Video Feature: Antibiotic-free Animals

CBS Evening News

American farmers use more growth-promoting-antibiotics than any other place in the world. Katie Couric reports on a possible alternative in Denmark, which bans antibiotic use in livestock.

The impact of disease on carcass traits

The impact of disease on carcass traits

John Maday

Drovers.com

Several earlier research trials have indicated that sickness in cattle can affect carcass quality and value, and a new report from the USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, Nebraska supports those findings. The researchers investigated the effects of bovine respiratory disease and overall incidence of pathogenic diseases on carcass traits.

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Katie Couric’s 3-minute “Factory Farm” Barrage

Katie Couric’s 3-minute “Factory Farm” Barrage

Pork Magazine

The fact that she used the term “factory farm” or “factory farming” five times in a three-minute period probably showed her bias.

CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric left the confines of her New York City TV studio to visit an Iowa hog farm and ask some questions related to antibiotic use in livestock — and whether such use could be contributing to drug-resistant bacteria. The first of a two-part series aired Tuesday night.

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Answering Ag’s Critics With Scientific Facts

Answering Ag’s Critics With Scientific Facts

Gary Truitt

Hoosier AG Today

Answering some of the critics of modern agriculture is what the science of agroecology is all about. Dr. Sylvia Brouder is an agroecologist at Purdue. She explained at the recent Purdue Ag Forecast that when evaluating modern farming practices you cannot just look at one isolated area but must evaluate both the impact and the benefits of farming practices and inputs,

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Wet Spring Could Affect Spring Nutrient Management

Wet Spring Could Affect Spring Nutrient Management

Thebeefsite.com

Normally corn residue is thought of positively because it lowers the risk of erosion and returns carbon and nutrients to the soil, but it’s not very friendly getting it through tillage and planting equipment in the spring.

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Wanted: 10,000 Calves

Wanted: 10,000 Calves

Dakota Farmer

The North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association is looking for 10,000 calves to be part of a electronic identification pilot project.

The project is an extension of CalfAID, a U.S. Department of Agriculture process verified program (PVP) that allows producers to source and age verify their calves. The research project is a joint project by the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center and NDBCIA.

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Family raising autism awareness

Family raising autism awareness

Independent Mail

Gary Vickery, a local business owner and beef cattle producer, is raising awareness of autism through the use of beef cattle. Autism is a disease that affects one in 110 children, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined.

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Control parasites to thwart pasture buildup

Control parasites to thwart pasture buildup

Bovine Veterinarian

Spring parasite control — while ultimately helping to protect herd health and performance — is more about reducing levels of pasture contamination than curing sick animals.1

“Only 5-10% of parasites in the total system are actually in cattle at any given time,”1 explains Frank Hurtig, DVM, Merial. “A single cow can pass millions of parasite eggs during the grazing season,1 which is how the remaining 90-95% of parasites end up on pastures — set to infect grazing cattle.”

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Florida guide aids seedstock exports

Florida guide aids seedstock exports

Drovers

Florida cattle producers have a new marketing tool to help them increase exports of Florida bulls, heifers, brood cows and genetics as seedstock to other countries seeking to improve and expand their beef herds.

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USDA probes beef industry

USDA probes beef industry

DEBBIE AYLESWORTH

Canyonnews.com

The United States Department of Agriculture, Grain, Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration is scrutinizing the procurement practices of area packers, demanding information from Canyon’s Consolidated Beef Producers.

In the original subpoena requesting documents in July, CBP felt as though client confidentially would be compromised.

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Master Beef program begins Feb. 15

Master Beef program begins Feb. 15

The News Examiner

The University of Tennessee Extension in Sumner County announces the upcoming Tennessee Master Beef Program. The program will run Feb. 15 through April 1. Classes will meet on Monday and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. All classes will meet at the Sumner County Extension Office at 658 Hartsville Pike in Gallatin.

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Proper Development of Replacements Sets Tone

Proper Development of Replacements Sets Tone

Clifford Mitchell

Cattle Today

Producers hit the bull sale scene looking for that next generation sire that will help advance the herd. Most are looking for a certain combination of traits that will get the job done. That new bull is always a big topic of conversation at the coffee shop as neighbors sometimes work to outshine each other. Cattlemen take good care of these bulls knowing what kind of impact the new sire could have for generations to come.

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Light Affects Perceived Meat Color

Light Affects Perceived Meat Color

Christopher R. Raines

Pennsylvania State University

You may have never considered the enormity of light nor how light affects the perceived color of everything we see – meat included.  It is very possible (I’ve seen it happen! And you may have, too!) that you take something out of the self-serve meat case at the grocery store, move on to a different section, and somehow, some way, the meat looks different.

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The 90% Rule

The 90% Rule

Kindra Gordon

The Cattle Business Weekly

A positive attitude can bring luck your way.

We’ve all heard people quip that "attitude is everything;" I tend to agree.

The importance of a positive attitude first sparked my attention when I was a high school FFA student and attended a leadership conference in our nation’s capital.

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‘Temple Grandin’ Movie Applauded

‘Temple Grandin’ Movie Applauded

Thebeefsite.com

The movie depicts the life of Temple Grandin as a young woman struggling with the challenges of autism to become a successful doctor of animal science through her unique connection to animals. Dr Grandin is widely recognised within the animal welfare and livestock-handling industries as a pioneer in the ethical treatment of animals.

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