BeefTalk: Really, Tell Me More!

BeefTalk: Really, Tell Me More!

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

The “Central Dogma” of Genetics The “Central Dogma” of Genetics

Our knowledge base is expanding exponentially and our ability to utilize the new knowledge is more demanding.

As the fall semester ends, I get a chance to reflect on one of my principal joys of teaching – the engagement of the human mind. Having taught animal genetics and animal breeding this fall, a major challenge is to keep up with the flow of new information.

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Obama and agriculture

Obama and agriculture

Kindra Gordon

Cattle Business Weekly

As President-elect Barrack Obama begins to fill his Cabinet, speculation continues to swirl on who might be named the new Secretary of Ag. But that’s not the only change the ag industry needs to keep their eye on – there are many seats yet to be filled that are of extreme importance to setting the future for ag issues.

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Beef producers: Choosing a synchronization protocol? Narrow the selection process

Beef producers: Choosing a synchronization protocol? Narrow the selection process

AG Professional

Choosing the right estrus synchronization protocol can be a daunting task for producers, said Sandy Johnson, Kansas State University Extension livestock specialist, speaking Dec.

2 during the Robert E. Taylor Memorial Symposium: Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle in Fort Collins. Johnson presented two tools to help guide producers through the decision-making process.

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Online Johne’s disease course offered to producers

Online Johne’s disease course offered to producers

Minnesota Farm Guide

The occurrence of Johne’s disease in the United States was first described in 1908 in a paper, “A note on the occurrence in America of chronic bacterial dysentery of cattle,” authored by Leonard Pearson, then Dean of the veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania.

That was 100 years ago, and, unfortunately, Johne’s disease is still a concern today.

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USDA to Conduct Cattle Inventory

USDA to Conduct Cattle Inventory

PA Farm News

The Pennsylvania Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will be surveying approximately 1600 cattle farmers for its largest cattle survey of the year beginning December 29th and ending on January 14th. This will give the most accurate picture of the cattle situation for the entire year. Estimates will include the total number of cattle and calves as of January 1, 2009, as well as the total number of heifers, steers, milk cows, and beef cows.

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Crossbreeding With A Purpose

Crossbreeding With A Purpose

cattlenetwork.com

Crossbreeding must be planned. Simply mixing breeds at random will not produce the benefits that a well organized, thoughtful crossbreeding system can provide. Producers must avoid “mongrelization” of their cowherds. Uniformity of the cowherd is an often unappreciated trait. If a cowherd varies greatly in size and nutrient requirements, feed will be wasted since the cowherd will be fed to meet the needs of those with the greatest requirements. Otherwise, the nutritional needs of many cows will not be met.

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Livestock Market Expert Predicts Eventual Brighter Cattle Outlook

Livestock Market Expert Predicts Eventual Brighter Cattle Outlook

University of Wyoming

The take-home message to producers about the looming cattle market from the director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC) was advice straight from the Boy Scouts — be prepared.

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Q&A: How many bulls should you run in a pasture with 110 pairs? What should the age difference, if any, should there be between bulls?

Q&A:   How many bulls should you run in a pasture with 110 pairs? What should the age difference, if any, should there be between bulls?

Dr. Rick Rasby, Professor of Animal Science, Animal Science, University of Nebraska

A:   Bull to cow ratio has a lot of variables that includes size of pasture, terrain, and others. The bull to females ration is related to the age of the bull.

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Tax tips for livestock owners

Tax tips for livestock owners

John Alan Cohan, Attorney at Law

American Cowman

Many people who own livestock farms are full-time professionals in non-farming fields–doctors, for instance. The IRS often enough will assess deficiencies against these individuals based on the idea that the activity is simply a means of generating tax write-offs. The IRS might argue that, given your full-time day job, you don’t have much time to manage the operations.

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NALF Wraps Up 40TH Anniversary at NWSS

NALF Wraps Up 40TH Anniversary at NWSS

Cattle Today

The North American Limousin Foundation (NALF) continues to solidify its plans for the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colo. Among the breed’s activities, Jan. 11–15, 2009, are the NALF member social, NALF annual meeting and National Limousin Sale.

The first class of animals in the juniors’ female show will enter the ring at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, and Jeff Sargent of Denison, Texas, will judge. The sale parade will follow at 3 p.m.

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Novel Fescue Stocker Strategy

Novel Fescue Stocker Strategy

Ed Haag

Angus Journal

Experts began predicting lower light calf prices as soon as the cost of finishing animals in the feedlots began to rise. The big surprise was that they remained high for as long as they did.

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Development Of BVD Persistently Infected Cattle

Development Of BVD Persistently Infected Cattle

cattlenetwork.com

Persistently infected (PI) BVD cattle are created when the dam and her fetus become infected with BVD virus between 45 to 125 days after conception. During this period of development, the immune system of the fetus has not yet developed and the BVD infection is not recognized.

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R-CALF USA 10th Annual Convention slated for January in Rapid City

R-CALF USA 10th Annual Convention slated for January in Rapid City

Tri State Livestock News

The R-CALF USA Board of Directors announced that the group’s 10th annual convention and trade show will take place Jan. 23-24, 2009, at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel, located at I-90 and Lacrosse St., Exit 59, in Rapid City, SD.

“R-CALF’s very first convention was held at the Ramkota in Rapid City 10 years ago, making this year’s event pretty special for those of us who’ve backed this organization since its inception,” said R-CALF USA Region III Director Johnny Smith, who also chairs the group’s convention committee this year. “We’ve come a long, long way in a decade, but there’s still plenty of work to do to return the U.S. cattle industry to the days when a producer could make a fair profit for his cattle.”

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Sudden Death In Adult Cattle

Sudden Death In Adult Cattle

cattlenetwork.com

In the past week I have talked to two top producers in California who had experienced the same problem, they expressed it something like this, “The cow was normal, eating, in good flesh yesterday and I found her dead this morning.” This is an important and unfortunately, common problem in beef cattle operations in California. Of course, what we really want to know is, “What caused this and what can we do to prevent it from happening again?”

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Obama’s ‘Secretary of Food’?

Obama’s ‘Secretary of Food’?

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

New York Times

As Barack Obama ponders whom to pick as agriculture secretary, he should reframe the question. What he needs is actually a bold reformer in a position renamed “secretary of food.”

A Department of Agriculture made sense 100 years ago when 35 percent of Americans engaged in farming. But today, fewer than 2 percent are farmers. In contrast, 100 percent of Americans eat.

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