March 2009 Progressive Rancher - The Progressive Rancher ...

In this Issue...
Nevada Cattlemen’s Assoc.................................................pgs. 3-4
Lorey’s Stories, by Lorey Eldgrige..........................................pg. 4
Back to Basics, by Ron Torell.................................................pg. 5
Case Study: Twelve Years of Data on High Accuracy
Calving Ease A.I. Sires in Relation to Gestation Length
and Dystocia, by Ron Torell....................................................pg. 6
It’s Never Too Early to Start Adding Value
to Your 2009 Calves, by Jason Ahola.................................pgs. 8-9
Grass Tetany, by Ben Bruce and David Thain .....................pg. 10
Obituaries: Alice Goicoechea and Paul Holcher................... pg. 11
Frank Rodgers & Salmon Tract Sale Results........................pg. 12
UCD Vet Views, by John Maas ............................................pg. 13
Horse Snorts & Cow Bawls...................................................pg. 14
Range Plants for the Rancher, by Paul Tueller......................pg. 17
The Progressive Rancher
Owner/Editor/Publisher - Leana Stitzel
progressiverancher@elko.net
Graphic Design/Layout/Production - Julie Eardley
julie@jeprographics.com
Causes of the Great Drepression....................................pgs. 18-20
Great Basin Wildfire Forum:
Ken Sanders & Paul Tueller.............................................pg. 22-23
NQHA 2008 Results.......................................................pgs. 30-31
Cover photo: by Denise Smith
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Coloring Contest ...................................................................pg. 32
Dr. Margaret............................................................................pg.33
Roche Equine.........................................................................pg. 34
Martin Black Horse Training.................................................pg. 35
Joe Guild is very busy at the legislature. His column will return in April.
2 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

am sure everyone has been reading about the economic
stimulus bill that President Obama is work-
I
ing on in an effort to help turn our economy around. But I
wonder how many non-ranchers have heard about the Dairy
Cow Buyout proposed as a part of this stimulus package.
In an effort to raise milk prices, it been proposed that our
tax dollars be used to buy out approximately 320,000 producing
dairy cows in hopes of removing an estimated 6.5 million gallons
of milk from the market place. This may very well stimulate
dairy prices and helped out the dairy farmers, but it would
be catastrophic for us beef cattle ranchers.
In 1986, a similar dairy cow buyout took place to help
increase milk prices and it resulted in a 25% decrease in beef
cattle prices. It was a part of the 1985 Farm Bull. (Typo intended.)
They called it a “dairy herd reduction program.” It flooded
the marketplace with excess dairy cows; negatively impacting
the beef cattle industry by some 1 billion dollars. And, it didn’t
boost the economy in our rural communities as it was intended
to. It merely shifted the economic hardship from one sector of
our agricultural industry to another.
They call that “unintended consequences.”
Well, the last I heard, we got it stopped. At this time, the
proposed dairy cow buyout is no longer a part of the stimulus
package being considered by the House and Senate. (I call that:
“Sense in the Senate.”)
And guess how we got it stopped? We spoke out. We called,
we wrote, we e-mailed our legislators. We let our resounding
voice be heard. I am continually amazed on just how powerful
our voice can be, when spoken in an orderly and responsible
manner. (Loud’s good too.)
Getting back to “unintended consequences.”
Look at what the push for ethanol production has done. It
has driven the price of feed corn through the roof. The record
high feed and forage prices brought on by the shifting of corn
from feed to fuel production has resulted in a loss of over 1.5
billion dollars to the cattle feeding industry last year.
“Unintended consequences.” For every action there is a reaction
and it’s not always good. We ranchers took a tremendous
hit last year from the drastic increase in corn prices brought on
by government mandated ethanol production. I don’t know if we
could weather the storm from another dairy cow buyout.
On another note, Country of Origin Labeling is now in
effect. Passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, the original intent
of COOL was to provide information to consumers in making
their food purchasing choices and to help U.S. producers promote
their own products in the market place. Many producers
believe that given a choice consumers will choose to purchase
U.S. produced products over imported ones. Mandatory country
of Origin Labeling extends to retail beef, pork, lamb, goat,
chicken, fresh fruit, vegetables and certain “nuts.” (I’m not going
to touch it. I’m just going to let it pass.)
Although most producers are agreeable in concept, many
feel that COOL should be consumer driven and not mandated
by the government. Many don’t like the disparity of exempting
food service and processed foods from complying. Many question
if COOL really does offer the consumer extra assurances
of food safety as this program has nothing to do with NIAS or
trace-back. And if we want to be totally honest, many of us producers
are in favor of it because we think COOL is a good way
of keeping imported food products off our grocery store shelves
or at least give us an edge over those imports. (And that’s really
not bad thinking if it were true.)
In the grocer’s meat case, a package of beef from cattle
born, raised & processed the U.S. would read: Product of the
U.S. But it gets complicated after that. The label could read:
Product of U.S. and Canada or Product of US, Canada & Mexico;
depending upon the bovines travel itinerary. The packers are
going to have to keep all that straight in their processing plant
and not mix them up. The grocers must keep their labels straight
and not mix them on the shelf. How much space is it going to
take at the meat counter with all these different labels? This is
going to take a lot of extra labor, warehousing, accounting and
management. The cost of implementing and maintaining COOL
will be high indeed. I read somewhere that USDA projects the
cost to be somewhere around $2 billion when the dust settles and
everything is in place.
So how are the major packers and retailers of our beef
products handling this newly mandated government program
right now? Many are taking the path of least resistance. They
are labeling all beef products as Product of the US, Canada &
Mexico, even though the vast majority were actually Born &
Raised in the USA.
Country of Origin Labeling is intended to showcase agricultural
products of the United States and maybe give us U.S.
producers a little edge in the market place. But instead it turned
out to be confusing, burdensome, labor intensive and very expensive.
More “Unintended Consequences.”
On still another note:
Did you ever stick your foot in your mouth and just want to
leave it there because you were so wrong. Well I have! It looks
like I was wrong when I wrote last month that I believed newly
appointed Secretary of Interior Salazar would be friendly to oil
and gas development on public lands. I have just read a report
that Salazar has made the decision to unilaterally cancel oil and
gas leases on 130,000 acres of public land in Utah following a
seven-year comprehensive open and public land management
planning process. Now how’s that for stimulating the economy,
creating jobs and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil?
(Pause, insert one foot.)
Well, that’s enough for this mouth. Besides, I’ve noticed
that the less I write the bigger my picture is on the page!
Until next month . . . . . . Thanks. (And such)
UPDATE
Da n
Gr a l i a n
Sample Labels from the Meat Matters COOL brochure for consumers.
Nevada
Cattlemen’s
Association
President
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 3

Review
Nevada Cattlemen’s Association
The month of February has been a busy month for Nevada Cattlemen’s Association.
Many of the dedicated members of this association as well as
Executive Committee members traveled recently to Phoenix to attend the National
Cattlemen’s Beef Association Annual Convention.
Thousands of cattle producers congregated at the Phoenix Convention Center to participate
in the industry’s largest annual event, the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention
& NCBA Trade Show. Many of these individuals are attracted to the event by the trade
show, which featured 260 exhibitors showcasing the industry’s newest and most modern
products and services.
“Our exhibitors are on the cutting edge of the industry,” according to Kristin Torres,
director of tradeshow and corporate relations, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. “Because
we’re one of the largest trade shows that specifically targets cattle producers, every
year we see the introduction of groundbreaking technologies and ideas at our event, which
is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind.”
More than 5,000 people involved in the cattle industry attended the convention and
trade show. In addition to the trade show, meetings were held that helped establish policy
and checkoff direction for the future, while attendees were able to re-establish personal
and business relationships with their fellow cattle producers.
This year several members of NCA traveled to Phoenix to participate in the policy development
process on issues such as OHV, grazing permits, right of way, COOL, trade, and
animal health. With dedicated members such as ours, we stood well represented and well
By Meghan Brown, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association Executive Director
received with ideas to help shape how our NCBA staff works for our needs and values.
On the local front, Nevada Cattlemen’s Association joined at the Fallon Livestock Exchange
for the 43rd Annual Fallon All Breeds Bull Sale. Please look in next month’s article
for more details regarding the outcome of the sale. We want to thank all of our dedicated
consignors and buyers for their years of dedication and support of the association and the
industry. Without the support of the community of Fallon, and the members of the Bull
Sale Committee this great tradition would not be possible.
Also on the horizon for the association is the Annual Public Lands Council Meeting in
Washington DC. Members of the association will be traveling to DC to meet with national
leaders and members of the state delegation to voice our concerns regarding land management
and industry issues.
Along with traveling to Washington, the association will be hosting their annual Legislative
Breakfast May 13th in Carson City. This annual tradition will allow members of
the Nevada Legislature and Board Members of Nevada Cattlemen’s Association to come
together to discuss issues that are important to Nevada producers. These issues might
include taxes, water, private property, and animal health.
Please be on the look out for upcoming events and issues. If you would like to become
a member of the association please call the office at 1-775-738-9214 or visit our web page,
www.nevadacattlemen.org.
Best Regards,
Meghan
Editor’s Note: The Progressive Rancher regrets this
article was not included in the February 2009 issue. Our
sincere apology to Lorey, and our readers that it was
inadvertantly missed.
h what a beautiful morning!” “Oh
“Owhat a beautiful day!” Everyday is a
beautiful day when you can wake up and look out the
window at the majestic snow capped Ruby Mountains.
Looking out at the beautiful Mountains in the morning
makes me feel much better than looking at the
morning news. How true the saying is “No News is
good News!” or “If it wasn’t for bad News, there would
be no News at all!”
Hopefully I can start your New Year off with some
GOOD NEWS. The Elko County CattleWomen started
2009 with a new slate of officers. They will serve a twoyear
term and I must say they’re the most ambitious bunch
of women I can ever remember. Our new Elko County
officers are as follows: President - Angie Taylor, Vice
President- Sidney Merkley, Treasurer- Marcia Conforti,
Secretary- Meredith Trindle. And the most exciting news
is three of our officers have also accepted Nevada State
CattleWomen offices. They are as follows: President-Meredith
Trindle, Vice President-Sharon Falen, Treasurer-
Angie Taylor and Secretary-Marcia Conforti. “My goodness,
I can’t remember if that’s ever happened before.” I
think they have set precedent. These new officers are so
excited and have so many wonderful ideas and plans for
the next two years for both county and state. If you are
able to serve on a committee let one of them know. I wish
each of the new officers the best in the coming years.
We Elko County CattleWomen were truly in the
spirit this holiday season while we dashed through the
snow delivering Roast Beef to all senior centers. Roast
Beef is what they had for Christmas dinner you know.
Yes the CattleWomen have been busy promoting Beef
again this winter. Once again we donated and delivered
more that 400 pounds of Beef throughout Elko County,
Eureka and Crescent Valley. Again this year we couldn’t
have had such a successful senior Beef program without
Roy Herr at Roy’s Market. He made this worthwhile project
possible by selling us the meat at his cost. Roy and
his Butcher Noe made sure the Beef roasts were always
ready for me to pick up and deliver. I am so thankful for
Lou Basanez who delivers the Beef roasts to Owyhee for
me each year. And then there is Jolene Noorda that takes
care of our Seniors Beef in Wells. A very special thanks
to those two gals and everyone else that has helped with
the Senior Beef program.
Roy’s Market has donated to and helped make possible
another pet project of the CattleWomens and that is our
famous “CattleWomen’s Meat Balls,” which we will be
serving opening night of the Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
To show our appreciation to Roy’s Market for their
outstanding Beef promotion, we have chosen Roy’s Market
as the Beef Business of the year. Roy and Koko Herr
were honored at the Elko County CattleWomen’s January
15 th, luncheon meeting. Roy has lived in Elko all of his life.
As a young man he worked for Mayfair market for twenty
years, before he and his wife Koko bought Mayfair, which
then became Roy’s Market. It has been a family owned
and operated business for twenty-one years. Recently,
they purchased Stuart’s FoodTown in Wells, Nevada. The
CattleWomen would like to wish the Roy Herr family all
the best with their new store.
Don’t forget that February is Beef Month! So be sure
and treat your special Valentine to a nice steak dinner.
Happy Valentines Day
Lorey Eldridge
4 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Back to Basics
Cooperative Extension - Bringing the University to You
Ron Torell, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Livestock Specialist
Gestation Length of the Beef Cow Versus Dystocia
Everything is based on an average, but there is no average. For example, when was
the last time we saw an average precipitation year? Gestation length on a beef cow is another
one of those numbers where the average is seldom seen. The gestation length for all
breeds of cattle averaged together is 283 days. The range is 279 for Jersey and up to 292 for
Brahman. On the average, the Continental breeds of Charolais, Simmental, and Limousin
exhibit gestation lengths of 289 days. English-bred cattle such as Angus, Shorthorn, and
Hereford exhibit, on the average, shorter gestation lengths of 281, 282 and 285 respectively.
Within those breeds the average gestation length can vary an additional twelve days on
either side of the average for the breed.
Gestation length is an issue because it is associated with dystocia and it affects the
postpartum interval. Dr. Bob Bellows, retired Miles City, Montana researcher at the Fort
KEOG Research Center states “During the last ten days of gestation, one to one-and onehalf
pounds of birth weight can be added to the size of the fetus. This means that for a calf
that had a five-day extended gestation, you could be adding as much as eight pounds to
the birth weight. This might mean the difference between an unassisted birth or a dystocia
situation.”
Sally Northcut, director of genetic research for the American Angus Association feels
another big advantage of short gestation bulls is increased postpartum interval and breed
back of the cows. “Research clearly shows that young cows and cows that have difficult
and slow deliveries require additional days of postpartum interval to cycle and re-breed. If
a calf is born at 275 days gestation versus the breed average of 283, that cow will usually
have an easier delivery and will automatically have an additional eight days postpartum
interval advantage.”
Wayne Vanderwert of the American Gelbvieh Association agrees “The Gelbvieh Association
is the only breed association to currently have a gestation EPD established for
their breed. During the period we have had the gestation length EPD, the average gestation
length of the Gelbvieh breed has been reduced from 289 to 284 days. Virtually all of our
A.I. sired registered cattle go into the data bank. The Gelbvieh Association’s effort to reduce
gestation length to the current levels parallels a strong genetic trend for reduced birth
weight and dystocia in the breed during that same time frame.”
We hear about curve benders-those bulls that are small birth weight and calving ease
yet defy the antagonisms of low birth weight and growth potential. Many of these curve
bender bulls are short gestation. This would explain why they have the smaller birth
weights yet the calves explode and grow like a long gestation growth bull. Conversely, high
growth bulls are oftentimes long gestation sires. This might partially explain the larger
birth weights often associated with growth bull sired calves.
That is enough of my rambling for this month. As always if you would like to discuss
this article or simply would like to talk cows do not hesitate to contact me at 775-738-1721
or torellr@unce.unr.edu. I may be at cow camp calving heifers so be patient, I will return
your call after calving season.
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 5

Case Study:
Twelve Years of Data on High Accuracy
Calving Ease A.I. Sires in Relation to
Gestation Length and Dystocia
Ron Torell, Nevada Livestock Extension Specialist
Most ranchers know the breeding interval, in other words the 60 or 90-day time period
when cows were exposed to bulls. With this information they can calculate what 60 to 90-
day time interval to expect their calving season to occur. There is no way to track gestation
length with this information because individual breeding dates are unknown. When
breeding dates are known and calving dates documented, such as artificial insemination
breeding, or pasture-bred registered operations, some interesting information about gestation
length on specific bulls is revealed. Take for example the calving data on the author’s
Angus cattle.
Over the past twelve years I have artificially inseminated 710 head of my own registered
cows and heifers. Two-hundred and three of these were bred to calving-ease sires. I
was successful on 140 A.I. pregnancies to calving-ease sires. This resulted in an average
conception rate of 69 percent. I monitored the actual calving date and compared that to the
283-day gestation table. Thirty-seven percent of the calving-ease calves were born between
276 and 278 days of gestation. Twenty-seven percent were born between 272 and 275 days
of gestation. Twenty-three percent were born between 279 and 283 days of gestation, while
only 13 percent were born between 284 and 291 days of gestation. The average gestation
length on all 140 of these calves was 279 days, 4 days less than the 283 breed average. The
range was from 272 days clear out to 291 days. By the time we reached our 283 day due date
we were 87 percent done calving with the A.I. sired, calving-ease sired calves.
If you place the data for these calving-ease sires on a graph (Figure 1), it shows a
bell-shaped curve with the peak of the curve around 277 days of gestation. According to
Fort KEOG Researchers this data mirrors the Miles City Research Center’s work. The
bell-shaped curve for gestation length is present for all bulls; it just peaks at different levels.
For example, for long gestation growth bulls the peak might be at 287 days. However,
the bell-shaped curve of the data is very similar to that shown with the shorter gestation
bulls. The range of gestation will still be 10 to 12 days on either side of the peak of the
bell-shaped curve.
Research shows that there is an eighty-pound birth weight threshold relative to dystocia
in first-calf English bred heifers. Sires listed in Table 1 and utilized in this study
are obviously short gestation, calving-ease and low birth weight for only a light pull was
required on less than 3 percent of the A.I. sired calves studied. Many of these assists were
due to abnormal presentation of the fetus and not due to excessive birth weight. Ninety-one
percent of the calves weighed less than 80 pounds at birth. As birth weights increased over
80 pounds so did the assist rate.
Oftentimes when a first-calf heifer experiences calving difficulty we automatically
cast all the blame to the immediate sire of the calf. We often forget that the immediate sire
only contributes half of the genetic merit. The pedigree of the dam determines the other
CED(accuracy) BW(accuracy) Actual B.W. CED ranking
Woodhill Confidence +15 (.58) -3.5 (.75) 60 top 1% breed
Nebraska +12 (.94) +0.5 (.94) 74 top 3% breed
Net Present Value +11 (.78) -1.8 (90) 72 top 5% breed
Genetics by Design +10 (.87) +1.0 (.94) 85
Emblazon 702 +10 (.62) -0.4 (.84) 78
Danny Boy +8 (.88) +0.6 (.96) 79
top 10%
breed
top 10%
breed
top 30%
breed
Breed Average +6 +2.2 50%
Table 1. Expected Progeny Differences: calving ease direct (CED), birth weight (B.W.),
sires actual birth weight and calving-ease direct breed ranking. Numbers are followed by accuracy
levels for each trait in parenthesis. Sires listed are the calving-ease Angus sires used
in this study.
half. If the dam’s pedigree is stacked with growth and large birth weight sires and dams this
is likely to influence calf delivery as a first-calf heifer. Conversely, if the dam’s pedigree is
stacked with calving-ease sires and dams, one would expect shorter gestations, lower birth
weights and less dystocia. This theory held true with the study cattle. Second and third
generation short gestation and calving-ease sired cows tended to have even smaller calves
at birth with shorter gestations. This would support the idea that true calving-ease sires are
stacked with calving ease in their pedigree, not simply the immediate sire.
There are several variables that contribute to calving ease other than gestation length.
I feel that many of the calving-ease sires are calving ease partially because they are short
gestation, it makes sense; you do not want to leave a cake in the oven too long or it will get
over done. Perhaps this is true with a calf.
6 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

