College Gives Grads a ‘Leg Up’ in the Cow Business

College Gives Grads a ‘Leg Up’ in the Cow Business

Troy Smith

Angus Journal

You probably know people who have always wanted to be in the cow business. Even when they were youngsters, it’s all they wanted to do. Maybe you’re one of them. If so, you probably understand how hard it can be to realize that ambition.

Cow country still produces plenty of young people who yearn to own and operate ranches or stock farms. A good many go to college and seek agricultural degrees, hoping for an opportunity after graduation. For some young people, opportunity waits at home, with a family operation capable of expanding. Others must choose alternative careers. Maybe they can manage a few cows on the side. And maybe, after spending most of their working lives in other pursuits, they can afford to own more substantial operations.

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South Korea Backs Out of Beef

South Korea Backs Out of Beef

Hoosier AG Today

The South Korean government has announced they won’t be resuming U.S. beef export trade on May 15th as previously agreed to. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Economist Gregg Doud says the news comes as a huge surprise.__”It’s really a shock because we were up and running and ready to go.

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Marketing Value Begins in the Pasture

Marketing Value Begins in the Pasture

American Angus Association

Marketing completes the top five priorities, making this aspect of the business a high management priority for cowcalf producers. More than 80% of a typical operation’s revenue comes from the sale of calves and yearlings, making it the marketing sweet spot in the cow-calf business.

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Statement By The President On The Farm Bill

Statement By The President On The Farm Bill

cattlenetwork.com

In January 2007, I was hopeful that leaders in Washington could come together on a good farm bill. At that time, my Administration had completed more than fifty listening sessions across the country and developed a reform-minded farm bill based on the thousands of comments received. Our proposal would make wise use of the people’s money by reforming farm programs, funding emerging priorities and providing a safety-net that better targets benefits for farmers.

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Lawmaker: Nation’s food system is collapsing

Lawmaker: Nation’s food system is collapsing

David Fitzpatrick

CNN

On a ranch nestled in the high plains of northeastern Colorado, thousands of cattle are being fattened up and prepared for slaughter.

Owner Gary Teague’s operation seems enormous: 20,000 head of cattle over 25,000 acres. But it’s a relatively tiny part of an industry with an estimated worth of more than $100 billion annually.

“There are over 800,000 beef producers like myself across the country that are working hard every day to ensure that the product we put out there is safe and wholesome,” Teague said.

But some are concerned about the health of nation’s meat inspection system. As nearly 12 million cattle nationwide are being readied for slaughter this year to satisfy America’s passion for beef, new questions have arisen about the safety of the nation’s meat supply and the agency that oversees it.

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Weis Markets Introduces Pennsylvania Proud Choice Angus Beef – First Local Beef Program in the Nation Offered by a Supermarket Retailer

Weis Markets Introduces Pennsylvania Proud Choice Angus Beef – First Local Beef Program in the Nation Offered by a Supermarket Retailer

Dairy Field

Weis Markets today introduced its new Pennsylvania Proud Choice Angus Beef program, which is supplied by Angus producers throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the nation’s first locally raised beef program offered by a supermarket chain and it is also the first branded Pennsylvania Angus program.

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Ginourmous Cow as Big as a Small Elephant

Ginourmous Cow as Big as a Small Elephant

Dvorak.com

His name is Chilli and he’s described as a gentle giant. Which is just as well for his handler, Tara Nirula, pictured by his side. His owners have contacted the Guinness Book of Records who are currently assessing his credentials and comparing them to other big bovines.

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Creep Feeding With DDGs

Creep Feeding With DDGs

cattlenetwork.com

As we’ve discussed over the years, the feed conversion for beef calves still nursing mamma on good spring pasture is not great. In fact, in times of high feed costs, it’s a practice that may not be profitable. Regardless, as cattlemen look for lesser cost feed alternatives, we’ve been asked if dried distiller grains (DDG) are a viable alterative in a creep feed ration. Simply . . . yes they are.

By all indications from those who have done work with DDGs in creep rations, the ration could be comprised of up to 50% DDGs. Francis Fluharty suggests that an upper limit of 40% in the ration is safer, especially if pasture becomes short in summer, prior to weaning.

