HSUS’s “Change” Agenda

HSUS’s “Change” Agenda

Editors Note: Thanks  to our friend Lori Schott and the Minnesota Beef Team for providing HSUS’s shopping list for the new administration.  Seems like they have a full agenda.

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Bill denies local livestock regulation

Bill denies local livestock regulation

KSWO

A state Senate committee has passed a bill to strip local governments of the power to regulate livestock.

The measure passed the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously on Monday, despite concerns it could cause health problems in cities and rural communities.

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Feeding Moldy Hay

Feeding Moldy Hay

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

Feeding moldy hay to livestock is a tough decision. All hay contains some mold, but when mold becomes noticeable the decisions become important.

Usually, mold makes hay less palatable, which can result in lower intake or in animals refusing to eat the hay. Many other problems from mold occur because of mycotoxins produced by certain mold fungi. This also is part of the decision problem since not all molds produce mycotoxins and the amount produced by those that do is unpredictable.

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Analyzing Ultrasound Contemporary Groups

Analyzing Ultrasound Contemporary Groups

Southern Livestock Standard

Though their importance is often overlooked, contemporary groups are truly the cornerstone of any genetic evaluation.  Unfortunately, establishment of an ultrasound contemporary group is sometimes done improperly.  There are a number of rules that must be followed in order to receive the maximum benefit from reporting ultrasound data, particularly in establishing and increasing the accuracy of Carcass Expected Progeny Differences (EPD).  Whether you have 5 yearlings to scan or 5,000, the process of contemporary grouping is basically the same.

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Check Your Ice Box, Check your Vaccines

Check Your Ice Box, Check your Vaccines

BEEF Magazine

Just because you religiously transfer vaccines from your refrigerator into a cooler, and keep those products in the shade, don’t think everything is just fine. That’s the bottom line of an innovative study concluded recently by Tom Troxel and Brett Barham at the University of Arkansas (UA).

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Ethanol Byproducts for Cattle Feed Reduce Costs

Ethanol Byproducts for Cattle Feed Reduce Costs

Thebeefsite.com

The fact that feedlot producers rely on corn as a main component of their cattle diets is not news to anybody.

However, those days of $2.00/bushel corn may be long gone. Instead we will assume a likely scenario of corn prices in the range of $3.50-$4.00/bushel for the near future, and attempt to devise some viable alternatives to replace part of this key ingredient in feedlot diets.

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National alert issued after theft of 53 cows

National alert issued after theft of 53 cows

Suspect could face felony charges in Christian County.

Tara Muck

Springfield News Leader

Authorities in Christian County are following several leads regarding the theft of 53 head of cattle this weekend in Clever.

Christian County Sheriff Joey Kyle has also alerted authorities nationwide to be on the lookout for the Brahma crossbreed cows weighing 1,100 to 1,250 pounds in various colors.

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Check-Off Dollars Fund Ethanol Co-Product Research

Check-Off Dollars Fund Ethanol Co-Product Research

Six studies focus on quality and safety

Western Livestock Journal

Researchers from across the country gathered at a checkoff-funded summit titled “Ethanol Co-Products—Beef Product Implications” in November 2006 to develop a summary of existing research and establish future research needs. As a response to those identified needs and in an effort to determine the impact of feeding high levels of ethanol co-products (e.g., distiller’s grains) on beef end-product quality and safety, the beef checkoff funded a total of six research projects.

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Grazing can help cut down cost of hay

Grazing can help cut down cost of hay

Carl Stafford

Culpeper Star Exponent

If you have not fed any hay yet you are now a member of the Graze 300 club. In truth there is no such club but my point is we are less than 60 days away from April 1 and almost at the beginning of another season. April 1 is a target date to turn out cattle and the time to put them back to work.

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Who’s selling COOL?

Who’s selling COOL?

AgWeb

Leaving the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual convention last week, two things were clear: We are going to have a significant amount of U.S. labeled beef on grocery shelves, and we are going to have a go at rewriting the beef checkoff.

The former became clear to this reporter during a discussion with Ken Bull, head buyer at Cargill. He said his company would devote a northern plant to mixed Canada and U.S. origin cattle and a southern plant to Mexican and U.S. cattle.

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Cattle nutrition training offered this month

Cattle nutrition training offered this month

The Argus Leader

The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service will host the training, which focuses on nutrition in drylot beef cows.

Topics include fundamentals of ruminant nutrition, nutrient requirements for beef cattle, mineral nutrition and ration formulation.

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Cattle ranchers deal with weather and market forces

Cattle ranchers deal with weather and market forces

Ching Lee

California Farm Bureau

Cattle ranchers throughout the state are keeping their fingers crossed in hopes that Mother Nature will bring much-needed rains in coming months after her meager offerings through most of the winter.

After two consecutive years of drought that have forced many of the state’s cattle producers to downsize their herds due to lack of forage on rangelands, ranchers face additional challenges this year as more cattle hit the market, driving down beef prices.

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Identifying Sick Stockers

Identifying Sick Stockers

cattlenetwork.com

Proper and timely identification of sick stockers helps minimize unnecessary treatment expense and preventable production losses. Accurately pulling calves in need of examination or treatment is difficult but essential in order to treat sick cattle while not unnecessarily spending money on or adding stress to healthy cattle.

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COOL’s Bottomless Pit

COOL’s Bottomless Pit

BEEF Magzine

Forget the insanity of a program that offers nothing to anyone, while increasing the cost of doing business. The most severe economic toll from the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) law being reviewed by the Obama administration could be the loss of trade with Mexico and Canada.

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Connecting with Consumers on an Emotional Level

Connecting with Consumers on an Emotional Level

Thebeefsite.com

A Washington based communications strategist is encouraging livestock producers to harness some of the same strategies used by animal rights activists to get their message out, writes Bruce Cochrane.

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