OFFICE: 775-423-7760
JACK PAYNE Cell: 775-217-9273
Alt: 775-225-8889
MIKE BAKER Cell: 775-722-5427
JOHN HANGER Cell: 775-217-2433
Email: sales@nevadalivestock.us
Full-Service Cattle Sales & Marketing serving the Fallon, Nevada and Outlying Areas.
Sales Results from February, 9, 2009 Special Feeder Sale
Seller City # Head Desc. Type Weight Price CWT
Ed Brun McDermitt 4 MIX STR 339 $124.00
Ed Brun McDermitt 15 CHAR STR 423 $119.50
Ed Brun McDermitt 4 BLK STR 464 $114.50
Joe Scoggin Fallon 7 MIX STR 351 $123.00
Joe Scoggin Fallon 4 BLK STR 460 $108.50
Russell Berg Sr. Round Mountain 10 BLK STR 438 $120.00
Russell Berg Sr. Round Mountain 4 BBF STR 383 $120.00
Russell Berg Sr. Round Mountain 11 BLK STR 478 $114.50
Inger Casey Winnemucca 31 BLK STR 404 $119.75
Inger Casey Winnemucca 4 MIX STR 349 $113.00
Inger Casey Winnemucca 3 BBF STR 422 $113.00
Inger Casey Winnemucca 23 MIX STR 500 $108.90
Inger Casey Winnemucca 7 BLK STR 464 $108.75
Gallio Ranches Winnemucca 7 BLK STR 498 $115.50
Gallio Ranches Winnemucca 12 BLK STR 635 $100.25
Irvin Baldwin Fallon 8 BLK STR 434 $114.00
Guy Fowler Fallon 3 MIX STR 448 $113.50
Guy Fowler Fallon 7 MIX STR 576 $102.50
Guy Fowler Fallon 18 MIX STR 653 $96.25
Mike Stremler Winnemucca 5 MIX STR 455 $113.50
Mike Stremler Winnemucca 8 MIX STR 520 $106.50
Randy Osterhoudt Round Mountain 2 BBF STR 400 $113.00
Ted & Dorothy Payne Jordan Valley 2 MIX STR 408 $112.50
Ted & Dorothy Payne Jordan Valley 51 MIX STR 539 $107.60
Robert & Terry Fretwell Jordan Valley 18 BLK STR 559 $110.50
Robert & Terry Fretwell Jordan Valley 12 BLK STR 508 $109.50
Williams Charolis Jordan Valley 4 MIX STR 461 $111.50
Williams Charolis Jordan Valley 4 RED STR 409 $110.00
Todd Chambers Round Mountain 3 CHAR STR 420 $110.75
Rob Nuffer Winnemucca 5 MIX STR 525 $109.50
John Etcheverry Winnemucca 2 BLK STR 448 $108.50
Don Travis Fallon 7 Red STR 518 $107.50
Jerry Sestenovich Eureka 5 WF STR 507 $107.50
Jerry Sestenovich Eureka 25 MIX STR 589 $98.25
Donna Bailey Carlin 8 BLK STR 553 $106.50
Donna Bailey Carlin 35 MIX STR 638 $99.00
Donna Bailey Carlin 24 MIX STR 689 $93.50
Battle Creek Ranch Denio 11 BLK STR 594 $106.00
Battle Creek Ranch Denio 14 BLK STR 716 $92.50
Black Elk Ranch Winnemucca 8 BLK STR 583 $105.50
Domingo Segura Fallon 4 BLK STR 574 $103.00
Manuel Herminez Paradise Valley 3 BLK STR 562 $101.00
Manuel Herminez Paradise Valley 3 BLK STR 737 $90.00
Jim Champie Austin 12 MIX STR 608 $100.50
Jim Champie Austin 25 MIX STR 701 $92.75
Dave Stix Fernley 2 RBF STR 398 $100.00
Tanner Humphrey Fallon 5 MIX STR 563 $97.50
Tanner Humphrey Fallon 7 MIX STR 730 $90.00
Jackson Ranch Gerlach 2 RBF STR 620 $95.00
John Uhalde Ely 5 BLK STR 687 $94.25
John Uhalde Ely 50 BLK STR 784 $91.70
Jiggs Goodwin Winnemucca 2 BLK STR 583 $94.00
Sunrise Ranch LLC. Yerington 64 MIX STR 765 $92.00
Sunrise Ranch LLC. Yerington 19 BLK STR 731 $90.60
Sunrise Ranch LLC. Yerington 60 MIX STR 782 $90.25
Sunrise Ranch LLC. Yerington 34 MIX STR 842 $90.00
Peggy Harmon Imlay 7 BLK STR 739 $91.75
Coyote Creek Ranch Imlay 2 BLK STR 755 $91.00
Van Norman Ranches Inc. Tuscarora 4 MIX STR 665 $89.00
Van Norman Ranches Inc. Tuscarora 7 MIX STR 728 $88.50
Van Norman Ranches Inc. Tuscarora 9 MIX STR 842 $87.00
Lester Debraga Fallon 3 BLK STR 795 $88.75
Richard Braun Winnemucca 2 BLK STR 688 $87.50
Tom & Patsy Tomera Carlin 2 MIX STR 798 $87.50
Lori Manley Round Mountain 1 RBF STR 495 $87.00
Nevada First Land & Cattle Winnemucca 1 BLK STR 600 $86.50
Katarina, Marisa & Cara Julian Fallon 6 CHAR STR 882 $85.75
Julian Cattle CO. Fallon 8 BLK STR 881 $85.50
Blaze Berg Round Mountain 1 BLK STR 660 $84.00
Jesse Hernandez Fallon 7 RED STR 686 $82.00
Jason & Josh Cassinclli Paradise Valley 3 BLK STR 1062 $68.00
John Fraser Hazen 4 BBF HFR 321 $106.50
Joey Gandolfo Austin 9 MIX HFR 344 $105.50
Joey Gandolfo Austin 47 BLK HFR 417 $103.00
Joey Gandolfo Austin 18 BLK HFR 358 $101.00
Irvin Baldwin Fallon 8 BLK HFR 460 $103.50
Tarrah Hern McDermitt 18 MIX HFR 403 $102.50
Tarrah Hern McDermitt 19 MIX HFR 367 $98.00
Tory Pomi Fallon 11 BLK HFR 455 $102.50
Ed Brun McDermitt 8 CHAR HFR 344 $101.00
Coyote Creek Ranch Imlay 4 BLK HFR 468 $99.50
Coyote Creek Ranch Imlay 22 BLK HFR 647 $89.85
Coyote Creek Ranch Imlay 9 MIX HFR 784 $86.50
Regular
Sale Every
Wednesday
Small Barn at 10:30 a m
Butcher Cows at 11:00 a m
Feeder Cattle at 1:00 p m
SPECIAL
FEEDER SALE:
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sale starts at 1:00 pm
1,400 Head Already
Consigned as of Feb. 19
400-500 & 600wt weaned calves
HAY
AUCTION
Coming Soon
For more info go to web site
www.nevadalivestock.us
SPECIAL
FEEDER SALE:
Monday, April 13th
Sale begins at 1:00 pm
Thank You to all our
Consignors & Buyers
Sales Results from February, 9, 2009 Special Feeder Sale
Seller City # Head Desc. Type Weight Price CWT
Pete Ferrero Fallon 2 BBF HFR 423 $98.50
Dave Stix Fernley 3 CHAR HFR 397 $98.00
Gallio Ranches Winnemucca 15 BLK HFR 504 $97.50
Robert & Terry Fretwell Jordan Valley 23 BLK HFR 530 $95.75
Guy Fowler Fallon 14 MIX HFR 534 $95.75
Gary Snow Fallon 44 MIX HFR 502 $95.00
Gary Snow Fallon 47 CHAR HFR 627 $90.00
Gary Snow Fallon 44 CHAR HFR 623 $90.00
Gary Snow Fallon 15 MIX HFR 742 $87.10
John Etchevarry Winnemucca 4 BLK HFR 590 $92.50
Jerry Sestenovich Eureka 34 MIX HFR 612 $92.00
Jerry Sestenovich Eureka 19 MIX HFR 503 $90.50
Donna Bailey Carlin 36 MIX HFR 580 $91.00
Ferrero Cattle CO. Winnemucca 4 MIX HFR 605 $90.50
Battle Creek Ranch Winnemucca 10 BLK HFR 593 $90.00
Neil Howard Fallon 4 MIX HFR 410 $88.00
Jim Champie Austin 22 MIX HFR 609 $90.00
Jesse Hernandez Fallon 5 RED HFR 725 $87.25
Peggy Harmon Imlay 7 BLK HFR 691 $87.00
Lester Debraga Fallon 5 BBF HFR 785 $85.50
Biddinger Ranch Fallon 2 WF HFR 743 $85.00
Julian Cattle CO. Fallon 16 BBF HFR 801 $83.75
Charlie Knittle Fallon 3 MIX HFR 543 $81.50
Robert Larson Fallon 1 CHAR HFR 335 $80.00
Sandhill Dairy Fallon 1 HOL HFR 1180 $49.00
Total Head 1881
Light Steers & Hiefers Sold $10.00-$15.00 Higher Than our Jan. 12th sale.
Steers in high 4's & low 5's were steady compared to last month
Steers in mid to high fives were $4.00 to $7.00 higher.
All Hiefers were nearly $10.00 higher. Strong Demand for 7 & 8 wieght
cattle dispite gloomy fat Market. Strong Buyer attendence.
Most order buyers present were packing 2 or 3 different orders
Sales Results from February 11, 2009 Regular Butcher Cow and Bull Sale
Seller City # Head Desc. Type Weight Price CWT
Cheryl Dushane Fallon 2 BLK HFRTT 1258 $74.00
Berg Ranch Round Mountain 1 WF HFRTT 680 $73.00
Berg Ranch Round Mountain 1 WF COW 935 $32.00
Julian Cattle Co. Fallon 2 BLK HFRTT 1313 $64.50
Black Elk Ranch Winnemucca 1 BBF HFRTT 1235 $51.00
Black Elk Ranch Winnemucca 1 BBF COW 1135 $43.00
Black Elk Ranch Winnemucca 1 BBF COW 1375 $42.50
Black Elk Ranch Winnemucca 1 RBF COW 1185 $41.00
Nevada First Land & cattle Winnemucca 1 BLK COW 1105 $45.25
Nevada First Land & cattle Winnemucca ! BLK COW 1260 $43.75
Nevada First Land & cattle Winnemucca 1 BLK COW 1260 $43.75
Nevada First Land & cattle Winnemucca 1 CHAR COW 1445 $42.75
Dennis & Sharon Brown Winnemucca 1 RED COW 1180 $44.00
Dennis & Sharon Brown Winnemucca 1 RED COW 1095 $43.00
Dennis & Sharon Brown Winnemucca 1 BLK COW 1130 $30.00
Don Osterhoudt Round Mountain 1 BLK COW 1115 $43.50
Don Osterhoudt Round Mountain 1 RED COW 970 $35.50
Stonehouse Ranch Carlin 1 RBF COW 975 $42.50
Stonehouse Ranch Carlin 1 RBF COW 1195 $41.50
Stonehouse Ranch Carlin 1 RBF COW 960 $39.00
Van Norman Ranch Tucarora 1 RED COW 855 $42.50
Van Norman Ranch Tucarora 1 RED COW 1070 $41.75
Van Norman Ranch Tucarora 1 RED COW 885 $41.50
Van Norman Ranch Tucarora 1 BLK COW 1155 $41.25
Richard Braun Winnemucca 1 BLK COW 1135 $42.25
Five Fingers Grazing Assoc. Paradise Valley 1 BBF COW 1140 $41.00
Five Fingers Grazing Assoc. Paradise Valley 1 BBF COW 920 $35.75
Five Fingers Grazing Assoc. Paradise Valley 1 BLK COW 1070 $34.25
Manuel Herminez Paradise Valley 1 BLK COW 1240 $40.75
Danny Berg Round Mountain 1 BLK COW 1025 $38.25
Williams Charlois Jordan Valley 1 CHAR COW 1155 $38.00
Ralph Rogers Yerington 1 BLK COW 1325 $36.50
Ralph Rogers Yerington 1 LHNX COW 1155 $35.00
John Etcheverry Winnemucca 1 BLK COW 1530 $35.00
Hillside Dairy Fallon 1 HOL COW 1680 $40.75
Hillside Dairy Fallon 1 HOL COW 1950 $40.00
Hillside Dairy Fallon 1 HOL COW 1420 $40.00
Hillside Dairy Fallon 1 HOL COW 2015 $39.00
Mateo Muniz Fallon 1 HOL COW 1880 $40.00
Pete Homma Fallon 1 HOL COW 1480 $38.50
Brian Sorenson Fallon 1 HOL COW 1185 $38.00
Brian Sorenson Fallon 1 HOL COW 1255 $37.75
Brian Sorenson Fallon 1 HOL COW 1680 $37.00
Pete Homma Fallon 1 HOL COW 2015 $36.25
Western Nevada Cattle Feeders Lovelock 25 MIX BULL 1966 $58.90
Fred Williams Schurz 1 LHNX BULL 1375 $45.00
Cows $1.00-$3.00 lower. Quality Cows same as a week ago.
Look for Weekly Market Reports at www.nevadalivestock.us
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 7

Ja s o n Ah o l a , Ph.D.
It’s Never Too Early to Start
Cow/calf profitability will depend on getting easy-to-access premiums via value-adding opportunities
Up until last fall, most cow/calf producers had been profitable for the previous 11-year
period. This unrivaled success was due in large part to increased income from calf sales as
a result of increasing calf prices. For instance, between 1997 and 2005 the average price for
a 550 lb steer calf increased 51% from $84/cwt (1997) to $128/cwt (the peak in 2005), according
to Cattle-Fax. This equates to a total increase of about $44/cwt, or $242 per calf!
Unfortunately, in the past 1-2 years, costs for hay, supplement, fuel, fertilizer, and
about a dozen other inputs have risen faster than calf prices did during that 8-year period.
Many inputs have actually doubled in the past 2 years. And, calf prices declined $6/cwt, or
$33/calf, compared to the year previous during both 2007 and 2008. This bad combination
of increasing costs and decreasing income led to the first year of widespread unprofitability
by cow/calf operations in 2008.
Calf Prices Likely to Decline Again in 2009
The projection for calf prices in 2009 isn’t good news either. The drop in 550 lb steer
calf price from 2008 to 2009 may not be quite as steep as in previous years, but it will still
probably drop another $3.50-5.50/cwt ($20-30/head; Cattle-Fax). Even though the U.S. beef
cowherd inventory will shrink again in 2009, and the 2009 U.S. calf crop will be the smallest
in over 50 years, the lingering recession probably won’t allow beef prices to rebound
until 2010, at the earliest. Ultimately, a big reduction in U.S. beef production in 2009 and
2010 due to a smaller cowherd may be the force needed to reverse falling calf prices.
So, being a low-cost producer will once again be a requirement of cow/calf operators.
Historically, cow/calf producers achieved profitability (or at least limited their losses) by
cutting costs in several key areas, particularly when the industry was truly a commodity,
or breakeven, business.
However, in recent years, as the U.S. beef industry has moved toward value-based
marketing, many producers have been able to acquire premiums for cattle that were better
than “commodity” cattle. It appears that the industry may be nearing the point where taking
advantage of value-adding opportunities in the marketplace could be almost as important
as being low-cost in order to attain profitability.
Start Marketing and Adding Value Today
For more than 100 years, cow/calf producers were “price takers” rather than “price
makers”. However, in the past decade or so, over a dozen new opportunities are enabling
some calves that have been deemed to be higher “quality” to sell at a higher price. Some of
these options are the result of increased consumer demand for higher quality and more consistent
products (or ones that they know more about), while others were driven by feedyards
trying to improve the efficiency and profitability of their businesses.
Obviously, several very simple ways to improve the marketability of calves by adding
value have been around for decades. Most of these are management-related, including
selling steer calves that are:
• Dehorned or polled
• Castrated at a young age
• Uniform in age, color, and type
• Healthy
Each of these options have been separately documented to return a premium from $1-
5+/cwt. However, in addition to these straightforward options, there are new possibilities
that require a greater investment of more time and money, but can often result in much
larger paybacks.
Verification Options for Adding Value
If you can find the right market to sell your cattle into – which should be accomplished
before any of these options are initiated – substantial premiums are available. Many of these
options include participation in “verification” programs, where a third-party documents
something that a producer does or has, including management practices or genetics. A few
readily-available “formal” programs include:
1. Age and source verified – recording birth dates of the first and last calves born
during a calving season and verifying them via a third party makes them eligible
for export to Japan if harvested at 20 months or younger. Premiums of $1-3+/cwt
are available ($5-15/head)
2. Natural verified – third-party documentation stating that no antibiotics or
growth promotants were administered can result in a $1.50-2.00+/cwt premium
($8-11/head),
3. Organic verified – third-party documentation that organic rules have been followed
(“natural” plus use of organic feeds, no pesticides/herbicides, etc.),
4. Non Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) Program – documentation that cattle
have not been implanted can make them eligible for export to the European Union
(EU),
5. Breed-based branded programs – cattle that fit live animal specifications (either
hide color or documentation of genetic background) enables them to supply numerous
product lines (e.g. Certified Angus Beef). Hide color premiums of $1-3+/
cwt have been documented in calves,
6. Preconditioning programs – several private- and state-sponsored programs
enable the documentation of vaccinations given and possible premiums of $1-6+/
cwt.
Information Options for Adding Value
Beyond using “formal”, and sometimes fee-based, programs involving a third-party to
verify calf crop traits (as described above), there are many “informal” opportunities to add
value to calves. This primarily involves the transfer of information including background
and historical information on calves.
Certain pieces of information related to probable calf performance (growth, health,
and/or carcass) are of great value to feedyards since the odds that calves will perform better
8 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Adding Value to Your 2009 Calves
than average are recognized at the time of purchase. Ultimately, this information can help
increase the chances that a feeder will make a profit on your calves and ideally getting them
to pay more for them up-front. Some options include:
1. Historical performance data – information about feedyard gain, feed efficiency,
sickness rate, and carcass performance of previous years’ calves can yield substantial
premiums,
2. BVD PI tested – calf crops tested for the absence of any calves persistently
infected (PI) with Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) can help reduce losses due to
sickness or death,
3. Weaned – calves weaned for 30- or 45-days and trained to feed bunks and waterers
are very desirable to feedyards since health problems will likely be decreased
and feed intake will be strong at arrival. Premiums of $2-5+/cwt are available.
Be Creative In Your Marketing
Few of the programs or options listed above will generate a premium, unless your
calves are offered for sale to buyers willing to pay premiums for having these beneficial
traits. Furthermore, it is important to sell a product that is in high demand in the marketplace.
Today, beyond the traits listed above (of which some are actually niche markets), the
underlying marketplace wants a few key traits that can be easily accomplished:
1. Heavy calves – due to increased cost-of-gain in the feedyard, the market wants
calves ready for the feedyard to be heavier than in the past. Cow/calf producers
should consider modifying their operations so that they can wean and grow their
calves on high-forage diets prior to selling them to a feedyard,
2. Contracted calves – during almost every summer for the past 5 years, prices for
calves to be delivered in the fall have been much higher if they were offered for
sale during the summer (e.g. August) vs. fall (e.g. October/November). Due to
severe volatility in several commodity markets (grains, fuel, beef, etc.), feedyards
want to “lock-in” calf prices in advance of receiving them. This is a great opportunity
to get upwards of $10/cwt more for your calves (~$50/head) by selling them
during the summer on a video sale,
3. Truckload lots – nearly everyone involved in the U.S. beef industry (particularly
feedyards, buyers, truckers, etc.) would rather deal with truckload lots (50,000-
60,000 lbs of cattle) instead of small groups. Premiums of $2-10/cwt can be
acquired if several small calf crops from similar genetic and management backgrounds
can be combined and sold together, possibly even via video or private
treaty.
Conclusions
During 2009, cow/calf producers will continue to experience high costs and declining
revenue, and most likely many will be unprofitable. Taking time to add-value to calves and
market them for a premium will help avoid or reduce losses. Several straightforward options
exist to add-value, including selling dehorned, castrated, uniform, and healthy calves.
However, producers who are creative and able to forward contract heavy weight calves in
truckload lots will be paid for their efforts.
In addition to these strategies, producers should consider verifying specific aspects
of their calf crop to acquire additional premiums, including age/source, natural/organic,
breed, and vaccination history. But, buyers and exact premiums should be identified before
effort is made to initiate these verifications. Regardless, simply collecting and transferring
valuable information on a calf crop to buyers should yield a premium and ideally single out
a producer as a reputable source for high quality calves.
The 2009 Spring Bull Sale
Saturday, March 21
Yerington, Nevada
• A low key, silent auction with a bid-off at 1 p.m.
• Selling our oldest A.I. sired bulls - born early in 2008.
• Sale books mailed upon request and available on our Web site
www.byrdcattleco.com after March 1.
• Can’t make it? A video of all bulls will be on our Web site by March 15.
Phone bids will gladly be accepted.
• Questions? Call Dan at (530) 736-8470, or Ty at (530) 200-4054.
BYRD CATTLE COMPANY
byrdcattleco@hotmail.com
www.byrdcattleco.com
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 9

