Daily Archives: October 23, 2018

Chuteside Cattle Working

Chuteside Cattle Working

Ronald J. Gill, Ph.D. and Rick Machen, Ph.D.

Texas A&M University

A preventative health plan is essential when preparing weaned calves for the next segment of the industry (as a stocker or feeder). When the plan fails and illness surfaces, the first suspicion is a failure in the vaccination program. There are numerous explanations for these failures: an overwhelming pathogen challenge, stress, immunological immaturity, improper nutrition, genetically limited immunity, poor quality vaccine and improper vaccine handling.

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The Effect of Cow Udder Score on Calf Performance

The Effect of Cow Udder Score on Calf Performance

Steve Boyles

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

Scientists at the University of Nebraska (J. Beard, J. Musgrave, R. Funston and J. Mulliniks) used 812 cows and their udder scores to evaluate calf performance. Udders scores were recorded from a 1 (bad) to 5 (good) as reported in the Integrated Resource Management Guide (National Cattlemen’s Beef Association). They then separated the data into 2 groups of Bad Udders (1 and 2 scores) and Good Udders (3 or greater scores). There were 233 cows with Bad Udders and 1,742 cows with Good udders.

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Cargill develops industry-first robotic cattle driver

Cargill develops industry-first robotic cattle driver

Feedstuffs

Cargill has developed an industry-first robotic cattle driver aimed at improving animal welfare and employee safety. The robots are designed to move cattle from pens to the harvest area at the company’s processing plants, reducing stress to the animals by minimizing their proximity to human activity while improving employee safety.

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Secretary Sonny Perdue: USMCA a trade deal for the 21st century

Secretary Sonny Perdue: USMCA a trade deal for the 21st century

Secretary Sonny Perdue

The Spokesman Review

One of the core promises that swept President Donald Trump into office was that he would renegotiate better deals for the United States with our traditional trading partners. With the announcement of a new trade pact among the United States, Mexico and Canada, we welcomed the tremendous news that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be, if approved by Congress, replaced by a much stronger agreement.

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Local Beef, Local Profits

Local Beef, Local Profits

Becky Mills
Progressive Farmer

In Kentucky, Kroger likes to tell its customers local ground beef just got easier to buy. It’s also gotten more profitable for producers here, thanks to a start-up program through the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association (KCA). “I couldn’t have been happier,” says Harrodsburg, Kentucky, cattleman Cary King. He sold four open cows to the program in May at an average price of $1,022 a head. “I’ve taken cows to the stockyard and gotten $720, and been pleased.”

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Tips for Forage Testing to Ensure Proper Supplementation

Tips for Forage Testing to Ensure Proper Supplementation

VitaFerm

Some livestock producers will tell you they are forage producers and they simply raise cattle to have animals to consume the forage they produce. But it doesn’t matter if you raise hay for your cattle or cattle to eat hay, the most important thing to know is the nutrient content of the harvested forage you have on-hand before fall sets in and turns to winter.

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Pasture, Rangeland and Forage… A Potential Solution

Pasture, Rangeland and Forage… A Potential Solution

Farm Bureau

USDA’s Pasture, Rangeland and Forage is an area-based insurance plan that covers pasture, rangeland or forage used to feed livestock by insuring against the lack of precipitation. In the event the precipitation amounts within an area fall below the insured level and rainfall index, PRF uses county-based values to make a loss payment to the policyholder. The lack of precipitation is the only insurable loss under PRF.

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37,000-acre ranch to sell after order from federal bankruptcy court

37,000-acre ranch to sell after order from federal bankruptcy court

Claire Bailor

Dallas Business Journal

A 37,000-acre West Texas ranch is up for the taking after a federal bankruptcy court ordered the sale of the property and all of its assets. The broker anticipates bids for the massive property to start around $35 million to $40 million.

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Contentious Battle Continues Over the Beef Checkoff

Contentious Battle Continues Over the Beef Checkoff

Greg Henderson

Drovers

The legal wrangling might be decades old, but arguments regarding your beef checkoff have now spilled onto social media platforms, along with ironic twists on constitutional freedoms.

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Be Careful Grazing the Green This Fall

Be Careful Grazing the Green This Fall

Sean Kelly

iGrow

With fall grazing upon us, some areas of South Dakota have been blessed with plenty of precipitation this year and other areas are still experiencing drought conditions. Regardless of where your ranch is located, a rancher must be very careful when grazing the fall green up of cool season grasses.

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