Size matters when buying replacements

Size matters when buying replacements

Beef Today

When buying replacement heifers or cows, producers need to consider the relationship of their size preferences with cow performance and efficiency, says David Hoffman, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist.

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Recent Court Case Clarifies IRS Regulations

 Recent Court Case Clarifies IRS Regulations

John Alan Cohan, Attorney at Law

Cattle Today

Many people who own livestock farms are full-time professionals in non-farming fields. But another large segment of ranching consists of retired individuals who wish to supplement their retirement income with profits from ranching, farming or raising horses. The IRS often enough will assess deficiencies against these individuals based on the idea that the activity is simply a means of generating tax write-offs.

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Cattle Sense: Efficiency In The Cowherd

Cattle Sense: Efficiency In The Cowherd

cattlenetwork.com

When feed prices rise and margins tighten, feed efficiency is a hot topic.  But how do we define, let alone manage, feed efficiency in beef cows?  Do we want cows with low feed:gain ratios, so they can pass that trait on to their offspring?

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NCBA Concerned by Feed Ban and Public Disregard

NCBA Concerned by Feed Ban and Public Disregard

Thebeefsite.com

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) criticised a decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to proceed with implementation of a new feed ban on April 27, 2009, despite numerous objections from farmers, ranchers, states, and members of Congress.

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An education on aging beef

An education on aging beef

Steve Dolinsky

ABC7 Chicago

Beef is big business in Chicago.

Aging is another important element to making great steak.

Steakhouse menus have become awfully wordy.

How about: Nebraska corn-fed, prime, dry-aged? Or Kansas grass-fed, choice, wet-aged? After the cattle is fed, processed and graded, it has to be aged a bit, to break down enzymes and make it more palatable. The industry has two methods for doing this. We spent some time in a few meat lockers to see for ourselves.

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Downer Ban Has Taken Effect

Downer Ban Has Taken Effect

Western Livestock Journal

The final rule, issued first by USDA during the Bush administration, amends the federal meat inspection regulation to require all cattle that become non-ambulatory at any time before harvest, including those that become non-ambulatory after passing ante-mortem inspection, be condemned and properly disposed of. As of April 17, these cattle will be tagged “U.S. Condemned”

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Feedban implementation set, enforcement delayed

Feedban implementation set, enforcement delayed

Julie Harker

Brownfield Network

The Food and Drug Administration has delayedenforcement of its new restrictions to prevent the spread of BSE among U.S. cattle, according to Dow Jones newswires. The feedban starts on April 27th but enforcement has been moved to October 26th of this year. Earlier this month, the FDA said it would postpone until June 26th implementation of the new rule.

The new rule bans the inclusion of cattle brains and spinal cords in ALL animal feed which the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says will create needless expense and waste for the industry.

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Experts positive about effect of cattle on land

Experts positive about effect of cattle on land

John Holland

The Modesto Bee

People meeting at a Tuolumne County ranch had a message for the cattle grazing nearby: Good work.

They said grazing enhances the foothill environment by controlling wildfire fuel and keeping imported grasses from overwhelming the native species.

Keeping beef producers in business is vital to preserving open space in the wide bands of nonirrigated rangeland flanking the Central Valley, they added.

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Feedlot facelift

Feedlot facelift

JBS S.A. owners invest in total overhaul of Five Rivers

Bill Jackson

Greeley Tribune

A landmark east of Kersey is getting a major facelift.

JBS S.A. is in the middle of a complete renovation of the Kuner feedlot operated by Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, a subsidiary of the Brazilian company which also owns JBS USA, with headquarters in Greeley.

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Nominations for Beef awards being sought

Nominations for Beef awards being sought

KTIC

Applications for the second annual National Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Award are now being accepted. The National BQA Award will recognize one outstanding beef and dairy producer that best demonstrate animal care and handling principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their respective operations.

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Cattle genes may give clues about human health

Cattle genes may give clues about human health

Julie Steenhuysen,

Canada.com

Scientists have created the first genetic blueprint of domestic cattle, saying on Thursday the map may lead to tastier beef, better milk and even new insights about human health.

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eBeef: RFID from birth to plate

eBeef: RFID from birth to plate

Computerworld

Kathryn Edwards  Computers determine the quality of meat on your dinner plate, long before it turns up on the doorstep of your butcher, and the increasing uptake of technology in the meat industry means armers across the country are liberating themselves from the global financial crisis, the ravages of drought and other environmental problems.

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Hey, Limbaugh: Cows Ain’t Kitties

Hey, Limbaugh: Cows Ain’t Kitties

Steve Cornett

Beef Today

You can love your cat without loving the Humane Society of the United States.

One hopes, despite what one knows about the apathy in cattle country, that Rush Limbaugh is finding that out after news broke last week that the usually conservative talk radio host had—as the HSUS press release put it—offered “full-throated expression of support for our work.”

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Dwindling Research Funds Jeopardise Livestock

Dwindling Research Funds Jeopardise Livestock

Thebeefsite.com

Dwindling federal funding jeopardizes important animal and biomedical research, together with the institutional research programs that focus on them, a group of Michigan State University scientists warn.

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Tuberculosis Detected In West Texas Herd Of Cattle

Tuberculosis Detected In West Texas Herd Of Cattle

Tammy Mutasa

Myhighplains.com

That’s what the Texas Animal Health Commission is investigating at a West Texas dairy.

 It was found after cows were being prepared for sale and some reacted to tuberculosis skin tests.

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