Video Feature: So what do you do with your carriers of genetic defects?

Video Feature: So what do you do with your carriers of genetic defects?

Dr. Terry Stewart, Purdue University, tells how to cope with genetic defect carriers in your cow herd.

Johnson County Yak War?

Johnson County Yak War?

JEREMY PELZER

Casper Star-Tribune

Somewhere in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains, a herd of yaks are on the loose — and are stirring up a political fight.

For the past five years or so, a group of the woolly Asian bovines have frequently wandered off of John and Laura DeMatteis’ Yak Daddy Ranch, irking neighboring ranchers who worry that they eat their grass and could mate with their cattle.

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High-yield agriculture slows pace of global warming, say FSE researchers

High-yield agriculture slows pace of global warming, say FSE researchers

Louis Bergeron

Stanford News Service

Advances in high-yield agriculture over the latter part of the 20th century have prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere – the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – according to a new study led by two Stanford Earth scientists.

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This May be the Summer to Store Distillers Grains

This May be the Summer to Store Distillers Grains

Rick Rasby

Angus Journal

This was an interesting winter for feeding because of the availability of distillers’ grain (DG) for cow-calf producers at a reasonable price. There were many occasions this winter when DG was priced at 70% the price of corn. Because DG has a greater energy value than corn, this made it very economical and an extremely good buy when calculated per unit of total digestible nutrients (TDN).

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Ration-Balancing Challenges

Ration-Balancing Challenges

Fae Holin

Hay and Forage Grower

Because of $3.25-plus corn and despite high alfalfa hay prices, dairy producers will probably balance rations with more corn silage, high-quality hay and byproducts and less corn grain. So predicts Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois extension dairy nutritionist.

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Your Animals’ Good Health Benefits Everyone

Your Animals’ Good Health Benefits Everyone

Bovine Veterinarian

In Marlys Miller’s article, "It’s Your Responsibility To Fend Off FADs," she highlights the concerns about foreign animal diseases and emphasizes our collective responsibility to keep them out of the USA. Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is such a terrible disease that it rightly deserves the attention it gets. However, we often forget about it until we hear of a neighboring country or a trading partner that has experienced a new outbreak.

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Helping Cattle Keep Their Cool

Helping Cattle Keep Their Cool

Laura McGinness

Angus Journal

Cattle may not worry about job security or credit history, but that doesn’t mean their lives are stress-free. For some cattle, rising stress levels correspond with rising temperatures. This can be a problem for the many cattle raised in the Central Plains, a region subject to long periods of extreme heat in the summer.

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Regulators consider broadening testing for E. coli

Regulators consider broadening testing for E. coli

Shannon Dininny

Mercury News

The food industry and government regulators have focused for years on finding the most virulent strain of E. coli bacteria, which every year sickens thousands.

But they don’t regularly test for six less common E. coli strains that can cause illnesses equally as serious. Most recently, two dozen illnesses in four states were tied this spring to bagged romaine lettuce contaminated by an uncommon E. coli strain that can be difficult to detect.

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Extension offers beef practicum

Extension offers beef practicum

Gothenburg Times

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Mid-Plains Beef Education in Economics and Forages Practicum programs will be offered beginning in September at the Dalbey-Halleck Research Farm near Virginia.

The Mid-Plains BEEF Practicum is a collaborative educational effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and Iowa State University Extension.

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R-CALF USA to testify at U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing on export opportunities in China

R-CALF USA to testify at U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing on export opportunities in China

North Texas E-News

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard will testify at a June 22, 2010 hearing before the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) regarding opportunities for the exportation of U.S. beef to China. R-CALF USA, in its extensive 37-page pre-hearing brief concluded that conditions in China do not indicate that China would represent a substantial beef export market for the United States, though it could represent smaller, niche market opportunities.

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‘No female’ rule on ranch not fair

‘No female’ rule on ranch not fair

Glenda Price

PNTonline.com

My dad was a ranch manager for absentee owners, so he was the on-the-ground boss.

When we were quite young my brother and I began working alongside him. He called us his “top hands,” which made us feel proud – and work even harder.

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Heat Stress can Reduce Pregnancy Rates

Heat Stress can Reduce Pregnancy Rates

Dr. Glen Selk, Oklahoma State University

        The effects of heat stress on reproductive performance of beef cows has been discussed by many animal scientists in a variety of ways.  After reviewing the scientific literature available  up to 1979, one scientist wrote that the most serious seasonal variation in reproductive performance was associated with high ambient temperatures and humidity.  He further pointed out that pregnancy rates and subsequent calving rates were reduced from 10% to 25% in cows bred in July through September.

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Extralabel Drug Substitution Runs Afoul Of Law

Extralabel Drug Substitution Runs Afoul Of Law

Bovine Veterinarian

Extralabel use of drugs can give veterinarians effective options in treating patients, but there are limitations veterinarians should be aware of when considering extralabel drug use.

Guidelines set out in the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act impose certain restrictions on veterinarians who prescribe approved human and animal drugs for use in ways other than stated on the label. Most of these restrictions apply to use in food animals, but some limitations also pertain to horses and small animals.

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Pursuing a farming, ranching career

Pursuing a farming, ranching career

Amanda Nolz

Tri State Livestock News

Like many ranch kids, Matt Miller of Howard, SD got his start in the cattle business through a 4-H project. His parents, Dave and Marcia, gave him a show heifer each summer, and in turn, they would retain half of the calf crop to pay for feed costs, yardage and medicines.

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Beef industry helps in the fight against hunger

Beef industry helps in the fight against hunger

Tommy Noel

KIDK

Idaho’s beef industry is helping in the fight against hunger.

Over 3,000 pounds of beef were donated to the Idaho Foodbank, courtesy of Beef Counts.

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