Pfizer Animal Genetics now accepting samples for Arthrogryposis Multiplex testing

Pfizer Animal Genetics now accepting samples for Arthrogryposis Multiplex testing

 

(December 2008) Pfizer Animal Genetics is collaborating with the global cattle industry to provide a commercial test for Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), previously known in the U.S. as Curly Calf syndrome. The test, based on research conducted by Dr. John Beever at the University of Illinois, will be available for use in the near future. Pfizer encourages samples to be submitted on suspect animals in preparation for an available test. 

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Video Feature: Basics of Grass-fed Beef

Video Feature: Basics of Grass-fed Beef

Explains the differences between conventionally raised and grass-fed beef.

Activists: How influential are they?

Activists: How influential are they?

Producers have ‘uphill march’

 Food producers, processors and manufacturers are losing the trust of consumers and so must work hard to engage “Influentials” and tap consumer values.

ROD SMITH

Feedstuffs Foodlink

U.S. consumers have more confidence in activists and grocery retailers than in food companies or government as information resources concerning food choices, according to a new poll commissioned by Morgan&Myers and Worldcom Public Relations Group.

The national poll found that about two-thirds (64%) of American adults believe activists and advocates have consumers’ best interests in mind in providing information concerning food choices, according to the poll.

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Vilsack Reportedly Obama’s Pick for Agriculture Secretary

Vilsack Reportedly Obama’s Pick for Agriculture Secretary

Hoosier AG TOday

  Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for agriculture secretary, the Associated Press is reporting.

Vilsack, from a key farm state, ran for president, but his campaign ended in February 2007, just as Obama’s began. He endorsed Hillary Clinton before the Iowa caucuses, which Obama won to springboard to the front of the Democratic nomination fight.

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Principles of protein supplementation

Principles of protein supplementation

Greg Lardy

Tri State Livestock News

Many ranches across the Tri-State Livestock News coverage area utilize dormant forages for a portion of their forage resources for winter grazing. If you are planning on utilizing dormant forages, particularly native forages, in your winter grazing plans, protein supplementation will generally be required to maintain beef cow productivity, ensure a healthy calf at calving, and ensure the cows return to estrous quickly following calving.

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Crossbreeding Systems in Beef Cattle

Crossbreeding Systems in Beef Cattle

Gary R. Hansen

University of Florida

As selection for carcass quality has taken center stage in the beef cattle industry, cattle producers have adopted strategies that have decreased the use of crossbreeding in beef cattle herds. Crossbreeding leads to increased performance without any added costs or inputs. It is one of the few management tools that increase productivity and improve the line when properly used. Despite the benefits of the practice, however, cattle producers have adopted strategies that have decreased the use of crossbreeding in beef cattle herds because selection for carcass quality has primary importance in the beef cattle industry.

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Q&A: I have a cow and her calf that have been separated by the fenceline for almost 6 weeks now. They were briefly together the other day

Q&A:   I have a cow and her calf that have been separated by the fenceline for almost 6 weeks now. They were briefly together the other day

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

A:   We measured milk production in all cows that had their calves at 4 days, 8 days, and 12 days produced milk after the calves were returned.

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Gross Margin Insurance For Cattle

Gross Margin Insurance For Cattle

Southern Livestock

Livestock Gross Margin Insurance (LGM) for Cattle is an insurance policy first offered in January 2006 through USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Prior to the release of LGM, Livestock Risk Protection Insurance (LRP) also was offered to producers as a livestock insurance product. LRP provides single-peril price risk protection for the future selling price of the insured livestock. As a separate and distinct policy, LGM provides protection against a decline in the cattle feeding margin by simultaneously hedging the input costs of corn and feeder cattle and the fed cattle selling price as a bundled option. This insurance policy is available for both calf finishing and yearling finishing operations. The launch of LGM for Cattle follows the 2002 pilot LGM for Swine program in Iowa.

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EPA Rethink Gas Tax Proposals

EPA Rethink Gas Tax Proposals

Thebeefsite.com

EPA is announcing a final rule providing an administrative reporting exemption for air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms.

