The 2017 Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo brings the best education and information to cattle industry participants. At the School for Successful Ranching, attendees choose from 33 hours of practical instruction that will challenge you to think differently, consider new approaches and look at your operation from a new perspective. Presentations made at the School for Successful Ranching provide a lasting educational resource that you and your family can reference for years to come!
The event is open to all ranchers, landowners and cattle industry participants. You’re guaranteed to walk away with ideas and energy that will have a profound and profitable impact on your ranching operation.
Sessions will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, running from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 31. Selected sessions will be repeated on Saturday, April 1.
The following sessions are scheduled for Friday, March 31. Staytuned for session descriptions for Saturday, April 1.
Opening Session: Making the Cow Herd More Efficient by 2037
Featured Speaker: Dr. Clay Mathis, Professor and Director, King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management
Beef producers will continue to be asked to provide more pounds of beef with fewer resources. How will our cow herds and our ranches have to adapt to meet the continued demand for beef? Help us kick off the 2017 School for Successful Ranching with a look ahead to 2037!
Introduction to Genomics
Genomic data is becoming a valuable tool for cow-calf producers when making decisions on the ranch. Join us for a session that will introduce you to the world of genomics and help determine how this management tool can work for you.
Speaker: Dr. Jared Decker, University of Missouri
Rancher Panel: Using Genomics to Make Management Decisions
Join fellow ranchers for a practical discussion of how they incorporate the use of genomic data into their management decisions on the ranch.
Impacting Beef Tenderness on the Ranch
National beef quality audits have shown beef tenderness is an area where the beef industry can improve the consumer’s eating experience. Tenderness is a moderately heritable trait and can be affected both by genetics and outside influences. Learn how you can improve beef tenderness on the ranch.
Speaker: Dr. Ty Lawrence, West Texas A&M University
Genetic and Selection Strategies for Improving Beef Quality
Most ranchers keep calving records and track how their calves gain. Buyers and beef breed associations provide more performance data. How can you use this information? Learn how to incorporate genetic data into your unique environment, consumer preferences and the beef market to optimize your beef production.
Speaker: Dr. Andy Herring, Texas A&M University
Should Your Ranch Be Incorporated or Not?
Your choice of business entity can have a dramatic impact on your ranch taxes, insurance and liability. There are advantages and disadvantages to sole proprietorships, limited liability companies, partnerships and corporations. Learn what business structure best fits your ranch.
Generational Transfer of the Ranch
The goal for many ranch owners is to leave the ranch to the next generation. But when that time comes, what does the next generation really inherit? Is the inheritance a gift or a liability? How do you prepare the next generation for the gift the inheritance is intended to be? In this session, we will look at the potential inheritance from the next generation’s perspective and identify some of the primary items that the current generation needs to prepare them for, in order to make the transfer of the ranch a gift and not an overwhelming liability.
Speakers: Dr. Robert Wells and Dan Childs, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation
Cow and Calf Health: Start at the Beginning
A preventive medicine approach to your herd health plan can help save you time and money by reducing the number of sick cattle to be treated. It can also keep your cattle performing better, longer. This session will help you develop a preventive herd health plan and show how the judicious use of antibiotics can support animal well-being.
Speaker: Dr. John Davidson, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Reproductive Diseases and Prevention
Herd health protocols should be based upon risk and sound science, not tradition. This session will review critically important reproductive diseases with an emphasis on bovine trichomoniasis.
Speaker: Dr. John Davidson, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.
Cubes: What’s Right for My Situation?
Supplementation strategies are an important part of cow-calf operations. This session will focus on providing general recommendations for which type of cube or other supplement is right for your operation. In addition to cubes, it will also cover how to utilize blocks, liquid feeds, and other supplements in an operation.
Speaker: Dr. Jason Banta, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Solar-Powered Pump System Planning
Are you considering replacing your windmill with a solar-powered pump system? There is more involved in the decision than just buying and installing the pump. This session will outline how to assess your needs and compare solar pump options.
Speaker: Eric Macias, LORENTZ
Pollinators and Native Plants: What It Means for Your Ranch
Without pollinators, the future of agriculture and wildlife is doomed. This session will teach you how to manage for healthy pollinators, to ensure that flowering forbs and woody species survive on your ranch. Learn about the habitat requirements of pollinators, as well as how these species can benefit your ranch.
Speaker: Ricky Linex, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Managing Brush to Improve Cattle Grazing and Wildlife Habitat
New technology is disproving myths and creating new opportunities to combine cattle and wildlife management techniques. Both the land and the rancher’s pocketbook can be healthier for it. Many landowners are looking for guidance on how to manage for both.
Speakers: Dr. Charles Hart, Dow AgroSciences, and Megan Clayton, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Cow Size – Does It Matter?
Cow size has increased on the ranch along with input costs of the cow, yet weaning weights haven’t increased. This session will address how to increase ranch profitability by selecting and managing for more efficient cows.
Speaker: Dr. Ron Gill, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Daily Registration Options
If you’re planning to attend the Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo, March 31 – April 2 in San Antonio, and can’t attend for the full 3 days, daily registrations options are available!
Tickets to special convention events sell out annually, so to guarantee that your seat is reserved (and save a few dollars!) register early!
Day registration packages begin at only $90 for Friday and $110 for Saturday. These packages allow you to attend the School for Successful Ranching, Cattle Raisers Expo, Learning Lounge, Cattle Handling Demonstrations, and more. Tickets to Sunday’s Closing General Session Brunch featuring Taya Kyle start at only $60.
Luncheon and reception beverage tickets may be purchased separately. HBGCC offers 4 dining options and the San Antonio Riverwalk provides numerous restaurant choices within easy walking distance of the conference venue.
You have 3 ways to register
- Online at cattleraisersconvention.com
- By Phone at 800-242-7820
- You may request a paper registration form by emailing [email protected]
Full details on registration options are available at www.cattleraisersconvention.com.
The Cattle Raisers Convention and Expo is open to all ranchers, landowners and cattle industry participants. Download the full convention brochure and learn more about the event by clicking here.