BeefTalk: Check Those Bulls Now
Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Our thinking needs to move to the bulls in the herd because it is the time to start worrying. A bull that is not reproductively sound today more than likely will not be settling cows in June.
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Bulls That Bring Feed Efficiency to the Herd
Becky Mills
Progressive Farmer
In Red House, Va., seedstock producer Paul Bennett and his family develop and sell 400 bulls a year. He’s all too aware of feed costs. "Our whole goal is to maximize the profit for our commercial customers. Feed efficiency is obviously a big part of profitability. But it has been so difficult to quantify in the past," he said.
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Shortening breeding and calving seasons
FarmTalk
Calves born in the first 21 days of the calving season are often the heaviest in their contemporary group at weaning, and that advantage often carries through to harvest, if the producer retains ownership.
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Focus on calving ease becomes priority
Jeff DeYoung
Iowa Farmer Today
Baby calves rest while their mothers eat as winter and spring play tug of war on this late-March day in Southwest Iowa. Todd and Tim Dunphy watch as the cow-calf pairs enjoy the breezy weather, knowing a few more weeks of calving remain before this calf crop is in the books.
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Four States Join USDA Program to Ship Inspected Meat and Poultry Across State Lines
Beef Cattle News
Indiana has joined Ohio, North Dakota and Wisconsin in a voluntary meat and poultry shipment program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
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Cattle ranching had its perils, successes
Bob Ring
Arizona Daily Star
According to a recent genetic study, cattle were domesticated from wild ox in the Near East about 10,500 years ago. Christopher Columbus brought the first cattle to the New World in 1493, and other Spanish explorers brought cattle to Mexico about the time Cortez captured Mexico City in 1521.
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Aberdeen beef plant may make a go of it
Scott Waltman
Farm Forum
What the next step is for an idled beef plant on the south side of Aberdeen remains unclear, but the finalization of the bankruptcy sale of the former Northern Beef Packers to White Oak Financial Advisors has settled two matters.
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Twin Beef Calves Can Challenge the Savviest Producers
Beef Producer
A set of twins could be viewed as a bonus calf to some beef producers, but when the set is comprised of one female calf and one male calf, there could be problems. Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension emeritus animal scientist, says if born as the other half of a mixed-gender set of twins, a heifer calf could be what’s called a freemartin, possessing "freemartinism" – a condition that causes infertility.
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4 Tips to Prepare the Herd for Spring and Summer Grazing
AgWeb
Late spring and early summer pastures provide essential nutrients to the cow herd, as the cow cares for herself, the calf at her side and her developing fetus. During this period, pasture management is especially important as pasture forages can provide highly variable nutrient levels.
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Nevada Governor Calls Federal Cattle Roundup ‘Intimidation’
CBS LasVegas
Nevada’s governor is criticizing a federal cattle roundup and what he calls “intimidation” in a dispute with a rancher who claims longstanding grazing rights on open range outside Las Vegas.
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