BeefTalk: Future of Beef Revisited – Industry Integration

BeefTalk: Future of Beef Revisited – Industry Integration

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist

NDSU Extension

Those of us in the beef industry have two big questions to ponder in the future:

• How much do we actually change or accept based on what we deem appropriate?
• How much have we changed based on what is around us rather than our own decisions?

Of these two distinctly different questions, one we control and the other we do not. Is our future actually us, or do we simply review the past, become part of a trend line and keep going?

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How to Get Water to Livestock in a Rotational Grazing System

How to Get Water to Livestock in a Rotational Grazing System

Kathy Voth

On Pasture

Getting water to livestock in pasture can be a challenge and farmers and ranchers have come up with all kinds of systems to get the job done.  Since two (or more) heads are better than one, we thought we’d share some solutions from your fellow graziers over the next few months.  Please feel free to add to the conversation by describing your successes (or failures) below, or how you might adapt these examples for your place.  Got a video?  Get in touch and we’ll share it with your On Pasture Community.

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Decrease Labor and Waste with a Total Mixed Ration

Decrease Labor and Waste with a Total Mixed Ration

Ag in Motion

Nutrition and feed conversion is a critical factor in profitability in any livestock operation. A properly balanced ration ensures animals are supplied with the all the nutrition components and energy they need to be healthy and to maximize milk production for dairy cattle and weight gain in beef cattle.

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House and Senate Farm Bills Contribute to Deficit Reduction

House and Senate Farm Bills Contribute to Deficit Reduction

Farm Bureau

A comparison of the House and Senate committee-passed farm bills to the May 2013 baseline shows a cumulative difference in farm bill spending of approximately $112 billion over a 10-year period – driven by both the 2014 and 2018 committee-passed farm bill reforms.

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Veterinarian gives advice on how to keep calves in good health with the help of probiotics.

Veterinarian gives advice on how to keep calves in good health with the help of probiotics.

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

After calves are on the ground, one of the most important factors to keep cattle gaining is minimizing health challenges, advises H. Nielsen, veterinarian in the Technical Service — Ruminant department of Lallemand Animal Nutrition.

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Avoid Overgrazing Your Pastures

Avoid Overgrazing Your Pastures

Farms.com

The summer is upon us and cool season grasses are slowing down their growth. This is the time to pay attention so you don’t overgraze those pastures. Most grazers rely on cool season pastures to sustain their animals. Growth of cool season grasses nearly come to a standstill when temperatures hit 80°F, which often causes a problem for grazers.

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You can be an animal science major without becoming a vet

You can be an animal science major without becoming a vet

Jaclyn Krymowski

Ag Daily

The conversations were like clockwork. “I’m studying animal science.” “Oh! You’re going to be a vet?” My tongue in cheek response was, “No, the idea of going to school another four years only to spend my career getting calls at 3 a.m. to take care of other people’s animals isn’t appealing to me.”

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Evaluate your herd’s profitability

Evaluate your herd’s profitability

Amanda Cauffman,

Wisconsin Agriculturalist

Weaning time is just around the corner for spring-calving cows, and as you prepare to separate cows from their calves, you should also prepare to evaluate certain benchmarks that represent a cow herd’s productivity and overall profitability.

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The Importance of Exports

The Importance of Exports

John F. Grimes

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

The subject of trade seems to be a daily topic in the national and agricultural media in recent weeks. The President appears to be determined to create an environment for “fairer” trade between the U.S. and many of our trading partners. Thus far, negotiations between the U.S. and other countries have yielded few results, tough talk, and the threat of tariffs.

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Where’s the beef? Texas man accused of being all hat, no cattle

Where’s the beef? Texas man accused of being all hat, no cattle

Patrick Johnston

Wichita Falls Times Record News

According to a press release from the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Howard Lee Hinkle, 67, defaulted on several loans with past due balances totaling more than $5.8 million.

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The Cost of Keeping One Open Cow Can Pay to Have the Herd Pregnancy Checked

The Cost of Keeping One Open Cow Can Pay to Have the Herd Pregnancy Checked

Dr. Andrew Griffith

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

Recently the topic of pregnancy checking was discussed. There are several producers who use palpation, ultrasound, or blood test to determine the pregnancy status of cows in the herd. However, there are more producers who use either the eye test or fail to pregnancy check at all.

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This Hearst ranch has raised cattle since 1865. Now it also powers Apple’s headquarters

This Hearst ranch has raised cattle since 1865. Now it also powers Apple’s headquarters

Anita Balakrishnan

CNBC

Apple has disrupted its fair share of industries over the years — but cattle ranching is usually not mentioned as one of them.  Nonetheless, the historic Hearst cattle ranch (yes, the Hearsts of magazine fame) has become a hybrid solar farm for Apple, merging the world of tech with a centuries-old trade.

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Successful Corn Silage Management Begins in Field, Continues in Storage

Successful Corn Silage Management Begins in Field, Continues in Storage

Russ Quinn

Progressive Farmer

Corn silage can be an economical feedstuff for beef cattle operations, especially in times of drought. But those who utilize the feedstuff have a laundry list of items they need to consider in order to maximize their investment. Silage management entails both how the crop is chopped in the field and how it’s stored on the farm.

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Cattle on feed at highest level since 1996

Cattle on feed at highest level since 1996

Western Farmer Stockman

Cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on June 1, 2018, which is 4% higher than June 1, 2017. This is the highest June 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.

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Risk of Blue-Green Algae in Farm Ponds

Risk of Blue-Green Algae in Farm Ponds

Pat Melgares

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

Cyanobacteria can look green or dark green, but can turn to a bluish tint or even reddish brown or gray. It looks like paint mixing with water. K-State beef veterinarian outlines some of the warning signs and preventative steps. The looming hot, summer weather and potential for lots of sunlight may bring with it a cause for concern among livestock producers.

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Fake meat meeting planned

Fake meat meeting planned

Jennifer Carrico

High Plains Journal

Recent developments in growing foods from animal cell cultures has led to much discussion among agricultural groups and government agencies. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has been preparing for an upcoming public meeting regarding fake meat.

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Study finds economic impact of using antimicrobials in feedlots

Study finds economic impact of using antimicrobials in feedlots

Feedstuffs

Kansas State University agricultural economists and veterinary medicine faculty members have completed an analysis of the economic impact of treating groups of high-health risk animals with antimicrobials, and they think their findings will help inform public debate on the topic, according to an announcement.

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Georgia farmer loses five cows after Trooper, Sheriff dispute

Georgia farmer loses five cows after Trooper, Sheriff dispute

Ag Daily

A Georgia farmer said he lost two mamas and three calves from heat and stress after a state trooper and a sheriff got into it over getting his 40-head of cattle loaded into another trailer.

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How the Veterinary Lab Diagnoses Anthrax in a Beef Herd

How the Veterinary Lab Diagnoses Anthrax in a Beef Herd

Russ Daly and Marlene Braun

Feedlot Magazine

Anthrax is a serious disease of cattle that pops up somewhere almost every year in South Dakota. It’s caused by a bacteria that survives as a very tough spore form in the soil. Cattle encounter the bacteria (Bacillus anthracis) when they graze close to the ground or when spores have been washed up on grass from previous pasture flooding.

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Anthrax confirmed in two South Dakota cattle herds

Anthrax confirmed in two South Dakota cattle herds

KSFY

A disease deadly to cattle has been detected in Clark County. So far, eight unvaccinated cows have died in a herd of 87.  This is one of two confirmed anthrax cases in South Dakota. The other is in Bon Homme County, and local vets and ranchers are concerned.

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