Trichomoniasis, A New Challenge For Cowmen
Bovine Veterinarian
After many years of testing and culling, Oklahoma regulatory veterinarians, practitioners, and cow-calf producers have succeeded in pretty much eliminating Brucellosis as a threat to reproductive efficiency.
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Grass feeding cattle does not ensure beef safety
Christopher R. Raines
Penn State University
Poking around the Blogosphere and Twitterverse, I have encountered on multiple occurrences statements and claims promulgating the idea that grass fed beef can be handled differently than “conventional” beef because it’s “safer.” I tend to be a worrywart when it comes to this idea, that somehow “grass-fed beef doesn’t harbor E. coli.”
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DNA Tests Help Cattle Producers Clean Up Genetic Defects
Boyd Kidwell
DTN/Progressive Farmer
It was something no one wanted to hear. Curly Calf Syndrome cases in 2008 were found to be the result of a genetic defect linked to some of the country’s most popular Angus bloodlines. The defect, also known as Arthrogryposis Multiplex (AM), was confirmed only in a small number of calves, but hysteria surrounding the fatal defect shook the industry.
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Cesarean Sections
Bob Larson
Angus Journal
Cesarean section (C-section) became a standard surgery for cattle veterinarians by the early 1900s. The C-section is a very valuable surgical procedure to decrease cow and calf death loss due to a difficult birth. Although a recent survey indicated that only about 1 in 250 heifers requires a C-section (0.4%), another 7.4% required a “hard pull” for delivery, and some of these instances may have benefited from surgical correction of the difficult birth.
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Social Media: The New Battleground For American Agriculture
Gary Truitt
Hoosier AG Today
There is a new battleground in the fight against the anti-animal forces that are bent on destroying the American livestock industry. What makes this significant is that is battleground is not controlled by the mass media, special interest groups, PR companies, HSUS, or PETA. This new battleground is controlled by consumers, individuals from a variety of backgrounds taking on the radical fringe and their efforts to control what we eat.
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USDA organic program sets pasture requirement for cattle
Melissa Allison
Knoxville News Sentinel
For years, livestock ranchers and organic activists have bickered about how much time dairy and beef cattle should spend in pastures to be certified organic.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program finally answered that question, in the first major decision to come out of the program since Miles McEvoy left Washington state last fall to run it.
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Missouri weather takes toll on beef cows
Boonville Daily News
The wet, cold weather we’ve experienced in January and early February has taken a toll on the body condition of beef cows and reduced gains on backgrounded calves.
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Keeping cattle fed: Winter grazing woes
Joe Gamm
Amarillo Globe-News
Cattlemen plan for the worst, especially when the weather is concerned.
In the northern parts of the Texas Panhandle, some are worried that feed might be running low because snowfall this winter is approaching levels that can be measured in feet and cattle can’t graze.
If cold weather continues, those who haven’t prepared might well be forced to find feed for their cattle.
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Animal ID system halted after $142M
JERRY LACKEY
Reporter-News
The National Animal Identification System, first proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2004, has been abandoned after costing $142 million to develop.
In turn, the USDA has proposed to develop a new, flexible framework for animal disease traceability in the U.S. and undertake several other actions to further strengthen its disease prevention and response capabilities.
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Hamilton, Uden continue with beef promotion
North Platte Bulletin
Thedford cow/calf operator and custom grazer David Hamilton and Darr Feedlot owner Craig Uden will continue to serve terms on the national Beef Promotion and Operating Committee that decides how beef is advertised.
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Beef Webinar Focuses on Calving Management
KNEB
Dr. Jeff Ondrak from the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center at the University of Nebraska will be the featured speaker for the third Beef Webinar sponsored by Cooperative Extension and scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, February 18th.
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Cattle farming on the decline
Melissa Shriver
Connect Tri States
You may shell out more for your beef in the coming years. That’s because cattle production is down in many areas of the country.
According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, numbers of beef cattle are down eight million from nearly 30 years ago.
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Livestock Bill Will See Action This Week at Indiana Statehouse
Gary Truitt
Hoosier AG Today
Several key bills that will impact the Indiana livestock industry will see action in the Indiana legislature this week. HB 1099 and SB116 both deal with the issue of who should set animal care standards in the state. Bob Kraft with Indiana Farm Bureau says these bills establish the Indiana Board of Animal Health as the regulatory authority on animal care, “We support this legislation so that what happened in Michigan will not happen in Indiana.”
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Schmidt Awarded Snidow Award
National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) member Erick Schmidt, Gonzales, Texas, was awarded the B.C. “Bud” Snidow Award Jan. 16 during the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
The Snidow Award is sponsored by the American Hereford Women (AHW) and is given annually to a deserving NJHA member who exemplifies the qualities most admired by Snidow, including honesty, fairness, hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to the Hereford breed and its breeders.
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Florida cattle producers have new marketing tool
Southeastern Farm Press
Florida cattle producers have a new marketing tool to help them increase exports of Florida bulls, heifers, brood cows and genetics as seedstock to other countries which are seeking to improve and expand their beef herds.
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