Udder Heritability
Dr. Ken McMillan
DTN/The Progressive Farmer
Udder quality, especially when it is a herd problem, is, in my mind, a genetic issue until proven otherwise. Cows’ udders are evaluated based on udder suspension and teat size. Each is scored on a scale of 1 to 9 at calving. The scoring is based on the largest teat.
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A Pasture Alternative
Heather Smith Thomas
Angus Journal
Most beef cattle spend summer on pasture. Many are only confined for feeding during winter or after weaning, when calves go to feedlots or heifer-development pens.
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Large Concern Over Poor Quality Livestock Water
Robin Salverson
iGrow
Little to no runoff from snow or spring rain along with hot, dry, windy conditions have led to an early detection of poor quality livestock water in Western South Dakota. Livestock water samples from Northwestern South Dakota have already indicated high levels of total salts.
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Marketing Calves – Already?
Kelly Bruns
University of Nebraska
Now is the time to start thinking about marketing opportunities for calves this fall. While prices are well below what was received last year at this time, considerations can be given to the seasonal aspects of feeder cattle prices and the opportunities that may exist to utilize risk management tools.
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Making More With Less – Importance of Feed Efficiency Research
Oklahoma Farm Report
Feed efficiency is an important factor in the profitability and sustainability of the beef cattle industry, and Dr. Jerry Taylor, professor of genetics and animal sciences at the University of Missouri, is leading a project that looks at producing more beef with fewer feed inputs.
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Pasture values seem to be slipping
Alan Newport
Beef Producer
It’s hard to get a feel for pasture pricing changes, although farmland pricing and rental rates are regularly reported through every calendar year. Still, a few reports came out in early 2016 and a couple more from late 2015.
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Feedlot conditions play into bottom line
Tri State Neighbor
“Cattle might possess the greatest genetics for growth and carcass merit and be fed the most finely tuned ration nutritionists can formulate, but if the feeding environment is too stressful, those animals will simply not perform as well as expected,” said Warren Rusche, SDSU Extension cow-calf specialist.
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Summarizing the Virginia BCIA Central Bull Test Program
Dr. Scott P. Greiner
Lancaster Farming
The Virginia Beef Cattle Improvement Association recently completed its 58th year of developing bulls through the state’s Central Bull Test Program. The 2015-16 test and sale year included the development of 310 total bulls, with 190 bulls selling through two sales for an average of $3,524. This average compares to the program record average price of $4,794 during 2014-15, and $3,531 in 2004-05.
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Beef industry mixed on what effects of corporate agriculture could be
Jenny Schlecht
The Dickenson Press
Few people argued that North Dakota’s beef industry needed help staying relevant when a bill arose in the 2015 Legislature that would have loosened the state’s anti-corporate agriculture law.
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Tri-State Beef Conference to be held in Abingdon
Phil Blevins
Bristol Herald Courier
The 9th Annual Tri-State Beef Cattle conference will be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Abingdon, Virginia, on Thursday, Aug. 4. This year’s conference will address topics of interest to both stocker and cow-calf producers.
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The Beef Blog 