by Blair Fannin
Live cattle working, fence building, tractor equipment and Brush Busters demonstrations are among several activities planned for the 63rd Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course scheduled Aug. 7-9 at Texas A&M University in College Station.
All demonstrations will be Aug. 9 at various locations. They will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at noon.
“The demonstrations offered at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course provide participants with live demonstration opportunities in a variety of beef cattle activities,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist, College Station, and conference coordinator.
The Brush Busters demonstration will cover how to manage prickly pear, mesquite, greenbrier, Chinese tallow trees, huisache and other species. A beef cattle business management workshop, beef carcass value determination workshop and live cattle-handling and chute-side demonstrations are also planned.
“The live cattle-handling demonstration will give participants the chance to see proper low-stress cattle penning techniques, working facility design and proper cattle trailer-loading techniques,” Cleere said.
The short course is the premier beef educational event in Texas, attracting more than 1,400 attendees annually, Cleere said. It features 24 sessions covering basic practices, new technologies and other important industry topics.
These sessions provide participants with an opportunity to choose workshops based on their level of production experience and the needs of their ranch.
“Concurrent workshops will feature information on introductory cattle production, forage management practices, range management, nutrition and reproduction, record keeping, genetics, purebred cattle and much more,” he said.
“The goal of the short course each year is to provide sessions on basic beef cattle production practices as well as the most cutting-edge information needed by beef cattle producers. We think we have information for everyone to take home and apply to their operations.”
Participants can earn at least seven Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide continuing education units if they are already licensed, Cleere added.
An industry trade show will be held during the event, featuring more than 130 agricultural businesses and service exhibits.
“And the famous Texas Aggie Prime Rib Dinner is always a highlight of the short course,” Cleere said.
Registration is $180 per person before July 31 or $220 afterwards.
It includes educational materials, a copy of the 600-page Beef Cattle Short Course proceedings, trade show admittance, admission to the prime rib dinner, lunches, breakfasts and daily refreshments.
Registration information and a tentative schedule were mailed to previous participants in May, but also can be found on the short course website at http://beefcattleshortcourse.com/.
Producers can register at the website or by contacting Cleere’s office at 979-845-6931.
