Selecting for Soundness
Kayla M. Wilkins
Hereford World
Historically, the cattle industry was almost entirely driven by phenotypic selection alone. Cattle producers weighed selection heavily on structural evaluation because it was the primary tool available. The progressive nature of the industry has resulted in a shift in the selection process over the last few decades.
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Breeder focuses on genetics with goal of improving customers’ feeder calves
Samantha Athey
FarmTalk
When it comes to knowing what bull buyers want, the Aschermanns have made it their business to be ahead of the game. At Aschermann Charolais in Carthage, Missouri, the goal is to help commercial cattlemen raise better feeder calves by raising bulls with a reputation for calving ease, good disposition, sound feet and legs, and fescue tolerance. Both Larry and his wife, Peggy, have worked to build that reputation by using their experiences in the cattle business.
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Reinforcing a Weak Link
John Maday
Bovine Vet Online
Much of the work you and your clients do on the farm to protect animal welfare and beef quality could be cancelled out by poor transportation practices. Virtually all cattle in the United States are transported at least once, and most take several trailer trips, often as many as six times, as they move through marketing channels and between production systems. According to the 2007 Market Cow and Bull Quality Audit, funded by the beef checkoff, the average tractor-trailer load of beef cattle arriving at the beef processing plant traveled 759 km, and dairy cattle traveled 365 km.
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Former Ag Secretary and Nebraska native Clayton Yeutter passes
KTIC
Clayton Yeutter, a native Nebraskan who served as U.S. secretary of agriculture under President George H.W. Bush, has passed away. Yeutter, 86, had battled cancer for several years but continued to be active in promoting global trade, the sustainable water use and agriculture.
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‘Jekyll and Hyde’ winter changes nutritional needs of cattle
RYAN CROSSINGHAM
Farm and Ranch Guide
“I look back at this winter and it has kind of been a Jekyll and Hyde deal,” said Carl Dahlen, NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist. “We had November, which was absolutely gorgeous, and then we had a different story during the first part of December as winter came in with a vengeance. Now we go outside and it’s in the 50s. This puts a lot of strain on our cattle because they take time to adapt to different conditions. When you go from warm to super cold to warm again, nutritionally speaking we have to do some things.”
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High-Quality, Profitable Beef Made Possible by Genetic Tests
David Burton
Drovers
Making quality beef for more farm profits becomes predictable by using genetic testing. Meetings across Missouri will review current breeding technology and explain new genomic tools.
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How a drought made the U.S. cowherd better
Hannah Johlman
Beef Magazine
Drought can change things, often in a big way. Consider the recent drought that gripped much of the nation from 2011 to 2014, for example. The liquidation it caused, particularly on the Southern Plains, and the movement of cows that weren’t liquidated, was a game-changer. But here’s the thing: Not all of the effects of that devastating period were bad.
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Earlier is better
Justin Sexten
Feedlot Magazine
Everybody knows bull calves sell at least $5/cwt back of steers at weaning, and the discount grows for any still intact as yearlings. That’s because virtually all of them are bound for the feedyard, where steers are the rule. The only question revolves around when the bulls become steers.
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Lamb named department head for Texas A&M animal science
Blair Fannin
Dr. Cliff Lamb has been named department head for animal science at Texas A&M University in College Station, according to Dr. Mark Hussey, vice chancellor and dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Lamb comes to Texas A&M after serving as assistant director of the University of Florida-North Florida Research and Education Center. In Florida, Lamb was responsible for administrative oversight of the animal science programs with primary roles overseeing budgets, staff and marketing of livestock as well as research, extension and teaching programs.
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The power of heterosis and breed complimentarity
Dr. Bob Hough
Western Livestock Journal
Crossbreeding is a management tool that can add to the profitability of an operation through heterosis and breed complimentarity. With the advent of hybrids and composites, the benefits of crossbreeding can be obtained with much simpler management systems than was available in the past when crossbreeding systems were often very complicated and difficult to manage.
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