Back up Your Stocker Calves with Good Cow Herd Management
Kristen Odom
The Cattle Man
Let buyers know what to expect from your calves by letting them know how you manage your cows.
Having a management program in place is key for the calf crop going into a feedyard, but it is equally important to have an efficient management program for the cow herd and to let buyers know about it.
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Guilty plea in high-tech cattle rustling
Joy Powell
Minneapolis Star Tribune
The former manager of a South St. Paul cooperative has pleaded guilty to a long-running scheme in which he embezzled more than $1.4 million by faking cattle sales – then gambled the loot at casinos.
Barry J. May, 45, of Randolph, Minn., pleaded guilty Wednesday in Dakota County District Court to four felonies that account for $700,000 to $800,000 in losses for his former employer, Central Livestock Association (CLA).
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$17 Million to train beginning farmers and ranchers
The Cattle Business Weekly
More than $17 million in grants will be awarded to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.
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Listeriosis
Bob Larson
Angus Journal
There are a few diseases that are more common in colder months. As we move into winter, it is a good time to review one of the important cold-weather diseases — listeriosis. Although listeriosis can occur in grazing animals, it occurs most commonly in animals fed improperly fermented silage or baleage. The two most common problems that listeria causes in cattle are a nervous system problem (often called circling disease) and late-term abortions.
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Animal ethics professor offers advice to beef industry
Amanda Nolz
Tri State Livestock News
If ever there was an opportunity to learn about beef production from a different point of view, it was when Dr. Bernie Rollin, an animal ethics professor and philosopher from Colorado State University, pulled into Brookings, SD on Nov. 16, 2009 to speak on the South Dakota State University campus.
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Q&A: As corn is generally used, is there any truth to feeding barley over corn for better product flavor?
Dr. Chris Calkins, Professor, Meat Science, Animal Science Department, University of Nebraska
A: I know of no scientific evidence that feeding barley to beef cattle results in more flavorful beef. I am attaching a paper written by Dr. J.D. Tatum of Colorado State University where he explains there are few differences between barley and corn-fed beef. When differences exist, they tend to favor corn.
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Cattlemen Fight Back, Tell Their Story On Billboards
Southern Livestock Standard
Tired of the negative image being portrayed regarding animal agriculture, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation is fighting back – one billboard at a time.
The billboards, with a photo and slogan, are part of a year-long campaign by the MFBF to put a face on agriculture and show that producers really do care for their animals.
The newest billboard was unveiled in Missoula, Mont., on Nov. 9, just in time for the MFBF Convention held there.
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Opportunities exist for beef, dairy producers to utilize damaged corn
Farm and Dairy
The moldy corn that is coming out of some Indiana fields presents challenges to growers and livestock producers, but cattlemen may be able to take advantage of this unfortunate opportunity, according Purdue University beef and dairy specialists.
The rumen is an organ that allows beef and dairy cattle to detoxify anything they might eat, said Ron Lemenager, Purdue Extension beef management specialist.
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KLA program to underscore need for livestock advocacy
High Plains Journal
A veterinarian who is providing national leadership on the animal care issue, the chief executive officer of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and a U.S. senator from Kansas are among those on the program for the Kansas Livestock Association Convention in Wichita. The group’s annual meeting will take place Dec. 3 and 4 at the Wichita Hyatt and Century II Convention Center.
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Mick Colvin portrait hung in Saddle & Sirloin Gallery in Louisville, Ky.
Farm and Dairy
The portrait of Louis M. “Mick” Colvin has entered the Saddle & Sirloin Gallery in Louisville, Ky.
More than 230 of Colvin’s family and friends gathered Nov. 15 for the dinner and unveiling at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, where the gallery has been located since 1977.
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New technology being used in livestock sales
MEGAN LAWRENCE
Tulsa World
With the slam of the gate, the bull runs into the sale ring, the auctioneer begins to shout, and ringmen begin to yell as the audience bids on the animal.
However, the only sound of gates opening and slamming shut at the Fink Beef Genetics Bull Sale in Randolph, Kan., is people walking in and out of the pens outside the building to look at the bulls before the sale.
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Industry advisors say it is time to capture direct, maternal heterosis
High Plains Journal
Longevity, rebreeding and calf survivability are gaining importance as the nation’s cow herd becomes more straightbred. That likely is because commercial cow-calf producers have forgotten or ignored hybrid vigor (heterosis). A crossbreeding program can increase lifetime production by more than 20 percent if you design it to capture both direct (individual) heterosis in crossbred calves and maternal heterosis in crossbred cows.
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Canadian Western Agribition begins in Regina
Jodi Gillich
Leader-Post
Mervin Kohut looks forward to the Canadian Western Agribition every year.
Kohut, retired after 42 years in construction, has been on the janitorial staff at the Agribition for the last six years.
“It’s a very nice, great show,” said Kohut in what was, on Friday afternoon, 22 acres of largely empty of Agribition buildings. “There’s a lot of nice people you meet as you work.”
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Cattle Industry Convention To Be Held In San Antonio
Food Manufacturing
More than 5,000 people involved in the cattle industry are expected to attend the 2010 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show to be held in San Antonio, Texas Jan. 25–30. The annual event is the largest cattle industry event in the country and this year’s convention and trade show offers more education, entertainment and excitement than ever.
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Minnesota beef cattle numbers holding steady
Dick Hagen
The Land
Balaton-area beef man Dennis Swan has been a member of the Minnesota Beef Council more than 20 years, and currently serves as its chairman. He and his farming partner also feed out about 1,200 head of cattle each year, giving him a broad perspective on the beef industry.
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