BeefTalk: Tough Decisions at Cow Culling Time

BeefTalk: Tough Decisions at Cow Culling Time

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Fall Cow Sorting List Fall Cow Sorting List

Now is the time to cull those extra market cows and bulls.

Fall is fast approaching. Last week we had high temperatures near 100 degrees. Lows are forecast for the 30s by midweek as we prepare for seasonal change.

If summer is defined as a growing season, there was no summer for some people. Others had a great summer.

Regardless, summer has departed and fall is making its presence known. This fall is going to be difficult for many producers because high prices have translated into high costs. This has eliminated any margin for error.

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Necessary skills for a future in the industry

Necessary skills for a future in the industry

Opportunities exist, but new thinking is required

 Jason Ahola, University of Idaho

Cattle Business Weekly

It’s almost back-to-school time, and what a great occasion to look at the education of our nation’s youth, particularly those hoping to work in the beef industry. With significant opportunities for the U.S. beef industry on the horizon, this is a great chance for young people to prepare themselves starting at an early age.

Our nation’s ranchers are getting older. In fact, 12 years ago UDSA reported that 66% of cow/calf operators were over 50 years old. This has resulted in a massive generational transfer of agricultural operations across the U.S.

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The Immune System, Immunity and Livestock Herds

The Immune System, Immunity and Livestock Herds

E.J. Richey, DVM

University of Florida

Immunity is the ability of an animal to resist disease. Fortunately, immunity is a basic fact of nature; unfortunately, we take it for granted. In reality, immunity culminates from the activity of a very complex and intricate system of the body – the immune system; a system that we can to some extent enhance and manipulate to provide various degrees of protection against most disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

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Q&A What are some of the key elements affecting change in the beef business?

Q&A     What are some of the key elements affecting change in the beef business?

Dr. Larry Corah, Technical Services, Certified Angus Beef, Manhattan, Kansas

A:     Increased Globalization. We now live in a global society. It is important to remember that the North American continent is not the only place in the world where beef is produced. Export markets are vital to growth of our industry. Only 4% of the world’s people live in the U.S. but we produce a much higher percentage of the world’s food supply.

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Will Mandatory COOL Hurt Ground Beef Sales?

Will Mandatory COOL Hurt Ground Beef Sales?

Steve Kay

Beef Magazine

Think of beef and most people bring to mind a juicy steak. But the beef industry’s most valuable product is ground beef, sold as such, in patty form or in other ways. Estimates suggest these products represent about 42% of all the beef consumed in the U.S. each year. In terms of volume, the market is divided 50/50 between retail and foodservice.

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Statements, procedures to move COOL livestock origin information along ownership chain developed at ‘unprecedented’ industry meeting

Statements, procedures to move COOL livestock origin information along ownership chain developed at ‘unprecedented’ industry meeting

Livestock Marketing Association

Seventy representatives of over 30 livestock industry, related groups and organizations gathered recently in Kansas City, in a meeting organized by Livestock Marketing Association and co-hosted by the National Meat Association and the National Farmers Union, to tackle a key issue as the federal Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law takes effect Sept. 30.

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Eight Biosecurity Tips For The Cow-Calf Man

Eight Biosecurity Tips For The Cow-Calf Man

Beef Magazine

Ask a swine producer about the role of biosecurity and herd health on the average hog farm, and a protocol and 20-minute lecture are surely to follow. Ask a cow-calf producer, and you’d likely get a much less detailed response.

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Don’t sell your cattle — market your beef

Don’t sell your cattle — market your beef

Ranchers are in a continuously changing cattle business.

With collaboration from several sectors of the industry, the Colorado BQA Program and Colorado Beef Council will host cattle producer meetings throughout Colorado addressing current issues and trends affecting our evolving beef marketplace. Please plan to attend these sessions in Burlington on Sept. 10; Akron on Sept. 11; Alamosa on Sept. 13; Durango Sept. 23; and Rocky Ford Sept. 24.

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Livestock groups to present industry-wide COOL affidavit

Livestock groups to present industry-wide COOL affidavit

Bob Meyer

Brownfield Network

Members of the livestock and meat industry will meet with USDA Undersecretary Bruce Knight on Friday to present a standardized affidavit for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Heather Vaughan with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says this is a simple affidavit that would be initiated with the first sale of an animal. “It’s very simple and straight-forward, it says I testify to the best of my knowledge these cattle are of such-and-such origin, you sign it, date it and that’s it.” Group affidavits would be used in the case of feedlots that buy animals from several sources, rather than have to send copies of all of the affidavits on when the sell. Producers would have to keep the affidavits on file for at least a year after the animal is slaughtered or dies.

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NCBA statement on COOL

NCBA statement on COOL

KTIC

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is pleased to join an industry-wide coalition in announcing the development of a standardized affidavit to declare country of origin for livestock throughout the marketing chain. The affidavit is available online here

( http://www.beefusa.org/uDocs/countryoforiginaffidavit453.pdf ).

“Tomorrow, NCBA and other representatives from throughout the livestock and meat industries will meet with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Bruce Knight to present this affidavit.

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TB testing expected for state’s cattle

TB testing expected for state’s cattle

Chelle Delaney

PNT online

Mandatory bovine tuberculosis testing is expected to be extended to the whole state starting next week, according to the state veterinarian and officials of the New Mexico Livestock Board.

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Mt. Stockgrowers Assoc. ‘Follow the Cattle Tour’ travels to Colorado and Nebraska

Mt. Stockgrowers Assoc. ‘Follow the Cattle Tour’ travels to Colorado and Nebraska

Shelby Promoter

The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Follow the Cattle Tour-an intensive four-day educational tour of various segments of the beef industry-was a great success this year! The tour, held every other year, is designed to expand the knowledge of participants in the beef industry beyond the fences of Montana ranches. This year’s tour stopped in Colorado and Nebraska and focused on the effects of ethanol production on the cattle industry from the feed yard to the processing plant. Participants toured several feed yards, one processing plant, an ethanol plant and a brewery.

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K-State Ag Today: Beef expert gives advice for supplementing pasture cattle

K-State Ag Today: Beef expert gives advice for supplementing pasture cattle

Jeff Wichman

KTKA

When distributing a weekly amount of supplementation to a cattle herd, is it better to ration out daily portions? Or put out the entire week’s worth in one setting?

Ted McCollum, a beef specialist for Texas Agrilife Extension, addressed the issue at this year’s K-State Beef Conference.

He says a single feeding offers better opportunities for each animal.

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New Publication Teaches Livestock Operators How To Mitigate High Phosphorus Soils

New Publication Teaches Livestock Operators How To Mitigate High Phosphorus Soils

Cattle Today

Managers of Idaho’s confined animal feeding operations can download a new University of Idaho bulletin to learn how to avoid or reduce high soil phosphorus levels in fields receiving manure. The 30-page bulletin, “Mitigating High-Phosphorus Soils,” highlights the environmental and nutrient management issues related to phosphorus on Idaho livestock operations and helps producers meet the legally defined standards for adding phosphorus.

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National cattlemen (R-CALF) support Creekstone

National cattlemen (R-CALF) support Creekstone

Arkcity.net

A national cattle producers group has issued a statement supporting Creekstone Farms Premium Beef in its legal battle with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which for years has blocked the meatpacker from testing its own cattle for mad cow disease.

R-CALF USA said in a press release Tuesday it was disappointed to learn that a federal appeals court – in a split decision – last week sided with the USDA in its efforts to ban Arkansas City-based Creekstone Farms from testing for mad cow, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE.

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