Video Feature: Keeping cattle healthy and disease free

Keeping cattle healthy and disease free can be a challenge. These beef producers tell they manage to achieve that goal.

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Cover crops a viable option for supplemental grazing

Cover crops a viable option for supplemental grazing

Amanda Nolz

By late August, much of the available grass is limited and brown. It’s too early to start feeding hay and many ranchers look to cover crops as a grazing supplement in the late summer months. While sudan grass and millet are often the first cover crops producers think of, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Rangeland Management Specialist, Brent Woods, recommends grazing Brassicas as affordable cover crops for grazing.

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Moving Cattle to Evade Bovine TB

Moving Cattle to Evade Bovine TB

Thebeefsite.com

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent $31 million to depopulate herds of cattle affected by bovine tuberculosis (TB), even though the risk of the disease has been significantly reduced in the U.S. over the past several decades.

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Do Your Home Work When Looking For a Feedlot Partner

Do Your Home Work When Looking For a Feedlot Partner

Laura Nelson

Cattle Today

As a cowherd operator, you can produce a quality calf. The feedlot manager knows what it takes to finish that calf on feed so it can earn carcass premiums.

Combine the two sides as partners or retain ownership and the opportunities for herd improvement and profit may just multiply. But this equation only balances when you meet your “perfect” cattle feeding counterpart.

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Jack Dillard: High temps global warming? Not so fast

Jack Dillard: High temps global warming? Not so fast

Shreveport Times

As the temperature settles in regularly at about 100 degrees for a high and a low of mid-70s, then add in a lot of humidity, folks, that is not global warming (climate control). That is July in the Ark-La-Tex and it goes in cycles. Hopefully we are nearing the end of the extreme summer temps maybe a few years more.

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Time – and ad campaigns – will tell the farming tale

Time – and ad campaigns – will tell the farming tale

Don Curlee

Visalia Times Delta

Two phenomenal presentations of successful public information programs on behalf of agriculture were made recently as California agricultural communications specialists gathered in Sacramento.

One program represented animal agriculture in Colorado, and the other represented farmers, processors and agricultural marketers in Kansas. Both programs have had notable effects on non-farm publics in both states.

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Wal-Mart Asks: Where’s the Beef (From)?

Wal-Mart Asks: Where’s the Beef (From)?

Harvardbusiness.org

In the last month, what event had the greatest potential for changing business as usual forever? If you said the passage of the climate change bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, it would be hard to argue with you. But I’m going to make the case for another event as the most influential (or at least a very close second): the Wal-Mart Sustainability Summit held in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

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Farm-animal treatment could be on Michigan’s 2010 ballot

Farm-animal treatment could be on Michigan’s 2010 ballot

Mlive.com

Michigan farmers and animal-rights advocates are fighting over the treatment of farm animals, a conflict that ultimately may be taken to voters.

The farm lobby is backing bipartisan legislation that would put into law the agriculture industry’s guidelines for farm animals’ health and welfare, and require audits of livestock farms. A 10-member council would review and possibly update animal-care standards at least every five years and local governments would be pre-empted from setting their own rules.

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Former Minn. Lawmaker, AG Commissioner Dies

Former Minn. Lawmaker, AG Commissioner Dies

KSAX

Former state Rep. Elton Redalen, a southeastern Minnesota dairy farmer who served as agriculture commissioner under Gov. Arne Carlson, has died. He was 83.

Redalen died on Friday at the Chosen Valley Care Center in Chatfield.

The Republican from rural Fountain served in the Minnesota House from 1977 to 1990. He resigned his seat when Carlson named him to head the state Agriculture Department.

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Moran pushes beef exports

Moran pushes beef exports

KNEB

Congressman Jerry Moran recently led a group of members of Congress to support cattle producers, beef processors and rural communities by recommending that the Administration adopt new strategies to recover lost beef export markets. Moran recommended that U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack change negotiation strategies to allow a more flexible approach to achieving access for U.S. beef in foreign markets.

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Register Now To Attend Aug. 13-14 Master Cattleman Summit

Register Now To Attend Aug. 13-14 Master Cattleman Summit

cattlenetwork.com

Cattle producers looking to get the most out of their herd management decisions should register now to attend the 2009 Master Cattleman Summit at Oklahoma State University’s Stillwater campus on Aug. 13-14.

“Master Cattleman participants gain valuable hands-on experience determining forage availability, stocking rates, replacement heifer selection, risk management tools, using cowherd management software and more,” said Dave Lalman, OSU Cooperative Extension beef cattle specialist.

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Illinois Beef Assoc. Seedstock Breeder of the Year Award

Illinois Beef Assoc. Seedstock Breeder of the Year Award

Midwest AG Net

Panther Creek Ranch of Bowen, Illinois in Hancock County was the recipient of the Illinois Beef Association Seedstock Breeder of the Year Award at the IBA Annual Meeting held in Collinsville, Illinois on Thursday, June 25.  Panther Creek Ranch comprises Mike and Kati McClelland and family of Bowen, Steve and Valerie Peterson and family, and Karol McClelland of West Point.  The Seedstock Award is presented to elite purebred cattle firms that supply genetics of the future and utilize the latest technologies in seedstock breeding.

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Nebraska Conference Focuses on Grazing

Nebraska Conference Focuses on Grazing

Thebeefsite.com

An in-depth look at grazing — from becoming a grass farmer to the production and marketing of grass-finished beef — will be featured at the 2009 Nebraska Grazing Conference 11-12 August at the Kearney Holiday Inn.

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Proper Preparation Makes Dehorning Easier

Proper Preparation Makes Dehorning Easier

cattlenetwork.com

Before dehorning, all equipment should be sharp, in good working order and disinfected to prevent horn wound infection. Chlorohexadine and povidol iodine are commonly used disinfectants. Also, carefully follow label directions in mixing disinfectants and water. A solution with an incorrect concentration will not properly disinfect.

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Summer heat stress on cattle

Summer heat stress on cattle

Victoria Advocate

As if the drought is not enough, you can add heat, humidity and wind. According to the National Weather Station in Corpus Christi, five record-high temperatures were recorded at the Victoria Regional Airport in June. If you look at precipitation from January-June – 5.37 inches of rain – 2009 ranks as the second driest January-June on record, dating to 1893.

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