BeefTalk: Prepping for the Bull-buying Season
Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
I am going to say this three times: A producer does not need to know all the mathematics, justifications or scientific “who done it” aspects of breed association expected progeny differences (EPDs). These EPDs are available to all purebred and commercial producers, so use them. The behind-the-scenes professionals will fine-tune this terrific tool for beef producers.
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Test Forages Repeatedly For Accurate Results
Dan Undersander
Hay and Forage Grower
Forage quality is the ability of a forage to support a desired level of animal weight gain or milk production. The quality needed depends on the animal being fed and associated feeds in the diet.
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Implants May Decrease Heifer Fertility
Dr. Ken McMillan
DTN/The Progressive Farmer
Before implanting heifers that will be bred, consult with a veterinarian to be sure fertility won’t be impacted.
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Bull Reproductive Health Fact Sheet
University of Wisconsin
Bulls are common on many beef operations. It is estimated that 90% of beef producers utilize a bull for breeding purposes. Therefore, the reproductive efficiency of the operation is dependent, not only on the reproductive efficiency of the dam, but also the sire. In this fact sheet we are going to address bull reproductive health.
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Angus Offers Internship and Scholarship Opportunities
Angus.org
The American Angus Association® and its entities take great pride in investing in the beef industry’s future generations. With paid internships and scholarship programs, the Association provides a chance for students to gain real-world knowledge and experience in the cattle industry, as well as financial support to further the education of undergraduate and graduate students passionate about Angus cattle.
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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Mary Soukup
Cattlenetwork
Beef. It’s what’s for dinner. It’s what’s for dinner on a regular basis at my house in Central Kansas. It’s also a suppertime mainstay in all 50 states of the United States. And thanks in part to the Beef Checkoff Program, it’s increasingly becoming the featured item on plates of the nearly 96 percent of the global population residing outside our borders.
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Amino acid being studied to help breed cows during drought
Jane Moorman
Drovers
Pregnant cows have a harder time during drought because they are eating for two. If they are not able to consume and digest the required nutrients during pregnancy, calf development can be negatively influenced, which in turn has an impact on the dollars in the cattle producer’s bank account.
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Missouri Livestock Symposium, Dec. 5-6, Offers Something for Everyone
Beef Today
At the 2014 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Dec. 5-6 at William Matthew Middle School in Kirksville, experts from across the nation will speak on topics ranging from beef cattle to forage, sheep and goats to estate planning, and horses to stock dogs.
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Johnson urges COOL appeal
Julie Harker
Brownfield Network
South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, one of the original authors of the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law, is urging the administration to appeal the recent World Trade Organization ruling that he says undermines the COOL program.
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Record heavy cattle won’t ground sky-high beef prices
THEOPOLIS WATERS
Reuters
U.S. cattle are hitting record weights and the heavier trend should continue next year, but beef production will still fall short of demand and keep prices high, industry experts said.
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Amid historic cattle prices, producers capture extra dollars
Focus Daily News
Though cattle prices have reached historic highs, there could be potential to make extra dollars and possibly add more young cows to a herd at current prices, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist. Dr. Levi Russell, AgriLife Extension economist in Corpus Christi, told attendees at the recent South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham the cattle market has continued its historic price run due to supply constraints.
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5 Tips To Prepare Cattle For Winter
Beef Producer
Fall is the time of year when beef producers should assess the past growing season and prepare for the upcoming winter months. University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Gene Schmitz says that evaluating forage base and livestock performance can help identify problems that should be addressed this winter.
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Ranchers speak out about Gunnison listing
Theodora Dowling
Western Livestock Journal
Ranchers affected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) recent listing of the Gunnison sage grouse tell WLJ the agency has lost their trust and continues to make disingenuous claims about the effects of the listing. FWS listed the bird this month as “threatened,” and designated 1.4 million acres of “critical habitat” in central and southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah.
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Should You Expand Your Beef Operation?
HeiferPro
There’s been much talk about the “Perfect Storm” of factors that pushed fed beef prices to all-time record levels – more than $1.60 a pound. Exceptionally tight cattle supplies led the pack, along with surprisingly good consumer demand despite unheard of meat case retail prices.
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Vesicular Stomatitis found in two Nebraska cattle herds
Ken Anderson
Brownfield AG Network
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture reports the livestock disease Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) has been diagnosed in cattle on two farms in Wheeler County in north-central Nebraska. Nebraska agriculture director Greg Ibach says they are working to determine the source of the disease.
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Buying late bred cows and their potential for additional revenue
Shannon Sand
Drovers
Record high cattle prices have led to questions about additional revenue-generating options in the market. This has led some producers to wonder if there is potential for additional revenue. One of the possibilities for creating extra revenue is to buy bred cows this fall and sell both the cow and calf.
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Consider factors before coming back to family beef operation
Cassidy Woolsey
Progressive Cattleman
Discussing the future of the family operation isn’t always easy, especially if it involves your future, your compensation or how the operation will transfer ownership down the road. But if certain issues are not addressed beforehand, a one-time dream could result in a family nightmare.
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Range Cattle Research and Education Center Dedicates New Education Building
Brad Buck
Southeast AG Net
Cattlemen, Extension agents and other stakeholders soon can attend educational events at a new University of Florida facility dedicated to teaching how to manage the state’s grazing lands.
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A cow made for the desert
Emery Cowan
Arizona Daily Sun
Kacie Tomerlin’s family has been ranching in Arizona and Mexico for five generations, raising cattle on rocky, brush-studded terrain southeast of Prescott. While it’s generally rough landscape for livestock, Tomerlin and her husband have found one breed of cattle that thrives there: a lanky, free-roaming type called Criollo.
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The Efficiency of Cattle Grazing
Nicolette Hahn Niman
Mother Earth News
Energy use for cattle fed from their own foraging is so negligible that beef produced in this way is actually less energy-intensive than grain production. The Pimentels point out in Food, Energy, and Society that whereas crop cultivation adds significantly to the energy use of grain-fed livestock systems, raising cattle on grass takes little energy.
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