Grass Tetany
Ben Bruce, PhD, Reno Extension Livestock Specialist
David Thain, DVM, University of Nevada, Reno, Extension Veterinarian
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources
It is nearing time to turn cattle out to pasture in Nevada and grass tetany is possible,
notably on succulent crested wheatgrass. Grass tetany is a complicated
metabolic problem. It is serious and can cause loss of livestock. It is, however, treatable
and preventable. Now is the time to prepare.
Mature, lactating cows are most susceptible. Tetany mostly occurs in the spring on
lush growing pastures. It can occur on a variety of different plants, but crested wheatgrass
is the most common in Nevada. Tetany most often occurs in the cow near birth of her calf
until about two months later. The older cows are the more susceptible
they are. Pasture fertilized with nitrogen, and those with high potassium
in the soil are more tetany prone. Cool rainy weather increases
the problem.
Grass tetany is a complicated syndrome. It occurs in one form or
another all over the world. Most commonly it is a deficiency of magnesium.
There can be many other metabolites also involved. Grass
staggers is a term commonly used to describe the condition. Typical
signs begin with uncoordinated gait, then convulsions, coma, and death. The first symptom
many cattle on the range show is death. The time from onset of signs until death can be
very short.
The magnesium content of grazed forage is potential evidence. Low levels mean high
chances of tetany. Previous history of both pastures and animals is a good clue. Immature
cereal grain pastures may cause tetany because of high potassium content. This interacts
with low calcium and magnesium content and combined, can lead to tetany.
Since tetany is a magnesium deficiency, mineral supplementation seems obvious.
While mineral mixes with calcium and magnesium help, cattle may not consume enough.
Feeding cows with magnesium top-dressed dry feed may increase the intake to adequate
levels. Begin supplementation programs early. Putting magnesium in the drinking water is
possible. Epsom salts are an example of a soluble magnesium source. Graze cows prone to
tetany on other pastures. Graze less susceptible animals on tetany pastures. These include:
young animals, dry cows, steers, heifers, or cows with calves older than four months. Postpone
the beginning of the grazing season to control tetany.
Quick identification of an animal with tetany makes treatment possible. The beginning
of symptoms to death is a short process. It lasts from four to eight
Tetany is preventable and hours. This means the material needed to treat animals should be on
hand. This includes intravenous injection of calcium magnesium gluconate.
There are commercial preparations available. You will need
treatable. It is, however, a rapid
onset condition. You must be help from your veterinarian to learn to do this properly. It is better to
have your vet do it, but there might not be enough time. Another way
prepared before it happens. is by enema. Make a magnesium enema by dissolving 60 grams of
magnesium chloride into 2000 ml of water. Place this solution into a
collapsible plastic bottle connected to plastic tubing.
Tetany is preventable and treatable. It is, however, a rapid onset condition. You must be
prepared before it happens. See your vet. Get a copy of the University fact sheet on tetany
from your extension educator. Another excellent reference is Western Beef Resource Committee’s
“Cow-Calf Management Guide”. This publication may be ordered at http://www.
avs.uidaho.edu/wbrc/. Do this before the season starts.
For help with range livestock production problems call me at 775-784-1624 or your
local Extension Educator or email me at bbruce@unr.nevada.edu. Dr. Thain is available at
775-784-1377 or dthain@cabnr.unr.edu.
10 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Alice Marie Larios Goicoechea
1926 - 2009
Alice Goicoechea, 82 died at Northeastern Nevada
Regional Hospital Sunday January 4, 2009. She was
born to Benito and Daniela Larios October 23,
1926 on the Diamond A Ranch, Jarbidge Nevada.
Alice was an original home school
student with a teacher being brought in
from the East to teach her and her ten
siblings in their parents’ living room
that was converted into a classroom,
for 9-months of the year. At seventeen
and being adventuresome
she came to work at the Star Hotel
for her aunt and uncle Matilda and
Peter Jauregui. She met and fell in
love with the love of her life, Elias
Goicoechea. She moved to the Holland
Ranch and became the cook for a crew of
20, never before having cooked a meal. She
became known as an outstanding chef and hostess
for everyone who came to the ranch for 64 years
including large family dinners this holiday season. Alice
presented many demonstrations for Cowboy Poetry and Great Basin
College events. While cooking for huge crews she took time to take her children, Carmen
and Larry to the Saval Ranch to learn to swim, and taught countless grandchildren
and others to be award winning seamstress contestants.
Alice and Elias believed that being part of the community included neighborhood
activities, political campaigns, hospital auxiliary, livestock industry associations,
4-H and FFA. She was actively involved in Nevada Cowbelles and Wool Growers
Auxiliary, moving through the ranks from district director to State Director and State
President promoting wool and lamb products throughout the State and Nation. In 1994
Alice was honored by the Nevada Sheep Industry Women for her contributions to the
sheep business in the state and to the industry in general. She served as a 4-H leader
for 15-years, teaching many young ones to sew and guiding
others with the Make It Yourself Wool contest to
State and National level competitions. Alice was
also named Elko County Cattlewoman of the
Year.
In 1985 Alice became the first female
member of the Elko County Fair
Board. With her friend, Della Marteney,
they transformed the Home
Arts division, closed the street
for vendors, and increased local
participation. Alice served on the
board for 25-years culminating in
the Home Arts Building being named
the Goicoechea Home Arts Building
in her honor.
She was preceded in death by nine
brothers and sisters, her husband of 57-years,
Elias; children Albert Goicoechea and Dolores
Goicoechea Samper. Survivors include daughter, Carmen
Goicoechea of Winnemucca, son Larry Goicoechea,
Holland Ranch; grandchildren, Aaron, Daniela and Mitchell Goicoechea,
Andy, Steve, Elias (Choch) Goicoechea and Veronica Eldridge, Ivone, Marquitta,
Marcus and Jerome Samper, Jennifer Johnson, sister Margaret Dipp of Elko;
and 21 great-grandchildren.
Her life was fulfilled with her being able to live and independent life on her beloved
Holland Ranch. Her final honor was being selected Grand Marshall for the 2008
Nevada Day Parade in Elko. She was quoted as saying, “I just love Nevada. I’d never
leave it. Home means Nevada to me!”
A rosary and funeral Mass were held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church Thursday,
January 8, 2009.
Donations may be made in Alice’s name to a charity of choice.
Paul August Holcher
1946-2009
Paul August Holcher 62, long time Nevada resident passed
away peacefully at his home in Fallon on Sunday, January 25,
2009 after a courageous battle with cancer. His wife and daughter
were with him at the time of his death.
Paul was born April 9, 1946 in Berkley, California to August
and Ellen Holcher. The family moved from Livermore, CA.
to Lovelock, Nv. when Paul was 12 years old. He graduated from
Pershing High School.
Paul was first a cowboy, following his dreams in his younger
years, he became a Professional Roper, both calf and team roping.
He always enjoyed working with cattle and horses, owing
his own ranch and later investing in trucks, hauling cattle into
and out of Nevada, Idaho, California and Oregon for the last ten
years.
Paul was a kind man who will be greatly missed by all who
knew him.
Preceded in death by his parents, Paul is survived by his
wife Sandy Holcher of Fallon; daughter and son-in-law Heidi
and Travis Kieckbusch of Sparks; sons Darrel and Cari Norcutt
of Fallon; Jimmy Clark of Oakdale, CA.;sister and brother-in-law
Danell and Wendell Neibuhr of Sequim, WA.; grandchildren
Brooke; Bailey; Ali; Tylie.
Graveside services were held on Monday, February 2,2009
at 3:30 PM at Lone Mt Cemetery in Lovelock, NV. A Gathering
for family and friends followed at the Catholic Hall.
Arrangements were under the direction of The Gardens Funeral
Home 2949 Austin Highway Fallon, NV. 775 423-8928.
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 11

The Whitnaugh family
of American Falls, ID
was in attendance and
purchased bulls.
Ron Shippen of Idaho Falls,
ID (right) discusses his
choice with Will Wolf.
Frank Rodgers & Sons Polled Herefords
and Salmon Tract Angus
Joint Production Sale
February 5, 2009
Buhl, ID
Averages:
52 Two-year Old Polled Hereford Bulls Ave. $2652
3 Yearling Polled Hereford Bulls Ave. $1600
13 Yearling Angus Bulls Ave. $1831
Top Polled Herefords
Lot 27, $5000. A 3/13/07 son of SAF Phoenix M33-P68 sold to Bent
Creek LLC of Royalton, OH.
Lot 14 , $4750. A 2/21/07 son of RPH Deputy 2P sold to Bent Creek LLC
of Royalton, OH.
Lot 7, $4000. A 1 3/30/07 son of SB 122L Prideline 32N sold to Bent
Creek LLC of Royalton, OH.
Lot 3, $3750. A 3/17/07 son of SB 122L Prideline 32N sold to Center Line
Herefords of Lehi, UT.
Lot 22, $3750. A 3/23/07 RPH Deputy 2P sold to Center Line Herefords
of Lehi, UT.
Lot 33, $3700. A 3/17/07 Son of Phoenix M33 P68 sold to Robert Hawks
of Montpelier, ID.
Lot 13, $3400. A 3/07/07 son of RPH Deputy 2P sold to Kirk Harkis of
Greeley, CO.
Lot 29, $3250. A 3/12/07 son of SHF Phoenix sold to M33 P68 sold to
Eagle Ranch Partnership of Lusk, WY.
Lot 26, $3200. A 4/19/07 son of KJ 2410 Masterplay 926H sold to Dean
Miller of Bickleton, WA.
Lot 12, $3200. A 3/08/07 son of RPH Topline 48R sold to Flying Triangle
Ranch of Hagerman, ID.
Top Angus
Lot 59, $2500. A 1/23/08 son of HSAF Bando 1961 sold to Willow Creek
Ranch of Fairfield, ID.
Lot 60, $2100. A 2/06/08 son of HSAF Bando 1961 sold to Paris Livestock
of Spring Creek, NV.
Lot 61, $2100. A 12/28/07 son of HSAF Bando 1961 sold to Paris Livestock
of Spring Creek, NV.
Lot 68, $2100. A 3/04/08 son of Connealy Freight Train sold to BR Ranch
of Kimberly, ID.
Lot 63, $2000. A 2/27/08 son of HSAF Bando 1961 sold to Paris Livestock
of Spring Creek, NV.
Owners: Frank & Margaret Rodgers – Buhl, ID
Lyle & Donna Fuller – Twin Falls, ID
Guest Consignors: Dave & Debbie Jenkins – Kuna, ID
Auctioneer: C.D. Butch Booker – Colfax, WA
Sale Manager: Kendall Cattle Sales – Potlatch, ID
Reported by: Gary Kendall -- Western Ag Reporter Field Editor
Mr. and Mrs. Dean Miller (left) with
Virginia Read all made the trip from
Bickelton, WA to purchase bulls.
Sale Manager Gary Kendall presented
Margaret Rodgers with a bouquet of
roses for her years of organization
for the sale, plus the great meals
the sale manager received.
12 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

UCD VET VIEWS
by John Maas, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVN & ACVIM, Extension Veterinarian, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
Preventing Damage from Liver Flukes
Hopefully, we will have a wet and warm spring this year to fill up the reservoirs
and get the grass going. One of the potential problems with weather
like this is that liver flukes can be very active. Just the thought of these creatures
makes you a little bit uneasy. The idea that a microscopic creature on a blade of grass can
end up as a large parasite in the liver of your cattle sounds like something out of a science
fiction novel. However, that is just what happens on a continual basis in most all of California.
Very few beef cattle slaughtered in California are free of liver flukes. The common
liver fluke of cattle, Fasciola hepatica, does have this bizarre life cycle. The cattle ingest
grass with an encysted stage of the fluke present. After the cattle eat this contaminated
grass, the juvenile flukes “burrow” through the lining of the intestine, escape into the peritoneal
cavity (the inside of the abdomen) and migrate to the liver. The flukes bore their way
into the liver and over the next 6 weeks or more make their way to the interior of the liver
and finally arrive in the bile ducts where they begin to lay eggs. The fluke eggs are shed
into the manure of the cattle. These eggs hatch and make their way to fresh water snails,
which they infect and undergo additional development. They eventually emerge from the
snail as young flukes and encyst (form a resistant coating) on blades of grass. When cattle
ingest them, the life cycle can be completed.
What damage do flukes cause? This is a common question, since such a high percentage
of our cattle in California have liver flukes. The young flukes cause quite a lot of damage
as they migrate through the liver. If only a few flukes are migrating through the liver at
one time, the damage to the cattle is minimal. However, if many flukes are migrating at the
same time, the damage to the liver can be extensive. In these cases, diarrhea, weight loss,
and jaundice (yellow mucous membranes) can be observed. In addition to the direct damage
to the liver, there is another problem liver flukes can precipitate and that is Redwater.
Redwater (Bacillary Hemoglobinuria) can affect cattle at any time of the year; however,
it is most common in the late spring, summer, and autumn. Redwater is caused by
a bacterium called Clostridium hemolyticum, which colonizes in the liver of susceptible
cattle and produces protein toxins that in turn destroy the body’s red blood cells, damages
other organ systems and rapidly causes death. The migrating flukes damage local areas in
the liver causing low oxygen tension and the bacteria prefer these conditions and begin to
grow rapidly in these damaged areas. The disease has a short incubation period and the
vast majority of affected cattle are usually found dead and bloated.
Another problem liver flukes seem to be associated with is decreased fertility. Studies
have been published that show decreased pregnancy rates in replacement heifers and
increased age to puberty in heifers infected with liver flukes. Thus, flukes can cause losses
in a number of ways: (1) direct damage to the liver, with weight loss and diarrhea, (2) death
loss due to Redwater secondary to liver damage of migrating flukes, and (3) decreased
reproductive performance.
Can we eliminate liver flukes? Because of our relatively mild winter conditions, the
abundance of snails (the intermediate host), and wildlife reservoirs, it is doubtful we will
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be able to eliminate flukes on our ranches. We do not have liver flukes as a problem in our
feedlots or dairies because of the absence of these sources of infection.
How can we minimize the losses due to flukes? Our best option is the use of drugs to
kill the flukes during strategic times of the year. Unfortunately, the timing is dependent on
the individual ranch operation. Killing the adult flukes that are residing in the liver of cattle
before turning them onto clean pastures seems to be the most cost-effective strategy. This
not only kills the flukes; but it prevents further shedding of eggs on the pastures. Maximum
transmission of flukes occurs in spring and summer in warmer regions and late summer to
fall in cooler regions. Depending on your pasture rotation schedule, the use of drugs to kill
flukes in the fall or late winter/spring should be the minimum management strategy.
Which drugs are effective against liver flukes? Currently, there are only two drugs
available that are effective against liver flukes in cattle. Both work best against the adult
flukes, but there is some effect on the migrating juvenile flukes. Clorsulon is effective only
against liver flukes and it is sold alone as Curatrem® or in combination with ivermectin
as Ivomec® Plus. Thus, Curatrem® can be used to kill the flukes or Ivomec® Plus can be
used to kill the flukes plus the internal parasites (worms) and external parasites (sucking
lice). Additionally, albendazole (Valbazen®) has activity against flukes and internal parasites.
All the drugs and combinations of drugs have advantages and disadvantages in terms
of cost, ease of administration, withdrawal times, and effectiveness. Consult with your
veterinarian to be certain which product will work best for your operation. Also, review
with your veterinarian the time of year that will be most cost-effective for administration
of drugs to kill flukes.
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THE
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775-738-8811
www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC
www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 13

