Video Feature: Cattle Producers Face Increased Regulatory Challenges on the National, State and Local Level.

Video Feature:  Cattle Producers Face Increased Regulatory Challenges on the National, State and Local Level.

Cattlemen to Cattlemen

Topping this week’s cattle industry news: cattle producers and others in agriculture are facing increased regulatory challenges on the national, state and local level.  For example, in California, the passage of Proposition 2 last year, has placed significant state regulatory burdens on animal agriculture.  That was a step backward for those who believe farmers and ranchers should be able to decide, based on sound science, how they produce food and care for their animals.

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Baxter Black, DVM: ROASTING CHESTNUTS

Baxter Black, DVM:  ROASTING CHESTNUTS

There is a new book out on Horse Lameness. The author is my good friend and a fine equine veterinarian, meaning: 1) He can tell a $50 horse from a $5,000 horse over the phone 2) Has never picked up a shoeing hammer 3) And drives a silver Porche Boxster!

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Beef Tenderness: Determination, Regulation and Prediction

Beef Tenderness: Determination, Regulation and Prediction

Beef Improvement Federation

Mohammad Koohmaraie, IEH Laboratories

The eating satisfaction from meat is the result of the interaction between tenderness, juiciness and flavor. We have shown that, under the primary system of finishing cattle in the U.S., there is very little variation in juiciness and flavor and that much of variation in eating satisfaction of rib and loin is the result of the variation in tenderness.

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Wyoming hosts 2009 Range Beef Cow Symposium Dec. 1-3

Wyoming hosts 2009 Range Beef Cow Symposium Dec. 1-3

University of Wyoming

Dates for one of the premiere production beef cattle symposiums in the country have been set.

 This year’s XXI Range Beef Cow Symposium (RBCS) is Dec. 1-3 at the Casper Events Center, said Steve Paisley, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

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Ethanol Co-Product Use in U.S. Cattle Feeding

Ethanol Co-Product Use in U.S. Cattle Feeding

Lessons Learned and Considerations

Kenneth H. Mathews, Jr., and Michael J. McConnell

The byproducts of making ethanol, sweeteners, syrups, and oils used to be considered less valuable than the primary products. But the increased livestock-feed market for such byproducts in the past few years has switched that perception to one of the ethanol industry making grain-based “co-products” that have market value separate from the primary products. Co-products such as dried distiller’s grains, corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal, corn oil, solubles, and brewer’s grains have become economically viable components, along with traditional ingredients (such as corn, soybean meal, and urea), in feed rations.

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US Producers Brought Together for Beef Safety

US Producers Brought Together for Beef Safety

thebeefsite

More than 160 people from the beef industry attended the Beef Industry Safety Summit in San Diego, which has recently emerged as an essential meeting for the beef industry to come together to assess, discuss and identify solutions to beef safety challenges.

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A year after raids, debate over immigration policy continues

A year after raids, debate over immigration policy continues

Mike McGraw

Modesto Bee

If there is an epicenter in the shifting, emotionally charged debate over U.S. immigration policy, it is here, amid some of the richest soil on earth.

That alluvial black dirt nurtures corn, beef cattle, chickens and turkeys, which require massive slaughterhouses. And that in turn nurtures a lively trade in the illegal immigrants willing to work in them.

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Pfizer helps K-State

Pfizer helps K-State

KNEB

Pfizer Animal Health renewed its commitment to the Kansas State University advanced beef production medicine course with a second gift of $50,000 for 2009. Pfizer Animal Health has also agreed to contribute $55,000 in 2010 to support the annual Beef Cattle Institute, in addition to the advanced beef production medicine course.

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Loan limbo frustrates farmers

Loan limbo frustrates farmers

Chris Casey

The Greeley Tribune

Many area farmers are anxious to know if newly announced federal funding will come fast enough because they can’t get their loans, originated at a now-closed Greeley bank, moved to other credit-squeezed banks.

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Test Bulls for Breeding Soundness

Test Bulls for Breeding Soundness

North Dakota State University

Livestock producers should have their herd bulls examined for breeding soundness before turning them out with cows this summer.

“Veterinarians across the state are reporting higher than average rates of bulls failing breeding soundness exams,” says Charlie Stoltenow, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian.

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Fitting Cows to Your Operation

Fitting Cows to Your Operation

Harvey Freetly, USDA-ARS, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Neb.

Presented at Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting

Genetic diversity in cattle can be used to improve efficiency of the cow herd. A cow that is optimum in one production system may not be the best cow for another production system.

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BVD: Diagnosing To Stop Continued Losses

BVD: Diagnosing To Stop Continued Losses

cattlenetwork.com

Getting the proper diagnosis and setting up a prevention plan is critical to stopping these continued losses, regardless of the enterprise that is on your operation. There are multiple options that differ in terms of the tests used and the associated costs, so it is important to understand which group of animals is most likely to harbor the PI individuals.

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Calf Health – Birth to Weaning

Calf Health – Birth to Weaning

Pennsylvania State University

Health of the dam, cleanliness of the calf ’s surroundings, intake and quality of colostrum, dipping the calf ’s navel in strong iodine right after birth, and cleanliness of feeding utensils are key management practices for keeping a calf healthy from birth to weaning.

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More Bulls Failing on Breeding Soundness

More Bulls Failing on Breeding Soundness

Thebeefsite.com

NORTH DAKOTA- Testing bulls for breeding soundness now could reduce the number of open cows later. Livestock producers should have their herd bulls examined for breeding soundness before turning them out with cows this summer.

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Summer Beef Tour

Summer Beef Tour

The Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Summer Beef Tour and Trade Show will be held July 6-7 and hosted by the Wabasha County Cattlemen’s Association.

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