Financial Outlook Not all Gloom and Doom

Financial Outlook Not all Gloom and Doom

Cattle Today

Eighty-four percent of U.S. agricultural professionals surveyed say the probability that many producers will experience financial stress in the next three years is “high or very high.”

This from a recently completed survey of 2,300 professionals – agricultural producers, agricultural economists, consultants, educators and lenders – in all 50 states.

Full Story

Raising animals naturally

Raising animals naturally

Michael Hastings

Godanriver.com

Lee Menius grew up on a farm where animals were raised the conventional way for many years. Now he’s trying something different.

Since World War II, his family had bred beef cattle in Rowan County with antibiotics and hormones. Then they sold them to feedlot operations where they would be raised on grain instead of a grass diet.

Full Story

Student busy on the ranch and at school

Student busy on the ranch and at school

ELIZABETH KALFSBEEK

Daily Democrat

Logan Ornbaun is busier than most. When he’s not helping calf his heifers, he’s growing 70 acres of organic rice, or planting a special vetch oat mix in the field, or concocting custom cattle feeds which he sells to local ranchers, or he’s catching up on his school work for Pierce High School, or … well, you get the idea.

Full Story

Tips for healthy calves

Tips for healthy calves

Ponoka News

Keeping newborn calves dry and clean is easier said than done, but is worth the effort. Dry calves are warmer, healthier and grow better. Wet calves lose body heat rapidly, and use a lot of energy just to maintain body temperature. Weakened calves are more susceptible to calfhood diseases.

Full Story

Proposed animal gas tax revisited because of EPA finding

Proposed animal gas tax revisited because of EPA finding

Pat Kopecki

Wilson County News

Agriculture leaders across the nation are closely watching the April 17 announcement by the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The findings of the administrator included a report that six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, “threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.”

Full Story

As Big Ag’s grade-A meat promoter, Charlie Arnot cooks up opposition to industry reform

As Big Ag’s grade-A meat promoter, Charlie Arnot cooks up opposition to industry reform

Peter Rugg

The Pitch

Charlie Arnot’s dining options are limited today.

He keeps an office in a nondescript business complex with few other tenants near Kansas City International Airport, so he can get in and out of town quickly.

Full Story

Is EPA’s “Cow Tax” Real Or Just A Good Rumor?

Is EPA’s “Cow Tax” Real Or Just A Good Rumor?

cattlenetwork.com

We’ve all heard the coffee shop rumors that EPA will impose a cow gas tax on every livestock producer to reverse global warming. That is great fodder to chew, but what are the real proposals, what would they do, and who would be affected? Once those issues are clear, agriculture can make an appropriate response.

Full Story

Cattle research debunks muscle myth

Cattle research debunks muscle myth

ABC Rural (AU)

New research has debunked the long-held belief that beef heifers with less muscle are more fertile and productive.

A 12-year study at the Glen Innes Agricultural Research Station in NSW has examined the genes responsible for increased muscularity in cattle.

Full Story

Same Cow, No Matter How You Slice It?

Same Cow, No Matter How You Slice It?

KIM SEVERSON

New York Times

ON a stainless steel table in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association test kitchen, a meat scientist named Bridget Wasser began dissecting a piece of beef shoulder as big as a couch cushion.

Her knife danced between long, thick muscles, then she flipped the whole thing open like book. After a tug and one final slice, she set before her visitor the Denver steak.

Full Story

Texans raise beef cattle the old-fashioned way

Texans raise beef cattle the old-fashioned way

Judith McGinnis

Times Record News

Curiosity is the only thing that might make Gary and Lauren Nitschke’s cattle come to the truck when the couple set out to check pastures. Unlike cattle raised by conventional methods, these grass-fed Angus and Charolais have no expectation of sweet feed or other treats falling from the tail gate.

Full Story

Japan Prime Target for U.S. Meat Promotions

Japan Prime Target for U.S. Meat Promotions

Cattle Today

While the sluggish U.S. economy places downward pressure on middle meat prices, USMEF has been undertaking efforts to promote an expanded range of beef cuts in targeted overseas markets to help maximize the cutout value for producers.

Full Story

Baxter Black, DVM: THE CHOICES WE MAKE

Baxter Black, DVM:  THE CHOICES WE MAKE

I was in Colusa, CA in the beautiful Northern Sacramento Valley. But farmers are worried because of the lack of snowmelt in the surrounding mountains, which furnishes their irrigation water. Drought is a serious problem in many parts of the country.

Full Story

Feeding Barley to Beef Cattle

Feeding Barley to Beef Cattle

Greg Lardy and Marc Bauer, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, North Dakota State University

Barley is an important feed grain in many areas of the world not typically suited for corn production, especially in northern climates. Barley is the principal feed grain in Canada, Europe, and in the northern United States.

The purpose of this review is to compare the nutritive and feeding values of barley to other common feed grains, review data from feeding trials involving barley, and offer barley feeding recommendations.

Full Story

Pain Can be Minimized While Dehorning Calves

Pain Can be Minimized While Dehorning Calves

Cattle Today

Removing horns reduces the risk of injury to handlers and other cattle. So choosing whether or not to dehorn calves isn’t debatable. But how you dehom calves is open for criticism and discussion.

Agricultural practices, such as keeping hogs in farrowing cages, are under increasing public scrutiny. Nonfarmers may view common management practices such as dehorning negatively and lower their opinions of dairying.

Full Story

Criollo cattle offer a taste of New Mexico

Criollo cattle offer a taste of New Mexico

Brook Stockberger

Silver City Sun News

When food connoisseurs think of southern New Mexico, a few things immediately come to mind.

“When you come to New Mexico, you’re going to have enchiladas and chile,” said Ed Fredrickson, a scientist with the Jornada Experimental Range, north of Las Cruces. “And you can have Criollo beef.”

Full Story

Web site compiles information on cattle virus

Web site compiles information on cattle virus

RICK PLUMLEE

The Wichita Eagle

A Web site has been developed as a clearinghouse for the latest information about bovine viral diarrhea virus.

The site (www.bvdinfo.org) was developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Academy of Veterinary Consultants.

Full Story

DNA blueprint for healthier and more efficient cows

DNA blueprint for healthier and more efficient cows

Innovations Report

CSIRO scientists were among the 300 researchers from 25 countries involved in the six-year Bovine Genome Sequencing Project designed to sequence, annotate and analyse the genome of a female Hereford cow called L1 Dominette.

Full Story

NCBA criticizes FDA decision to move ahead with new feed ban

NCBA criticizes FDA decision to move ahead with new feed ban

AG Professional

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

The new section of the regulations prohibits the use of high-risk cattle material in feed for all animal species.

Full Story

Check for storage molds in feed grains, hay

Check for storage molds in feed grains, hay

In Forum

Grain or hay harvested at high-moisture content last fall and not adequately stored or dried may have a higher risk of storage mold this spring.

“Storage mold fungi may result in poor-quality feed and the possible development of mycotoxins,” says Marcia McMullen, North Dakota State University Extension Service plant pathologist.

Full Story

Fresh pasture can be trouble for cattle

Fresh pasture can be trouble for cattle

Gary Wilson

The Courier

The temperature is rising and the grass is really starting to grow, not only your lawns, but also for livestock farmers with pastures. The temperature change in the eastern cornbelt has many livestock farmers and, especially, beef producers eager to turn their cattle out to pasture.

Full Story