This rule will enable response authorities to better focus their attention on hazardous substance releases that require a response, while reducing reporting burdens on America’s farms. Notifications must still be made to response authorities when hazardous substances are released to the air from sources other than animal waste (e.g., ammonia tanks), and when hazardous substances are released to soil and water.

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What we don’t know can hurt us

What we don’t know can hurt us

 Steve Ringle, CAB Assistant Director of Brand Assurance

What’s in a name? Not much, in my line of work, unless it’s followed by an “R” in a circle, as in®. If this symbol is used with a name, it should command respect. It screams, “If you abuse me, I can legally kick your butt!” We have a word for these respected names: trademarks.

Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) doesn’t own any cattle or beef products, but we do own a nice set of trademarks. You may use words like brand, trade-name, logo, symbol or label, so long as we all understand we are talking about the same thing. One of the most famous, and most abused, trademarks that we own is the three-word phrase, Certified Angus Beef ®.

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Preconditioning: Effect Of Castration On Newly Arrived Stocker Cattle

Preconditioning: Effect Of Castration On Newly Arrived Stocker Cattle

cattlenetwork.com

Recent Arkansas research evaluated the overall impact of castration and the effects of timing and method of castration on growth performance and health of newly arrived stocker cattle. This research project used 272 crossbred male calves (185 bulls and 87 steers) weighing 462 lb that were purchased from sale barns and shipped to the University of Arkansas Stocker Unit in Savoy, AR (three trials).

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Pew Campaign Targets Antibiotic Ban Reversal

Pew Campaign Targets Antibiotic Ban Reversal

Thebeefsite.com

The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming has issued a statement claiming that the misuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture helps fuel the increase in antibiotic-resistant infections.

Regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to reverse its plan to ban off-label usage of certain antibiotics in animal agriculture, the trust went on to argue that these important drugs are the only effective therapies for serious gastrointestinal diseases in children and also the best treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections in cancer patients.

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Health of Young Calves an Important Issue to Recognize

Health of Young Calves an Important Issue to Recognize

Stephen B. Blezinger, Ph.D, PAS

Cattle Today

Research and practice has shown the link between health, nutrition and management. This is especially true in young calves, especially those born in the winter and spring during periods of cold and wet weather. We know that many circumstances come into play in this area and that disease can have a significant effect on the feeding and nutrition of an animal and vice versa. While this article will touch on these areas in general one particular issue we will examine is that of calf scouring, a problem that has touched every cow/calf producer out there. Subsequent articles will touch on other health issues of the new-born calf.

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Gas tax on cows? Udderly ridiculous

Gas tax on cows? Udderly ridiculous

The Tribune

There’s hogwash and poppycock. And then there’s the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Most people agree that we should be responsible stewards of the environment.

But the EPA’s new idea to tax Bessie the Cow takes home grand prize for reaching new heights of government absurdity.

If you think you’ve seen it all from government, ruminate on this. Our friends in Washington D.C. are actually considering a new gas tax. A literal tax on gas. And no, I’m not talking about something you pay at the gas station.

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New video highlights benefits of managed grazing of dairy and beef cattle

New video highlights benefits of managed grazing of dairy and beef cattle

Wisconsin DNR

A 10-minute video, “Green Pastures, Green Futures,” describing benefits from managed grazing of dairy and beef cattle for small family farms, is available on the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine Web site [www.wnrmag.com]. The video accompanies an article of the same title in the current issue of this bimonthly, full-color publication of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

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MSU beef program brings home class wins, championships from Louisville show

MSU beef program brings home class wins, championships from Louisville show

Barb Lehman

Battlecreek Enquirer

Several animals bred or owned by Michigan State University (MSU) went home winners from this year’s North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville in November.

The MSU Purebred Beef Cow-Calf Teaching and Research Center exhibited four Hereford and four Angus cattle at the annual event, billed as one of North America’s most competitive shows.

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