Video Tour of Beef Plant Featuring Temple Grandin

A tour of a beef plant guided by Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University and widely considered to be the world’s leading expert on humane animal handling at meat packing plants. This video provides an honest look at how cattle are handled at meat packing plants

 

Glass Walls: A Look Inside a Typical Large Beef Plant

Janet Riley

It’s no secret that consumers are demanding increasing transparency from institutions and companies. The desire for transparency is growing, especially in relation to the food the buy and particularly the meat and poultry they eat.

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Composites may Trade Predictably for Simplicity

Composites may Trade Predictably for Simplicity

Miranda Reiman

Cattle Today

A good crossbreeding program takes some background in genetics, a big enough herd and land base, good bull suppliers and time to figure all that out. Producers looking for a simpler route to heterosis often opt to use a composite bull.

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Management key to maintaining a viable herd

Management key to maintaining a viable herd

Patrick Davis

FarmTalk

As everyone knows water and feed resources for cattle are becoming limited with the long hot dry weather. Management and selective culling of these cattle right now is important to maintain a viable cattle herd in the future and to maximize performance of the limited resources.

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Interesting times in the beef industry

Interesting times in the beef industry

Rick Rasby

Angus Journal

Data says that of the last 16 years, 12 of those years recorded a reduction in beef cow inventory. During the last six years there was a steady reduction in beef cow numbers nationally. This reduction in cow inventory means fewer feeder calves. The lower feeder-calf inventory has put pressure on feedlot operators because of the increased competition for the calves that are available and excess bunk space in the feedlots.

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Steve Cornett: Vamanos, El Nino!

Steve Cornett:   Vamanos, El Nino!

Beef Today

Not to speak for everybody, everywhere, but those of us in this southwestern drought are sure hoping the weatherman fetches us an El Nino monsoony thing in time to get some wheat growing. And, if the weather service dudes are right, it looks like we may get some of what we’re hoping for.

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Livestock Producers May See Lowered Fertility in Herds

Livestock Producers May See Lowered Fertility in Herds

Carol Sanders, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff

AgFax.Com

As if drought damage to pastures and high hay and feed prices aren’t enough, livestock producers may see reduced fertility in their breeding herds this fall, says Dr. David Fernandez, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Cooperative Extension Program livestock specialist.

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The Broken Promise – Antibiotics in food animals

The Broken Promise – Antibiotics in food animals

Katie Gibas

YNN

Editor’s note: Stories of this ilk are included in the blog to inform those in our industry how agriculture is being presented to and perceived by the public.

Beef Cattle Specialist Mike Baker says the benefits of antibiotics go past just treating illness. They also improve animal production. There are certain antibiotics in the farming industry that aren’t used in humans at all.

"Better digestion. We can have a higher level of production with less amount of feed. Less amount of feed means less amount of land that has to go into animal production and so on," said Baker.

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Texas Cattlemen and Gov. Perry Call on EPA to Waive RFS Standard

Texas Cattlemen and Gov. Perry Call on EPA to Waive RFS Standard

Gilmer Mirror

The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) today joinedGov. Perry to call on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive all or part of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

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NYC Meatpacking District Officially Dead as Last Independent Butcher Makes Way for More Luxury Retail

NYC Meatpacking District Officially Dead as Last Independent Butcher Makes Way for More Luxury Retail

New York Observer

The Meatpacking District is now as dead as the cattle carcasses that once poured blood onto its cobblestone streets. The last independent meat supplier in a neighborhood that once has more than 200 has moved into a city-controlled co-op in the neighborhood, the last redoubt of steaks and chops in the area.

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Beef Profit Alliance outlined advancements in genetic prediction

Beef Profit Alliance outlined advancements in genetic prediction

RedAngus.org

Technological advancements abound in our society and the cattle industry is no exception. Attendees at the first-ever, dual-breed Beef Profit Alliance seminar learned first hand about new and emerging technology. The seminar – held at Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kan., July 22-24 – was a joint effort of the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) and American Simmental Association (ASA).

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