Video Feature: Meet An Arizona Cattle Feeder

Video Feature:  Meet An Arizona Cattle Feeder

Paul and Ann Palmer share their story about agriculture and the joys of sharing their farming life with their grandchildren.

Calf Finishing Versus Background and Yearling Finishing Systems

Calf Finishing Versus Background and Yearling Finishing Systems

Darrell R. Mark, Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

Rebecca M. Small, Graduate Research Assistant

Galen E. Erickson, Extension Feedlot Management Specialist

University of Nebraska

As corn prices have more than doubled in the last two years, cattle producers increasingly look for alternatives to finishing calves exclusively in feedlots on high concentrate rations. Historically, Nebraska feeders have always placed a high proportion of fall-weaned calves on feed in October and November and sold them as fed cattle in May before the seasonal summer price decline. However, as feeding cost of gain has increased from about $50/cwt to nearly $100/cwt, livestock operators have more incentive to background calves during the winter and following summer on forages and delay placing the cattle on feed until they are long yearlings at the end of the summer grazing season. However, one factor that must be considered before changing the production system is cattle size. Large-framed, heavy calves weaned in the fall may have to be fed as calf-feds to minimize overweight carcasses.

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Texas AgriLife Extension offers post-hurricane livestock carcass disposal advice

Texas AgriLife Extension offers post-hurricane livestock carcass disposal advice

Beth Reed

Beef Magazine

Texas livestock producers suffering animal losses because of Hurricane Ike need to make sure they follow protocol when disposing of carcasses, said two Texas AgriLife Extension Service engineers and other state officials.

The Texas Animal Health Commission is conducting ground and aerial surveys of the storm’s aftermath, but hundreds of head of livestock are expected to be reported dead in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The searches are focusing on the southern parts of Chambers and Jefferson counties, where the hurricane’s storm surge flooded thousands of acres of ranch land.

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Feeding Cattle Following A Disaster

Feeding Cattle Following A Disaster

cattlenetwork.com

Meeting the most basic nutrient require­ments needed for survival should be the goal when feeding cattle following a disaster. Knowing these nutrient requirements and the types of routine and alternative feedstuffs that can meet them is impor­tant. Two scenarios are most likely during and/or following a disaster: 1) feed/hay will need to be hauled to stranded cattle; or 2) feed/hay will need to be provided to cattle that are penned. In either situation cattle will be stressed, so feeding decisions should be made with care.

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Limousin Releases EPDs from Multibreed Evaluation

Limousin Releases EPDs from Multibreed Evaluation

Cattle Today

Expected progeny differences (EPDs) from the fall 2008 international Limousin genetic evaluation now are available through various features of the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) Web site (www.nalf.org). Pedigree and performance records for more than 2 million Limousin-based cattle in the United States and Canada underpin the latest sire summary, which includes more than 1,900 bulls.

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Humane Society Sues USDA Over Downer Cow Loopholes

Humane Society Sues USDA Over Downer Cow Loopholes

David Gutierrez

Natural News

The Humane Society of the United States has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over a 2007 rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows certain downer cattle to enter the food supply.

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NCBA Against EPA Dust Control Rules

NCBA Against EPA Dust Control Rules

KTIC

The Environmental Protection Agency wants to regulate dust, under the Clean Air Act. But the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has appealed the move to a District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments were heard Monday.

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Ready or Not, Here Comes COOL

Ready or Not, Here Comes COOL

Amanda Nolz

BEEF Magazine

September 30 marks the beginning of USDA’s COOL legislation in grocery stores.

I was reading the big headlines of the day, and an article in the Chicago Tribune title, “New Law Requires Labels on Meat” immediately caught my eye. The article definitely favors Country of Origin Labeling; however, it also notes the economic impact COOL will have on the agriculture industry, costing $2.5 million in its first year.

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New law requires meat labels to list country of origin

New law requires meat labels to list country of origin

Stephen J. Hedges

Atlanta Journal and Constitution

In a couple weeks, American shoppers will be able to look at a cut of meat or a pound of hamburger and see something they’ve never seen before — a label that says where the meat came from.

Starting Sept. 30, food manufacturers and grocery stores have to comply with a new federal law that requires “Country of Origin Labeling,” or COOL, on beef, pork, chicken and lamb.

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Drought, water shortages force ranchers to downsize

Drought, water shortages force ranchers to downsize

Ching Lee

California Farm Bureau Federation

There are fewer mouths to feed on Stanislaus County cattle producer David Absher’s ranch, because there is precious little feed to begin with.

Two years of skimpy rainfall and poor grass growth left little for his cows to eat, and like many California farmers and ranchers, Absher has had to make drastic changes to his operation to conserve resources in light of the state’s current drought.

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Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Prime cuts in a prime location

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Prime cuts in a prime location

MILLICENT K. BRODY

Mycentralnewjersey.com

The founder of Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Ruth Ann Fertel, was born in New Orleans on Feb. 5, 1927. That same day in the same city, Chris Matulich opened Chris’ Steak House.

In 1965, Fertel — a single mother of two — mortgaged her home and with that $18,000 purchased the existing Chris’ Steak House. Fertel agreed to keep Chris’ name in the restaurant’s title.

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NMSU helps New Mexico beef industry develop strategic plan

NMSU helps New Mexico beef industry develop strategic plan

Ruidoso News

Leaders in the New Mexico beef industry are asking their fellow cattlemen, “What’s your vision for the future?” during meetings held across the state. Outreach meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 24, in Ft. Sumner, Friday, Sept. 26, in Sky City, and Wednesday, Oct. 1, in Silver City.

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Cattlemen’s group takes EPA to court

Cattlemen’s group takes EPA to court

North Platte Bulletin

The Environmental Protection Agency could extend its authority to regulate dust under the Clean Air Act.

More EPA rules prod a fight from rural residents, many of whom are fed up or leery of intrusion of government agencies.

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Markey meets with beef producers

Markey meets with beef producers

Andrew Villegas

Greeley Tribune

When politicians visit constituents, many ask lawmakers, “Where’s the beef?” looking for reason to their legislative rhyme.

Tuesday morning, up early with about 100,000 steers at the Five Rivers Ranch Cattle feed lot, Betsy Markey could have asked them the same question, but she would have meant it — literally.

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ND ranchers support ban on hunting rights sale

ND ranchers support ban on hunting rights sale

DALE WETZEL

Topix

Property rights advocates are squaring off with sportsmen and ranchers as the state Legislature decides whether to extend a ban on selling the right to hunt on property separately from the land itself.

The ban _ the only one of its kind in the nation _ has support from the group that represents the state’s beef cattle industry, the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, but its foes predict more opposition as people learn more about it.

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