BeefTalk: Three Numbers to Think About

BeefTalk: Three Numbers to Think About

Three Numbers to Think About Three Numbers to Think About

Today’s successful beef operators evaluate their records against benchmarks.

By Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Calving time is imminent. This is easy to see as the cows settle into the final weeks of gestation.

Cows are a bit slower to get up. Their movement is not as decisive and the placement of feet is more careful.

There is a noticeable decrease in the willingness to jockey for the pecking order. A certain contentment descends upon the herd prior to calving.

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The Credibility Builder

The Credibility Builder

For Mule Creek Ranch, AngusSource positions this operation for opportunities in the marketplace

By Eric Grant

The Mule Creek Ranch of Wilmore, Kan., does a lot of things right when it comes to producing quality commercial cattle — everything from its comprehensive use of artificial insemination to its aggressive vaccination and preconditioning program. But one of the most important things the ranch has done in recent years, adds manager Kim Leeper, was to enroll in AngusSource.

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North Dakota cattle buyer convicted in $7.8 million scheme

North Dakota cattle buyer convicted in $7.8 million scheme

Cattle Business Weekly

It didn’t take long for a jury to find Todd Kenneth Horob, 40, of Williston, N.D guilty of falsifying statements to a bank, bank and wire fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy scheme to defraud and aggravated identity theft.

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Cow-Calf Buffet

Cow-Calf Buffet

Ed Haag

Angus Journal

In their quest for an alternative to Utah’s traditional rangeland grazing system, Randy Wiedmeier and his colleagues, participating in the Utah State University (USU) Irrigated Pasture Research Program, have been faced with the task of selecting the grazing forage best suited for their needs. What they discovered says a great deal about keeping one’s mind open to more than one option.

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Ryegrass Ain’t Ryegrass

Ryegrass Ain’t Ryegrass

Dr. Bruce Anderson, Professor of Agronomy, University of Nebraska

Interest in ryegrass has increased in our area in recent years. But there is much confusion because there are many different types of ryegrass, so let’s see if I can help reduce this confusion.

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What Damage Do Flukes Cause?

What Damage Do Flukes Cause?

cattlenetwork.com

This is a common question, since such a high percentage of our cattle in California have liver flukes. The young flukes cause quite a lot of damage as they migrate through the liver. If only a few flukes are migrating through the liver at one time, the damage to the cattle is minimal. However, if many flukes are migrating at the same time, the damage to the liver can be extensive. In these cases, diarrhea, weight loss, and jaundice (yellow mucous membranes) can be observed. In addition to the direct damage to the liver, there is another problem liver flukes can precipitate and that is Redwater.

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In Demand: convenience, nutrition, safety

In Demand: convenience, nutrition, safety

Cattle business Weekly

A comprehensive study conducted by agricultural economists at Kansas State University and Michigan State University revealed areas in which the beef industry can concentrate its efforts to strengthen beef demand, despite a sagging global and U.S. economy.

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Missouri Prepares for Grass Tetany Season

Missouri Prepares for Grass Tetany Season

Thebeefsite.com

A University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist is warning Missouri farmers to prepare for grass tetany season in March.

Grass tetany can result from a magnesium deficiency in spring calving herds consuming lush forages high in potassium and low in calcium and sodium, said Justin Sexten of the Missouri University Extension Commercial Agriculture Program.

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New Test To Identify Illegal Steroids In Cattle

New Test To Identify Illegal Steroids In Cattle

Medilexicon

In an effort to curb the illegal use of steroids in the European beef industry, scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting the development of a new test that can identify steroids with higher accuracy, more convenience, and less cost than conventional doping tests. Their report is in the current issue of Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.

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Report Card Issued On Beef Checkoff Program

Report Card Issued On Beef Checkoff Program

KRVN

A study designed to help the Beef Checkoff Program in its future decision-making has been completed. Taken every 10 years, the “U.S. Beef Demand Drivers and Enhancement Opportunities” study is a report card on Beef Checkoff Programs. One of the report’s authors, Dr. James Mintert at Kansas State University, says there is – no single dominant beef demand driver that the industry should focus all of its attention on.

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Agriculture stands out in uncertain economy

Agriculture stands out in uncertain economy

T.J. GILLES

The Outpost

Agriculture, always at the whims of weather and global economic forces far beyond producers’ control, may be the one solid straw of stability and profit in today’s tempestuous economy.

The great times of the past few years may be gone, says Montana State University Ag Economist George Haynes.

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Grazing school for novices promises to save money for students

Grazing school for novices promises to save money for students

 

Robert Burns

Southwest Farm Press

In today’s economy, it’s not a question of being able to afford more training to better manage livestock operations, said a forage expert with Texas AgriLife Research.

“It’s a matter of not being able to afford not to,” said Dr. Monte Rouquette, AgriLife Research scientist.

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Stockyards beef up security

Stockyards beef up security

Brian Brus

The Journal Record

A new closed-circuit television system being installed at the Oklahoma National Stockyards is an invaluable step in further securing a major component of the country’s food system, said Kerry Pettingill, director of the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security.

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Castration Safety

Castration Safety

cattlenetwork.com

Producers have been injured while castrating calves. Listed below are several tips that should help do the job more safely:

Castrate calves as young as possible. Young calves are easier to handle and also experience less stress.

While castrating calves a few days old, keep an eye on the calf’s mother. Some cows may become aggressive if you handle their calves.

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More Livestock Infected with MRSA

More Livestock Infected with MRSA

Thebeefsite.com

A strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is reported to be becoming increasingly prevalent in pigs, dairy cows and chickens, according to a recent survey. Although this strain rarely causes illness in humans, Food Animal Concerns Trusts is calling for greater restrictions on the use of antibiotics for livestock.

Livestock herds could become a vast breeding ground for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a formerly rare bacteria found mostly in hospitals but now spreading beyond health care settings, reports Oregon Live.

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