HBO’s “Death on a Factory Farm” May Reverberate to All Animals, All Farms

HBO’s “Death on a Factory Farm” May Reverberate to All Animals, All Farms

The Jurga Report

Pete’s back. The now-famed undercover animal rights advocate infiltrated a commercial hog farm in Ohio this time, and bets are on that the new Death on a Factory Farm documentary, airing one week from tonight on HBO, will go a long way to further alienate viewers from the idea of eating meat, although its intent is to expose the legal loopholes that often doom animals in institutionalized production to abuse and cruelty.

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Producer Perspective: Alan Sears

Producer Perspectives, Managing costs and product quality for profit. Recorded a the 2008 Beef Quality Summit, November 2008, Colorado Springs, CO. This Recording is a production of the Animal Sciences Department, Purdue University.

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BeefTalk: Why Is It We Always Talk About the Bull Last?

BeefTalk: Why Is It We Always Talk About the Bull Last?

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

The 2009 calf crop is not arriving as quickly as expected. This has not been all bad because the cold weather was not conducive for calving.

Yet, if one wants to start calving March 1, then one needs to start on March or April 1 or whenever the desired date is. Typically, almost two-thirds of the calf crop should be born within three weeks of the starting date.

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$2Billion Oklahoma Beef Industry Supports State

$2Billion Oklahoma Beef Industry Supports State

thebeefsite.com

Oklahoma’s cattle operations are dollars on the hoof for the state economy, valued at more than $2 billion annually.

Randy Pirtle, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension director for Washington County, believes it is a fact that state residents should take a moment to consider as National Ag Week activities highlight the importance of agriculture to everyone, everywhere.

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TLMA’s 2009 Texas Longhorn Legacy Sale V on Track to Attract Over 600 Cattle Breeders

TLMA’s 2009 Texas Longhorn Legacy Sale V on Track to Attract Over 600 Cattle Breeders

Marketwire.com

On March 20-21, more than 600 of the nation’s top Texas Longhorn cattle breeders will brush off their Texas Tuxes and file 100 of the best Longhorn cattle in the world into the Grand Ballroom of the DFW Marriott Hotel & Golf Club @ Champions Circle in Fort Worth, Texas, for the 2009 Texas Longhorn Legacy Sale V.

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New mad cow case confirmed in B.C.

New mad cow case confirmed in B.C.

 Canada.com

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed the 13th case of mad cow disease in Canada, but the agency says the case poses no risk to human or animal health.

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Cows on the Catwalk in Miami for Agriculture Show

Cows on the Catwalk in Miami for Agriculture Show

WCTV

Those in the agricultural world of Miami-Dade County hope it will be starting Friday when nearly 400 head of cattle spend the weekend modeling for vendors from as far as Texas and Argentina. The second annual Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show aims to strengthen South Florida as a hub for beef exchange between the U.S. and Latin America.

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AgriLife Extension helping South Central Texas residents cope with drought

AgriLife Extension helping South Central Texas residents cope with drought

Paul Schattenberg

Though recent rains brought some relief to South Central Texas, the region is still plagued by “exceptional” drought and residents need help in dealing with a variety of drought-related issues, said Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts.

AgriLife Extension economists estimated that losses from drought would exceed $1 billion statewide by May without a significant change in the current weather situation. Many row-crop and beef cattle producers in South Central Texas have been among those hardest hit.

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R-CALF Opposed to Proposed 840 Rule

R-CALF Opposed to Proposed 840 Rule

Hoosier AG Today

  R-CALF USA has filed formal comments in opposition to USDA’s proposed rule on animal identification numbering systems, known as the 840 Rule. The rule is said to be designed to achieve greater standardization and uniformity of official numbering systems and eartags. But R-CALF says the rule would make animal traceability for disease program more difficult and less effective. The group also believes it’s a way to mandate a National Animal Identification System.

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Strategies For Easing The Transition At Weaning

Strategies For Easing The Transition At Weaning

cattlenetwork.com

With proper care and management, the vast majority of calves can be weaned by 4 to 5 weeks of age. But avoid making weaning decisions by age alone. Instead, use the amount of starter eaten by calves as the primary indicator of weaning time. Calves that eat 1.5 to 2 pounds of grain per day for 3 consecutive days are ready to be weaned. This method allows individual adjustments to weaning that keep unhealthy calves on milk and allow healthy calves to switch to dry feed.

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Tag, We’re It

Tag, We’re It

SHANNON HAYES

New York Times

Editor’s note: Stories of this ilk are included in the blog to inform those in our industry how agriculture is being presented to and perceived by the public.

At first glance, the plan by the federal Department of Agriculture to battle disease among farm animals is a technological marvel: we farmers tag every head of livestock in the country with ID chips and the department electronically tracks the animals’ whereabouts. If disease breaks out, the department can identify within 48 hours which animals are ill, where they are, and what other animals have been exposed.

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Synching Estrus Cycles Easier With New Advancements

Synching Estrus Cycles Easier With New Advancements

Iowa State University

Advances in synchronizing the beef cow’s estrus cycle continue to move forward, and the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University has worked to bring these latest efforts to cattle producers.

More than three decades ago, all producers had to work with were synchronization systems involving feed-based progesterone products and prostaglandin. Today, researchers from the Beef Reproduction Task Force continue to do research trials and develop new and better systems for synchronizing the heat cycle of the beef heifer and cow.

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The Reproductive and Nutritional Management of Beef Bulls

The Reproductive and Nutritional Management of Beef Bulls

Larry R. Corah, Kansas State University, Harlan Ritchie, Michigan State University, Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University

Iowa Beef Center

In evaluating the profitability of any cow-calf operation, pregnancy rate is one of the most important factors determining profit or loss. Considerable emphasis and focus is placed on the nutritional and reproductive management of the cow herd; but, unfortunately, in most operations little emphasis is placed on the bull. However, each bull is expected to impregnate from 15 – 40 females during the breeding season in a typical cow-calf operation and, thus, the fertility of that bull actually is of considerably greater consequence than the fertility of an “individual” cow.

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Snake Morning

Snake Morning

Steve Cornett

Beef Today

Cheery. That’s what Jim Jennings was on snake morning. Cheery and all in starched jeans and shirt and a clean Resistol, looking like he was off to some fancyschmancy horse show in Fort Worth or Denver.

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Producers say marketing pays off

Producers say marketing pays off

Lura Roti

The Cattle Business Weekly

As he puts the finishing touches on his new sale barn, Mark Baxter can’t help but smile. This barn represents a dream come true for the 49-year-old Rockham, S.D., registered Black Angus producer.

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