Sorting Out the Bull – Things to Consider When Buying a Bull

Sorting Out the Bull – Things to Consider When Buying a Bull

Aaron Berger

On Pasture

The purchase of a bull is a significant investment and represents the genetic future of the calves and in many cases replacement heifers that will go into the cowherd. The following are thoughts on a process that producers can use when planning the purchase of their next sire.

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Lepto: Important but Potentially Misleading

Lepto: Important but Potentially Misleading
Mark Hilton

Bovine Veterinarian

“If I’m investigating herd infertility, I’m not immediately thinking of Leptospirosis,” says W. Mark Hilton, DVM, technical consultant with Elanco technical services. Reproductive problems, he says, typically are multi-factorial and may be difficult to diagnose, but the causes usually involve non-disease issues such as bull fertility, cow nutrition, genetics, toxins or others.

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Searching for Environmental Adaptation in Beef Cattle

Searching for Environmental Adaptation in Beef Cattle

Troy Rowan and Jared Decker, PhD

A Steak in Genomics™

The United States is home to diverse climates and geographies. Over the past 150 years, beef cattle have found their way into nearly every one of these unique environments. Some cattle thrive in particular environments, while others struggle. Animals well-suited to an environment performed well and are selected to stay in herds. Poorly-suited animals are culled.

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Minimizing threat of heifer disease by blood testing

Minimizing threat of heifer disease by blood testing

Russ Daly, George Perry and Holly Krueger

Tri State Neighbor

There’s a little known cause of reproductive failure in beef and dairy herds, and it can be identified by giving heifers a blood test. It’s called neospora caninum, and while cattle producers have long understood how certain viruses and bacteria affect reproduction (such as BVD virus or leptospirosis), neospora, which is a protozoal organism, provides some interesting challenges.

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K-State offers advice for managing farms in downturn

K-State offers advice for managing farms in downturn

Jennifer M. Latzke

High Plains Journal

There are many parallels between today’s agricultural economic downturn and the 1980s, too many for farmers and agricultural economists to ignore. Which is why Kansas State University experts put together the traveling Farming for the Future program, stopping at locations across the state in January.

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American beef producers hopeful for big jump in China export sales

American beef producers hopeful for big jump in China export sales

Peter Mertz

Xinhua

“The amount of beef going into China today is miniscule compared to its potential,” said Bill Hammerich, CEO of the Colorado Livestock Association, whose convention booth was packed during the show. “We’re hoping to see that jump soon.” “American corn-fed beef is a sought-after commodity around the world, and China is no exception,” said Todd Sigman of Dinklage Feed Yards in Fort Morgan, Colorado.

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Bale Grazing Gives Big Paybacks, Grows More Grass

Bale Grazing Gives Big Paybacks, Grows More Grass

Gallagher

Saving time and money, while growing more grass – these are the reasons Jonathan Bouw and his brother Stefan say they started bale grazing at Edie Creek Angus a little over five years ago.

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Mid-South Stocker Conference coming March 7

Mid-South Stocker Conference coming March 7

Aimee Nielson

University of Kentucky

The 2018 Mid-South Stocker Conference aims to help stocker operators pursue greater profits as they produce and market feeder cattle as efficiently as possible. Beef specialists from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the University of Tennessee will host the conference March 7 at the Logan County Cooperative Extension office in Russellville.

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In farming, suicide rate high, but few notice

In farming, suicide rate high, but few notice

SHERRY SLATER

The Journal Gazette

More than a year after the CDC released data showing farmers had the highest suicide rate of any profession, those who work in Indiana ag said they do not know about the findings. And, they said last week, if a depressed farmer asked for help, they’d have no idea where to send him for support.

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Stewardship takes a collaborative approach

Stewardship takes a collaborative approach

Morning AG Clips

“We’re all working together to make sure we’re preserving antibiotics so that the response we achieve today is the same response we’ll get in 10 years in both human and animal medicine,” said Doug Hilbig, DVM, Beef Technical Services at Zoetis.

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