Special Report: Powerful antibiotic for cows often misused by farmers

Special Report: Powerful antibiotic for cows often misused by farmers

Michael Erman and Brian Grow

Reuters

It is one of the most potent antibiotics used by U.S. cattle and dairy farmers, the key component in the top-selling drug line of Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company. But the strength of the antibiotic ceftiofur – and the frequency with which it’s being misused on farms across America – has created a threat to human health that may overshadow the drug’s effectiveness, a Reuters examination shows.

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Cattle supplementation tips

Cattle supplementation tips

Kenney Rollins

The Daily Tribune

Beef cattle require protein, energy, vitamins and minerals in their diet to function and perform their duties effectively. The amount of each of these needed in the diet is determined by many factors, including the age of the animal, weather conditions and distance the animal must travel during the day.

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New Washington Rule, Fees Planned to Track Cattle

New Washington Rule, Fees Planned to Track Cattle

Beef Today

The Washington State Department of Agriculture plans to impose a 23-cent fee on the sale of each head of cattle. The fee would raise more than $275,000 a year to help pay for a database that would help investigate livestock diseases.

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Cattle industry opposes expanding beef check-off

Cattle industry opposes expanding beef check-off

Wichita Eagle

Cattle industry groups can’t seem to agree on a proposal to expand the beef check-off program. Currently, a check-off fee of $1 per head is charged when cattle are sold to provide money to promote the industry and increase beef demand. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to gauge interest in expanding the program to $2 per head.

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Iowa Premium Beef is: “Off to good start”

Iowa Premium Beef is: “Off to good start”

John Speer

The Tama News Herald

"We’ve had a good start up," was the report Jeffrey Johnson, the CEO of Iowa Premium Beef, made ot the Tama City Council Monday night. Production at the IPB Tama plant got underway last month after some $47 million was invested in modernizing the old Tama Pack facility on Tama’s east side. It had been closed since 2004.

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Several thousand cattle quarantined near Yellowstone

Several thousand cattle quarantined near Yellowstone

Laura Zuckerman

USA News

Several thousand head of cattle have been quarantined in Montana after a cow near Yellowstone National Park tested positive for brucellosis, the livestock disease much feared by ranchers and also carried by elk and bison, state livestock officials said on Friday.

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Demand revolves around beef quality, too

Demand revolves around beef quality, too

Wes Ishmael

BEEF

“Concerns about beef demand have preoccupied the beef industry for many months and will continue for months to come as beef production is expected to fall in 2015 and into 2016 pushing retail prices higher,” says Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist.

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Black gold: Cheap oil benefits beef demand

Black gold: Cheap oil benefits beef demand

Kerry Halladay

Western Livestock Journal

As most Americans were watching football after eating turkey over the long holiday weekend, economists and number lovers had their eyes turned east. Middle East, specifically. At its 166th conference, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to maintain its production level of 30 million barrels of oil a day.

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Canadian Government Disappointed, While Some U.S. Groups Praise Appeal

Canadian Government Disappointed, While Some U.S. Groups Praise Appeal

Chris Clayton

DTN

The Obama administration formally appealed the adverse trade ruling on country-of-origin labeling through the World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement body in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Nothing about the U.S. cattle market should surprise us any more

Nothing about the U.S. cattle market should surprise us any more

Nevil Speer

BEEF

Another month, another set of new highs. November witnessed even more cattle prices for the record book in back-to-back weeks. First, fed cattle trade averaged nearly $170 (~$2,300/head) in the middle of the month – bettering the previous record by $1/cwt. established just three weeks earlier.

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