More legislation to ban antibiotics
Drovers.com
This week, California State Sen. Dean Florez, chairman of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, has introduced legislation to amend the California Constitution to ban the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in meat-producing livestock.
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Dealing with wet conditions during haying
Greg Lardy
Tri State Livestock News
This spring’s wet weather has many people in the area covered by Tri-State Livestock News beginning to worry about putting up good quality hay. Moist, humid conditions make it harder to dry swaths to proper moisture for baling. There is not much you can do about the weather but there are steps you can take that will increase your chances of being able to put up good quality forage in a timely fashion.
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Cow-Calf Profitability
Mark A. McCann, Ph.D., Virginia Tech
One does not have to spend a great deal of effort in reviewing 2008 beef cattle receipts or production expenses to recognize the direction of cow-calf net returns. While there are many economic outlooks available to cattlemen for 2009 and beyond, it is rare that they drill deep enough to project net returns to cow-calf producers.
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Climate Change Legislation on Hold
Hoosier AG Today
Climate change legislation will remain in a Senate committee until September when Congress returns from its summer recess. Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer of California says she no longer intends to mark up the bill before the recess begins on August 7th. This move is expected to give negotiators and their aides an extra month to work on the controversial legislation.
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Early Fall Supplementation with Protein
Dr. Glenn Selk, Extension Cattle Specialist, Oklahoma State University
Because condition at calving and breeding are so important, it may at first seem silly to begin worrying about condition at the first part of September. However, it must be remembered that there are few economical ways to increase body condition once winter has arrived.
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Agriculture lobby blew it on cap and trade
Mark Hillman
Denver Daily News
Once climate-change regulators strangle the economy and carbon-counters turn gas, oil and electricity into expensive luxuries, perhaps American farmers will recognize how “our friends” in Washington, D.C., sold us out in the name of political compromise.
Recently, Capitol Hill’s agriculture lobby had a choice: withhold support from the Waxman-Markey climate control bill or agree to a compromise that provides cover to rural district Democrats who support it.
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BeefTalk: Capturing Value Is The Name Of The Beef Game
Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Given the costs involved in producing beef, producers must strive to maximize their gross margin.
Beef production is about value. There are many components and obviously many ways to raise beef, but the bottom line is value. The product has to have value.
In economics, value is a product of supply and demand. Many educational opportunities, such as the North Dakota Farm and Ranch Business Management Education Program (http://www.ndfarmmanagement.com), have and will continue to aid producers who are active in the beef industry by helping them understand better the concept of value.
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History of Using Bourbon Distillers Thin Stillage
cattlenetwork.com
Last month I presented some general information on the nutrient composition of bourbon wet distillers grains. Previously in Off The Hoof, pricing of wet co-products was also covered with respect to adjusting for moisture content and this is critical as the moisture content can vary impacting the price one could pay in relationship to other feedstuffs. Wet bourbon distillers grains are certainly a viable, quality feedstuff that can be utilized within the diets of beef cattle. Looking for older research on using bourbon distillery feed co-products, I found some interesting history dating back some 150+ years. I thought I would share a bit of this with you below.
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‘Branding ‘Em Red in South Dakota’
Cattle Business Weekly
Numerous Red Angus junior members from across South Dakota and other parts of the nation toured South Dakota for the Junior Red Angus Association of America’s annual Junior Round-Up held June 23-28.
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Spitzer Ranch Honored by Brangus Association
Cattle Today
Spitzer Ranch, Dr. John and Patricia Spitzer, Fair Play, S.C. have been honored with the prestigious Breeder Of The Year designation by the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA). What began as a marriage in 1968 turned into a true partnership in a variety of livestock endeavors from stocker cattle to commercial replacement heifers to registered seedstock and a commercial broiler operation.
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In Defense of the Cow: How Eating Meat Could Help Slow Climate Change
Timothy J. LaSalle
Treehugger
Should we be eating more beef in order to slow global warming? It sounds counterintuitive, but it may be so: Cattle could be part of the whole ecological equation to solving climate change and restoring healthy, bio-diverse ecosystems. I am a vegetarian, but I maintain there is a place for grass-fed beef on family menus—and pasture-raised cattle in global warming solutions. Cows can help more than harm if they are sustainably raised.
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Animal care bills target food safety
Jennifer Youssef
The Detroit News
Two bills that would provide oversight of animal care on Michigan farms and assure consumers their food is safe are making their way through the Legislature and getting support from many in the agricultural community.
The House bills — sponsored by Rep. Mike Simpson, D-Jackson, and Rep. Jeff Mayes, D-Bay City — seek to give consumers confidence that meat and animal by-products from Michigan farms are produced in accordance with a set of holistic animal care standards.
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National Johne’s Workshop Aug. 10
The Cattle Business Weekly
Exploring ways to most effectively address Johne’s disease at the farm level is the focus of the 2nd New Horizons in Johne’s Disease Control workshop set for Monday, Aug. 10, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. Registration starts at 8:00 a.m., with opening remarks scheduled for 8:45 a.m. The day’s sessions will wrap up at 5:00 p.m.
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Chips Heifer Development Program
cattlenetwork.com
Beef heifer development is typically a challenge for most cow/calf producers in southern Iowa. First-calf heifers need to be managed and developed as a separate group from the mature cows, which is difficult for many small producers. This requires extra facilities, a specific feeding program to meet the growing heifer’s nutrient requirements, calving ease bulls to maintain calf quality and reduce dystocia problems, and the extra labor necessary to address these concerns.
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Announcing the 2009 Brangus Summit
PR.com
The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) is pleased to announce that the 2009 Annual IBBA Summit will be hosted in Oklahoma City, OK, September 23-25, 2009. The 3-day educational event is held in conjunction with the IBBA fall governance meetings, and provides breeders the opportunity to showcase their ranch with booth space. The Summit is occurring simultaneously with the Western National Show.
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The Beef Blog 