BRSV-MoreThan Just Four Letters On A Vaccination Bottle

BRSV-MoreThan Just Four Letters On A Vaccination Bottle

Purdue University

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) has been recognized as a pathogen in cattle since 1970. The presence of this virus in cattle herds is recognized world wide. In the United States antibody prevalence has been reported to 65% to 81% in the cattle population.

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What is the Economic Impact of Infertility in Beef Cattle?

What is the Economic Impact of Infertility in Beef Cattle?

G. Cliff Lamb, Carl Dahlen, and Mary Maddox, University of Florida

Beef producers need cows to become pregnant, deliver healthy calves, and wean productive calves to make their operations viable. The failure of breeding females to become pregnant directly impacts the economic viability of every beef operation, yet few producers realize how infertility impacts their individual operations.

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Understanding Accuracies

Understanding Accuracies

Sally Northcutt

Angus Beef Bulletin

Expressed typically in units of measure for the trait, expected progeny differences (EPDs) allow us to quantify a measureable future progeny difference in calves from one sire compared to calves of another sire. The EPDs are not the true breeding values of the individuals, as we could never truly know those values unless we completely understood each animal at the DNA level.

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BeefTalk: You Got to Know When to Hold‘em, Know When to Fold‘em

BeefTalk: You Got to Know When to Hold‘em, Know When to Fold‘em

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

As cow-calf producers, it is easy to be suspicious of the unknown, but it is a choice

some make.

The deck is not stacked, but the cow-calf producer does hold a good hand. As producers, we have a choice when to “call” the hand and turn the reins over to the next segment of the industry.

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State Vets Trained To Respond To Disasters

State Vets Trained To Respond To Disasters

Thebeefsite.com

Most people can picture the first responders who come to the rescue in the wake of a natural disaster. But who provides emergency help for the dogs, cats and horses that people love? And who takes care of the cows, poultry and hogs that form the backbone of animal agriculture? The College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University is helping to fill the need through a unique initiative that requires all of its students to receive disaster training, providing a new generation of leaders in veterinary medicine and disaster response.

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How cold stress affects newborn calves

How cold stress affects newborn calves

Heather Smith Thomas

Tri State Livestock News

Calves that are chilled at birth, without immediate assistance to warm/dry them and make sure they ingest colostrum in a timely manner, have poor survival rates. If a calf’s mouth gets cold before he suckles, he may not be able to get the teat in his mouth and suck, and therefore does not obtain crucial energy (for keeping warm) and the antibodies he needs – to protect him against disease.

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Supply and Demand II

Supply and Demand II

Max Thornsberry

BEEF TODAY

Last week I explained that the U.S. cattle cycle was broken (Supply and Demand). This is a serious matter as the cattle cycle has been our industry’s bellwether indicator of a healthy, competitive marketplace – a marketplace that was responsive to the economic law of supply and demand. This week, let’s look at just one of the new forces that have disrupted our domestic cattle cycle – a force that skews the supply side of the supply/demand equation.

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Hoyt speaks out for cattlemen

Hoyt speaks out for cattlemen

CRAIG REED

Capital Press

Bill Hoyt didn’t waste any time in becoming the main voice of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.

At the Dec. 5 OCA convention, he took over as president of the 97-year-old association. Three days later he was in Portland speaking to a Rotary club. His goal in his OCA volunteer position is to educate the public about where and how food is produced.

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By the Numbers

By the Numbers

Sally Northcutt

Angus Journal

Ultrasound scans are an important component of the yearling measures collected. These records on your registered animals can be used to generate carcass expected progeny differences (EPDs). It is important to know the requirements for ultrasound scans to be eligible for use in EPD calculations. Otherwise, missed age windows and improper contemporary grouping can negate the use of the scan in genetic predictions. Fig. 1 illustrates the chain of events from the time you wean your calves, submit weaning information, and ultimately receive ultrasound reports from the Association.

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Cow-Calf Producers Have Been On The Defensive

Cow-Calf Producers Have Been On The Defensive

Derrell Peel source: Oklahoma State University Extension

Cow-calf producers, like most in the cattle industry, have been on the defensive for the past three years.  First buffeted by unprecedented high feed and other input costs in 2007 and early 2008, profitability remained weak as cattle prices collapsed under the weight of the recession and poor beef demand this past year.  Poor profitability stalled out the fledgling cow herd expansion that began in 2005 and by 2007 the cow herd was declining.

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Animal Welfare and Public Perception

Animal Welfare and Public Perception

Kindra Gordon

Angus Productions Inc.

Public wants animal husbandry, not industrialized ag, says CSU professor

Addressing animal welfare issues, Colorado State University’s Bernard Rollin gave a candid presentation to attendees at the 21st Range Beef Cow Symposium in Casper, Wyo.

Rollin, who is a distinguished professor of philosophy, animal sciences and a university bioethicist, introduced himself as a “friend of the beef industry for the last 25 years,” and said, “I understand the beef industry.”

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Licking the cow problem

Licking the cow problem

Sam Venable

Knoxnews.com

With apologies to the late poet and author Gelett Burgess, who in 1895 penned that classic bovine ditty, "The Purple Cow."

His house was slurped by licking cows;

He begged for cop relief.

But if he’d gone a different route,

He’d dine on primo beef.

"He," of course, is Jerry Lynn Davis, the Rogersville homeowner who made headlines all over the country earlier this week after he called law enforcement authorities to complain about his neighbor’s cattle.

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Argentina could face beef imports

Argentina could face beef imports

News 21

Argentina, a nation that prides itself on having more cattle than people, may soon be forced to import beef to keep its meat-loving citizens happy at the dinner table.

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Novus to buy Albion’s animal nutrition unit

Novus to buy Albion’s animal nutrition unit

Kelsey Volkmann

St. Louis Business Journal

Novus International Inc. plans to buy the animal nutrition division of Albion Laboratories Inc. in Clearfield, Utah.

Terms of the proposed deal announced Thursday were not disclosed.

Albion makes feed and other products for beef and dairy cattle.

Novus, a St. Charles-based animal nutrition and feed production company, said the acquisition would allow it to expand its chelated trace mineral product offerings for livestock operations.

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Beef expert to speak in Sioux Falls

Beef expert to speak in Sioux Falls

Argus Leader

South Dakota State University Extension Beef Specialist Cody Wright will be the featured speaker at a Sioux Falls meeting dealing with feed and mineral requirements of cattle through the winter.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Minnehaha County Extension Office, 220 W. Sixth St.

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