Cumberland Beef Day on Thursday

Beef and forage producers from across Tennessee will gather at the White County Fairgrounds on Thursday, April 11 for Cumberland Beef Day, an educational event hosted by University of Tennessee Extension and the White/Van Buren Cattlemen's Association. This will be the 15th edition of Cumberland Beef Day and will once again give farmers an opportunity to learn better management practices, talk with agriculture product vendors, and see hands on demonstrations.

The theme for Cumberland Beef Day this year will be "Improving the Health of the TN Beef Herd." Battling diseases is an ongoing fight for cattle producers. Knowing the signs to look for, precautions to take, and steps for treatment is critical to maintaining profitability. Some of the top animal health experts in the state will be on hand to help producers become more knowledgeable about cattle health and learn to develop their own health management plan.

During our educational sessions, we will follow cow-calf production from before the calf is conceived, until the time comes for it to be marketed. Since it is impossible to produce healthy calves without first maintaining healthy cows, Justin Rhinehart, UT Extension Beef Specialist, will present "Managing the Health of Your Calf Herd".

We will then look at how to treat calves once they are born as Dr. Brian Whitlock, UT Assistant Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine discusses "Live Calf to Weaned Calf." His presentation will include information on vaccination protocols and diseases in TN to look out for.

In the afternoon, there will be a hands-on demonstration on diagnosing diseases by Dr. David Anderson, UT Professor & Dept. Head in the College of Veterinary Medicine. His discussion will not only help producers learn to catch diseases early, but will also focus on what feedlots are looking for in cattle coming from TN.

In addition to the discussion of beef cattle health, Cumberland Beef Day will feature an update on the new Beef and Forage Center Initiative from the University of Tennessee by its director, Dr. Gary Bates. Dr. Andrew Griffith, UT Assistant Professor of Ag Economics will also be on hand to present "The Beef Cattle Market Outlook."

As well as the speakers and demonstrations, Cumberland Beef Day will also feature an extensive trade show, lots of door prizes, a silent auction to benefit the 4-H livestock project, and bulls for sale at private treaty. This event is free to anyone interested in beef and forage production, and lunch will be provided. The 2013 Cumberland Beef Day kicks off with the trade show at 8:00 a.m. and will conclude at approximately 2:00 p.m. Please call the Cannon County UT Extension office if you would like more information on Cumberland Beef Day.

Bruce Steelman

614 Lehman Street

Phone: 615-563-2554

E:mail- tsteelm2@utk.edu