Manage bull costs with these producer tips

Manage bull costs with these producer tips

Wes Ishmael

BEEF

“Decades ago, my granddad used the rule of thumb that a good bull is worth about five weaned calves, or about three finished steers,” says Donnell Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch at Throckmorton, Texas. “Our family has used that rule of thumb ever since. It continued to hold up well in a commodity market, but may need to change as there are more value-added opportunities for our customers.”

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Preventing calf scours

Preventing calf scours

Stacy White

Middlesboro Daily News

“Neonatal” calf diarrhea is defined as scours when it occurs within the first three weeks of a calf’s life. Bacteria, viruses and parasites can attack the lining of the calf’s intestine and cause diarrhea. The decrease in absorption of essential nutrients from milk leads to weight loss and dehydration. If the disease level is severe, calves often die, but even calves that survive will perform poorly for the remainder of their lives when compared to healthy calves.

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What happens in a cattle feedlot-Aerial Images

What happens in a cattle feedlot-Aerial Images

Ryan Goodman

Agriculture Proud

Google cattle feedlot aerial photos and you come up with a number of results that describe the “horrors of industrial beef”. People like to make these images out to be scary and damaging for conventional cattle operations. Even when an artist shares touched-up aerial shots of feedlots as a piece of art, opponents use them to demonize this way of finish feeding cattle.

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Using magnesium supplements to prevent grass tetany

Using magnesium supplements to prevent grass tetany

Rusty Clark

The Leaf Chronicle

Symptoms often observed include nervousness, lack of coordination, muscular spasms, staggering, convulsions, coma, milk yield decrease and death. If you suspect cattle are stricken with Grass Tetany a veterinarian should be contacted immediately as early treatment may save the animals.

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Omnibus Legislation Affects Cattlemen

Omnibus Legislation Affects Cattlemen

Angus Beef Bulletin

With bipartisan support, Congress passed the $1.15 trillion Omnibus Appropriations Bill Dec. 18, funding much of the government through fiscal year 2016. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Philip Ellis said the bill contained several victories for cattlemen and women.

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You might be a ranch kid if…

You might be a ranch kid if…

Dave Specht

Drovers

At some point every boy or girl raised on a ranch realizes that life is different for them than it is for almost every other kid in the world.  It may be when you go away to college or when you head off the big city for an event.  There are several clues that will definitely help you to realize that you would be considered a ranch kid. 

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Safety in Working and Handling Livestock

Safety in Working and Handling Livestock

Rory Lewandowski

Beef2Live

During the holiday season it can be easy to think about holiday plans and preparations and lose some focus when working with livestock, or perhaps you will have some non-farm family members or friends visiting and "helping" with livestock chores.

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