Zelnate Designed to Help the Immune System of a Beef Calf Fight BRD
Oklahoma Farm Report
In late summer, Bayer Animal Health officially released a new product that is designed to help a beef calf’s immune system battle a billion dollar problem that the US cattle industry faces- Bovine Respiratory Disease.
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Managing Stocker on Poor Forage
Terri Queck-matzie
Feedlot Magazine
Trying to grow stocker cattle on sparse forage is tricky business. Purina Animal Nutrition Cattle Consultant Chance Farmer, Ph.D, says the first element to tackle is producer expectation. “They’re not going to gain an enormous amount,” says Farmer. “It’s just not logical to expect they will.”
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What is the best size cow for your herd?
University of Missouri
Beef cows come in all shapes and sizes. The question about cow size comes up frequently according to Eldon Cole, livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "In the last few years it is because the cow herd owners all-of-a-sudden realized they had some cows that weighed 1,600 to 2,000 pounds when they sold them. That began a trend toward moderating cow size," said Cole.
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Ex-State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasts Rauner administration
Carla Jimenez, Doug Finke
The State Journal Register
Former Illinois State Fair manager Patrick Buchen blasted Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration on Friday, saying that he and former Department of Agriculture Director Philip Nelson were forced to resign because of cronyism and interference. Buchen and Nelson announced their resignations late Thursday afternoon. Rauner’s office issued a statement immediately following the announcement saying the governor appreciated Nelson’s "commitment to agriculture and his service to the people of Illinois."
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Property rights and rancher safety are high stakes for southwest landowners
Charlene Finck and Clinton Griffiths
Farm Journal
Arizona ranchers are no stranger to fixing fence, but the imposing metal and concrete fence that stretches 1,651 miles along the U.S. and Mexico border represents a host of problems for ranchers they can’t fix. The towering fence that reaches up to 21’6" tall was built by Homeland Security to secure the border. However, it’s an often-breached barrier that represents the challenges ranchers along the border face each day. The rocky, arid terrain known as the Tucson Sector is one of the most heavily travelled drug corridors in the country.
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Making Money With Easter Egg Cows and Rejects
Don Ashford
On Pasture
The cows in our pastures don’t look anything similar to the cows in most pastures in our area. There are many reasons for this but the main one I guess is that we are not willing to pay for the “good kind.” So consequently, our cows are every color that it is possible for a cow to be.
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Bringing Back the Cows With Swath Grazing
USDA
Swath grazing is a way to revive the once widespread practice of letting cattle graze all winter in the Northern Plains. With swath grazing, farmers pile crop residue into rows, known as “swaths,” that stand as high as 16 inches. Cattle can usually push with ease through up to 2 feet of snow to graze on these crop residues or other high quality forages.
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Are the bulls ready for the fall breeding season?
Glen Selk
Drovers
The fall breeding season is about two months away. If you have not assessed your bull battery recently, time is running out. Contact your local large animal veterinarian and make arrangements to see that your bulls of all ages pass a breeding soundness exam. Late summer high temperatures may reduce bull fertility for several weeks after the weather has moderated.
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Breaking the bale storage speed limit
Mike Rankin
Hay and Forage Grower
Large round bales have been a popular hay package for many years. To see them piled or rowed outdoors along fields and buildings has become a part of the rural landscape in many parts of the country. Outdoor storage is convenient, but it’s not always cheap. Some bales will largely maintain their forage weight and quality, others will not. But why?
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NCBA Urges Swift Conclusion to Trans-Pacific Partnership
NCBA
“Cattlemen and women have high expectations for the TPP as a true 21st century agreement, eliminating tariff and non-tariff trade barriers across 12 member countries,” said Philip Ellis, NCBA president. “We are encouraged by reports of a ministerial meeting this week in Atlanta and urge our negotiators to work quickly to bring this agreement to conclusion. Every day that goes by without a comprehensive agreement erodes our market share in these member countries and it is imperative that our negotiators find common ground.”
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Baxter Black, DVM: The Fall Run (2)
About horses I’ve known…My first was named Maggie. A Standard bred. I was in the 3rd grade. Father gave me an old cavalry saddle, split down the middle, light enough I could lift it.
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Violative Residue: Five things you need to know
Jill J. Dunkel
Feedlot Magazine
The USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is charged with maintaining the safety of the nation’s meat supply. Chemical residues in meat, including antibiotics, are among many areas the agency monitors.
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Re-Breeding Your Open Cows to Add Value
Julie Walker
iGrow
Processing of fall weaned calves and pregnancy determination will soon be here, and management of open cows is critical to the financial bottom line of a cow/calf operation. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of a cow/calf enterprise revenue comes from cull cows. Determining open cow(s) early allows producers to select the best strategies that targets the highest potential revenue.
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Made in the Shade: Mitigate heat stress in the feedyard
Laura Mushrush
Drovers
As the dog days of summer begin to unwind into fall, it’s a good time to reflect on how heat stress impacted your feeder cattle and explore steps to prevent future crises and improve profits. Heat stress like what occurred this year is not that unusual and has happened several times over the past 10 years.
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Dry lot cows can benefit land health
Candace Krebs
La Junta Tribune Democrat
How does confinement cow-calf production measure up to consumer demand for high animal welfare and environmental sustainability standards? Pretty well, according to various beef production experts who debated the issue at the Kenneth and Caroline Eng Foundation Symposium in Oklahoma City.
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Are calm cattle worth more to producers?
Kevin Hassler
Enid News
In the cattle industry, cattle temperament is defined as a behavioral response to an environment or action. Various levels of temperament can occur due to one or a combination of things.
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Valuable pocket tool for cattle producers now available
High Plains Journal
A pocket-sized recordkeeping tool that has been used by cattle producers for more than 30 years to enhance profitability will be available for the 2016 year starting Oct. 5 at a reduced rate for a limited time.
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llinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois State Fair directors step down
Doug Finke
The State Journal Register
Both state Agriculture Director Philip Nelson and Illinois State Fair Director Patrick Buchen have left their jobs, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration said late Thursday afternoon. The Rauner administration said in a prepared statement that it "accepted the resignation" of Nelson on Thursday. The statement said Buchen "had also stepped down."
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Tips for answering difficult questions about your farm
By Melissa Woolpert
Pork Network
The average American is several generations removed from the farm. Therefore, most people who purchase and enjoy the food we produce have no idea what it takes to be a farmer. It’s human nature to distrust what you don’t understand, and farming practices are no exception.
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When BVD doesn’t look like BVD
Julia Ridpath
Bovine Veterinarian
If you ask a practitioner to describe a “typical” outbreak of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) you might get a variety of answers. In fact, the more experience one has with BVD the less willing one might be to give a definitive answer.
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