Evaluation of herd a critical process before bull buying
Farm and Ranch Guide
When it comes to bull buying season, selecting the right type of bull is critical for the long term success of a producer’s herd. Carl Dahlen, NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist, said it’s important for cattle producers to step back and examine what exactly it is that they need from their bulls.
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Prepare Now for Successful Spring Breeding Season
Lee Jones
Cattle Today
Yes, I know you are in spring calving season if that’s your program. So you might wonder why this article isn’t about calving instead of breeding, which is still at least three months away. The thing is, what we do right now during calving will determine our success in the breeding season. Actually, what we did last fall after weaning impacts the upcoming breeding season as well; but that opportunity is behind us, so we need to focus on what we can do right now to prepare for a successful breeding program.
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Ruppert to Lead Regional Angus Team
American Angus Association
A sixth-generation cattle rancher and Nebraska native will serve as the American Angus Association® Director of Regional Managers. Ryan Ruppert joins the team Feb. 1 at Association headquarters in Saint Joseph, Mo., to oversee the organization’s 12 regional managers (RMs) and associated territories for the nation’s largest beef breed establishment.
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Animal Care and Handling Seminars Feature Pate
Minnesota Ag Connection
The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin will host a series of Animal Care and Handling Seminars featuring Stockmanship Expert, Curt Pate the week of Feb. 15-19.
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Veterinary Feed Directives
Jason Smith, Lew Strickland
University of Tennessee
In order to limit the use of some antimicrobials in livestock production, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a final ruling that will affect the way antimicrobials can be used by livestock producers. As of January 1, 2017, all antimicrobials that are considered by the FDA to be important for human medicine 1) will no longer be able to be used for growth promotion and feed efficiency, and 2) will require a veterinary feed directive (VFD) for use for treatment, prevention or control of a disease.
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Prepare bulls to transition to breeding season.
Heather Smith Thomas
Hereford World
The hardest time for a young bull is when he’s turned out with the cows for his first breeding season after being well fed all winter. Most bulls are raised in unnatural conditions. After weaning, they are confined and fed concentrate feeds and pushed for fast growth.
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NFL Owner Stan Kroenke Buys Texas Mega-Ranch Listed for $725 Million
Bryan Gruley
Bloomberg
Stan Kroenke, the billionaire owner of the NFL’s Rams, has agreed to purchase the historic W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch in Texas, representatives of the ranch said on Tuesday. Terms for the purchase of the more than 520,000-acre estate were not disclosed. The ranch had been listed with an asking price of $725 million.
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Time of feeding influences time of calving
High Plains Journal
A majority of beef calf mortality occurs within the first two months of life. Supervision of first calf heifers and cows that need assistance is a proven method to increase calf survival. In most operations observing birth is more easily done during daylight hours.
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Neonatal Calf Management
Dr. Dallas Duncan-Meteer DVM
University of Illinois
In the cow-calf sector, the key to increasing income is to increase reproductive efficiency. The best way to do this is to increase the number of calves weaned and sold, relative to the number of brood cows in the herd.
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When ‘Unweaned’ is Okay
Jill J. Dunkel
Feedlot Magazine
Weaning ranch-direct at the feedyard can work – with enough communication. Everybody knows weaned and preconditioned cattle will outperform unweaned calves in the feed yard and on the rail, right? Not always.
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The Beef Blog 