Changes to National Cattle Evaluation Benefits Bulls Buyers in 2018

Changes to National Cattle Evaluation Benefits Bulls Buyers in 2018
Matt Spangler

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

The majority of beef breed associations have made (or are currently making) substantial changes to their National Cattle Evaluation (NCE). These changes ultimately benefit commercial bull buyers by providing improved Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) and improved economic selection indices. This brief article is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the changes to NCE by breed organization, but rather to highlight changes in general and the benefits these changes created.

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Family farmers question how they’re taxed

Family farmers question how they’re taxed

Cleveland.com

Ohio family farmers are questioning how a beef tax that is supposed to promote the industry is being used. The questions come amid allegations that the organization that receives the tax money is connected to large, multi-national corporate producers.

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Continental cattle and genetic legitimacy

Continental cattle and genetic legitimacy

Alaina Staggs

UT Daily Beacon

Speaking of breeds, did you know that there are approximately 250 recognized breeds of beef cattle in existence? According to Virginia Tech Extension’s Scott Greiner, “over 60 of these breeds are present in the United States.” Less than 20 of these breeds make up the bulk of commercial beef in the U.S.!

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How to save money on minerals and improve cow nutrition

How to save money on minerals and improve cow nutrition

Duane Dailey

Dakota Farmer

Cow herd owners know more tools to boost production and profits than they use. This isn’t off in the future. It’s here. It’s now. Reproduction, making calves, and genomics, improving quality, are in use, successfully, by early adopters.

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Looking at Cattle Inventories in Major Beef Cow States

Looking at Cattle Inventories in Major Beef Cow States

Derrell Peel

Drovers

The Cattle report issued by USDA-NASS in late January included several interesting changes in major beef cow states.  Drought impacted the northern plains much of 2017 and continues to negatively impact producers in parts of Montana and North and South Dakota.  However, regional drought which affected parts of those states did not result in net herd liquidation year over year.

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UNL researchers look to producer help in calf dwarfism study

UNL researchers look to producer help in calf dwarfism study

Ag Daily

University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers are trying to uncover the cause of a novel form of severe, lethal dwarfism in calves and are asking for producer help. Dr. David Steffen (Veterinary Diagnostic Center) and Dr. Jessica Petersen (Department of Animal Science) are using veterinary and genomic tools to try to understand the cause of the abnormal, unwanted traits in beef cattle. The research, including a careful description of affected calves and collection of genetic samples, is important in the case that these conditions are heritable.

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The Route to Higher Premiums

The Route to Higher Premiums

Kindra Gordon

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

When Faulkton, S.D., cattleman Troy Hadrick and his two cousins took over management as the fifth generation on their family farming operation in 2012, the trio viewed it as an opportunity to revisit their goals and set new ones. Facing the combination of drought and corn costs at record highs that year, Hadrick shared that growing their commercial herd size to try to increase profits wasn’t a viable option.

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Stockmanship Tips from the Ranchers Who Use Them

Stockmanship Tips from the Ranchers Who Use Them

Jon Maday

Drovers

When purchasing ranch-direct calves, Colorado cattle feeder Steve Gabel says “I won’t buy them without verification they’ve received at least two doses of modified-live viral vaccine.”

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Prevention And Treatment Of Cow Prolapse

Prevention And Treatment Of Cow Prolapse

Heather Smith Thomas

Beef Magazine

Cows can prolapse before or after calving. While both are situations that must be corrected, there are some differences in the type and severity of a prolapse.

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Plan for divorce to protect the farm financially, just in case

Plan for divorce to protect the farm financially, just in case

Phyllis Coulter

Illinois Farmer Today

Just as a farmer buys insurance in case of a crop failure, there should be a plan in case of a marriage failure — with the hope that neither has to be used. No one wants to think about the possibility of divorce, but it happens. It can be particularly devastating if the family farm is lost in the distribution of assets as a result.

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