Find the Balance when Feeding Coproducts

Find the Balance when Feeding Coproducts

Cattle Today

One of the key factors affecting the bottom line for cattle feeders is the increased price of corn. As the cattle industry faces higher input costs, distillers grains are becoming a standard feed ingredient in cattle diets. Distillers grains, corn gluten feed or a combination of both coproducts offer alternatives in pasture and feedlot diets formulated to effectively improve cattle performance and operation profitability.
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New Chino slaughterhouse promises humane handling of cows

New Chino slaughterhouse promises humane handling of cows

DOUGLAS QUAN

The Press-Enterprise

The new owners of a Chino meatpacking plant that was at the center of the largest beef recall in U.S. history say they have taken steps to ensure there is no repeat of the animal abuse and rule violations that forced their predecessors to shut down.

Officials with American Beef Packers Inc. flew in a Chicago-based consultant this week to train employees on humane animal-handling techniques and they have contracted with a New York-based video-monitoring service to audit operations around the clock.

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Higher risk could mean greater reward

Higher risk could mean greater reward

Jeff DeYoung

Farm & Ranch Guide

Feed costs will continue to drive the livestock market for the foreseeable future, a group of analysts said at a recent livestock risk conference here.

But, with that higher risk could come greater reward.

“We have an opportunity to build on the feeding advantage we have had in the past,” said John Lawrence, director of the Iowa Beef Center and Extension livestock marketing economist at Iowa State University.

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OSU’s Wagner inducted into Higher Ed Hall of Fame

OSU’s Wagner inducted into Higher Ed Hall of Fame

High Plains Journal

Recently retired Oklahoma State University animal science department head Donald G. Wagner’s resumé has yet another prestigious award.

A 2007 Fellow of the American Society of Animal Science, Wagner was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame. Under his direction since 1990, the department emerged as the largest undergraduate major and scholarship program at OSU and developed state-of-the-art beef cattle and swine research facilities.

“I think there is no question that Dr. Wagner has helped bring animal science at OSU into a new era,” said Ron Kensinger, current department head. “He really provided very effective leadership.”

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Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium convenes in mid-November

Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium convenes in mid-November

KTIV

A mid-November symposium in Lincoln will introduce high school students to careers in the state’s beef industry and issues facing the state’s cattle producers.

The sixth annual Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium is set for Nov. 15 through Nov. 17 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The symposium will feature presentations on goal setting, leadership development, food safety and international beef promotions.

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Peas in feedlot ration improve carcass traits

Peas in feedlot ration improve carcass traits

DALE HILDEBRANT

Prairie Star

Researchers have known that adding peas to a feedlot ration increases the efficiency of those animals being fed, but there was a question on what happened to carcass traits such as tenderness and juiciness when peas were added as a feed ingredient. Well, the results are in and the news is good n adding peas to a feedlot diet improves tenderness and juiciness, according to a study recently published by the North Dakota State University Agricultural Experiment Station.

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Prison farms a world apart from ‘outside’ agriculture

Prison farms a world apart from ‘outside’ agriculture

Ben Sutherly

Journal News

Brian Campbell grew up on a dairy farm and worked as a herdsman before becoming a corrections officer.

In 2004, after rising through the Lebanon Correctional Institution’s ranks, he became manager of its farm.

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Council created to energize new generation of beef industry leaders

Council created to energize new generation of beef industry leaders

High Plains Journal

Providing an opportunity for young people to be more involved in the future of the beef industry, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has created the Young Producers’ Council. The YPC encourages NCBA members from ages 18 to 35 to be involved on policy committees, interact with other young producers, enhance their leadership abilities, further their professional development and take advantage of regular NCBA benefits. Membership in the YPC is free to NCBA members.

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Cattle producers feel pain of stock market

Cattle producers feel pain of stock market

Tulsa World

WOODWARD — In the fray of an uncertain stock market, cattle prices have taken a nose-dive along with wheat and corn prices in recent weeks.

But the trend, while it appears to darken the horizon for wheat and cattle producers here, should stabilize, say local producers and experts in the cattle industry.

Dale Moore is a local cattle producer and owner-operator of Cattleman’s Choice Feedlot.

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Ag sector copes with credit crisis, uncertainty

Ag sector copes with credit crisis, uncertainty

Denver Business Journal

Cathy Proctor

Colorado’s $16 billion-a-year agriculture industry — which puts beef, lamb, wheat and corn on dinner tables around the world — isn’t immune from the fast-moving credit crisis that’s rocking the nation’s economy.

But how it’ll play out in coming months is anyone’s guess, with so many moving pieces in the form of credit availability, interest rates on loans and the price of commodities such as oil, diesel, corn and wheat.

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Powell teen raises petite cattle

Powell teen raises petite cattle

Localnews8.com

A Powell teen is building her own herd of Scottish Highland cattle.

Hannah Hogan she says the shaggy, smallish cattle are well suited for northern Wyoming’s harsh climate.

The cattle yield a tasty beef that is naturally lean with less cholesterol and fat than other types of beef. And they are known for producing smaller calves with few calving problems.

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Grassfed beef market growing

Grassfed beef market growing          

North Platte Bulletin

About 2,000 U.S. producers will market grassfed beef this year, worth nearly $350 million retail, said Allen Williams at a recent University of Nebraska–Lincoln Center for Grassland Studies conference in Kearney.

Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Tallgrass Beef Company, said the market potential for grassfed beef is 20-25 percent of the total American beef market, or about $15 to $20 billion in annual retail sales.

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Tim Sutphin Sunbelt Farmer of the Year for Virginia

Tim Sutphin Sunbelt Farmer of the Year for Virginia

Southeast Farm Press

As a child, Timothy Dale Sutphin developed a passion for working with cattle. “When I was six, my dad gave me my first cow,” he recalls. “I’ve added more cows each year since then, and I’m now 51.” He relies on a diverse mix of forages. He’s improving herd genetics by using artificial insemination and estrous synchronization. In addition, he realizes higher returns by retaining ownership of his calves during feedlot finishing.

His Hillwinds Farm in Dublin, Va., now encompasses 2,270 acres, 1,123 acres of rented land and 1,047 acres of owned land. He runs a commercial cow-calf operation with 850 bred cows and heifers. He also raises about 480 head of stocker cattle for backgrounding.

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National Hereford Feedout Proves Hereford Efficiency

National Hereford Feedout Proves Hereford Efficiency

cattlenetwork.com

Two hundred seventy-four steers were entered in the 2008 National Hereford Feedout at Royal Beef Feedyard, Scott City, Kan. “Once again the National Hereford Feedout has shown the efficiency and worth of Hereford cattle to the beef industry,” says Tom Granzow, test coordinator and Kansas Hereford Association (KHA) secretary.

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Beef cattle are a commodity too

 

Beef cattle are a commodity too

WLTribune.com

Anyone living within range of any source of media, be it newspapers, radio or television knows the state of disarray that the financial world is in at this point in time. Markets worldwide have had a chaotic couple of weeks; there have been bank failures, brokerage firm collapses and insurance firms failing. Oct 7 was one of the worst days in history (to this point) for the U.S. stock market.

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