Gary Truitt: Biting The Hand That Feeds You
Hoosier AG Today
When the media does stories on people who are animal activists, environmentalists, and consumer advocates, they portray them as credible and reasonable people. But you do not have to dig very deep to find that just under that seemingly reasonable and credible surface are a bunch of people who are just plain nuts.
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The Impact of Reducing the Length of the Calving Season
T. R. Troxel and B. L. Barham, University of Arkansas
Having a defined breeding season, and thereby a defined calving season, allows producers to devote more attention to cows during calving, a critical time in the production process when adverse events can dramatically affect production. In a USDA (2009) survey, 54.5% of the beef cattle operations accounting for 34.1% of all the beef cows did not have a set calving season.
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Antibiotic Resistance: A Complete Picture
Advocates for Agriculture
It’s almost popular to point to antibiotic use in animal agriculture as the primary driver behind the antibiotic resistance phenomenon, but that’s falling short of the complete picture. According to a report by the American Academy of Microbiology, the causes of antibiotic resistance are varied and complex.
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Adding Organic Acids to High Moisture Corn
Patrick Hoffman and Irv Possin, University of Wisconsin
In situations where fermentation of high moisture corn (HMC) is in jeopardy, treatment with organic acids can prevent heating and mold growth. Organic acids can also be used to preserve HMC when adequate storage space is not available. Animals fed HMC treated with organic acids perform similar to animals fed untreated HMC.
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Cattle Sellers Reject Meatpacker Payment Request
WCCO
It’s not often that someone demands $1.7 million from Jeff Reed, so when the Minnesota cattle seller opened an ordinary envelope with a surprising letter inside, his jaw dropped.
The letter was one of hundreds asking companies to return money paid by Agriprocessors, Inc., within 90 days of the kosher slaughterhouse’s bankruptcy declaration in November 2008.
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Estrus Synchronization
eXtension.com
Choosing an estrus synchronization system for use with aritficial insemination can be difficult. Estrus synchronization systems vary in cost, labor requirements, and effectiveness. Following are some key factors to consider when choosing an estrus synchronization system.
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Is my alfalfa safe to graze?
Dr. Bruce Anderson, Professor of Agronomy, Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska
Is my alfalfa safe to graze? When I hear that question I can almost imagine the scenarios from which it comes. Usually corn stalks are ready to be grazed. It would be convenient and useful to include an adjacent alfalfa field for extra grazing and protein. The other scenario has grazing ending on summer range but final growth alfalfa is still standing in the field.
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NCBA Opposes House Proposal to Extend Current Estate Tax Law
BARN Online
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is extremely disappointed that Congress has ignored repeated calls for estate tax (“death tax”) reform. The House Rules Committee announced today that H.R. 4154 by Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) will be considered under a closed rule. The Pomeroy bill would permanently extend the death tax at 2009 levels, without indexing for inflation.
“The Pomeroy bill is a disservice to America’s family farmers and other small businesses,” said NCBA President Gary Voogt. “By keeping a flawed law in place, Congress will simply extend our problems with the current system into the future.”
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Beefmaster Breeders Universal Hold Symposium
Cattle Today
Beefmaster Breeders United (BBU) recently held the first Beefmaster Symposium August 14-15 at the Heart O’ Texas Fairgrounds in Waco, Texas. The educational event provided an ideal opportunity for both seedstock and commercial cattlemen to gather under one roof and learn more about the role of Beefmaster cattle in today’s rapidly changing beef industry.
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Fall weaning on the Broken Spear Ranch
Tony Bruguiere
The Fence Post
For Gail and Millie Allen, who own the Broken Spear Ranch near La Junta, Colo., it is the end of one year of raising cattle and the beginning of another.
For a cow-calf operation like the Allens, the two run together at the fall weaning. Cows and their calves, which were born in the spring, have to be gathered up and separated.
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National Beef plans IPO at $15-$17 per share
International Business Times
National Beef Inc, a holding company that intends to buy a minority stake in the fourth largest U.S. beef company, said it will have an initial public offering of 17.25 million shares of common stock, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Wednesday.
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Cow Body Condition Changes after Calving
eXtension.com
Body condition at the time of calving is the most important factor affecting rebreeding performance of normally managed beef cows. Body condition changes before and after calving will have more subtle effects on rebreeding especially in cows that are in marginal body condition.
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Farmers To Gain From House Climate Bill
Thebeefsite.com
Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack summarised the USDA’s latest analysis of a cap and trade bill passed by the House last summer as positive for most farmers, including livestock producers.
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Giant Organic Livestock Operation Decertified by USDA
Webwire.com
Federal Organic Enforcement Hammer Falls Hard to Protect Farmers/Consumers
In an investigation and legal case that dragged on for almost four years, one of the largest organic cattle producers in the United States, Promiseland Livestock, LLC, was suspended from organic commerce, along with its owner and key employees, for four years. The penalty was part of an order issued by administrative law judge Peter Davenport in Washington, DC on November 25.
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The Beef Blog 