missouri to Montana and looking at some of the most well known and respected herds in Central and North West America. Travelling with Jim Bruce and 15 Australian producers and resellers was a great opportunity to discuss the cattle we were seeing and learn about how cattle would fit into their different breeding programs.

The tour included mostly Angus and also Charolais, Simmentals and crossbreds. Generally the tour group saw quite a number of progeny from highly used bulls and could often compare across multiple herds. Viewing both established and up and coming sires at a couple of Collection Centres was very interesting and seeing bulls in the flesh, compared to the semen catalogue, has certainly given me a much greater perspective of these bulls. Many of the cow herds here have been in very good condition and strong in the udder.

With Jim Bruce, Phoenix Genetics at GDAR Mohnen Angus bull calves

the American Angus Association.

Lindscov-Thiel Charolais American Angus Hall of Fame Double Click here to hear one of the lots sell at the

Sitz Auction, very different to Australian auction

Sitz Angus Sale - how about the view Sitz Angus Sale

The Leaders Engaged in Angus Development Conference (LEAD) in Oklahoma was a leadership based event aimed at under 21 year olds. It was well run and certainly helps develop confidence within the young cattle people who attend.

The Texas A&M University Beef Short Course was a very comprehensive producer focused program that gave me an exceptional introduction to the American beef industry, and updates on current research. A highlight was the Cattleman's College workshops featuring ranch management, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, pastures and carcass evaluation. With another 3 weeks in Texas I spent time at an AI centre and several properties. This was a fantastic opportunity to see some large operations and it was a great break from conference rooms to get outside and work some cattle at last.

With Dave Hawkins at the Michigan Winter Beef Show at MSU

The semester at Michigan State University (MSU) began in late August and I am studying five subjects:

- Advanced Feedlot Management: feeding systems, manure management, health maintenance and cattle marketing, with hosting professor Dave Hawkins.

- Animal Products and Evaluation: beef, sheep and swine evaluation of breeding and market stock. Judging live classes each week and then their carcasses the following week.

- Animal Products: dairy and meat processing, usually fabricating the carcasses from the Evaluation Class.

- Endocrinology of Reproduction: hormones in livestock reproduction.

- Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals: molecular, population and quantitative genetics. Giving me some background for my Honours Thesis I will complete when I return home next semester.

Chicken processing in Animal Products class Animal Product and Evaluation class market steer assessment

(I was too busy in the beef class to remember to get pictures)

The facilities at the university are fantastic and our regular use of the MSU Feedlot, Beef and Dairy Plants and having ready access to products (such as reproductive tracts) for other classes enables lots of hands on practical experience.

MSU Feedlot MSU Dairy Plant MSU Beef Plant

Michigan Winter Beef Show at the MSU Pavilion Class mates running the Beef Show Grand Champion Heifer Michigan Winter Beef Show

While at uni I have been living at the Sigma Alpha Sorority House, right across the street from campus. There are 14 girls here, most who study agriculture or natural resources so they are a great group to live with and I have had some great fun weekends away with the girls.

Sigma Alpha - 334 Michigan Ave Sigma Alpha Girls (we all wear jeans) The neighbouring sorority (they wear mini skirts and heels)

Late in September I attended the National Angus Conference and Tour in the North West. With over 400 people attending and most states represented, this presented a unique opportunity to compare differences between their climate, landscapes and operation to what we were seeing on the tour. The tour stops included ranches in Idaho and Oregon and again I was able to spend some time on another ranch for a few days following the tour.

Thomas Angus Ranch Bear Mountain Angus Ranch

Between conferences, tours, ranch stays and study, I have been fortunate to have squeezed some great sight seeing in, including the spectacular Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone National Park and Niagara Falls. So far I have experienced temperatures ranging from 43°C to -4°C, while expecting it to get much colder as the season changes. One substantial difference I have seen across America is the abundance of irrigation and the unrestrained use of water, a resource we value so highly in Australia. Common topics of discussion within the industry here at the moment include the lifting of international beef trade restrictions and regaining market share as well as implementation of electronic identification systems.

Snow at MSU Walking to class while it is snowing

Traffic Hazard in Yellowstone National Park Niagara Falls

(a possible avenue for cross breeding)

I have just returned from the National Red Poll Show and Sale at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. Of the 104 Red Polls exhibited, there was quite a lot of variation in the cattle. In my opinion, many of the animals presented were of a more fine boned, maternal, feminine style and generally freer moving, while others showed more volume and muscle development, especially through the loin region.

The US Red Poll breeders should be commended for entrusting the leading of almost the entire junior heifer classes to young handlers. This was a fantastic demonstration to the rest of the show of the encouragement within the breed for the cattlemen of the future.

Talking with breeders at the show and during the Red Poll Banquet and Auction was a great pleasure and one thing I was interested to learn was the ability of the breed to finish on grass is a more marketable characteristic in this country where the majority of cattle are more heavily grain finished.

Red Poll Heifers at NAILE (on green wood shavings!)

Thanksgiving long weekend I was treated to visiting Kent and Claudia Libby, Red Poll breeders in Northern Michigan. On my way home I will be spending a month in the United Kingdom, hoping to visit some more cattle properties and briefly working with a beef marketing company.

Kent and Claudia Libby, East Jordan, Michigan Libby calves brought in for the winter Libby bull sold to the neighbours for cross breeding

The scholarship and the events that it has enabled me to attend have taught me a great deal. I would really like to thank the many people who have assisted my involvement in the beef cattle industry and especially the sponsors Semex and Phoenix Genetics, the Australian Beef Industry Foundation and Angus Australia, for their continued support of such an incredible scholarship program.

I hope to catch up with you all at the Feature Show in Canberra soon after I return.

Melissa Neal

Helix Red Polls

Nov. 2006

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Background

Red Poll Youth Award 2005

Australian Red Poll Cattle Breeders Inc.

Last updated:  December 14th, 2006