Don’t Blame the Calves

Don’t Blame the Calves

Laura Conaway

Angus Media

Things aren’t always what they seem. It’s no secret, marbling in harvested fed cattle declines from late February to early May each year (See Chart). That coincides with a seasonal switch from yearlings to calf-feds in the harvest mix, which often gets the blame. Yet, recent data from the University of Minnesota (UMN) suggests we should reconsider the blame game; or, at the very least ,not let it deter cattlemen from feeding calves a high-energy diet (calf-feds).

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Prevention Better Than a 50/50 Diagnosis

Prevention Better Than a 50/50 Diagnosis

Dr. Ken McMillan

DTN

Diagnosing the cause of abortion in cows is always tough. Abortions can be caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoans, toxins in feed or pastures, genetic defects, heat and stress. To further complicate things, the event leading to an abortion can occur weeks to months before the abortion occurs, which really makes a diagnosis challenging.

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Harvesting corn for forage? Here’s what to consider

Harvesting corn for forage? Here’s what to consider

Tri State Neighbor

Before harvesting drought stricken corn early to use for forage, producers should test for nitrates. "We need to make certain that we aren’t just trading one problem for another by salvaging drought damaged corn," said Warren Rusche, beef feedlot management associate for South Dakota State University Extension.

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New and old pain killers for cattle

New and old pain killers for cattle

Alan Newport

Beef Producer

The US Food and Drug Administration this week announced approval of Banamine Transdermal (flunixin transdermal solution), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the control of pain associated with foot rot and the control of pyrexia (fever) associated with bovine respiratory disease in cattle.

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Japanese frozen beef tariff rise causes US rift

Japanese frozen beef tariff rise causes US rift

Global Meat News

Tariffs on Japan’s frozen beef imports will rise to 50% from the current rate of 38.5% between 1 August 2017 and 31 March 2018. This has happened because enough frozen been has been imported by Japan this year to trigger the country’s safeguard mechanism which will see it raise tariffs on imports from the US and others.

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Antibiotics: Fuzzy connections between humans and animals

Antibiotics: Fuzzy connections between humans and animals

Wes Ishmael

Beef Magazine

Establishing a direct cause-and-effect relationship between antibiotic use in livestock and antibiotic resistance in humans may be only slightly more difficult than mapping a path between trends in coffee consumption and the color of a penguin’s beak.

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N.D. drought prompting calf health questions

N.D. drought prompting calf health questions

Farm & Ranch Guide

North Dakota’s drought is raising questions from livestock producers about health issues in calves. Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist, says one of those questions is related to weaning calves early: If producers are planning to wean next month, should they give preweaning vaccinations now?

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