Preconditioning and Risk Management Are Tools to Help You Prosper in 2020

Preconditioning and Risk Management Are Tools to Help You Prosper in 2020

Oklahoma Farm Report

As 2020 gets up to speed, Oklahoma State University livestock market economist, Dr. Derrell Peel says beef producers should have at least a measure of optimism. Peel believes the market is looking a little more positive this year, “I think it’s I think the overall situation is very supportive. More so, I do expect modestly higher prices, particularly in the second half of 2020, relative to what we went through and 2019. Again I think there’s still plenty of potential for volatility but arguably, perhaps a little bit less than what we’ve been dealing with for many months, over the last year or two.”

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An Ambiguous Future

An Ambiguous Future

Terry Ropp

Ozark Farm & Neighbor

”I’m just old enough to be invited to the grown-up table of cattle producers,” quipped 30-year-old Aaron Artripe of Rogers, Ark. ”What I do isn’t typical but it’s working well, and when I grow up in another 10 years with a lot more experience and data behind me, perhaps my kind of diversification will have value for others.”

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NCBA’s Sustainability Work

NCBA’s Sustainability Work

Colin Woodall

California Cattleman

As we enter a new year, I hope you and your families had a happy holiday season. We look forward to continuing to serve each of you in the year ahead. With 2020 in mind, I wanted to take a few minutes and discuss NCBA’s vision: To be the trusted leader and definitive voice of the beef industry. That vision drives the work we’re doing every day in this association. From the direction provided by our grassroots leaders and partners, to the actions of our staff, we’re working hard to ensure our actions and activity are helping put muscle behind those words.

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Subacute Ruminal Acidosis

Subacute Ruminal Acidosis

Merck Veterinary Manual

Ruminant animals are adapted to digest and metabolize predominantly forage diets; however, growth rates and milk production are increased substantially when ruminants consume high-grain diets.

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BVDV Tracker

BVDV Tracker

Jodi Henke

Successful Farming

Peggy Thompson is a professional services veterinarian with Boeringer Ingleheim Animal Health. She says it’s a silent disease and producers may not know it’s in the herd.  “With BVD you could certainly have abortion losses which would affect the producer’s bottom line, you could have weak stillborn calves that just don’t perform very well,” says Thompson. “The virus really suppresses the immune system of those cattle which allows other diseases and bacteria to jump in so you could have increased incidences of pneumonia, increased incidents of scours, and so all of those things are certainly going to cause production losses for that producer.”

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Applying Animal Waste to Cover Crops

Applying Animal Waste to Cover Crops

Steph Kulesza, Christine Lawson

Farms.com

Cover crops are often added to a rotation to provide soil cover during fallow periods and scavenge nutrients left behind after a crop has been harvested. Cover crops hold nutrients at the soil surface until they are terminated. Terminating the crop can be accomplished through chemical (herbicide) or mechanical (tillage, chopping, mowing, roller-crimper) methods or by natural winterkill.

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NCBA focusing on trade, alternative protein, sustainability

NCBA focusing on trade, alternative protein, sustainability

Amie Simpson

Brownfield AG News

Trade, alternative protein, and sustainability are some issues that are top of mind for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in 2020. Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs, says NCBA is pleased with the trade progress with China and is hopeful some non-tariff trade barriers will be removed as part of the phase one agreement.

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OSU Extension to host two winter beef programs

OSU Extension to host two winter beef programs

Matt Reese

Ohio’s Country Journal

Mark your calendars now for the Ohio Beef Cattle Nutrition and Management School, targeted for anyone raising, feeding, or marketing any class of beef cattle.

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Getting Ready For Calving

Getting Ready For Calving

Drovers

“Body condition plays an important role in successfully wintering beef cows,” says Yuri Montanholi, North Dakota State University Extension beef cattle specialist. “Late weaning, overstocking, late supplementation, poor parasite control programs and inadequate winter rations all can lead to cows in poor body condition.”

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Researchers fortify alfalfa with disease defense.

Researchers fortify alfalfa with disease defense.

Jan Suszkiw

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

Alfalfa is often called the “queen of the forages” due to its high yield, feed quality for ruminant animals, nitrogen fixation and pollinator habitat among other environmental services. Yet this royal member of the legume family is no match against the host of microbes that cause the disease complex known as “crown rot.”

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