Baxter Black, DVM: Moderation
One of the hazards of having educated friends is that they are a frequent source of scientific information. Dr. Ben sent me a scholarly review entitled “WHAT DID OUR ANCESTORS EAT?” by two gentlemen well versed in nutrition and anthropology.
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Recognizing Sickness in Cattle Can Be Challenging
Lee Jones. MS, DVM
Cattle Today
If you deal with livestock, at some point you will also have to decide to treat a sick one or call a veterinarian to make a diagnosis and treatment recommendation. Knowing what to look for and how to decide whether an animal needs treating and what kind of treatment is sometimes easier said than done.
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Producers test soybeans as a forage option
Nat Williams
Iowa Farmer Today
Some livestock producers may want to consider soybeans as a forage crop. Studies indicate varieties specially bred for leaf growth could fix a few problems encountered by livestock producers.
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Beset by big losses, Cattlemen encourage more cash deals
The North Platte Bulletin
Cattle prices have fallen by about $40 per hundredweight so far this year, or nearly 30%, according to live cattle price charts from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The shortage of cattle sold on a negotiated cash basis has led to reduced competition in the marketplace, resulting in unprecedented market volatility and losses, the cattlemen’s group said as they announced a new, interim policy concerning the downward “trends in the nation’s negotiated fed cattle trade.”
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The Impact of Dressing Percent on Cull Cow Marketing
Glen Selk
University of Nebraska
Cull cows that are destined to be go to the packing house are graded by their fleshiness. The fattest cows are called Breakers. Moderately fleshed cows are Boners. Thin cows are called Leans or Lights, depending upon the weight of the cow. There will be price differences among these four grades. However, within each grade, large variation in prices per hundredweight will exist because of differences in dressing percentage.
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It’s how dry?
Mike Rankin
Hay and Forage
Through the years, farmers have devised any number of methods to estimate the moisture of cut forage in an attempt to hit the optimum harvest mark. Forgoing the Koster Tester or microwave, I’ve seen farmers ball up wilting hay in their hands, chew on stems, feel, smell, and otherwise mutilate a windrow in an attempt to gauge moisture content.
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Stick To Functional Forage Groups When Selecting Cover Crop Forages
Gallagher
According to Rogers, economic analyses from University of Kentucky show at least 10% of a livestock operation’s acreage should be maintained in annual forages to be profitable. In a region dominated by cool season grasses, especially toxic tall fescue, annual cover crops give Rogers a way to transition pastures out of this undesirable forage. At the same time, they serve as a beneficial grazing source for his cattle.
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