Mark Parker: The Top 10 new warning messages on combine instrument panels

Mark Parker:  The Top 10 new warning messages on combine instrument panels

FarmTalk

10. Rapidly decomposing armadillo stuck in undercarriage.

Full Story

Canadian rancher develops ‘calf-stripping’ as a method to sort pairs

Canadian rancher develops ‘calf-stripping’ as a method to sort pairs

Cassidy Woolsey

Progressive Cattleman

Ranchers from a traditional cow-calf operation are familiar with swinging gates, people running up and down alleyways, flailing arms and the occasional cuss word.

Full Story

Movable Shade to Go With Your Movable Fencing and Water

Movable Shade to Go With Your Movable Fencing and Water

Kathy Voth

On Pasture

Shade can solve a lot of problems. It can improve livestock grazing and production. Cattle without shade gain less weight and produce less milk than their cool counterparts. Fertility rates drop too. Shade also impacts productivity by changing where animals deposit manure, and how much of your pasture gets grazed.

Full Story

Sustainable beef must include profit

Sustainable beef must include profit

Laura Conaway

Agri View

Change often comes with a price, so when it’s intentional, outcome benefits should always outweigh costs. That part of being “sustainable” certainly applies to ongoing efforts to reduce the beef system’s environmental impact. Research at Washington State University led by animal scientist Robin White explored management practices to help in that quest while increasing profits for cattlemen. She continues that work today at Virginia Tech.

Full Story

Beef Cattle Economic Selection Indices

Beef Cattle Economic Selection Indices

Bob Weaber

Kansas State University

Summary: Selection indices provide a single value, usually reported in dollars, for the selection of breeding stock that optimizes selection on a number of traits the define profit in a particular production scenario.  Selection indexes simplify selection by weighting EPDs by appropriate economic values to estimate the net merit of a selection candidate under a predefined breeding objective or goal.

Full Story

Purdue survey finds ’agritourists’ have environmental concerns

Purdue survey finds ’agritourists’ have environmental concerns

Darrin Pack

Southern Livestock

While most agricultural tourists responding to a Purdue University survey indicated that agriculture is an important industry, those who said they had visited a livestock farm tended to have concerns about how animal feeding operations affect water quality in their county.

Full Story

Broken bones in calves need quick treatment

Broken bones in calves need quick treatment

Heather Smith Thomas

Beef Producer

When calves suffer fractured limbs, they should be cast or splinted quickly for proper healing, even before the veterinarian arrives. The most common accidents include cows stepping on a newborn calf, legs fractured by improper assistance during birth, or trampling of young calves when cattle are harassed by dogs, coyotes or wolves. Older calves may fracture a leg in a branding or transport accident.

Full Story

Did you know… Highest. Quality. Beef. Ever?

Did you know… Highest. Quality. Beef. Ever?

Larry Corah

Farm and Ranch Guide

All agree the real driver of beef demand is its unique flavor, and marbling drives flavor. This key component of quality grade has grown in the last few years, to where the U.S. beef industry is probably producing the best eating experience in its history. That bodes well for beef demand.

Full Story

Beef contributes $3.8 billion to Missouri economy

Beef contributes $3.8 billion to Missouri economy

Tom Steever

Brownfield Network

“Missouri is the number three cow-calf state in the country; $3.8 billion contributor to the economy,” Fordyce told Brownfield Ag News.  “When you look at the economic contribution, it’s right up there at the very top.  When you look at the number of farms that are beef farms that is at the top.”

Full Story

Preventing Fatigued Cattle Syndrome: What can be done?

Preventing Fatigued Cattle Syndrome: What can be done?

Terri Queck-matzie

Feedlot Magazine

The effort to teach the beef industry about Fatigued Cattle Syndrome begins this month. Fatigued Cattle Syndrome, or FCS, is a physiological condition that affects cattle movement just prior to slaughter. Downer cattle, and even slow-moving cattle, are an increasing problem for the beef industry.

Full Story