At the conclusion of my story in the last issue I made the comment that
Sunny Arizona was looking better all the time this winter. Well, guess
what!!! I spent a week in Sunny Arizona during the National Cattlemen’s Convention!
We shipped our calves with Allie of Superior Livestock Auction on a Saturday, she
was headed with her camp trailer to Arizona the next day and offered me a trip. So after
some quick arrangements with Suzann and Samme, I was in Elko the next morning
and we were off. What a fun trip! Allie has spent quite some time in the Wickenburg,
Phoenix, and Cave Creek area and was such a great guide. We were strictly tourists the
first three days, taking Sunday and Monday to get there. We stopped at Lake Havasu
and explored the London Bridge. That was quite a feat to ship that over!!
After setting up the camp trailer at Kim Klass’s place near Wickenburg, we settled
in. Tuesday was spent visiting some neighbors who spend part of the winter there in
the sun. That surprised them to see me! I think we hit there during the coldest snap in
the winter. They had ICE! Although you could break it with a finger nail, it was frozen
water!
We went up into the rocks to visit Twister Heller, the famed colt starter that is
formally from this area. Had a good visit after totally surprising him! Then on to Cave
Creek to visit a team roper friend. Had a productive visit and got to rope a “hot heel”
mechanical steer. That was fun. Toured a team roping-there are ropings and ropers on
every piece of ground there! The Cave Creek area is home to many huge, pricey horse
facilities and homes! Sure pretty the way the buildings are created to fit right in with
the landscape. They blend in so well, sometimes you don’t even recognize a home for
being a building. Great creativity! Our touristing was just really great. I was concerned
I might get bored but not a bit. I might after a long time of it. But with Allie as a guide,
she would see to it that I didn’t.
Thursday and Friday were spent at the NCBA Convention in Phoenix where I tried
to earn my press pass from Progressive Rancher. As they had many meetings scheduled
at the same time, my attendance at them was limited. I picked the ones that interested
me the most and were within our time frame. Rather than try to summarize what the
meetings were covering (you can get that from the Record Stockmen and any other
papers), I want to relate my conversations with the people attending. I did take pictures
of some of the Nevadans attending. Dan and Lynn Gralian and John Falen were there
and I visited a bit with them. Unfortunately, my new camera was not set right so the
photos were fuzzy and not worth printing. Darn! I heard Preston and Patricia Wright
were also there but I didn’t see them. Big crowd for this country bumpkin.
I attended the forum on The New Political Climate in Washington and was very
gratified I did. I talked to a young woman from up state New York about her impression
of the forum. She was in the earlier session. She was very pleasantly impressed with
the way the two speakers handled things. Her family raised registered Angus cattle and
have to diversify due to the high fuel prices have precluded their out source for marketing
the bulls of their herd. One of the new avenues they are doing is feeding their cattle
for the local markets and restaurants. She had a degree in Culinary Arts before she and
her husband started the Angus Cattle herd. During the conversation I learned she was
not satisfied with the way her meat cutters were cutting the meat. So many of the new,
up-scale restaurants are requiring new and different cuts of meat. As a way to learn
new cuts, she was attending a two week modern meat cutting seminar right after the
Convention. Then, armed with her new knowledge, she was going to teach her cutters
how to make the high priced cuts. What an interesting lady! And I was impressed she
was of the younger generation! We agreed to exchange e-mails. She was so upbeat; I
am looking forward to that.
The forum consisted of Charlie Stenholm, a Senior Policy Advisor with a Law
Firm in Washington D.C. He is also a former Congressman from Texas and a long
time member of the House Agriculture Committee. His reputation was built on building
bipartisan alliances. The outcome of that was the Blue Dog Coalition, which I
understand is a non-partisan committee dedicated to solving problems with non-party
involvement. Great move. The major parties spend so much money and energy just
competing with each other; nothing gets done for the good of our nation. This guy had
good things to say about the feelings from the “hill” on alternate energy sources and
animal welfare.
I was really amazed at the questions from the floor after the forum regarding
the wild horse, abandoned horse, un-wanted horses in relation to the closing of the
slaughter plants. I was surprised the several people speaking really did understand
the problem involved with the closing of the plants and the higher cost of maintaining
these animals. Even Mrs. Pickens’s name (if I spelled that right) was brought up. Of
Horse Snorts
AND Cow Bawls
by Jeanne King
course, I realize these are cattlemen and women here and they are all on the same page,
maybe different paragraphs, but the same still. The consensus was there is a high cost
associated with the horses and a lot of hungry people. That surprised me, the willingness
to even consider that alternative as a source to decrease some federal government
spending.
The second speaker was the President of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc., a firm
devoted to covering agricultural issues within the federal offices. She was really impressive
in her information and means to get information and to put it out to us “country
bumpkins” in wording that we can understand. She has a very comprehensive news
letter at Agri-Pulse.com. Check it out.
My take on this meeting is positive. The two speakers made me feel Washington
does understand we need to focus on food safety, energy, resource conversation and
moderate animal rights issues. These two people, I feel are good alliances to have and
have more than a little influence on Capitol Hill.
Friday came in with a big decision as to which meeting to attend. I would like to
have been several people then. I decided on the Federal Lands Committee where I was
favorably impressed with two speakers, especially. The moderator of the committee
stressed we need to be aware of water rights, property or carbon credits, animal rights
and environmental policies. Hardly anything new to us.
The director of Fish and Wildlife from Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and New
Mexico was an excellent speaker whom anybody I know would welcome to their table.
He was a real and down-to earth kind of guy. He stressed the idea that one shoe doesn’t
fit all feet. Every situation, be it gray wolves, sage grouse, or any fish, changes from
location to location and thus, should be addressed accordingly. Should Washington
adopt his mind-set on all issues, we could handle this economy much better.
Then we had a lady speaker high up in the Forest Service, not sure of her title
but she too, was logical and on our level. She stressed nothing would change for at
least three months. That would give the new administration time to adopt policies.
She touched on climate change, carbon credits and ecosystems services. (A new
agency created to monitor our ecosystem????) According to this forester, the California
Rangeland Reform movement was a positive move to better our relations with people
and land.
No one at that time knew what the Stimulus package would bring. I still don’t know
how it is allocated. If the Forest Service or the BLM would get any of the money, if they
did, how would it be spent? All good questions but unanswered.
Youth and carbon credits…..Our youth needs to be developed and educated. Carbon
credits…This sounds like a rip off of the living animals, be it a cow, dog, horse or
person. For planting trees and greenery, you can accumulate carbon credits and sell
them to the “Al Gores” to fly over in their polluting jets.
During my bouncing around the trade show, lobby, and just in general I was enlightened
in how much the economy downturn is for real. We do not feel it here as much
but there I heard lots about it. Just visiting with a store clerk in Wickenburg or Cave
Creek, the people are hurting. Many have two homes, a summer home in the mountains
and a winter home around Phoenix, Wickenburg, or Buckeye. Making two mortgage
payments and just living was taking its toll. One lady said she and her husband had
three jobs just “to slow the bleeding”. So many people do not live within their means.
The expectancy of a government handout may not materialize for many.
The “squatters” were common. They are allowed to “squat” for two weeks on
government land then are required to move camp. With that climate, one could squat
for ever with very little overhead. Quite a common practice.
All in all, I have rambled on for some time now. It was a fun, enlightening and
educational trip. Glad I went. Have lots of new things to think about.
Take care and be aware.
14 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

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The Progressive Rancher March 2009 15

BEEF CHECKOFF NEWS
Mar c h 2009
Dairy producer elected to chair of
Cattlemen’s Beef Board
At the 2009 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., Lucinda Williams
of Hatfield, Mass., was elected to serve as the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) chair.
Lucinda Williams is a dairy producer and farmer on a 220-acre family-owned farm,
which dates back to 1661. Williams has
been active in the dairy and beef industry
in Massachusetts and the Northeast, as well
as in organizations including Agri-Mark,
Call or Stop By!
Best Wishes to all
Participants at the
State FFA Convention
So n n y Dav i d s o n
2213 N. 5th St.
El k o, NV 89801
775-738-8811
800-343-0077
www.edwardjones.com
for which she served as YC president in
2002-03; Farm Bureau; Genex; and Farm
Credit. Williams is also very active in her
church, the local school district, and PEO, a
women’s educational organization. She and
her husband, Darryl, have four children.
“The reality is, even though we live in
a quiet, rural town,” continues Williams,
“we farm on a residential street.” Williams
farms in the middle of a highly consumerpopulated
area; that’s a unique trait she
brings to the CBB.
Williams comes to the CBB chair
position with a different voice, one of constant
reminder that the dairy segment is an
Mason Mountain Ranch: approx. 3700 deeded acres plus small BLM permit adjoinging the ranch.
This ranch is located on the road to Charleston approx. 16 miles off the Mountain City highway. Modest
improvements include home and misc. outbuilding. No power. Approx. 80 acres of meadow irrigated out
of Mason Creek and springs. Lot’s of wildlife. Would be good combination summer cattle and recreation.
Price: $1,575,000.
Central Nevada Upper Reese River Valley Ranch: Good 200 head ranch at the foot of the Toyiabe
Mountains. The ranch is located approx. 32 miles South of Austin, Nevada and approx. 170 miles East of
Reno, Nevada. There are 1040 deeded acres plus BLM permits and USFS permits that adjoin the ranch.
Full line of equipment included in the sale. Home is a modern Manufactured home on a foundation. Water
rights out of two streams. Price: $1,600,000.
Elko Co. Spring Sheep Range 10,960 deeded base: This property is located North and East of Elko,
Nevada. Included is 50% of the mineral rights plus a BLM permit that allow you to run on public lands
as well as these private lands. This is rangeland without any improvements other than fences. Would be
great 1031 exchange property! Price: $130/acre.
Elmore Ranch: 750 acres on the Humboldt River approx. 15 miles East of Elko. Approx. 400 water
righted acres and not improvements other than fences. Price: $600,000. This property would go well
with the 10,960 deeded sheep base.
Ruby Valley, Nevada Dawley Creek Ranch: This ranch consists of approx. 6,000 deeded acres at the
foot of the majestic Ruby Mountains of Elko County, Nevada plus BLM permits adjoining the ranch. There
are approx. 1100 acres of meadows and meadow pasture. The ranch adjoins the Ruby Lake National
Wildlife Refuge as well as the Humboldt National Forest. In addition to the meadows fed with free water
from streams and creeks there are 220 acres under pivots now in Alfalfa and Orchard Grass with the
water pumped from a well. There are two homes and barns and outbuildings. This ranch has been under
the same family ownership for over 100 years. Price: enough to 1031 exchange into another cattle ranch
where we can run around 1000 head.
Wells Area Farm: Approx. 90 acres with Three bedroom home with three car attached garage plus a
singlewide two bedroom unit and misc . outbuildings including a metal Equipment Storage bldg. Good
well with wheel moves for approx. 85 acres in production. Approx. half in Alfalfa and balance in Alfalfa
Orchardgrass. Price:$500,000.
Bottari Realty
Paul D. Bottari, Broker 1222 6th St., P.O. Box 368 Wells, NV 89835
Work: 775-752-3040
Home: 775-752-3809 • Fax: 775-752-3021
www.bottarirealty.com • paul@bottarirealty.com
important part of the beef industry. “I’m glad to be able to bring that message forward and
remind my fellow dairy farmers that they are beef producers, too, all the while reminding
fellow beef producers not to forget about the dairy segment of our industry,” says Williams.
“I share that voice and message on both sides of the aisle.”
There are bright opportunities for the CBB in the coming year; however there are also
many challenges. Williams points out that declining revenues will force the checkoff to
work smarter, not just harder.
“Without the checkoff, we couldn’t conduct programs like issues management, where
we address animal welfare, animal rights and BSE. We couldn’t be successful marketing
out product overseas. Sometimes the benefits aren’t seen and that’s when you have to trust
in your checkoff leadership from the state level on up.”
For more information about the national Beef Checkoff Program or the Cattlemen’s
Beef Board, please visit www.mybeefcheckoff.com.
Become a Master of Beef Advocacy
Producers face a difficult challenge in the beef industry. The anti-animal agriculture
activist community is hard at work raising concerns about the impact of beef production on
the environment, the treatment of animals in food production, the role of beef in a healthy
diet and the safety of the products we produce. These activist groups are passionate, vocal
and well-funded.
But producers have a great story to tell. Beef producers work hard every day to be good
stewards of the land and their animals. Furthermore, producers are constantly working
hard to provide safe and nutritious beef for America’s dinner tables. Beef producers need
to be equally passionate and vocal in telling their story.
That’s what the Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program is about - equipping beef
producers across the country to tell their story in presentations to schools and civic groups,
through local media and in the “virtual” world of the Internet.
The MBA program is a self-directed online learning environment designed for beef
producers to provide them with facts about their industry and their product. This checkofffunded
program will help producers get involved and active in promoting their industry by
telling the story about beef. The program consists of six, one-hour courses for 2009: beef
safety, beef nutrition, animal care, environmental stewardship, modern beef production
and the beef checkoff.
All beef producers and industry allies with a genuine interest in promoting the beef
industry are invited to enroll in the MBA program. You can either enroll as part of a class,
complete the program on a set schedule and attend a “final exam/graduation” with the
class; or enroll as an “at-large” candidate, complete the program on your own schedule
and attend a group “final exam/graduation” scheduled in your state/region or at an annual
cattle industry meeting.
To enroll, send an e-mail to MBA@beef.org with the subject line “MBA Enrollment”
or call the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association at 303-694-0305 and ask for an MBA
application.
NBC contract opportunity
The Nevada Beef Council (NBC) has an opening for a part-time contract position to
coordinate the NBC’s in-state outreach efforts at the producer, consumer and educational
levels as an Educational Activities Coordinator. The duties encompass a wide range of
responsibilities, including, but not limited to, representing the NBC at consumer and
producer events; attending fairs and Ag in the Classroom activities; networking with state
association and beef council staff. Qualified applicants must have a valid driver’s license
and provide their own transportation. Compensation details are available on request. The
position will remain open until filled. For more information, please call 877-554-2333 or
e-mail askus@nevadabeef.org.
16 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Range Plants for the Rancher
By Paul T. Tueller, Ph.D., CRMC
Galleta Grass
have stated before that the perennial
grasses are the lifeblood of I
the forage on our rangelands. This month
I briefly describe another perennial grass
that is common to the Southern Great
Basin in Nevada, namely, Galleta grass,
Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. In keeping
with the need to keep plant taxonomists
working the name Pleuraphis jamesii Torr
is now thought to be the proper scientific
name. This grass is also known as James
Galleta and Curly grass but most often it
is simply called Galleta grass.
Galleta grass is a low growing (3 to 20 inches tall), rather
coarse sod -grass, with coarse rhizomes, growing as an open
sod or in small bunches. The stems are solid and hairy at the
nodes. It grows mainly in summer or early fall after sufficient
rain, but can also grow and flower in the spring. It reproduces
from rhizomes and seeds, and may occur in nearly pure or
scattered stands. It is found all over the southwestern United
States, from Wyoming to California and West Texas.
It is commonly found at elevations from 3,000
to 7500 feet, and prefers habitats with
predictable summer rainfall and welldrained
soils. Galleta has a dull bluegreen
color until it is cured at which
point it is a light straw yellow color
and often has a highly developed
biological soil crust present.
Galleta has an inflorescence
that is a terminal spike. The seed
heads are erect, purplish to strawcolored
spikes, 1½ to 3 inches long,
with 3 spikelets per rachis joint. The
spikelet clusters fall as a group when
mature, leaving a persistent zigzag seed stalk. This terminal
spike has three chaffy spikelet clusters at each node. Upon
reaching maturity, these spikelet clusters drop leaving the zigzag
rachis. The florets are single and the two outer ones on the
rachis are normally sterile. Thus the plant has two out of three
strikes against it as for as reproduction is concerned. For this
reason the rhizomes are the principle means of reproduction.
The blades are straight and stiff with edges that are rolled
inward. The blades are narrow, mostly basal, 1 to 3 inches long,
rough on margins, curling and straw yellow when mature and
dry; the collar has a few long hairs; leaves rolled in bud; the
ligule is up to 1/8 inch long, membranous, deeply cut on margins.
There are no auricles.
Galleta grass provides desirable forage for cattle, horses,
and sheep, particularly when used during late spring and summer
and may be used to some extent by deer and antelope.
Plants can withstand heavy grazing. It has a strong stabilizing
effect on soil and so can be used to control erosion although
seed is not readily available. Up to 60 percent of the top growth
of the plant can be utilized during the growing season or up to
75 percent during the dormant period; occasional
deferment from grazing during the period
of flowering and seed formation will
help to keep this plant producing at
its maximum level. This grass is
potentially useful for roadside
seedings, campground, and
picnic areas because it endures
trampling well. Species often
found with Galleta Grass include
Needle-and-Thread, Nevada
ephedra, shadscale, fourwing
saltbush, bud sagebrush,
black brush, match brush, and
several sagebrush species.
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The Progressive Rancher March 2009 17