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Farm Bill Passes U.S. House With Veto-Proof Majority

Farm Bill Passes U.S. House With Veto-Proof Majority

Alan Bjerga

Bloomberg

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a five-year, $289 billion farm bill with enough votes to override a presidential veto, making it more likely to become law.

The plan to boost food aid for the poor and keep U.S. farm subsidies largely intact was approved 318-106 in the House, more than the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto threatened yesterday by President George W. Bush. The president said the plan exceeds spending guidelines, distorts trade and subsidizes farmers as crop prices reach records.

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NAIS helps control cattle, other livestock diseases

NAIS helps control cattle, other livestock diseases

Registration of animals helps officials determine where outbreaks begin, how to treat

Elizabeth Barrett

Gothenburg Times

Mad cow disease in Nebraska?

So far that hasn’t happened even though bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)—commonly known as mad cow disease—was diagnosed in a dairy and a beef cow in two separate incidents in North America in 2003.

Today, it’s unlikely that a mad cow disease outbreak of any magnitude could happen.

That’s because of actions taken by United States and Canada officials to prevent the transmission of BSE to cattle in contaminated feedstuffs, according to University of Nebraska Extension veterinarians David R. Smith and Dee Griffin.

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2008 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Set for Aug. 4-6

2008 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Set for Aug. 4-6

The high price of fertilizer, diesel and other expenditures necessary to produce beef will be the focus of the 54th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 4-6 at Texas A&M University in College Station.

“Feed, fuel and fertilizer costs have nearly doubled in the past two years and are pressuring cattlemen to look for new ways to produce a pound of beef more economically,” said Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist and conference coordinator.

For many producers, cutting back production per acre of land in order to reduce input costs may not be an option, Cleere said.

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Grass Hay Fertilization

Grass Hay Fertilization

cattlenetwork.com

As grass hay harvest gets underway we need to be thinking about fertilizing those stands with nitrogen (N). The most efficient way to fertilize these grass hay stands is to split apply N based on the expected yield of the next growth. The actual rate should be 50 lb N/ton of expected hay yield. Fertilizer should be applied as soon after cutting as practical. All of our common N fertilizer materials work well. If urea or UAN are used, applying these right before rain will help to minimize N volatilization loss.

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FAQ: I need to know what generally happens after banding a bull. This is the first time we have ever done it and I wanted to make sure they did it right.

FAQ: I need to know what generally happens after banding a bull. This is the first time we have ever done it and I wanted to make sure they did it right.

Dr. Rick Rasby, Professor of Animal Science, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

A: Following are some general questions that you might have about using banding as a method of castrating a bull. This is using the California Bander.

How do I know that the rubber is tight enough? When you have stretched the rubber until the free stretch is gone ( in other words until the rubber doesn’t want to freely stretch any more – 15 to 20 lbs pull) then pull the stretched rubber around the scrotal sac and pull it down into the corner of the “T” slot. The large diameter surgical tubing has a lot of free stretch so that it continues to constrict even after the sac starts to dry up.

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Tax implications for forced sales of livestock due to drought

Tax implications for forced sales of livestock due to drought

Western Livestock Journal

Extremely dry weather conditions are occurring again in parts of the northern Plains. High feed and fuel prices likely will limit the options livestock producers have for dealing with the loss of forage. If the dry weather continues, forced liquidation of breeding livestock and early sales of market livestock may be necessary.

Livestock producers who are forced to sell livestock due to drought conditions may receive special consideration for federal income tax reporting purposes.

Income tax reporting for forced sales of livestock because of drought or other weather-related conditions may be handled in two different ways, according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines.

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Russian delegates to view Montana beef genetics

Russian delegates to view Montana beef genetics

Prairie Star

Two influential members of the Russian livestock industry will visit Montana cattle ranches and other cattle industry members this week with an eye toward using Montana beef genetics to bolster productivity and grow the beef industry in Russia.

Igor Koskin, owner of the largest tannery in Europe near Ryazan, Russia, and Andrey Zhuravlev, president of Inter-Regional Beef Breeding Cattle Development, arrived in Billings on May 10 with interpreter Jhenya Surkova of the U.S. Embassy in Russia. The Montana Department of Agriculture is hosting the delegation in cooperation with Montana beef breeders.

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