Illinois Governor: Give ag education $0.00
Ben Potter
Drovers
More than 1,000 Illinois FFA members flocked to the statehouse on March 1. The reason? Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has put agriculture education on the chopping block. His proposed cut – 100%. That’s a grave mistake, according to Illinois Leadership Council for Agriculture Education (ILCAE) chair, Andrew Bowman.
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Beta agonist effects not significant
Loretta Sorensen
Agri View
A recent study on the effect of a beta agonist supplement – zilpaterol hydrochloride or Zilmax – on feedlot beef cattle revealed no link to animal-welfare issues following a 21-day use of the product. The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center at Clay Center, Nebraska, conducted the study in conjunction with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Research Animal Scientist Kristin Hales of the Nutrition and Environmental Management Research Unit was a member of the research team.
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Beef panel offers insight into ways beginners can succeed for the long haul
Kindra Gordon
Beef Producer
Success in the beef industry hinges on an extensive list of factors – from genetics and animal health to consumer demand. But Tom Field, Director of the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, points out that what ultimately will determine the future success of the industry is human capital. “If we don’t get enough people, nothing else matters,” Field says.
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Monitor Cattle for any Reaction to Drugs
Heather Smith Thomas
Cattle Today
Occasionally cattle experience a reaction to a drug (injected, applied topically or given orally). An allergic reaction can be mild and local (such as swelling at the injection site after vaccination) or serious and fatal—if the animal goes into anaphylactic shock.
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Dewormers Put On The Pounds
Becky Mills
Progressive Farmer
When Allen Beer’s calves go through the chute at weaning, deworming gets the same emphasis as vaccinations. Both are included in the preconditioning protocol required for the Tri-County Cattlemen’s Association feeder calf sale, where the Richburg, South Carolina, cattleman markets. On average, marketing here brings a five-cent-per-pound premium compared to steers sold in nearby graded sales.
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What is “Grass Tetany” and when are cattle most likely to have it?
Michelle Arnold
Ohio Beef Cattle Letter
Grass tetany, also known as spring tetany, grass staggers, wheat pasture poisoning, winter tetany or lactation tetany, is due to a low level of magnesium (Mg) in the blood. The amount of magnesium in the blood is completely dependent on the amount obtained from the daily diet.
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Modifying Different Components of Distillers Grains and the Impact on Feedlot Performance
Zachary E. Carlson, Curtis J. Bittner, Dirk B. Burken, Galen E. Erickon, and Jim C. MacDonald. Summarized by Meredith Bremer
University of Nebraska
The composition of distillers grain fed to feedlot cattle today may differ from what has been fed in the past. This change is due to technology advancements in ethanol production and the increased value of certain ethanol byproducts such as corn oil. A change in the composition of distillers grains could affect the percent inclusion in the feedlot diet and the resulting cattle performance.
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