Brain-Wasting Proteins May Affect Heart

Brain-Wasting Proteins May Affect Heart

WOOD-TV

THURSDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) — Mice infected with the agent of scrapie — a brain-wasting disease of sheep — suffered heart damage and had high levels of the scrapie agent in their heart about two years after they were infected in the brain, a new U.S. study finds.

The finding suggests that heart infection may be a previously unrecognized aspect of scrapie. The study may also lead to a better understanding of an illness in humans called human amyloid heart disease.

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Mix dry materials with wet ethanol byproducts to increase storage life

Mix dry materials with wet ethanol byproducts to increase storage life

Gothenburg Times
July 07, 2006

LINCOLN—Wet byproducts from ethanol production are tricky to store for later use as cattle feed because of their high moisture content and threat of spoilage, but mixing them with drier, bulkier feeds improves storability, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln research.

UNL animal scientists have just completed research that devised formulas for mixing several widely available dry forages with wet distillers grains. Their findings could help feedlot managers and cow-calf producers purchase wet distillers grains during the summer when their plentiful supply can mean lower prices and safely store them for use later in the season, or for winter feeding.

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Producers told to watch for anthrax

Producers told to watch for anthrax

By SDSU Extension
Minnesota Farm Guide
Thursday, July 6, 2006 4:12 PM CDT

BROOKINGS, S.D. – With dry conditions present in central South Dakota already this summer, a South Dakota State University specialist is urging cattle producers to watch herds closely for death losses due to anthrax and to protect herds with anthrax vaccinations if possible.

SDSU Extension Veterinarian Russ Daly said South Dakota experienced an unprecedented number of confirmed anthrax cases during the summer of 2005.

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Prion Find Points Way To Test For Human ‘Mad Cow’ Disease

Prion Find Points Way To Test For Human ‘Mad Cow’ Disease

Science Daily

In the July 7, 2006, issue of the journal Science, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) describe experiments that may soon lead to a test that will enable medical science to estimate how many people are infected with the human form of mad cow disease, which can take as long as 40 years before manifesting itself.

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Dorgan meets with farmers over drought conditions

Dorgan meets with farmers over drought conditions

By TOM RAFFERTY
Bismarck Tribune

ZEELAND – For 24-year-old Wes Mastel, the impact of a severe drought goes beyond dried-up pastures, bone-dry watering holes and grass fires.

The drought that has devastated parts of south central North Dakota this summer has forced him to sell his entire herd of 114 cattle.

Selling his livelihood is a last resort after giving up on hauling water five miles one way for his cattle and having his pasture wither away into a brown mess.

“I’m running out of options,” Mastel said.

He was one of between 140 and 150 farmers and ranchers who met in Zeeland to hear Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., outline a strategy to help them.

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USDA won’t send inspectors to Canada

USDA won’t send inspectors to Canada

Illinois Farm Bureau

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is confident in Canada’s food safety measures and will not send any experts to take part in Canada’s investigation of its latest case of mad cow disease.

USDA chief veterinarian John Clifford in a statement said, “Based on our confidence of the food safety measures in place in Canada and our previous audits of their system, we have determined that it is not necessary to send any U.S. experts to participate in the epidemiologic investigation at this time.”

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Canada cows complicate US, Seoul beef trade: source

Canada cows complicate US, Seoul beef trade: source

Yahoo Canada News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – South Korea has told the Bush administration it will not resume beef trade until U.S. slaughterhouses segregate Canadian beef products, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

South Korea closed its borders to U.S. beef in December 2003 after the first U.S. case of mad cow disease was reported. The United States has since brought into effect a number of food preparation safeguards but South Korean government officials are concerned about the effects of mingling U.S. and Canadian beef.

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Organic Beef Sales Still Small But Growing Fast

Organic Beef Sales Still Small But Growing Fast

Cattlenetwork.com

KANSAS CITY (Dow Jones)–Natural and organic beef is gaining in popularity among U.S. consumers even though such beef costs more and university meat scientists say there is little evidence to prove it is healthier or safer.

“The natural and organic beef market segment, though small, is growing at a much greater rate than total beef in the retail supermarket channel,” according to information provided by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Retail sales of natural and organic beef may comprise only about 1% of the total beef volume and less than 2% of the total beef sales, but if the last few years are any indication, this segment will continue to grow at a fast pace, the NCBA said.

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Creep feeding calves

Creep feeding calves

By DR. ALFREDO DiCOSTANZO and BEKA GILL,
University of Minnesota Beef Team
Minnesota Beef Guide

Creep feeding is a way to provide suckling calves with supplemental nutrients. The type of creep feeds commonly fed are in the form of grain, protein supplements, high quality forages, or commercial calf creeps. The decision to creep feed along with what nutrient to utilize can vary from year to year. Also, what is profitable for one operation may not be for another.

Producers should carefully consider their marketing objectives and evaluate the economics of creep feeding in order to determine whether or not it will be profitable? If the market endpoint for a producer is at weaning, the producer would be inclined to supplement calves most years in order to maximize weight gain prior to weaning. One can expect weaning weight gains from creep feeding to be in the range of 30 to 60 pounds. However, the consideration to supply supplemental nutrition to calves that will be marketed at weaning must be based on both forage supply and economics.

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EQIP offers cost share to develop quality pasture systems

EQIP offers cost share to develop quality pasture systems

By ANDREA JOHNSON, Assistant Editor
Minnesota Farm Guide

Enrolling in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program may offer livestock producers the opportunity to improve the health of their herd, their land and nearby waters.

Some dollars are available to producers who want to develop quality pasture systems, said Mark Hayek of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Hayek is a grazing specialist for Northwest Minnesota.

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