Causes of the Great
The causes of the Great Depression are still a matter of active debate
among economists. The specific economic events that took place
during the Great Depression have been studied thoroughly: a deflation in asset
and commodity prices, dramatic drops in demand and credit, and disruption of
trade, ultimately resulting in widespread poverty and unemployment. However,
historians lack consensus in describing the causal relationship between various
events and the role of government economic policy in causing or ameliorating
the Depression. One popular theory is that the Depression was caused by the vast
economic boom in the 1920s, and that by the time the boom reached its peak in
1929, investors became fearful of their stock shares as markets expanded some
focus to Europe, which still had nations that were economically damaged from
World War I [1] .
Keynesian explanation
British economist John Maynard Keynes in 1936 argued that there are many
reasons why the self-correcting mechanisms that many economists claimed should
work during a downturn may not work in practice. In his The General Theory of
Employment, Interest and Money, Keynes introduced concepts that were intended to
help explain the Great Depression. One argument for a noninterventionist policy during
a recession was that if consumption fell due to savings, the savings would cause
the rate of interest to fall. According to the classical economists, lower interest rates
would lead to increased investment spending and demand would remain constant.
However, Keynes states that there are good reasons why investment does not necessarily
automatically increase as a response to a fall in the interest rate. Businesses make
investments based on expectations of profit. Therefore, if a fall in consumption appears
to be long-term, businesses analyzing trends will lower expectations of future sales.
Therefore, the last thing they are interested in doing is investing in increasing future
production, even if lower interest rates make capital inexpensive. In that case, according
to Keynesians and contrary to Say’s law, the economy can be thrown into a general
slump. [2] This self-reinforcing dynamic is what happened to an extreme degree during
the Depression, where bankruptcies were common and investment, which requires a
degree of optimism, was very unlikely to occur.
In Keynes’s view, since private sectors cannot be counted on to create aggregate
demand during a recession, the government has the responsibility to create demand
during this time, even if it has to run a deficit. Keynes’s ideas were revolutionary at
the time, and his work was broadly influential. The Keynesian view of economics and
the cause of the Depression were widely accepted until the 1970s when simultaneous
unemployment and high inflation led to the shift to other economic views.
Monetarist explanations
In their 1963 book “A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960”, Milton
Friedman and Anna Schwartz laid out their case for a different explanation of the Great
Depression. After the Depression, the primary explanations of it tended to ignore the
importance of money. However, in the monetarist view, the Depression was “in fact a
tragic testimonial to the importance of monetary forces.” [3] In his view, the failure of
the Federal Reserve to deal with the Depression was not a sign that monetary policy
was impotent, but that the Federal Reserve exercised the wrong policies. They did not
claim the Fed caused the depression, only that it failed to use policies that might have
stopped a recession from turning into a depression. Ben Bernanke, the current Chairman
of the Federal Reserve, thought Friedman was right to blame the Federal Reserve
for its role in the Great Depression, stating on Nov. 8, 2002:
“Let me end my talk by abusing slightly my status as an official representative
of the Federal Reserve. I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great
Depression. You’re right, we did it. We’re very sorry. But thanks to you, we won’t do
it again.” [4]
Before the 1913 establishment of the Federal Reserve, the banking system had
dealt with periodic crises in the U.S. (such as in the Panic of 1907) by suspending
the convertibility of deposits into currency. The system nearly collapsed in 1907 and
there was an extraordinary intervention by an ad-hoc coalition assembled by J. P. Morgan.
The bankers demanded in 1910-1913 a Federal Reserve to reduce this structural
weakness. Friedman suggests the untested hypothesis that if a policy similar to 1907
had been followed during the banking panics at the end of 1930, perhaps this would
have stopped the vicious circle of the forced liquefaction of assets at depressed prices.
Consequently, in his view, the banking panics of 1931, 1932, and 1933 might not have
happened, just as suspension of convertibility in 1893 and 1907 had quickly ended the
liquidity crises at the time.” [5]
Essentially, the Great Depression, in the monetarist view, was caused by the fall
of the money supply. Friedman and Schwartz write: “From the cyclical peak in August
1929 to a cyclical trough in March 1933, the stock of money fell by over a third.” The
result was what Friedman calls the “Great Contraction”— a period of falling income,
prices, and employment caused by the choking effects of a restricted money supply.
The mechanism suggested by Friedman and Schwartz was that people wanted to
hold more money than the Federal Reserve was supplying. As a result people hoarded
money by consuming less. This caused a contraction in employment and production
since prices were not flexible enough to immediately fall. The Fed’s failure was in not
realizing what was happening and not taking corrective action. [6]
Gold Standard
More recent research, by economists such as Peter Temin, Ben Bernanke and
Barry Eichengreen, has focused on the constraints policy makers were under at the
time of the Depression. In this view, the constraints of the inter-war gold standard
magnified the initial economic shock and was a significant obstacle to any actions that
would ameliorate the growing Depression. According to them, the initial destabilizing
shock may have originated with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 in the U.S., but it was the
gold standard system that transmitted the problem to the rest of the world. [7]
According to their conclusions, during a time of crisis, policy makers may have
wanted to loosen monetary and fiscal policy, but such action would threaten the
countries’ ability to maintain its obligation to exchange gold at its contractual rate.
Therefore, governments had their hands tied as the economies collapsed, unless they
abandoned their currency’s link to gold. As the Depression worsened, many countries
started to abandon the gold standard, and those that abandoned it earlier suffered less
from deflation and tended to recover more quickly. [8]
Neoclassical Approach
Recent work from a neoclassical perspective focuses on the decline in productivity
which caused the initial decline in output and a prolonged recovery due to government
policies. These studies, many of which are collected in Kehoe and Prescott 2007 [9] ,
decompose the economic decline into a decline in the labor supply, capital stock, and
the productivity with which these inputs are used. The countries studied all suffered
initially from dramatic drops in productivity, but the recovery in output was much
slower than the recovery in productivity. Harold Cole and Lee Ohanian argue that
in America the cartelization of industry suppressed the labor supply, dampening the
recovery and prolonging the depression. Studies of France, Germany, Italy, and the
UK show similar patterns, modified by country-specific policies. Together, this line
of research rejects simple explanations that imply a decline in the capital stock or that
imply no decline in hours worked.
Austrian School explanations
One explanation comes from the Austrian School of economics. Austrian theorists
who wrote about the Depression include Hayek and Murray Rothbard, who wrote
“America’s Great Depression” in 1963. In their view, the key cause of the Depression
was the expansion of the money supply in the 1920s that led to an unsustainable creditdriven
boom. In their view, the Federal Reserve, which was created in 1913, shoulders
much of the blame. By the time the Fed belatedly tightened in 1928, it was far too late
and, in the Austrian view, a depression was inevitable.
The artificial interference in the economy was a disaster prior to the Depression,
and government efforts to prop up the economy after the crash of 1929 only made
things worse. According to Rothbard, government intervention delayed the market’s
adjustment and made the road to complete recovery more difficult.
Rothbard criticizes Milton Friedman’s assertion that the central bank failed to
inflate the supply of money. Rothbard asserts that the Federal Reserve purchased $1.1
billion of government securities from February to July 1932 which raised its total
holding to $1.8 billion. Total bank reserves only rose by $212 million, but Rothbard
argues that this was because the American populace lost faith in the banking system
18 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Depression
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and began hoarding more cash, a factor very much
beyond the control of the Central Bank. The potential
for a run on the banks caused local bankers to be more
conservative in lending out their reserves, and, Rothbard
argues, was the cause of the Federal Reserve’s
inability to inflate. [10]
Overproduction and
under consumption
Two economists of the 1920s, Waddill Catchings
and William Trufant Foster, popularized a theory that
influenced many policy makers, including Herbert
Hoover, Henry A. Wallace, Paul Douglas, and Marriner
Eccles. It held the economy produced more than it
consumed, because the consumers did not have enough
income. Thus the unequal distribution of wealth
throughout the 1920s caused the Great Depression
[11]
. Roosevelt scrawled in his copy, “Too good to be
true—you can’t get something for nothing,” but while
he wanted to economize, most of his advisors bought
the theory and wanted to spend.
According to this view, wages decreased at a rate
higher than productivity increases. Most of the benefit
of the increased productivity went into profits, which
went into the stock market bubble rather than into consumer
purchases. Say’s law no longer operated in this
model (an idea picked up by Keynes).
As long as corporations had continued to expand
their capital facilities (their factories, warehouses,
heavy equipment, and other investments), the economy
had flourished. Under pressure from the Coolidge administration
and from business, the Federal Reserve
Board kept the discount rate low, encouraging high
(and excessive) investment. By the end of the 1920s,
however, capital investments had created more plant
space than could be profitably used, and factories were
producing more than consumers could purchase.
According to this view, the root cause of the Great
Depression was a global overinvestment in heavy industry
capacity compared to wages and earnings from
independent businesses, such as farms. The solution
was the government must pump money into consumers’
pockets. That is, it must redistribute purchasing
power, maintain the industrial base, but reinflate prices
and wages to force as much of the inflationary increase
in purchasing power into consumer spending. The
economy was overbuilt, and new factories were not
needed. Foster and Catchings recommended [12] federal
and state governments start large construction projects,
a program followed by Hoover and Roosevelt.
Debt deflation
Debt is seen as one of the causes of the Great Depression
[13] . Macroeconomists including Ben Bernanke,
the current chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve
Bank, have revived the debt-deflation view of the Great
Depression originated by Irving Fisher. [14][15] Fisher tied
loose credit to over-indebtedness, which fueled speculation
and asset bubbles:
Easy money is the great cause of overborrowing.
When an investor thinks he can make
over 100 per cent per annum by borrowing at 6 per
cent, he will be tempted to borrow, and to invest
or speculate with the borrowed money. This was
a prime cause leading to the over-indebtedness of
1929. Inventions and technological improvements
created wonderful investment opportunities, and
so caused big debts. [16]
He then outlined 9 factors interacting with one
another under conditions of debt and deflation to create
the mechanics of boom to bust:
Assuming, accordingly, that, at some point
of time, a state of over-indebtedness exists, this
will tend to lead to liquidation, through the alarm
either of debtors or creditors or both. Then we
may deduce the following chain of consequences
in nine links: (1) Debt liquidation leads to distress
selling and to (2) Contraction of deposit currency,
as bank loans are paid off, and to a slowing down
of velocity of circulation. This contraction of deposits
and of their velocity, precipitated by distress
selling, causes (3) A fall in the level of prices, in
other words, a swelling of the dollar. Assuming,
as above stated, that this fall of prices is not interfered
with by reflation or otherwise, there must be
(4) A still greater fall in the net worths of business,
precipitating bankruptcies and (5) A like fall in
profits, which in a “capitalistic,” that is, a privateprofit
society, leads the concerns which are running
at a loss to make (6) A reduction in output,
in trade and in employment of labor. These losses,
bankruptcies and unemployment, lead to (7) Pessimism
and loss of confidence, which in turn leads
to (8) Hoarding and slowing down still more the
velocity of circulation. The above eight changes
cause (9) Complicated disturbances in the rates
of interest, in particular, a fall in the nominal, or
money, rates and a rise in the real, or commodity,
rates of interest. [16]
The liquidation of debt could not keep up with
the fall of prices which it caused. The very effort of
individuals to lessen their burden of debt effectively
increased it, because of the mass effect of the stampede
to liquidate increased the value each dollar owed,
relative to the value of their declining asset holdings.
Paradoxically, the more the debtors paid, the more they
owed. [16]
Structural weaknesses
in banking
Economic historians (especially Friedman and
Schwartz) emphasize the importance of numerous bank
failures. The failures were mostly in rural America.
Structural weaknesses in the rural economy made local
banks highly vulnerable. Farmers, already deeply
in debt, saw farm prices plummet in the late 1920s and
their implicit real interest rates on loans skyrocket;
their land was already over-mortgaged (as a result of
Notes
1. The Main Causes of the Great Depression www.gusmorino.com/pag3/greatdepression/
2. Keen 2000, p.198.
3. Friedman 1965, p.4.
4. Speech by Ben Bernanke, November 8, 2002, www.federalreserve.gov/BOARDDOCS/SPEECHES/2002/20021108/
default.htm , The Federal Reserve Board, retrieved January
1, 2007 saying on Nov. 8 2002
5. Friedman 2007, p.15.
6. Paul Krugman, “Who Was Milton Friedman?” New York
Review of Books Volume 32, Number 32 · February 3,
2007 online community
7. Eichengreen 1992, p.xi
8. Bernanke 2002, p.80
9. Kehoe, Timothy J. and Edward C. Prescott. Great Depressions
of the Twentieth Century Federal Reserve Bank
of Minneapolis, 2007.
10. Rothbard, A History of Money and Banking in the United
States, pp.293-294.
11. Dorfman 1959
12. The Road to Plenty (1928)
13. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761584403/Great_
Depression_in_the_United_States.html#s11
14. Bernanke, Ben S (June 1983). “Non-Monetary Effects of
the Financial Crisis in the Propagation of the Great Depression”.
THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW (The
American Economic Association) 73 (3): 257-276.
15. Mishkin, Fredric (December 1978). “The Household Balance
and the Great Depression”. Journal of Economic
History 38: 918-37.
16. Fisher, Irving (October 1933). “The Debt-Deflation Theory
of Great Depressions”. Econometrica 1: 337-357.
17. Parker, p.49.
18. White, 1990.
References
• Secular Stagnation and Great Depression, R. L. Norman,
Jr.
• Dorfman, Joseph. Economic Mind in American Civilization
(1959) vol 4 and 5 cover the ideas of all American
economists of 1918-1933.
• Friedman, Milton and Anna Jacobson Schwartz, A Monetary
History of the United States, 1867-1960 (1963)
• Keen, Steve 2001. Debunking Economics Pluto Press Australia
Limited Sydney, Australia
• Meltzer, Allan H. 2003 A History of the Federal Reserve
Volume I: 1913-1951 Chicago University Press, Chicago,
IL
• Rothbard, Murray N. 1963 America’s Great Depression D.
Van Nostrand Company, Princeton, NJ
• Rothbard, Murray N. A History of Money and Banking in
the United States: The Colonial Era to World War II (2002)
• White, Eugene N. “The Stock Market Boom and Crash of
1929 Revisited” Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol.
4, No. 2 (Spring, 1990), pp. 67-83; examines different
theories
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 19

