WHAT DO TEMPERAMENT AND HEALTH HAVE TO DO WITH FEEDLOT PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS?

     This will be the primary subject of five beef cattle meetings across the state June 11 through 14. Darrell Busby, Area Extension Livestock Specialist, will be presenting results of a study of over 13,000 cattle from 12 states fed out in 8 feedlots with the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF) in Southwest Iowa. Busby has presented the results at several national meetings, so this will be a chance to hear it first hand and respond to questions from producers.

     Emmit Rawls will also present information on the Tennessee Beef Evaluation in which producers can send 5 or more cattle to be fed out with TCSCF feedlots in Iowa. The feeder cattle are usually shipped in early August and November, but they can be shipped anytime a load can be gathered.

     The meetings will be held at the following places, dates and times.

• June 11
  • Dickson Livestock Center at noon
  • Parker's Crossroads Community Center at 7:00 p.m.
    • located on Highway 22, 1 mile north of I-40
• June 12
  • Mufreesboro - Rutherford County Ag Complex at noon
    • 315 John R. Rice Blvd, Suite 101
  • Cookeville - Hyder-Burks Ag. Complex at 7:00 p.m
• June 13
  • Jonesboro - Washington County Farm Bureau at 7:00 p.m.

A meal will be served at each location. Please call 1-800-345-0561 by Friday June 8 to reserve a place, so that meal arrangements can be made.

     Busby and Rawls will also be making the presentations on June 14 at the University of Tennessee Beef and Forage Field Day at Blount Farm located at the intersection of U.S. highway 129 and Singleton Road.