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BIF Meeting Schedule

The following is the preliminary schedule for the 2005 Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting and Research Symposium at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana in Billings. Please check back for updates periodically. Click on blue highlighted text for additional information.

Wednesday, July 6
12:30 p.m. Preconference seminar: Charolais Carcass & Marketing Seminar
1:30 p.m. Preconference seminar: SimSeminar
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Opening reception
Sponsored by Certified Angus Beef LLC, Ivomec Plus and Swift
7 p.m. – 9 p.m. NAAB biennial symposium:
How to Get Cows Pregnant for the Purebred and Commercial Sectors of the Beef Industy
Cliff Lamb, University of Minnesota
David Patterson, University of Missouri

Thursday, July 7
7 a.m. – 8 a.m. Hot breakfast
Sponsored by Igenity
8 a.m. – 8:15 a.m. Opening remarks
Jeff Jacobsen, Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station
8:15 a.m. General session
Moderator: Joe Roybal, BEEF Magazine
8:15 a.m. – 9 a.m. Defining Your Goals; Opportunities for Profitability
Randy Blach, Cattle-Fax
9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. How Do We Get There? Bridging the Gap
Vern Pierce, University of Missouri
9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Break
Sponsored by ABS Global, Accelerated Genetics, Genex Cooperative, Hoffman AI Breeders, North American Breeders and Select Sires
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Introduction to Indexes
Bob Weaber, University of Missouri
10:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. Making Bulls Equal Profit: Terminal Sire Indexes
Mike MacNeil, USDA-ARS, Miles City
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Making Cows Equal Profit: The Maternal Productivity Index
Denny Crews, AgCanada
11:30 a.m. – Noon Question-and-answer session
Noon – 2 p.m. Lunch
Sponsored by Montana Ranch Brand and Pfizer
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Committee meetings
(Click on committee name for committee’s agenda.)

• Live Animal, Carcass and End Point
Moderator: Robert Williams, American-International Charolais Association

• Producer Applications
Moderator: Cody Wright, South Dakota State University

• Selection Decisions
Moderator: Darrh Bullock, University of Kentucky

Break during committee meetings
Sponsored by ABS Global, Accelerated Genetics, Genex Cooperative, Hoffman AI Breeders, North American Breeders and Select Sires

6 p.m. Montana night out at ORIgen bull Stud, featuring supper, tour of ORIgen and entertainment

Friday, July 8
7 a.m. – 8 a.m. Hot breakfast
Sponsored by Bovigen Solutions LLC
8 a.m. General session
Moderator: Clint Peck, BEEF Magazine
8 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. The Total Package, An Example from the Dairy Industry: The Net Merit Index
Paul VanRaden, USDA-ARS, Beltsville
8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Multi-Breed Evaluation: Progress and Potential
John Pollak, Cornell University
9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. Break
Sponsored by North Platte Feeders
10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Making the Web Equal Profit: Surfing for Genetics
Dorian Garrick and Mark Enns, Colorado State University
10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.   A Look at the Bovine Genome Project
Ronnie Green, USDA-ARS
11:30 a.m. – Noon Elections
Noon – 2 p.m. Lunch
Sponsored by MMI Genomics
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Committee meetings
(Click on committee name for committee’s agenda.)

• Cow Herd Efficiency Committee
Moderator: Mark Enns, Colorado State University

• Emerging Technology Committee
Moderator: Craig Huffhines, American Hereford Association

• Genetic Prediction Committee
Moderator: Larry Cundiff, USDA-ARS, Clay Center

• Break during committee meetings
Sponsored by ABS Global, Accelerated Genetics, Genex Cooperative, Hoffman AI Breeders, North American Breeders and Select Sires

6 p.m. Montana night out at Hawkeye Breeders West, featuring supper, tour of Hawkeye facilities and entertainment

Saturday, July 9
7:30 a.m. Approximate time to depart from hotel for commercial and seedstock tours
Lunch stop Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City
6 p.m. Approximate return time for seedstock tour
7 p.m. Approximate return time for commercial tour