New York stock market index
the 1919 bubble in land prices), and crop prices were too low to allow them to pay
off what they owed. Small banks, especially those tied to the agricultural economy,
were in constant crisis in the 1920s with their customers defaulting on loans because
of the sudden rise in real interest rates; there was a steady stream of failures among
these smaller banks throughout the decade.
The city banks also suffered from structural weaknesses that made them vulnerable
to a shock. Some of the nation’s largest banks were failing to maintain adequate
reserves and were investing heavily in the stock market or making risky loans. Loans
to Germany and Latin America by New York City banks were especially risky. In
other words, the banking system was not well prepared to absorb the shock of a major
recession.
Economists have argued that a liquidity trap might have contributed to bank
failures.[citation needed]
Economists and historians debate how much responsibility to assign the Wall
Street Crash of 1929. The timing was right; the magnitude of the shock to expectations
of future prosperity was high. Most analysts believe the market in 1928-29 was
a “bubble” with prices far higher than justified by fundamentals. Economists agree
that somehow it shared some blame, but how much no one has estimated. Milton
Friedman concluded, “I don’t doubt for a moment that the collapse of the stock
market in 1929 played a role in the initial recession”. [17] The debate has three sides:
one group says the crash caused the depression by drastically lowering expectations
about the future and by removing large sums of investment capital; a second group
says the economy was slipping since summer 1929 and the crash ratified it; the
third group says that in either scenario the crash could not have caused more than a
recession. There was a brief recovery in the market into April 1930, but prices then
started falling steadily again from there, not reaching a final bottom until July 1932.
This was the largest long-term U.S. market decline by any measure. To move from
a recession in 1930 to a deep depression in 1931-32, entirely different factors had to
be in play. [18]
Postwar deflationary pressures
The Gold Standard theory of the Depression attributes it to postwar deflationary
policies. During World War I many European nations abandoned the gold standard,
forced by the enormous costs of the war. This resulted in inflation, because it was not
matched with rationing and other forms of forced savings. The view is that the quantity
of money determined inflation, and therefore, the cure to inflation was to reduce
the amount of circulating medium. Because of the huge reparations that Germany
had to pay France, Germany began a credit-fueled period of growth in order to export
and sell enough abroad to gain gold to pay back reparations. The United States, as
the world’s gold sink, loaned money to Germany to industrialize, which was then the
basis for Germany paying back France, and France paying back loans to the United
Kingdom and United States. This arrangement was codified in the Dawes Plan.
This had numerous economic consequences. However, what is of particular relevance
is that following the war, most nations returned to the gold standard
at the pre-war gold price, in part, because those who had loaned in nominal
amounts hoped to recover the same value in gold that they had lent, and in
part because the prevailing opinion at the time was that deflation was not a
danger, while inflation, particularly the inflation in the Weimar Republic, was
an unbearable danger. Monetary policy was in effect put into a deflationary
setting that would over the next decade slowly grind away at the health of
many European economies. While the Banking Act of 1925 created currency
controls and exchange restrictions, it set the new price of the Pound Sterling
at parity with the pre-war price. At the time, this was criticized by John
Maynard Keynes and others, who argued that in so doing, they were forcing
a revaluation of wages without any tendency to equilibrium. Keynes’ criticism
of Winston Churchill’s form of the return to the gold standard implicitly
compared it to the consequences of the Versailles Treaty.
Deflation’s impact is particularly hard on sectors of the economy that
are in debt or that regularly use loans to finance activity, such as agriculture.
Deflation erodes the price of commodities while increasing the real value of
debt.
Breakdown of international
trade
When the war came to an end in 1918, all European nations that had
been allied with the United States owed large sums of money to American
banks, sums much too large to be repaid out of their shattered treasuries. This is one
reason why the Allies had insisted (to the consternation of Woodrow Wilson) on
demanding reparation payments from Germany and Austria-Hungary. Reparations,
they believed, would provide them with a way to pay off their own debts. However,
Germany and Austria-Hungary were themselves in deep economic trouble after the
war; they were no more able to pay the reparations than the Allies were able to pay
their debts.
The debtor nations put strong pressure on the United States in the 1920s to forgive
the debts, or at least reduce them. The American government refused. Instead,
U.S. banks began making large loans to the nations of Europe. Thus, debts (and reparations)
were being paid only by augmenting old debts and piling up new ones. In the
late 1920s, and particularly after the American economy began to weaken after 1929,
the European nations found it much more difficult to borrow money from the United
States. At the same time, high U.S. tariffs were making it much more difficult for
them to sell their goods in U.S. markets. Without any source of revenue from foreign
exchange with which to repay their loans, they began to default.
Beginning late in the 1920s, European demand for U.S. goods began to decline.
That was partly because European industry and agriculture were becoming
more productive, and partly because some European nations (most notably Weimar
Germany) were suffering serious financial crises and could not afford to buy goods
overseas. However, the central issue causing the destabilization of the European
economy in the late 1920s was the international debt structure that had emerged in
the aftermath of World War I.
The Hawley-Smoot Tariff was especially harmful to agriculture because it
caused farmers to default on their loans. This event may have worsened or even
caused the ensuing bank runs in the Midwest and West that caused the collapse of
the banking system.
Prior to the Great Depression, a petition signed by over 1,000 economists was
presented to the U.S. government warning that the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act would
bring disastrous economic repercussions; however, this did not stop the act from
being signed into law.
The high tariff walls critically impeded the payment of war debts. As a result of
high U.S. tariffs, only a sort of cycle kept the reparations and war-debt payments going.
During the 1920s, the former allies paid the war-debt installments to the United
States chiefly with funds obtained from German reparations payments, and Germany
was able to make those payments only because of large private loans from the United
States and Britain. Similarly, U.S. investments abroad provided the dollars, which
alone made it possible for foreign nations to buy U.S. exports.
In the scramble for liquidity that followed the 1929 stock market crash, funds
flowed back from Europe to America, and Europe’s fragile economies crumbled.
By 1931, the world was reeling from the worst depression of recent memory, and
the entire structure of reparations and war debts collapsed.
20 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Letter to the Editor
Upper Humboldt River Landowners,
There is an unwarranted amount of misunderstanding
and alarm over the putative Upper Humboldt River
Watershed Program. Nothing within the proposed program
will add to State or Federal regulation of private
land, nor will anything being proposed threaten longstanding
agricultural practices on the Humboldt and its
tributaries. To the contrary, the intention of program is
to secure the viability of those traditional agricultural
practices through the restoration of certain damaged
reaches of the Humboldt in order to limit the likelihood
of that damage extending into adjacent upstream properties
in the future.
Ranch Open Space of Nevada,(ROSN) an agricultural
land trust founded by two Nevada agricultural
associations, and directed by Nevada ranchers
and farmers, has applied to Nevada Department of
Environmental Protection (NDEP) for funding to facilitate
the establishment of a community-based process
for identifying and prioritizing potential restoration
needs and the practices and projects which might be
implemented to meet those needs. First on the list of
tasks required by this grant is the establishment of an
advisory committee including landowners and local
government officials, and people with expertise relative
to the program—logically to include agency employees.
This board would oversee the process of identifying,
with stakeholder input—i.e., input from anyone with a
dog in the fight—the appropriate actions for protecting
the Upper Humboldt Watershed.
The initial focus of the program would be the main
stem of the Humboldt River, and particularly that reach
from Elko east to the North Fork, because this reach
is where the damage is. The term “Watershed” is only
added to the program title in order to allow for landowners
in other parts of the system to participate if they so
desire. The term “Watershed” should remain in the program
title because the condition of that degraded reach
of the Humboldt constitutes a real threat to the entire
watershed upstream, most immediately to the ranches
near Elburz, and up to those near Halleck belonging to
the Boyd’s, the Glaser’s, and the Hooper’s.
The Humboldt River and its floodplain meadows
from Elko to the confluence of the North Fork are vastly
and undeniably deteriorated from what they were 25
years ago. Irrigation, haying, and grazing are not the
cause! Any stakeholder that might persist in advancing
that misconception will be roundly disabused by yours
truly. The irrigation, haying, and grazing practices of
the ranches in the Halleck reach are in fact the reason
the damage has not progressed more rapidly upstream.
The cause is physical alteration of the river channel, and
the attendant disruption of the natural dynamics of the
Humboldt in flood. Parts of the river were mechanically
channelized in order to minimize bridge construction
along Interstate 80, through Elko to allow for the relocation
of the train tracks, and for the protection of the sewage
ponds. Earlier, the construction of the two modern
railway embankments likely caused more significant
damage. West of Carlin, above Palisade, the river was
restricted to the middle 3/5ths of its natural floodplain,
and similar impacts can be observed in Carlin Canyon
and the palisade between Osino and Ryndon. The result
was the effective straightening of the river channel,
which increases the speed of the flood waters, which
increases river bank erosion, which leads us to where
we are today: in need of action.
We are in need of action because the degraded and
unstable nature of those damaged reaches will extend
upstream with every significant spring flood. The impact
of railway and highway construction west and east
of Carlin travelled all the way to Elko. The traditional
irrigation, haying, and grazing practices of the ranches
along that reach west of Elko have stabilized the erosion
to a large degree, but much productivity has been lost
as the water table in the adjacent meadows was lowered
as water is drawn away by the deeper and wider channel.
East of Elko, the damage continues and the threat
remains.
The threat remains because it resides in the implacable
laws of physics. Moving water has a certain
amount of energy, energy which must be dissipated
against obstacles within its path or employed to carry
solids, dissolved or suspended, molecules or particles.
The Humboldt in flood tops off its load with silt and
sand. When that water comes to the end of the meandering
native channels between Halleck and Elberz,
tumbling into the deeper, wider, and straighter channels
below, moving faster, it gains additional energy, energy
which must be spent. Given the nature of the Humboldt’s
riverbed, it takes on additional silt and sand, loading
up right where it increases its speed. That point, that
“nick point”, or “head cut”, thus eats its way annually
upstream until it reaches some obstacle, perhaps a ledge
of bedrock, which can resist erosion. On the Humboldt
and its major tributaries such ledges of bedrock are
forty miles upstream: at Deeth, thirty miles east of
Elko, the Marys River and Humboldt flow over 800 feet
of silt. Upstream properties, and habitats, I will add, on
the Humboldt, the North Fork, Lamoille Creek, Secret
Creek, and in Starr Valley, are all at risk.
In the early 1980’s the Humboldt River system
experienced several high spring runoffs, the runoff of
1984 surpassing the 100 year flood stage, the first extreme
flows since the channelization of the Humboldt
through Elko. In those few years most of the current
damage was done. From the late 70’s to the mid 80’s,
there was a spring canoe race from Ryndon to Elko. The
Planks or the Perrys always won, as I recall, but by the
last running of that race the elapsed time of the winners
was nearly half of what it had been originally. They were
good paddlers, but they hadn’t improved that much; the
river channel had straightened and shortened that much.
The water table in the adjacent meadows dropped, grass
and willow gave way to brush, and now, in the worst
cases, to epic stands of weeds. Irrigation was no longer
practical on some properties; the family of Commissioner
Ellison himself knows firsthand how expensive,
and how nearly impossible it is to rebuild and maintain
an irrigation diversion structure in such an unstable
river channel. Uncontrolled grazing—season long, year
round grazing—one of the few uses left on such dewatered
floodplains, can be a problem, favoring weeds,
and preventing crucial re-vegetation in the river channel
itself. Careless development of gravel pits, another
remaining use of such land, can exacerbate the problem
by constraining the river channel within dikes.
The seasonal flooding of the spring runoff, enhanced
as it was by longstanding irrigation practices,
no longer occurs, and thousands of acre feet of runoff
water are no longer naturally stored in the meadow soils
of that broad floodplain, there to recharge the aquifer
of the Elko Sub-basin, source of Elko’s drinking water,
and to release back into the channel to sustain summer
flows for wildlife and livestock. At a time when officials
in Elko County struggle to find water rights and a place
to store them, these damaged reaches of the Humboldt
function as a sluice, speeding the spring runoff toward
Rye Patch Reservoir. What seems more likely to happen,
the building of additional dams in Elko County,
or the restoration of hay meadows, pastures, and wildlife
habitat? Which will be cheaper? I doubt Pershing
County would protest the improved bank storage of
restored flood plains, nor could they. Could they protest
the continuation of irrigation with already existing
water rights?
I’m sure I’ve said all that is necessary about the reasons,
the “whys”, for the program, so I’ll move toward
conclusion by presenting some of the “how’s”, beginning
with NDEP funds available for the further education
of the community and any interested landowners regarding
the problems detailed above, the benefits which
would accrue to fixing them, and the possible methods
for doing so, with an analysis of what can and should be
undertaken. These are 319 funds, which cannot by law
be used in a regulatory way. These funds must be used
for voluntary and incentive-based programs.
We need to begin identifying strategic sites. Crucial
properties such as the Bear Ranch, where traditional
irrigation, haying, and grazing have served to preserve
a relatively healthy parcel of floodplain, need to be protected
against the head cuts eating into the property’s
downstream margins, perhaps through the construction
of gabions to serve in the absence of bedrock ledges.
Perhaps ranchers in the Elburz area need some mechanism
by which to be rewarded for good management
practices. Perhaps some landowners now left with not
much more than a potential gravel pit would like the opportunity
to sell all or a partial interest in their property
to some agency or entity with the wherewithal to restore
it. Or they might welcome the advice and expertise
needed to create a vision of a healing river channel,
rising water tables, and drowning weeds. Perhaps the
people of the community would prefer to see songbird
and waterfowl habitat beneath their bluff-side homes
and offices, rather than rabbit brush and tumbleweeds,
and perhaps even an extension of the popular foot path
along the Humboldt through town. It’s all possible, and
available to the community to decide.
Elko County is home to world class mining, world
class ranches, world class scenery, hiking, hunting
and heli-skiing, to name only some of our virtues. We
shouldn’t have to apologize for a world class weed patch
and a barren and sandy storm drain of a river right under
our collective noses.
Yours Truly,
Preston Wright,
Ranch Open Space of Nevada
Landowner and irrigator,
Humboldt watershed
775 753 3058
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 21

A continuation of the SCIENTIST CONTRIBUTIONS
from the Great Basin Wildfire Forum.
GREAT BASINWildfire FORUM
THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
Portions of Great Basin Wildfire Forum: The Search for Solutions are reprinted with permission.
The technical editors are Dr. Elwood Miller, Professor Emeritus, and Dr. Rang Narayanan, Associate Dean of
Outreach, both from the University of Nevada, Reno, and the copy editing and design was done by Mr. Bob
Conrad, Nevada Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Great Basin Wildfire Forum: The Search for Solutions is a publication of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment
Station, University of Nevada, Reno. For more information, go to the website: www.cabnr.unr.edu/naes.
The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of the University or the Experiment Station.
Dr. kenneth sanders
has been a professor
of rangeland ecology
and management at the
University of Idaho for 32
years. He received his
BS in range management
from New Mexico State
University, his MS from Oregon
State University and
PhD in range science at
Texas Tech University. His
research focus has been
on rangeland monitoring,
grazing management and
rangeland improvements.
ken sanders
The invasion of Great Basin rangelands
by undesirable invasive species, especially highly flammable
annual grasses, as well as the continued spread and increasing
density of juniper, coupled with the resulting increase in
wildfire frequency, pose the greatest threat to the sustainability
and restoration of these rangelands. In southern Idaho,
cheatgrass and medusahead wildrye grass have evolved to
grow under a wider range of soils and environmental conditions,
resulting in a great expansion of their range. Cheatgrass
is starting to dominate salt desert shrub communities. Once
these communities burn, which is inevitable, it will be extremely
difficult to restore them.
The restoration of cheatgrass-infested rangelands, while
challenging in the best of circumstances, has been doomed to
failure ever since the Bureau of Land Management put emphasis
on seeding native species instead of what we know has the
best chance of becoming established (i.e., crested wheatgrass).
Millions of dollars of taxpayer money have been wasted on
high-priced native seed mixes, with very little success. The
result has been increased fire frequency, increased spread
and dominance of cheatgrass and loss of livestock forage and
wildlife habitat.
Increased recreational use of rangelands, especially offroad
vehicle use, poses the second biggest threat to the sustainability
of Great Basin rangelands. Much of the increased
spread of noxious weeds is due to increased recreational traffic.
Lightning is the primary ignition source of wildfires, but
ignition from recreationists is second.
The third biggest threat is the reduction in grazing on
public rangelands. If the proposed sage grouse habitat management
guideline that recommends leaving a grass stubble
height of 18 centimeters is applied, it will not only result in
an adverse economic impact on livestock producers, but it
also will result in increased, higher intensity wildfire due to
a larger fuel load. Any adverse economic impact on livestock
operators will lead to private ground being sold to developers,
resulting in less open space, increased recreational use
on rangelands and the resulting negative impacts mentioned
above.
The greatest administrative threat to the long term stability
and productivity of Great Basin ecosystems is “analysis
paralysis.” Both the courts and the public agencies managing
Great Basin rangelands have made a far more restrictive
interpretation of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) than Congress ever intended. When he first became
Idaho BLM Director, K. Lynn Bennett documented that in
2003 Idaho alone had 74 active administrative appeals and
18 district court cases, resulting in direct litigation costs of
$677,000. However, the greatest costs were indirect: deferred
work such as monitoring, permit renewal, range improvements,
etc., loss of public trust and loss of employee morale.
Environmental organizations filed 61 percent of the cases,
with the challenges primarily based on the BLM not following
established procedures—not the condition of the resource.
There are numerous other polices that also threaten the
long term stability of Great Basin ecosystems. These include
disposal limitations on the management of wild horses, a
blanket policy of at least two growing seasons of rest following
wildfire, rangeland restoration using only native species,
suitability and capability standards of the U.S. Forest Service,
stubble height requirements on riparian areas, Threatened and
Endangered Species Act listings and resulting management
restrictions. Such policies give agency wildlife and fisheries
biologists, botanists and cultural and recreation specialists
equal—or greater—say on monitoring, grazing management
and restoration than knowledgeable range conservationists.
The first and perhaps most achievable step in policy
change is to get more range conservationists back on the
ground monitoring and actively managing rangelands. Range
conservationists should be given a more prominent role interpreting
monitoring data, grazing management and rangeland
restoration decisions.
The first priority in rangeland restoration following
wildfire should be to stabilize the soil, which means seeding
species with the best chance of establishment. The same applies
in trying to convert cheatgrass-infested rangelands to
perennial grasses. The native species, which are more difficult
to establish, should be seeded only after the soil is stabilized
and cheatgrass competition is reduced.
Changes are needed in NEPA, the Threatened and Endangered
Species Act and having the U.S. Attorney’s Office
representing the BLM in District Court cases. Changing the
two acts is probably not realistic, but getting attorneys knowledgeable
about natural resource issues representing the BLM
in District
Court should be obtainable. It should be more difficult
and expensive to file frivolous lawsuits. The Experimental
Stewardship Program showed that the use of coordinated
resource management not only reduced resource management
conflict, but also resulted in improved management of
the resources. The procedure should be more widely used. If
individuals or groups are given the opportunity to participate
in such a process but choose not to, they should lose their right
to appeal the resulting decisions.
22 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Paul Tueller
There are five important areas for consideration
in addressing wildfire issues. The first has to
do with potentially changing public land policy and creating
new laws that reduce litigation. The annual budget cycle is a
major culprit in preventing success in rangeland enhancement
efforts.
A second important consideration is the need to use grazing
management to help solve the fire problem. The extreme
fire years in the recent past must be due, in part, to the noted reduction
in grazing the forage base, resulting in significant fuel
buildup. The lower and sometimes upper reaches of the mountain
ranges have turned yellow as a result of post-fire cheatgrass
establishment. The buildup of cheatgrass has tended to
shorten the grazing season across the state, as this grass is only
green with a sufficient biomass for a short time—one month or
less in the spring. Development of intensive grazing management
strategies is needed to allow utilization of cheatgrass and
reduce future fuel loads. Grazing animal will be the tools that
must be used to make desirable changes in vegetation.
Remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems and
Geographic Information Systems can be used
to provide important information to help refine
our understanding of (the) Great Basin...
A third area is seeding with species that are known to be
effective. It is important to highlight the scientific evidence
that the most adapted and useful species have heretofore been
non-native species. The argument about native versus nonnative
species is not useful and must be resolved based on
available scientific findings. There is no good reason why the
best and most useful species should not be used independent
of origin.
Fourth, there is a need to maintain or develop strong
rangeland management programs at universities that graduate
well-trained, competent students who can enter into careers
leading to management of these landscapes. In addition, increased
support for herbaria is critical since individual plant
species form the basis of sound rangeland management. Every
good manager must be able to identify these species and have
knowledge of their characteristics.
Fifth, the final area of concern relates to the under-utilized
technology of remote sensing. Remote sensing, Global Positioning
Systems and Geographic Information Systems can
be used to provide important information to help refine our
understanding of Great Basin vegetation and soil ecosystems
in relation to fire ecology. Remotely obtained imagery can
be used to follow greenness and maturation of vegetation for
grazing management plans and a general consideration of
fuel loads across large landscape areas. Remote sensing data
would be useful for the design of experiments related to fire
management efforts both pre- and post-fire. These data could
also assist in the design of grazing management plans and the
selection of sites that have the highest probability for success
in revegetation efforts.
Dr. Paul Tueller is
professor of range ecology
emeritus at the University
of Nevada, Reno. He received
his BS in wildlife
management from Idaho
State University and his
PhD in range ecology from
Oregon State University.
He spent 42 years at the
University of Nevada. His
primary area of interest
is rangeland ecology and
remote sensing, and he
is a certified range management
consultant.
Northern Livestock Video Auction
Ranchers, it is that time of year to buy bulls.
Buy from some of the best in the business—right from your house via Northern Livestock Video Auction
Mytty Angus, Florence MT
March 2nd
Internet Only
Kevin 406-360-8939
Upcoming Sales
Udy Cattle Co. Rockland, ID
March 11th
Internet Only
James 208-221-1909
White Stone Krebs, Gordon, NE
March 13th
Internet Only
Elden 308-282-2479
Split Diamond Angus, Dillon, MT
March 4th
Dish Channel 219 and Internet
Hauns 406-581-0612
Stevenson Genetics, Hobson, MT
March 12th
Dish Channel 221 and Internet
Darrell 406-423-7500
Vermillion’s Spring Spectacular,
Billings, MT
March 26th and 27th
Dish channel 219 and Internet
Contact Info ?????
Genetics are important! Take advantage of purchasing some of the great bloodlines in the industry right from your living room or in front of your computer.
To register and bid and buy contact Northern Livestock Video Auction at 866-616-5035
For more information and Catalogs please call Blake Nuffer at 307-431-2268
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 23

Allie Bear
Real Estate
Specializing in hunting, ranching, and horse properties
My Place By The Fire
By Gaynor Dawson
Joy of the Rubies Unique sportsman’s paradise.
40 acres, deluxe 2,800 sq. ft. home. Borders
National Forest
Raker Farm 320 acres in Smokey Valley. Manuf.
home converted to real property, garage, green
house, equipment shop, 2 pivots, 2 wells
Triple Creek Ranch Located 50 miles north of
Elko. 2,930+ deeded acres, airstrip & hanger and
a list of immaculate improvements. $5,000,000.
Hinkey Summit Road 7.9 acres in Humboldt
County. Power nearby. $140,000
Eureka Diner 8 city lots. Great operating
business $399,999. Call Dawn 775-934-7263
Lundahl Research Ranch Located in Diamond
Valley, Eureka County. Total Deeded - 4,898
acres; BLM - 96,400 acres; Total Acreage -
101,298 acres. Water is abundant. $4,500,000
includes all equipment.
Elburz Acreage 53 acres at $26,750 or 338
acres at $169,500. Call Connie 775-934-0919
Farm Near Winnemucca 320 acres, 982 acre
feet of water, 2 pivots. 50 ft 50 ton truck scale.
1812 Sq. Ft. Mobile with large shop.
Diamond Springs All equipment comes with
ranch. 994 deeded acres with 3 homes. 2,120
AUM’s on excellent condition range. Wonderful
outbuildings & corrals. $3,500,000.
Call Riley, 775-397-5000
Custom Lamoille 3 Bed / 2 Bath 2590 N.
Canyon Dr, Lamoille. 7 water-righted acres,
$1,195,000. Call Connie 775-934-0919
Diamond Valley Farm 320 acres. Beautiful
home plus second home, large shop and corrals.
Bear Ranch 3 miles from town (Elko). $2,500,000
Deerhorn Ranch Beautiful ranch located in Starr
Valley. 470+ deeded acres. Very productive ranch.
$1,750,000.
Wildhorse Ranch 4,500 deeded acres, new
home and fish pond. Just minutes from a boating/
fishing reservoir. Lots of meadows, borders
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Call for details.
Dawley Creek Ranch 120 acres, surrounded by
the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge on 3 sides
and the BLM on the other side. Year-round spring.
$375,000.
Taylor Canyon Resort Cabins, Bar, Restaurant
on 34 acres North of Elko $480,000.
Call Mike 775-934-2876
Angleworm Ranch 336-acre oasis in Currant,
Nevada with water rights included and 400+ fruit &
shade trees. $890,000
PENDING
View complete listings at:
www.ARanchBroker.com
775-738-8535
Allie Bear, Broker/Realtor
Realtors: Dawn Mitton, Connie Harlan,
Riley Manzonie, Mike Sallee
And so my day begins.
By morning I’ve managed to
move myself around
So my body conforms to the
contours of the ground.
My bed roll’s wrapped close in
an attempt to delay
Loss of the warmth I’ll need for this day.
I hunker down deep and hang on tight
To fragments of dreams from
the previous night,
Content to put off indefinitely,
The cold wind and hard work waiting for me.
But tendrils of smoke steal into my lair
And find a hint of hunger lurking there.
The promise of food is all that’s required
As need and duty together conspire
To get me up and out to a place by the fire.
And so my work begins.
The sun slowly fades and I
must come to grips
With the day’s residue in my
back and my hips.
Morning’s welcome motions
too often repeated
Have left my reserves long since depleted.
There is a low, nagging ache
in my fingers and toes
As the heat of exertion slips
through my clothes.
The shadows coalesce to close out the day,
So I loosen the reins and let the
horse have his way.
My mind races ahead to where I can feel
The flames dancing on my skin
as I enjoy a hot meal.
Alluring as it is, the chores will come prior,
So this time around, duty trumps my desire,
As I hurry to finish before taking
my place by the fire.
And so my work ends.
The sun now has reached a point far away
And the void of the heavens steals
the heat from the day.
I can sense but not see something
moving on the plains
And find myself drifting in
closer to the flames.
But the wood in the fire has run its course
And the recipients of the warmth
are now its source,
As we talk and share all the
burdens of the day
In a communion designed to
keep night at bay.
Yet everyone’s bodies have
been put to the test
And cry out for relief with an extended rest.
By the time all the flames are fully expired,
I reconcile to the fact that I must retire
And reluctantly relinquish
my place by the fire.
And so my day ends.
24 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 25

