Show Cattle Nutrition and Care

Show Cattle Nutrition and Care

“Show Cattle Nutrition and Care”. Tips with Dave Guyer, including setting a schedule and routine and the importance of keeping your cattle clean.

Feeding Barley to Cattle

Feeding Barley to Cattle

S. L. Boyles, The Ohio State University, V. L. Anderson, North Dakota State University, K. B. Koch, Northern Crops Institute

Barley is a cereal grain that has demonstrated world-wide importance. Although generally considered an energy source, barley has more protein than other cereals commonly used in ruminant diets. Nutritional composition of barley can be affected by geographic location and climatic conditions.

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Breeding Season is over, what should I do with the bull?

Breeding Season is over, what should I do with the bull?

Bill Halfman, UW Extension Agent, Monroe County (adapted from Jim Neel, University of Tennessee)

This is a frequently asked question from farmers who are striving for a short and definite breeding/calving season in their efforts to produce a uniform calf crop as well as how to manage and feed the bull until the next breeding season.  My question back is, “Have you considered selling him and purchasing a better bull prior to the next breeding season?”

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Plugged Into Industry

Plugged Into Industry

Kim Holt

Angus Journal

Kirstin Slater and Ryan Rademacher may have had to leave their Angus cattle at home when they went to college, but they didn’t leave their passion for the beef industry. They put it to work on their college campuses.

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Drought, Rain and Foot Rot

Drought, Rain and Foot Rot

Dr. Ken McMillan

DTN

It’s that time of year again. A dry summer, followed by a rainy fall, is the perfect combination for foot rot in the herd.

Bacteria (Fusobacterium necrophorum and Bacteroides melaninogenicus) that cause foot rot are always present in the soil. They take advantage of the weakened feet and set up infection. Fortunately, the bacteria are sensitive to many antibiotics, and early treatment with long-acting antibiotics will cure most cases.

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Market strategies

Market strategies

Dave Barz, DVM

Tri State Livestock News

This year calf prices are higher than the last few years. Many producers will market their calves directly from the cow. Most should be able to cover the cost of maintaining a cow for a year. If marketing early, producers may leave some dollars on the table which could add to the cowherd’s profitability.

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U.S. COOL hauled before WTO starting today

U.S. COOL hauled before WTO starting today

AG Canada

Switzerland plays host to a meeting of the NAFTA countries starting today (Sept. 14) as Canada and Mexico take the United States’ regulations on mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL) before the World Trade Organization.

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Test finds E. coli in beef faster, could better trace outbreaks

Test finds E. coli in beef faster, could better trace outbreaks

Infrared spectroscopy can detect E. coli faster than current testing methods and can cut days off investigations of outbreaks, according to a study at Purdue University.

Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, detected E. coli in ground beef in one hour using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, much less than the 48 hours required for conventional plating technology, which requires culturing cells in a laboratory. Mauer said spectroscopy could be done in the same laboratories, just in much less time.

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Low-stress cattle handling techniques

Low-stress cattle handling techniques

Amanda Nolz

Tri State Livestock News

Working cattle doesn’t have to be hard work, according to Melissa Arhart, of Arhart Feedlot Technologies in Alpena, SD. In addition to her work as a low-stress cattle handling consultant, Melissa works alongside her husband, Andrew, in their feedlot and cow-calf operation, and off-operation in their feedlot marketing and ultrasounding business.

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Half to Your Heirs, Half to the Government

Half to Your Heirs, Half to the Government

Victoria G. Myers

Progressive Farmer

One minute past midnight, Dec. 31, 2010, the amount of taxes your heirs will pay goes from zero to a top rate of 55%. Would that be enough of a tax bill to drop the ax on the farm, as family members are forced to sell a lifetime of work off in pieces to pay Uncle Sam?

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