Mark Parker: The Top 10 farmer Christmas stats

Mark Parker:  The Top 10 farmer Christmas stats

FarmTalk

10.  68% of ranchers can’t drive by a nativity scene without wondering who gets those hay bales after Christmas is over.

9.  11% of farmers have said, “Don’t buy me anything. I may trade pickups the week after Christmas.”

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High Dollar Bulls Build Better Heifers

High Dollar Bulls Build Better Heifers

Boyd Kidwell
Progressive Farmer

Mike Mutch uses bulls worth six figures on his beef farm near Silk Hope, N.C. That may not be unheard of in the cattle industry, but for a part-time producer with 38 cows, it’s a definite point of pride. What makes it possible? Artificial insemination (AI).

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Bayer plans to exit animal health market

Bayer plans to exit animal health market

Progressive Cattleman

Bayer AG, the Germany-based parent company of Bayer Animal Health, announced Nov. 29 that it plans to drop animal health services and other brand products in its portfolio.

The company is cutting 12,000 jobs across several services, due to lower performance in stock performance and over-the-counter drug sales, according to The Wall Street Journal. The cuts would amount to 10 percent of its global workforce.

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What if it’s Foot Rot? What if it’s not?

What if it’s Foot Rot? What if it’s not?

Meredyth Jones

Farms.com

Increased rain can cause lameness in cattle. The most common cause of lameness in beef cattle after rains is foot rot, an infection of the skin between the toes of cattle that extends into underlying tissues and can cause swelling, severe lameness, and dying tissue between the toes. The key to successful treatment is proper identification of the condition and timely treatment with appropriate medications.

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Hereford Ranchers Raise $40,800 for Camp Fire Victims

Hereford Ranchers Raise $40,800 for Camp Fire Victims

A California-based group of Hereford breeders raised $40,800 to donate to cattlemen affected by the California Camp Fire, Dec. 1, 2018, at the Western States National Hereford Sale in Reno, Nev. The money was raised through the sale of Hereford heifer DF 0245 EMMA 907 741 ET. The Camp Fire in Northern California has been the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the fire was contained within 153,336 acres, and nearly 19,000 buildings and homes were destroyed. At least 85 individuals lost their lives, making this the nation’s deadliest blaze in a century.

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Lots Of Antibiotics Are Used In Beef Production. McDonald’s Vows To Change This

Lots Of Antibiotics Are Used In Beef Production. McDonald’s Vows To Change This

Allison Aubrey

NPR

Editor’s note: Stories of this ilk are included in the blog to inform those in our industry how agriculture is being presented to and perceived by the public.

Antibiotic resistance poses a threat to global health and food security. And McDonald’s — one of the globe’s largest purchasers of beef — gets it: The more that antibiotics are given to livestock, the more quickly bacteria could adapt and become resistant to them. Ultimately, experts say this could render the drugs ineffective for people.

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Feeding raw whole soybeans to beef cattle

Feeding raw whole soybeans to beef cattle

Ruth Correll

Lebanon Democrat

Soybean harvest in Wilson County was hit and miss this fall. Rainy weather prevented timely harvest. Some beans remain in the field and may not make the grade at grain elevators when harvested. This leaves the dilemma of what to do with these beans to try and recover some of the costs of production. There is potential for feeding these beans to beef cattle but certain precautions should be followed.

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