26 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

18th Annual Spring
RANCH
HORSE SALE
McArthur, CA
DuarteSales_Flyer09
FAIRGROUNDS
apriL 11, 2009
Preview: 11:00 am
SALE 2 PM
Entry Deadline: March 1, 2009
Limited Entries
8 Year Average on the Top-Selling
Horse - $8,700
Preview Format
Ranch Roping and Ranch Sorting
Sale
Managed by:
D uarte
S ales
Everything
Under Cover!!!
“The original Ranch Horse Sale in a part
of the country where big ranches and
ranch horses are still a way of life.”
Office: (541) 533-2105
fax: (541) 533-3127
Sale Day: (541) 891-7963
visit us at www.duartesales.com
The
Progressive
Rancher
Magic Valley Reined Cowhorse Association
2009
Silent Stallion Auction
Bidding starts at $250
Ends at midnight March 31, 2009
Place Your Bid Today!
Silver Gun
Playgun X Miss Freckles Reed
LTE $30,000
Fairlea Ranch
Badger, CA
Topsails Rien Maker
Topsail Cody x Jameen Gay
LTE $208,249
Owners-Dilday & Cantrelle
Standing at Ward River Ranch
Kingsburg, CA
Place Your Bid Today!
Smart Little Pepinic
Smart Little Uno X Pepinic
LTE $86,308
Standing at Ward River Ranch
Kingsburg, CA
Place Your Bid Today!
Smart Steady Date
Smart Little Lena x Doc’s Steady Date
LTE $1,174
ONLINE
Current and Past Issues Available
www.progressiverancher.com
Fairlea Ranch, Badger, CA
All Stallions are subject to $500 Chute Fee
and $200 shipped Semen fee.
For More information, contact John Smith (208) 431-9098
or john@horseproshop.com
www.mvrcha.com
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 27

F i n a n c i a l Fo c u s
Presented by Sonny Davidson, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones in Elko, Nevada
Here’s “Checklist” for Surviving Financial Crisis
Over the past few months, the news has been almost incomprehensible. It’s
hard for many of us to make sense of the failure of major Wall Street firms
and large banks and the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector. And it’s hard for
investors to be calm when stocks have fallen more than 40 percent between October
2007 and Inauguration Day in 2009. What can you do to cope? Consider the following
“checklist” for surviving a financial crisis:
_____Close your ears — but open your eyes. These days, you may hear some socalled
“experts” talking about end-of-capitalism scenarios. Try not to listen to these
doomsayers. We still have the most powerful economy in the history of the world and we
will recover from these setbacks. However, even if you close your ears, you should keep
your eyes wide open. Specifically, look for opportunities. Stock prices are down now, but
they won’t always be — and, all else being equal, investors who buy into the stock market
at lower prices are likely to earn higher returns than those who buy stocks when prices
are higher.
_____Focus on things you can control. During a financial crisis, your success at
weathering the storm depends on your ability to stay calm and concentrate on the things
you can control. For example, you can control your emotions so that you aren’t panicked
into making unwise, short-term decisions, such as putting all your money under your mattress.
And, to a certain extent, you can even control your portfolio’s ability to withstand
volatility. How? By diversifying your holdings as broadly as possible. The wider your range
of investments, the less you’ll be hurt by downturns that primarily affect one asset class.
(Keep in mind, though, that diversification, by itself, cannot guarantee profits or protect
against loss.)
The Nevada Agricultural Foundation
announced their
Annual Meeting and Banquet
will be held on
Friday, April 17, 2009.
_____Review and rebalance your portfolio. During this market decline, some of your
holdings have probably fallen more than others. As a result, you may now own a lower
percentage of a specific asset class than you had originally intended when you built your
portfolio. Consequently, you may want to meet with your financial advisor to determine if
you should rebalance your portfolio by adding more money to those asset classes that have
fallen the most. You may also want to rebalance if your risk tolerance or long-term goals
have changed.
_____Look for quality investments. In this economic environment, it’s more important
than ever to focus on on quality investments. When you buy stocks, look for those
companies with strong balance sheets. If you’re purchasing bonds, stick with those that
receive high credit ratings. If we are entering a prolonged economic downturn, these types
of investments will, in all likelihood, fare better than lower-quality stocks and bonds.
_____Be patient. No one can predict when a bear market will end, but history has
shown that turnarounds can happen quickly and unexpectedly. So be patient. The most successful
investors have the courage to stay the course and take advantage of opportunities
while others are “bailing out” of the financial markets.
We may still have some rough roads ahead of us. But if you can check off every item
on this list, you can smooth out some of the bumps you’ll encounter on your journey toward
achieving your long-term goals.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial
Advisor.
Artistic fifth grade
students wanted for
Arbor Day poster contest
CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada’s fifth grade students are being sought to showcase
their artistic talents by creating posters for the National Arbor Day Foundation’s annual
Arbor Day Poster Contest, “Trees are Terrific…in Cities and Towns!”
The activities teach fifth grade students about the important roles urban trees play in
their community and meet national and state education standards in science, social studies,
math and art.
One poster entry will be selected by Nevada Division of Forestry to represent Nevada
in the National Contest. Prizes will be awarded to teachers submitting their school’s winning
poster. The deadline for poster entries is Monday March 9, 2009.
Guidelines and a free activity guide are available at http://www.forestry.nv.gov/index.
htm or by calling Susan Stead at 775-684-2506.
The last 13 years of Nevada’s winning posters are located here: http://www.forestry.
nv.gov/main/abror02.htm.
If you are interested in advancing and supporting
Agriculture in Nevada, contact the Nevada Agricultural
Foundation office for more information.
By phone: 775/673-2468
By mail: P.O. Box 8089 Reno, NV 89507
By email: sue@nvagfoundation.org
MY MOTTO IS:
Live our life in such a way that
when your feet hit the floor in the
morning...Satan shudders & says:
“OH, SHIT, SHE’S AWAKE!”
28 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual
Research Symposium and Annual Meeting
April 30th – May 3rd, 2009
Registration for the Beef Improvement
Federation (BIF) Annual Research Symposium
and Annual Meeting 2009 (Sacramento,
California, April 30th – May 3rd,
2009) is now open at http://www.calcattlemen.org/bif2009.html.The
conference will
be held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in
Sacramento, California. The special BIF
hotel rate of $139/night is only available
through April 3, 2009. Hotel reservations at
this special group rate can be made online
at http://www.calcattlemen.org/bif2009/
sheratongrandhotel.html.
Main session topics at the “California
Beef Rush ’09” include Is there Gold in
those genomes? with the opening lecture
being given by Dr. Mike Goddard, Chief
Scientist of the Beef CRC, University of
Melbourne and Victorian Department of
Primary Industries, Australia, and Panning
for Efficiency discussing genetic goals in
an era of high input costs and economics of
beef cattle production. The Beef Improvement
Federation will also hold their annual
technical keynote sessions for producers
addressing six topic areas: Producer Technology
Application; Cow Herd Efficiency
and Adaptability; Emerging Technologies;
Live Animal, Carcass and End Product
Evaluation; Selection Decisions; and Genetic
Prediction. The tentative schedule can
be viewed at http://www.calcattlemen.org/
bif2009/schedule.html.
A pre-conference tour on Thursday
30th April will visit cattle operations including
Five Star Land & Livestock (owned
Farm Bill Program Initial
Deadlines Announced
Apply by March 17
Reno, Jan. 30 — Farmers and ranchers need to
apply soon for financial assistance under two Farm
Bill programs. The deadline to submit applications for
Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) and the
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is March
17. Closing the application period allows NRCS to
review and rank those applications that have been received
prior to the closing date. However, applications
for Farm Bill programs administered in Nevada can
be submitted at any time.
The AMA program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers
to address water management; water quality and erosion control and mitigate risk
through production diversification or resource conservation practices, which include soil
erosion control, integrated pest management or transition to organic farming. Land may
only be enrolled if the land is privately owned, federally recognized Tribal, BIA allotted
or Indian land, and publicly owned land, where land is a working component of the participant’s
agricultural and forestry operation.
The WHIP program provides financial and technical assistance to develop and improve
high quality habitat for fish and wildlife on private agricultural lands, non-industrial
private forest lands and Indian lands. This program is no longer available to non-agricultural
lands or publicly owned lands.
Agricultural producers in both programs must meet eligibility requirements prior to
applying.
For more information, contact your local NRCS office or visit the Nevada NRCS Web
site at www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov
and operated by Mark & Abbie Nelson),
and Duane Martin and Son, one of the top
10 cow-calf operators in the United States.
Additionally the tour will include a cutting
horse demonstration at Rancho Murietta’s
equine facility, and lunch at a winery. The
post-conference tour on Sunday May 3rd
will head to the coast and visit Drake’s
Bay Family Farm, which raises grass fed
beef and oysters, and then on to a tour of
Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory and lunch
on the beach.
Student Opportunities: The annual
Frank Baker Beef Improvement Essay
Contest, sponsored by the Beef Improvement
Federation, offers two scholarships
of $1000 to attend the 2009 BIF Meeting.
Additionally, four student travel fellowships
of $250, sponsored by the National
Research Initiative Conference Grant (#
2009-55205-05062) from the USDA Cooperative
State Research, Education, and Extension
Service Animal Genome program,
are available. See http://www.calcattlemen.
org/bif2009/studentinformation.html for
more details
HEART of the ROCKIES, LLC
See them work on
fresh cattle as they
sell!
(in conjunction with the Dodge National Circuit Finals Rodeo)
Friday, April 10, 2009
Pocatello, Idaho – Holt Arena
Sale Day Preview at 8:00 a.m.*
Sale Starts at 9:00 a.m.
• Featuring 50 pre-selected, premium arena performance
and working cow bred horses of all ages.
• Proven and prospect team and break-away
roping, reining, team penning, barrel racing and
working ranch horses.
*Timed Working Preview
Thursday, April 9, at 1:00 p.m.
Guthrie Arena, Inkom, Idaho
For more information, contact:
Jay or Ranae Meyers, (208) 233-7653
www.heartoftherockies.us
Sale managed by Gale harding & Associates
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 29

Nevada Quarter Horse Association
2008 Year-end Results
Division 1
OPEN SHOW AWARDS
Tiny Tot
Leadline:
Alamitos Moon Deck/Mackenzie Wachtel Champion
The Simple Solution/Madison Wachtel Reserve
Walk Trot:
Marvelous Quest/Claire Steninger
Champion
Division 2 Youth Halter/Showmanship
Ima Dynamic Dude/Nikki Steninger Champion
Whatsupwiththat Mr/Lindsey Gleason Reserve
Division 3 Adult-Halter/Showmanship
Shaded Assets/Cindy Clark
Champion
Hot Persuasion/Laura Gleason
Reserve
Daddys Golden Pine/Myrna Fisher Top 5
Ima Dynamic Dude/Carolyn Steninger Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich Participation
Division 4 Youth-Western Performance
Whatsupwiththat Mr/Lindsey Gleason Champion
Ima Dynamic Dude/Nikki Steninger Resrve
Division 5 Adult-Western Performance
Ima Dynamic Dude/Carolyn Steninger Champion
Shaded Assets/Cindy Clark
Reserve
Hot Persuasion/Laura Gleason Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich Top 5
Daddys Golden Pine/Myrna Fisher Top 5
Smooth Town Page/Mark Mitchell Participation
Smooth Town Page/Sandy Ivelich Participation
Division 6 Youth Hunt Seat Performance
Ima Dynamic Dude/Nikki Steninger Champion
Whatsupwiththat Mr/Lindsey Gleason Reserve
Division 7 Adult Hunt Seat Performance
Shaded Assets/Cindy Clark
Champion
Ima Dynamic Dude/Carolyn Steninger Reserve
Daddys Golden Pine/Myrna Fisher Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats./Sandy Ivelich Top 5
Smooth Town Page/Mark Mitchell Participation
Division 8 Youth Speed Events
Ima Dynamic Dude/Nikki Steninger Participation
Division 9 Adult Speed Events
Coalie Sue/Bonnie Morgan
Ima Dynamic Dude/Carolyn Steninger
Shaded Assets/Cindy Clark
Champion
Reserve
Participation
Open Show Accumulative Awards
Hot Persuasion /Laura Gleason/Bronze, Silver, Gold
Marvelous Quest/Claire Steninger/Bronze, Silver, Gold
Ima Dynamic Dude/Carolyn Steninger/B., S., Gold
Ima Dynamic Dude/Nikki Steninger/Bronze, Sil. Gold
Whatsupwiththat Mr/Lindsey Gleason/Bronze S., Gold
Alamito Moon Deck/Mackenzie Wachtel/Bronze,Silver
Shaded Assets/Cindy Clark/Bronze, Silver
Daddys Golden Pine/Myrna Fisher/Bronze, Silver
The Simple Solution/Madison Wachtel/Bronze, Silver
Coalie Sue/Bonnie Morgan/Bronze
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich/Bronze
Smooth Town Page/Mark Mitchell/Participation
Smooth Town Page/Sandy Ivelich/Participation
VERSATILITY RANCH HORSE
Open
Maximum Smart/Joi Brackenbury
TRAIL RIDE PROGRAM
Lorenzo Arroyo
Juanita Beaupre
Trish Clark
Jody Laxague
Sandy Sergott
Sherrie Baker
Bonnie Burr
Dominic Laxague
John Laxague
Janine Vega
SELECT AMATEUR
Showmanship
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff Champion
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Reserve
Western Pleasure
Time Was All It took/Dixie Simper Champion
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff Reserve
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Top 5
Western Horsemanship
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff Champion
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Reserve
Trail
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff Champion
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Reserve
All-Around
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff All-Around
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Reserve
OPEN AWARDS
Yearling Stallions
BR Karate Kid/Gwen Russell Champion
Aged Stallions
Kidd Rock/Dave Fougner
Champion
Performance Halter Stallions
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day
Champion
Aged Geldings
WishinSheWouldCall/Ina Ginsberg Champion
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega Reserve
Time Was All It Took/Marty Simper Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich Top 5
Yearling Mares
BR Starlet/Jack Brizendine
Champion
Three Year Old Mares
BR Delightful Miss/Pete Jason Champion
Aged Mares
A Cool Kiss/Tom & Cheri Gayton Champion
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Reserve
Wimpys Array/Zoe Urrizaga Top 5
Open Western Pleasure
PR Certified Chex/Susan Barto Champion
Time Was All It Took/Marty Simper Reserve
Green Western Pleasure
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Green Western Riding
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Green Trail
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Zippos R Zippose To/Jaquie Alves
Open Hunter Under Saddle
Artful Magnitude/Johnette Curtis
Green Hunter Under Saddle
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Champion
Champion
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Champion
Working Cow Horse
Comos Victory Hunter/Nancy Chapman Champion
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day
Reserve
Cutting
Stylish Duals Day/Luther Reese
Heading
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day
Comos Victory Hunter/Nancy C.
Champion
Champion
Reserve
Heeling
Chexout the Calboy/Kelli Day Champion
Docs Hotroddin Peppy/Brad Marler Reserve
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day Top 5
Comos Victory Hunter/Nancy C. Top 5
Reining
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day
Open All-Around
Fairlea Custom/Kelli Day
Green All-Around
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
YOUTH AWARDS
Novice Youth:
Reining:
LP Player/Chelsie Ellingboe
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Trail
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Champion
Champion
Champion
Champion
Reserve
Champ
Showmanship
Wimpys Array/Zoe Urrizaga Champion
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson Reserve
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega Top 5
Hunter Under Saddle
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Hunt Seat Equitation
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Western Pleasure
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
30 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

