This was my first time at NCBA as a Progressive Cattleman editor. As an Idaho farm kid who grew up in a “town” of less than 300 people, I have never seen so many cattle people in the same place at the same time. So. Many. People.
On top of the swarms of boot- and Stetson-clad attendees, the NCBA trade show included a mind-blurring array of booths displaying feed and animal health products and equipment ranging from the tried and true to the latest, greatest and shiniest the cattle industry has to offer. I spent several hours wandering around the trade show floor seeing what there was to see. Here are a few, but by no means all, examples of what the trade show had to offer.
Te Pari Revolution Dosing Gun
The Revolution Dosing Gun is a battery-powered, handheld, fully portable device that delivers measured doses of pour-on, oral and injectable medications. The standard model has a digital keypad for manual calibration of the dosage. The smart model on display at the trade show, when paired with the Te Pari scale indicator or Dosing Gun App, calculates and measures the exact dose of medication needed based on the weight of the individual animal.
Curicyn Pink Eye Kit
The Pink Eye Kit includes a bottle of Curicyn’s Pink Eye Solution, five biodegradable eye patches and patch adhesive. The Pink Eye Solution requires only one application that helps treat the infection in one to three days. The biodegradable eye patch helps isolate the infection, keeps dust, debris and other irritations away from the infected area and keeps the medication contained in the area that needs its attention. All of the materials fit in a resealable weather-resistant bag sized to fit easily in a saddlebag or glove compartment.
Maxilator Bale Splitter
Bale splitters are common enough in round bale country, but this one not only cuts the bale, but also hangs on to the wrap for you. It is designed to retain plastic wrap, net wrap and twine after cutting the bale, making it easy for a single operator to pick up, carry and split up to 6X6 round bales without leaving their seat. The bale wrap is securely retained and is remotely released independently of the hay for maximum efficiency and livestock safety.
Moly All-Purpose Portable Corral
“The idea behind this was to create a low-cost portable corral that was also light enough that you didn’t need a big pickup to haul it around,” says Jon Mollhagen, Moly Manufacturing founder and lead product designer. The corral is adjustable in size and can hold anything from 10 to 75 cow-calf pairs. It rests on galvanized steel wheels that make the panels easy to maneuver out in the pasture. The entire system is lightweight and durable for easy single-operator setup and use.
Fence Boss temporary fencing equipment
This setup is a product from Australian company Munro Engineers. Part one: steel temporary fence posts with an attachment that allows you to step on them to drive them into the ground. They come in a holster meant to be attached to a four-wheeler or side-by-side vehicle. Also included is a spool of polyrope (recommended) that can be mounted on the back of a four-wheeler or side-by-side. Simply attach the polyrope to the first post and drive down the fenceline, laying your fencing line out behind you. The spools come with a manual or automatic windup option.
It is compatible with Gallagher and Speedrite temporary fencing equipment.
Super Duty Fans
The SD5XL fan recently hit the market after about a year and a half of research and development. The fans are intended for barns or sheds to assist with ventilation, temperature and fly control. The fans come in two sizes: a 59-inch diameter fan with a 1 or 1.5 horsepower option meant to hang from the ceiling, and a 36-inch diameter, 0.25 horsepower fan meant for use in smaller spaces like stalls and small pens. Both models are lightweight and owner-installed – no electrician needed – and come with adjustable hanging straps to help perfectly position the fan for the right angle and airflow.
R&R Machine Works Automated Grain Analyzer
Instead of waiting for days, even weeks, to get feed analysis results back from the lab, this machine gives a content analysis of feed every 50 seconds. It is able to analyze seven different types of feed. Intended for feedlots, it debuted at NCBA and will officially hit the market in April.
C-Lock Super SmartFeed System
The Super SmartFeed System is an automated cattle feeder used to feed and control supplements for cattle or sheep on pasture. With 6,000 pounds of bin capacity, it can supply 100 to 130 animals 2 pounds of supplement per day per head for a month without needing a refill. Producers could feed up to four different supplements in the same unit, allowing them to creep feed calves and supplement cows at the same time.
Corteva Agriscience unveils DuraCor
DuraCor herbicide was unveiled at the NCBA trade show by Corteva AgriScience, the agriculture division of DowDupont. It is the second new product launched since the company changed hands. Jillian Schmidt, marketing director for Corteva’s range and pasture products, said DuraCor will be powered by Rinskor, the first new active herbicide ingredient in about 15 years. It will not contain 2,4-D or dicamba, and is expected to control 140 weed species. With the anticipated approval of the EPA, DuraCor will hit the market in 2020. 
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Carrie Veselka
- Editor
- Progressive Cattleman
- Email Carrie Veselka
PHOTO: The official hashtag for NCBA 2019 was #CattleCon19. Photos by Carrie Veselka.
