Video Feature: Dr. Keith Johnson-How to Use a Grazing Stick

Video Feature:  Dr. Keith Johnson-How to Use a Grazing Stick

Dr. Keith Johnson shows how to use a grazing stick to estimate the amount of usable forage available in a pasture.

Methods Available to Estimate Forage Quality

Methods Available to Estimate Forage Quality

AG Weekly

Producers have ways to help them determine when to harvest alfalfa. Neutral detergent fiber concentrations can help producers determine when to harvest alfalfa as feed for dairy cows, according to North Dakota State University Extension Service dairy specialist J.W. Schroeder.

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Baxter Black, DVM: THE LATE NIGHT CALL

Baxter Black, DVM:  THE LATE NIGHT CALL

Late night calls are usually not good news.  Especially if it is the police calling to tell you that a car has hit a cow on the highway.  Jack got the call at 11:15pm Friday night.  The local police all have his number because he knows the country, all the ranches and all the brands and…he’s the one they always call!

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Steve Cornett: Ground Beef at $8 a Pound

Steve Cornett: Ground Beef at $8 a Pound

Beef Today

Another follow-up on grass fed beef, stemming from our ongoing visit about Mark Schatzker’s book “Steak: One man’s search for the world’s tastiest piece of beef.”

The New York Times gave us another story this week on how there is more and more grass fed beef available in the big city. It includes a couple of quotes of that sort that makes my eyes narrow and my molars grind when I read about grass fed beef.

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Beef industry increases use of ultrasounding for traits

Beef industry increases use of ultrasounding for traits

KINDRA GORDON

AG Weekly

University of Wyoming Extension beef specialist Steve Paisley shared some of the opportunities offered by ultrasound technology to the beef industry during his presentation at the Range Beef Cow Symposium.

"Ultrasound offers us a way to evaluate the eating quality of the beef we produce by looking at carcass traits," he shared.

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Mold and insects can be problems for stored grain during the summer.

Mold and insects can be problems for stored grain during the summer.

North Dakota State University

The storability of grain depends on the grain’s quality, moisture content and temperature, according to Ken Hellevang, agricultural engineer with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.

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Beef cattle welfare a front burner issue

Beef cattle welfare a front burner issue

Candace Krebs

Ag Journal

On a recent sale day, Andy Hutchison arrived at the Pratt Livestock Auction with her husband Brad, a load of sale cattle and her laptop computer.

“I just take it so I can answer questions if I need to,” she explains.

More than ever before, Hutchison likes to stay connected. Three months ago she started a Facebook page that now has nearly 2,000 members. She also blogs, maintains four websites and uses Twitter to send short messages with links to articles and additional information.

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Routine Surveillance Finds Alpena County Beef Herd Positive for Bovine TB

Routine Surveillance Finds Alpena County Beef Herd Positive for Bovine TB

Michigan.Gov

Producer meeting called for cattle owners in a 10-mile radius of the farm

Routine bovine Tuberculosis (TB) surveillance testing conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) found a bovine TB positive beef herd in Alpena County in northeastern lower Michigan’s Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ).

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MFU praises animal ID decision

MFU praises animal ID decision

High Plains Journal

Recently, Lowell Schachtsiek and I attended the Animal Disease Traceability Forum in Kansas City hosted by USDA/APHIS and the Regulatory Working Group.

The Forum’s purpose was to discuss the 12 standards for traceability developed by a coalition of farm and livestock groups also known as the Cattle ID Group.

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NCBA Hosts Young Cattlemen’s Conference

NCBA Hosts Young Cattlemen’s Conference

KRVM

Fifty-four young cattle producers and industry leaders from 24 states convened in Washington D.C. this week as part of NCBA’s 31st Annual Young Cattlemen’s Conference (YCC). While in Washington, participants had the opportunity to meet with their Senators and Representatives to talk about legislative issues impacting producers, including environment, taxes, trade, and food safety. They also attended briefings at USDA and the Canadian embassy.

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Has the Cattle Market Lost Its Sizzle?

Has the Cattle Market Lost Its Sizzle?

Kim Watson-Potts

AG WEB

During the last few weeks, cattle futures prices have dropped from the upper $90s to the lower $90s following Memorial Day, typically a time when retailers are expected to move more beef.

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Some Reminders For Fly-Control Season

Some Reminders For Fly-Control Season

Wes Ishmael

BEEF Magazine

The threshold level for economical fly control begins at around 200 flies/animal, says Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist. He points out research indicates blood-sucking horn flies alone can cost 25 lbs. of gain in stocker cattle.

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Temple Grandin to visit South Dakota

Temple Grandin to visit South Dakota

The Cattle Business Weekly

Best-selling author, renowned livestock handling expert and noted autistic Temple Grandin will be in South Dakota June 28.

Grandin, an animal scientist at Colorado State University, spoke to an audience of nearly 400 farmers and ranchers at former Secretary of Agriculture Bill Even’s farm near Humboldt, S.D., last year.

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Them Is Fightin’ Words

Them Is Fightin’ Words

Bovine Veterinarian

A couple of weeks ago I was reading a commentary in the Kansas City Star that mentioned some readers recently objected to Kansas City being referred to as “Cowtown” in some article headlines. One reader said, “Isn’t it time that The Star took the lead in getting rid of that name? Does the paper want other cities to think we’re all a bunch of hicks?”

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Next farm bill must be based on free & competitive market

Next farm bill must be based on free & competitive market

Bandera Counry Courier

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) First Vice President Joe Parker Jr., of Byers, testified recently before the United States House Committee on Agriculture regarding the 2012 Farm Bill.

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