Western Horsemanship
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Barrel Racing
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
Pole Bending
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
Stake race
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
All-Around
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Youth:
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
All-Around
Reserve
Youth Geldings Three and Over
Biaggio/Hunter Kenney
Champion
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Reserve
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson Top 5
Youth Perfomance Geldings
Alamitos Moon Deck
Youth Mares Three and Over
CL Enchanted Whisper/Rose Santos
Wimpys Array/Zoe Urrizaga
Reining
LP Player/Chelsie Ellingboe
Chexout This Hobby/Cynthia Moreno
Champion
Champ.
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Showmanship
Wimpys Array/Zoe Urrizaga
Champion
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Reserve
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega Top 5
Hunter Under Saddle
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays Champion
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega Reserve
Fairly Freckled/Nicole Christenson Top 5
Hunt Seat Equitation
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Western Pleasure
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Western Horsemanship
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Trail
I Work the Crowd/Sherri Mays
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Barrel Racing
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Pole Bending
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
Stake Race
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
Partee Harty Hickory/Jessi Vega
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Reserve
All-Around
Alamitos Moon Deck/Jessi Vega
I Work The Crowd/Sherri Mays
All-Around
Reserve
AMATEUR AWARDS
Novice Amateur
Showmanship
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford
Champion
Reserve
Western Pleasure
Time Was All It Took/Dixie Simper Cham
Fairly Freckled/Kim Christenson Reserve
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen Top 5
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich Top 5
Western Horsemanship
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen
Champion
Fairly Freckled/Kim Christenson Reserve
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford Top 5
Trail
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen
Barrel Racing
Coalie Sue/Bonnie Morgan
Pole Bending
Coalie Sue/Bonnie Morgan
All Around
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen
Sabre is an Asset/Diana Sanford
Stallions 3 and Over
Kidd Rock/Dave Fougner
Amateur:
Champion
Reserve
Champion
Champion
All-Around
Reserve
Champion
Mares 3 and Over
A Cool Kiss/Tom/Cheri Gayton Champ.
BR Delightful Miss/Pete Jason
Reserve
Sabre is An Assett/Diana Sanford Top 5
Geldings 3 and Over
WishinSheWouldCall/Ina Ginsberg Ch.
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Res.
Time Was All It Took/Dixie Simper T. 5
Arch Deluxe/Brindi Hansen Top 5
Pages Mr. Spats/Sandy Ivelich Top 5
Performance Halter Geldings
Zippos KC Investors/Sharon Hoff
Western Pleasure
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Western Riding
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Trail
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Hunter Under Saddle
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Hunt Seat Equitation
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Reining
Fancy Badger Chex/Coleen Cain
All Around
The Simple Solution/Jamie Vega
Champ.
Champ.
Champ.
Champ.
Champ.
Champ.
Champ.
All-A.
PARTICIPATION AWARDS
Opelia Raye Arroyo
Susan Barto
Laurel Champlin
Kendelle Contraveos
Robbie Davis
Sandy Davis
Laura Gleason
Grace Kotsch
Lisa Mays
Sierra Arroyo
Therese Basil
Cindy Clark
Robert Davis
Raelyn Davis
Sandy Friberg
Lindsey Gleason
Kaye Letchworth
Mark Mitchell
NQHA SPECIAL AWARDS
Honorary Youth Awards
Sportsmanship: Zoe Urrizaga
Youth Supporter:
Julie Day
Dale and Darlene Tingle
Wayne Capurro Memorial Trophy: Jessi Vega
Alamitos Moon Deck
Special Awards
Most Valuable Prof. Horseman: Laurel Wachtel
Outstanding Supporters: Richard Hutchings
Sierra Feed
Trail Ride Coordinator: Kaye Letchworth
Laurel Wachtel
Trail Ride Volunteers: Carolyn Steninger
Mary Wright
Sue Lennon
NQHA Racing Champion Owners:
Amulfo & Leandro Romero
(Spring Creek, NV)
Javier and Manny Rodriguez (Las Vegas, NV)
2009 NQHA
Board of Directors
Laurel Wachtel
Laurel Champlin
Janine Vega
Karma Swanson
Kaye Letchworth Kendelle Contraveos
Susan Utley
Judy Groene
Carla Hinds
Myrna Fisher
Lonnie Scott
Jamie Vega (Executive Secretary)
2009 NQHYA Board of
Directors
Jessi Vega
Zoe Urrizaga
Sherri Mays
Cassidy Champlin
Sierra Arroyo
Chelsie Ellingboe
Cheyenne Kracraft
OUTGOING DIRECTORS
Lisa Mays
THANK YOU TO
OUR VOLUNTEERS:
Sierra Arroyo
Shannon Arroyo
Jan Bruner
Cassidy Champlin
Ken Cochran
Marla Fadel
Alice Gallardo
Carla Gilligan
Kelly Herzog
Madison Hooper
Amanda Johnson Lee Johnson
Patty Julian
Brad Marler
Sherri Mays
Lynn Ramsey
Dixie Simper
Jim Spindler
Zoe Urrizaga
Jessi Vega
Margaret Wamsley Doug Watanabe
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 31

The Progressive Rancher Coloring Contest
Tear out or copy this page, color it and mail it in. Sponsored by Bill Nicholson and Jeanne King.
Age Groups: 5-7, 8-10, 11-12.
Mail your artwork to: The Progressive Rancher, 1346 Idaho St., PMB 9, Elko, NV 89801. Include your name, address and age on entry.
32 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

DR. Margaret, Ph.D.
Dr. Margaret Winsryg, Ph.D.
208-308-0106
MNM Consulting Services
Dr. Margaret Winsryg, Ph.D.
208-308-0106
The equine digestive system is
a complicated factory that is
designed to process small amounts of
food frequently and convert them into
nutrients that can be absorbed and
produce energy. The cow, pig, dog, cat,
or even man also has a similar digestive
process. But, the horse’s digestive system
is unique, and possibly more prone to
problems than most others perhaps as a
result of humans changing what nature
intended for the horse and not just a poor design...
In the wild, horses had little to do but eat, stay out of the way of predators, and reproduce.
Their eating habits were to move across the countryside, selecting immature forages
that are easy to digest. They grazed as they roam, consuming small amounts of food
throughout the day and even at night. Because of the meal size and movement, there are
fewer digestive problems. However, man has altered Nature’s scheme. First, he often adds
workloads that require more than just grass to provide the necessary nutrition. Second, in
many cases, all choices have been taken from the horse. He no longer roams at will, picking
out choice spots for grazing. Instead, he is confined to pastures or paddocks where there
might be little to choose from in the way of food. He eats what is there or is provided by
his caretakers. Because of the way horse owners work today and have busy schedules, the
horse no longer is able to eat small amounts frequently. Instead, he usually is fed a large
quantity of food, maybe twice a day and takes about 1 hour, that leaves 22 hours a day with
no new food introduce into his stomach.
The result could add up to an assault on the horse’s digestive system that it typically
can’t handle, and problems such as colic and founder can be the result. The good news is
researchers have been at work to return horse feeding to a proper balance. There is information
available about nutrient needs for various levels of activity and conditions. For
example, the working horse has different requirements than one turned out to pasture, and
the lactating mare has different needs than the gelding being used for trail riding. There
also is a strong and growing emphasis on frequent feeding of small amounts of feed instead
of large single portions. So let’s take a look at part of the digestive tract. The more we know
the more we can help our horses.
Stomach
The stomach of the horse is very small in relation
to the overall size of the animal, and it makes up
only about 10% of the capacity of the entire digestive
system. The stomach can vary in size from eight to
16 quarts. However, it appears to function best when
only about three-quarters full-- another strong argument
for frequent meals containing small quantities of
feed. Food passes through the stomach quite quickly.
In fact, by the time a horse has finished with a meal,
under some circumstances, the first part of the meal
consumed might already be leaving the stomach. That
time often is as little as 15 minutes.
The stomach has three main regions--saccus caecus, fundic, and pyloric. The saccus
caecus region is located near the spot where the esophagus enters the stomach. It is here
where hydrochloric acid first mixes with food and slows the fermentation process that
began with the release of soluble sugars from the food in the horse’s mouth. It is important
that there is very little fermentation in the stomach as it will cause the formation of gas,
and the horse has little capability to belch or otherwise dissipate accumulating gas. The
second area is the fundic region. There the level of fermentation decreases even more. The
third and final area is the pyloric region, where the stomach joins the small intestine. At this
point the fermentation has almost ceased, but protein digestion increases.
Still another argument in favor of frequent feeding of small amounts of food is that the
stomach does not do well when empty. There are strong acids at work in the stomach, but
when there is an even flow of food, the stomach acid is put to positive use in the digestion of
fats and amino acids. However, when the stomach is empty, the acid attacks the unprotected
squamous cells in the saccus caecus region of the stomach (the non-glandular area of the
The Equine
Digestive Tract
MNM Consulting Services
stomach). These attacks frequently result in the horse developing ulcers that can affect the
animal’s performance, appetite, and/or behavior.
Small Intestine
The partially digested food from the stomach passes into the small intestine that represents
approximately 28% of the horse’s digestive system. Basically, the small intestine is
the tube that connects the stomach with the large intestine. On average, it is about 70 feet
long and three to four inches in diameter when distended. It has a capacity of about 12 gallons.
Although there are few similarities between the digestive systems of cows and horses,
the small intestine of each has about the same capacity. However, the cow’s small intestine
is nearly twice as long, but only about half as wide in diameter. It is in the small intestine of
the horse that serious digestive processes take place. The intestine itself secretes enzymes
to facilitate the process, but the prime supplier is the pancreas, which provides enzymes
that break down proteins, fats, starches, and sugars. The horse does not have a gall bladder
(which stores bile), so bile from the liver flows directly into the small intestine. It generally
takes food 30 to 90 minutes to pass through the small intestine. The faster the food moves
through the small intestine, the less time there is for the enzymes to perform their digestive
tasks. Horses are susceptible to a variety of ailments, including colic, if they ingest toxic
materials. The reason is basic. With cows, the action within the rumen can detoxify feed
before it reaches the small intestine. With the horse, this is not an option and the toxic material
lands in the small intestine in an unaltered state and is absorbed into the bloodstream
before it can be detoxified.
Large Intestine
There are five basic parts to the large intestine. They are the cecum, which is about
four feet long and one foot in diameter; the large colon, which is about 12 feet long and 10
inches in diameter; the small colon, which is about 10 feet long and four inches in diameter;
the rectum; and the anus. The cecum can hold eight to 10 gallons of food and water. It is in
the cecum that undigested food from the small intestine, such as hay and grass, is broken
down. If a horse consumes a heavy diet of dry food matter without adequate water, impaction
can occur in the lower end of the cecum, which can cause colic. The cecum and other
components of the large intestine contain active populations of bacteria and microbes that
break down food through a fermentation process. Food will remain in the cecum for up to
seven hours, allowing the bacteria and the microbes to handle their phase of the digestive
process. It is in the large colon that a “twisted gut” usually occurs. The large colon consists
of right and left ventral colons and the dorsal colon. The ventral colons have a sacculated
construction, which means there are a series of pouches involved. The structure is designed
to efficiently digest large quantities of fibrous materials, but the pouches or sacs can become
twisted and can fill with gas during the fermentation process. The result, in either case, can
be a serious case of colic. The whole process of ingesting food, digesting it, and expelling
waste material can take from 36 to 72 hours on average.
Bottom Line
Most horses today are not under heavy work loads and are just pleasure animals. They
are more forgiving with their digestive system and digestive upsets. However if you use
your horse regularly or with heavier work loads these digestive upsets can be a real concern.
How they metabolize, digest and utilize their feed can be very demanding. The horse’s digestive
system of today is the same digestive tract of 100 years ago and is a complex grouping
of organs that was designed for the free-grazing animal. But because we don’t feed,
confine or use our horses the same as we did even 50 years ago problems can arise. Horse
owners who understand how the digestive system works can better manage their horse’s
feeding in order to get the best nutrition, with the least number of complications
Try new Trilution, a complete supplement
with Vitamin, mineral, direct fed
microbials, enzymes and antioxidants.
Vitamin and minerals take care of the
horse nutrient requirements and the direct
fed microbials, enzymes and antioxidants
improve hind gut health as well as build tier immune system. Call Dr. Margaret
Winsryg for a 10 lbs. bucket 208-308-0106.
www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 33

Melinda Roche, DVM | Twin Falls, Idaho (208) 731-0661
Contagious Equine Metritis
Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) is a disease that was first diagnosed in
the United States in 1978. The disease was rapidly eradicated and since then,
has not been found in the U.S, horse population. Until now. On December 15,
2008, the state of Kentucky confirmed a case of Contagious Equine Metritis
(CEM) in a Quarter Horse stallion in central Kentucky. A total of 11 stallions
and 2 mares, in 4 states, have now been confirmed positive. In addition to the
positive stallions, the locations of over 575 exposed horses (mares and stallions)
in 45 states are actively being traced and tested. All CEM-positive horses and
exposed horses, that have been located, are currently under quarantine.
The Progressive Rancher reported on the initial outbreak in the January
issue. In this article I would like to explain the disease and it’s implications.
What is CEM?
Contagious Equine Metritis is a sexually transmitted disease among
horses caused by the bacteria Taylorella equigenitalis. Transmission may
occur during live cover breeding but can also occur indirectly by artificial
insemination or contact with contaminated hands or instruments. Antibiotics
used in semen extenders may not effectively kill the bacteria and therefore,
it can be spread by infected semen. Outbreaks usually occur at breeding facilities
following international horse shipments (horses coming in from other
countries). United States import rules require testing for CEM prior to arrival.
Undetected carrier mares and stallions are the source of infection for acute
outbreaks of the disease.
Clinical signs
Initial exposure to the disease usually results in infertility, failure to
conceive. There are three general degrees of infection in mares: acute active
inflammation of the uterus causing obvious thick, milky vulvar discharge
10 to 14 days after breeding. Chronic mild uterine inflammation
causing failure to conceive and asymptomatic carrier state. Stallions
exhibit no clinical signs but can carry the bacteria on their
external genitalia for years.
Diagnosis
Swabs for bacterial culture from mares are taken from the
cervix, uterus or clitoral fossa. Swabs from stallions are taken
from the penile sheath and urethra sinus. The only definitive
way to diagnose this disease in stallions and mares is by growing
the bacteria Taylorella equigenitalis in culture. Some
mares may develop antibodies to the bacteria that can be
detected in the blood.
Treatment
The mare must have all of the CEM bacteria cleared
from the uterus, a process that may take several months.
The external genitalia of the mare and stallion can be
treated with disinfectants and antibiotics. External treatment
is performed daily for 5 days and is usually successful.
Rarely, in difficult cases, surgery may be required to remove
the clitoral sinus in mares.
What happens to positive horses?
CEM-positive mares and mares from CEM-positive countries,
are required to go through a treatment protocol and remain in
quarantine for no less than 21 days. Stallions that have CEM or come
from a CEM-positive country are required to remain quarantined until
a treatment protocol is completed and they test negative for the disease. The
good news is that infertility associated with the infection is usually temporary,
and no long-term effects on fertility have been reported.
Prevention and control
As part of the United States import requirements for breeding animals,
all imported fillies, mares and stallions of foreign origin are quarantined and
tested. The first three mares that are bred to a stallion of foreign origin should
be quarantined and tested. The most common way that the infection gets into
a previously negative country is when horse owners bring animals into the
United States for purposes other than breeding and do not follow the import
requirement for breeding animals. Then after their show or racing careers
are over the animals enter into a breeding program and were never tested.
For CEM. Any CEM positive horse should not be bred until they have been
successfully treated and certified negative. Strict hygiene should be observed
when handling mare and stallions (i.e. use disposable gloves and thoroughly
clean and disinfect instruments).
Contagious Equine Metritis is a federally regulated, reportable disease. It
can have widespread effects on the breeding industry. After the first introduction
of the disease into the United States, it was successfully eradicated. Since
that point in time until now, CEM was considered a foreign animal disease.
Extensive screening, trace back and treatment are being used during the current
outbreak. With the use of artificial insemination the extent of exposure
is much wider spread than in the late 1970’s. This is a prime example of why
it is important to follow import regulations and guidelines for foreign animal
disease prevention. It will take a nationwide effort, but hopefully, CEM can
be eradicated from the United States again.
34 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
www.progressiverancher.com

People often ask about spurs-- when or if they should use them. That, I think
depends on the individual and “when or if” they can control them and “when
or if” they are aware of when they are using them.
To me spurs should not be used as the primary signal. First the horse should feel some
life or rhythm in our body or legs if we want them to accelerate. If we are asking the horse
to move off one leg we can still put some life in one leg first. If the horse does not respond
to the leg or legs, then reinforcement can come with the spur.
Squeezing can be effective, if it is that’s fine. The problem
that can come from squeezing is that the horse may not realize
enough reward. The rider squeezes as the horses foot leaves
the ground and as the foot sets down. Or in another situation
when we want to go from point A to point B and we are going
to release at point B but as we depart point A the horse doesn’t
get any hint of there being any relief at point B so they figure
why work for point B when there is no sign it is going to be any
better than point A. They just learn to tolerate the discomfort,
there needs to be some incentive for the horse.
There should be enough respect, or even intimidation for the spur that we rarely need to
use them. When the horse gets to comfortable with the spur, or “desensitized” we can have
numerous problems. Besides the obvious that they ignore the request made with the spur,
they can get resentful to the point of switching their tail, or even kicking or bucking.
Now, having said that we must be sure that the horse first understands our
request. If we are forcing something on a horse they don’t understand, we can
cause all kinds of problems, they have to understand where we want them to
go. It doesn’t do any good to hurry if we are headed in the wrong direction,
we will just get to the wrong place faster.
The principal of maintaining respect with your spurs is simple, don’t say it if you don’t
mean it. Like the little kid that learns what “Hot” means, you can warn them to stay away
from the hot stove, you can reason with them, explain what will happen and the more involved
you get the more blame and resentment you’ll get when they get in trouble or burned.
On the other hand tell them to stay away from the stove it’s “Hot” and if they don’t, at the
peak of their discomfort say “Hot” loud and clear so they clearly understand “Hot” means
pain and discomfort, stay away. If the timing is right and they relate the results to their action
there will be no resentment because they did it to themselves. They understand what
got them into trouble and what got them out.
As for the spurs, the life in our leg or legs, is the warning “Hot”, and the contact with
the spur is the burning sensation. We can measure how much we burn the horse, they
probably do not need third degree burns on ninety percent of their body, they may not even
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If we ask for something in
the same way more than
about four times they usually
start getting desensitized.
need a small blister if a slight red mark is effective and understood, that’s all we need. Do
what it takes. If you do too much they may panic, if you don’t do enough you may cause
resentment or be ignored totally.
We can start with the increase rhythm in our body, and or fanning or bumping with our
calves. If that is not effective we can then bump them with the side of the stirrup, sometimes
the surprise of a good slap will be effective; a slap on the horses elbow will have more effect
than their ribs or shoulder. A spank on the rump can also reinforce the meaning of the
life in the legs.
The spur should come last and it should be the last thing you say
to them.
Regardless of what we do to cue the horse, if we ask for something
in the same way more than about four times they usually start getting
desensitized. The first signal should call their attention; the second
measure the response and tell if there needs to be a third, if it needs to
be less, the same, or more. If it needs to be more make sure the third
time they acknowledge it was more so they don’t ignore it and get desensitized.
If you’re not right on its better to be on the side of being too strict, you will still
have respect, if you are on the side of nagging you will have resentment.
They can be resentful and buck you off or they can get scared and buck you off, either
way the ground can be just as hard. We need to be somewhere in the middle, effective and
understood.
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www.progressiverancher.com
The Progressive Rancher March 2009 35

PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
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36 March 2009 The Progressive Rancher
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