Cold or hot, branding is disappearing in Midwest

Cold or hot, branding is disappearing in Midwest

Nat Williams

Iowa Farmer Today

To brand or not to brand? In some Midwestern states, that question has largely been answered in the negative. While cattle branding still takes place in Illinois, many producers have eschewed the practice and rely primarily on ear tags and tattooing. Even fewer utilize the relatively new practice of freeze branding.

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Vet Mike Apley Says Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture is a Matter of Judicious Use vs. Stewardship

Vet Mike Apley Says Antibiotic Use in Animal Agriculture is a Matter of Judicious Use vs. Stewardship

Oklahoma Farm Report

In recent years, the threat of bacterial resistance to antibiotic treatments, has prompted concerns not only in the human health sector, but also over the use of antibiotics in livestock production as a contributor to the issue. Hence, the recent enforcement of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) that now governs antibiotic use in production agriculture.

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Windbreaks and shelter for fall-calving cows

Windbreaks and shelter for fall-calving cows

Heather Smith Thomas

Progressive Cattleman

In climates where wind chill is an issue, planning for winter weather can reduce feed costs, illness and health costs, with less loss of body condition and better gains on young animals. Windbreaks/shelter are important for calving cows and young calves.

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Cattle Can be Good Brush Managers

Cattle Can be Good Brush Managers

Kathy Voth

On Pasture

Most of the cows I’ve trained to eat weeds have become pretty open-minded about trying a little bit of everything in pasture. These particular cows were trained to eat distaff and Italian thistle, and they decided on their own to eat coyote bush, a species known to invade grasslands in the area. I videoed the cows grazing the bushes off at head-level, breaking large branches off with their heavy bodies in an effort to get at the best parts.

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Rotational grazing offers

Rotational grazing offers

Marci Hess

Agri-View

The practice is effective for either beef or dairy cattle. Beef cattle will have higher weight gains and dairy cattle will produce more milk per acre. Pat Leonard, a Lafayette County, Wisconsin, farmer who has used rotational grazing for 15 years, said he has found his milk production increased an average of 15 to 20 pounds per day once he began this practice. His family farm is consistently in the top-10 in Lafayette County for milk production.

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Torrential Rains Hammer Texas Ranchers After Hurricane Harvey

Torrential Rains Hammer Texas Ranchers After Hurricane Harvey

Sara Brown

Bovine Veterinarian

Ranchers are playing a bad game of “wait and see” as rains continue to flood the coast of Texas. Many ranchers are still trapped by the high waters and have no ways to check on livestock or assess damage.

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Consider options for livestock buildings

Consider options for livestock buildings

Jason Johnson

Wallaces Farmer

Open feedlots, where livestock are exposed to the elements, are considered by many to be the cheapest way to run a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), but they can also pose the greatest risk to the environment.

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