It doesn’t matter whether your steaks are Canadian

It doesn’t matter whether your steaks are Canadian

Tampa Tribune

In 2008, Congress began enforcing a law requiring country-of-origin labeling on meat products, including pork, beef and lamb. The law was passed in 2002, just a couple of years after mad cow disease cropped up in North America, and its stated goal was to give consumers vital health information. The unstated goal was to give U.S. producers a leg up on Mexican and Canadian ranchers trying to break into the American market.

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Canadian Livestock Transport could be model for United States.

Canadian Livestock Transport could be model for United States.

Troy Smith

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

Calling it the product of industry-led initiative, Woods said CLT began as an Alberta-only program that has spread throughout Canadian provinces. CLT is a standardized, comprehensive training course, offering species-specific training modules for handlers and haulers of cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry and (meat) horses.

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Utilizing EPD’s to select breeding bulls for grass finished beef

Utilizing EPD’s to select breeding bulls for grass finished beef

Frank Wardynski

Michigan State University

Expected Progeny Differences (EPD’s) are the best selection tool available to beef cow-calf producers for bull selection. The data is derived from performance information collected on the given individual, its ancestors, collateral relatives and progeny. Values given to animals in the form of EPD’s predict the difference between individuals based on statistical analysis utilizing all information that is extremely expansive and inclusive.

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Preconditioned calf sales are only one way to market health

Preconditioned calf sales are only one way to market health

R. P. "Doc" Cooke

Beef Producer

These days there are plenty of options for selling preconditioned cattle, several definitions on what constitutes a preconditioned calf, and some key components to a deal that makes everyone happy.

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K-State Beef Conference Aug. 11-13

K-State Beef Conference Aug. 11-13

The Cattle Business Weekly

Many cattle producers have experienced record returns on their calves the past year, but even times of high profitability demand a search for  opportunities to enhance the management of a beef operation. Several of these opportunities will be discussed at the upcoming K-State Beef Conference, hosted Aug. 11 and 13 at various locations across Kansas.

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WOTUS challenges mount

WOTUS challenges mount

Christine Souza

Drovers

Now that the federal waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule has been finalized with publication in the Federal Register, agricultural and other groups are gaining insight on what the rule will mean once it takes effect on Aug. 28—and planning both legal and legislative challenges to its implementation.

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Buying Hay? Tips for Interpreting a Forage Analysis

Buying Hay? Tips for Interpreting a Forage Analysis

Rachel Endecott

Montana State University

I’ve been hearing reports of variable hay production throughout the state. Some folks aren’t getting any dryland hay at all. Others are getting a pretty good first cutting, but are skeptical about a second cutting. These conditions might result in producers purchasing hay, perhaps from long distances and previously unknown sources.

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Can we measure cow efficiency? Not as a single trait

Can we measure cow efficiency? Not as a single trait

Wes Ishmael

BEEF Magazine

Few question the notion that cow efficiency should be economically valuable. The problem is defining such a shadowy notion, let alone figuring out objective measures and collecting data that lead to an accurate conclusion.

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Argentina can now export beef to U.S.

Argentina can now export beef to U.S.

WMUR

The United States banned the product after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease plagued the South American country in 2001. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said that it was amending its previous regulations to allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from northern Argentina and 14 states in Brazil.

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Long term management to reduce eye problems in cattle

Long term management to reduce eye problems in cattle

Glenn Selk

Feedlot Magazine

Pinkeye has long been a costly nuisance to cattle producers.  Eye infections sometimes lead to partial or complete blindness in one or both eyes.  Reduced beef production in the form of lowered weight gain, milk production, body condition, and eventually even poorer reproduction can result from eye infections and lesions. 

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