Sweet clover poisoning
Ken Olson
Tri State Livestock News
Sweet clover is a biennial plant. In its first year, there is very little top growth because it puts most of its effort into establishing a deep root system. It is likely that many people don’t even notice it in the pasture or field because it is only a couple of inches tall. However, in the second year of its life, it puts up tall stalks with abundant yellow flowers and provides a lot of forage.
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Ethanol by-product raises food safety concerns
High Plains Journal
Ethanol’s main by-product, which is sold as livestock feed, has raised potential food safety concerns.
Several studies have linked the by-product, known as distillers grain, to elevated rates of E. coli in cattle. And now, distillers grain is facing further scrutiny because the Food and Drug Administration has found that it often contains antibiotics left over from making ethanol.
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300,000 milk cows buyout heading to slaughter
cattlegrower.com
A nationwide dairy federation, known as the C. W. T. will be conducting a nationwide buyout of milk cows to bring down the glut of milk by sending 300,000 milk cows to slaughter by August. That number comes from Rick Record a packer buyer handling the milk cow buyouts for the C.W.T. known as Cooperatives Working Together, a program dairy farmers pay into voluntarily. I spoke with Rick Record today, these buyouts have been conducted before.
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Producers believe beef checkoff has benefited profitability
High Plains Journal
When it comes to their own operations, producers largely believe the checkoff program has benefited them, and about seven in 10 think that the checkoff helped contribute to their profitability over the years. That’s according to a checkoff-funded producer attitude survey conducted by an independent research company in January. One key to success? Ongoing communications to producers about programs funded by their beef checkoff investment.
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New feedlot permit focuses on water rights
Tricityherald.com
It looks like Franklin County will be getting a new cattle feedlot despite the protests of a handful of neighboring farmers near the proposed Five Corners site.
The Department of Ecology approved a water right transfer last week that leaves just one more hurdle — an air quality permit — before construction can begin on the feedlot.
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U.S. Cattlemen’s Association supports no funding of NAIS
Wilson County News
The U.S. Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) applauded action by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee to cut funding for the proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) June 12. On a voice vote, the subcommittee agreed to essentially zero out funding for the program.
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Considerations For Placing Calves In Sales
RICH MACHEN, PH.D
Southern Livestock Standard
The purpose of preconditioning and process verification for stocker/feeder calves is to minimize the morbidity and mortality experienced by calves as they move from their home ranch into the beef production system.
The program is based on:
- a minimum 45 day weaning period
- a series of two modified live respiratory complex (IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV) vaccinations 14-21 days apart. (Preferably, the second vaccination will occur at least 14 days prior tosale.)
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Walking the pasture to monitor and manage your feed supply
Chris Eakin
Fairview Post
The Peace Country Beef and Forage Association organized a pasture walk to give local producers a few tips to help them manage their pasture land more effectively and deal with the effects of the current weather on their pasture.
Pasture expert Wayne Burleson of Montana came to give the benefit of his knowledge gleaned from years of research and practice as a consultant and about 18 Peace country producers showed up to take advantage.
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Cattle do not handle heat stress as well as humans:
cattlenetwork.com
The thermo-comfort zone varies greatly for beef cattle. Young animals have a narrow comfort zone between 45 and 80 Fo. The comfort zone of feedlot cattle and mature cows will range from subzero temperatures in the winter to around 75 Fo in the summer, depending on body condition, hair coat length and plane of nutrition.
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Purdue Study Reveals Mixed Fiscal Impact of CAFOs on Communities
Andy Eubank
Hoosier AG Today
To find out more about the fiscal implications section of Purdue University’s recently released CAFO study, Hoosier Ag Today spoke with agricultural economist Larry DeBoer. His focus was how much additional revenue and additional costs are generated for county government when a new CAFO comes to that county.
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Update to Food Activism, Inc.
Steve Cornett
Beef Today
So all the news coverage on this Food, Inc., thing has your town buddies and your teenagers asking questions. A consortium of companies with oxen gored by what even CNN reporters admit is a one-sided take on food production has put together a web site with lots of answers.
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2009 Across-Breed EPD Table
Drs. Larry Kuehn and Mark Thallman, USMARC Geneticists, Clay Center, NE
The table of adjustment factors to be used to estimate across-breed expected progeny differences (AB-EPDs) for eighteen breeds was presented at the Beef Improvement Federation Annual Meeting in Sacramento, CA on May 2 (see attached Table 1). Across-breed adjustment factors have been calculated for growth traits and maternal milk since 1993.
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EPA up to no good again
WAYNE STEWART
The Palestine Herald
About seven months ago I wrote a column about an insidious plan afoot in the Environmental Protection Agency.
I wrote a story and followed it with an opinion piece about the EPA classifying greenhouse gas emissions as an endangerment to public health. Now, it looks to be getting closer to becoming real — another example of government overreach into the lives of everyday Americans.
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What Producers Should Be Thinking About In August……….
cattlenetwork.com
August is when forages are maturing, weaning time is approaching, and weather dictates several key management decisions.
Breeding Season
♦ Given high feed price inputs, ruthlessly cull all unsound cows from the herd. Cull cows that do not conceive after three services by a fertile bull.
♦ Limit the breeding season. Remove bulls after 60 days with cows, 45 days with heifers.
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A Tough Week for Wackos, Nutcases, and The Self-Righteous
Gary Truitt
Hoosier Ag Today
Sometimes it seems that the more outrageous, extreme, and illogical the cause, the more attention it gets while moderation, balance, and common sense get left in the shadows. That is why it was refreshing last week to see that several developments came together to put the whackos, nutcases, and the self-righteous in their place. While none of these will change the course of human events, it does give one hope that sometimes the good guys win. Thus, I felt they deserved some special recognition.
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