Mark Parker: The Top 10 annoying farm happenings

Mark Parker:  The Top 10 annoying farm happenings

#10. You toss a dead possum as far out of the yard as you can and your retriever sees you do it.

#9. It rains on your just-cut hay, skips the beans.

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Tastes great or less filling?

Tastes great or less filling?

Billy Whitehurst

Progressive Cattle

Today, when I walk into the grocery store, even in my little town of 1,000 people, there are more locally and regionally brewed beers than anyone could have imagined 20 years ago. Another change is that it is not just the affluent who are consuming most of these designer beers anymore; it is often the average Joe. What does this have to do with cattle and beef? Glad you asked.

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Downed Trees Can be Toxic

Downed Trees Can be Toxic

Dr. Ken McMillan

DTN

After storms downed trees are common in pastures, but some types, including the Chinaberry, may be toxic to livestock. For those unfamiliar with this tree, the Chinaberry is native to India, Southeast Asia and Australia. It was imported in the 1930s as an ornamental and planted across the South. Like so many of these imported plants and trees, it is now considered by many to be an invasive species. T

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TCFA’s Ross Wilson Says More Robust Price Discovery Does Not Guarantee Higher Prices

TCFA’s Ross Wilson Says More Robust Price Discovery Does Not Guarantee Higher Prices

Oklahoma Farm Report

Ross Wilson, president and CEO of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) tells Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, they can’t guarantee higher prices. More robust price discovery, either voluntarily or by mandatory means, does not guarantee high prices, Wilson said. As you well know we’re talking about supply and demand, that’s what determines prices, Wilson said. The TCFA leader said there is some confusion in the country and that played out in the committee meeting discussion.

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Watch out for cases of summer pinkeye

Watch out for cases of summer pinkeye

Western Livestock Journal

Driving or riding through a pen or pasture of cattle is a favorite chore for many producers. Making sure our cattle have plenty of clean water, access to feed or forage and monitoring herd health are important aspects of daily care. When examining cattle, one important disease not to overlook is pinkeye.

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Utilizing Summer Annuals

Utilizing Summer Annuals

Ben Beckman

University of Nebraska

Whether grazed, harvested for hay, or cut for silage, warm season annual grasses are the kings of forage production.  Common species like forage sorghum, sudangrass, sorghum/sudangrass hybrids, and millets grow best under warmer temperatures, with peak performance at 75-90°F.  All species are highly productive with sudangrass on the lower end producing 3-5 tons per acre and forage sorghum recording yields up to 11 tons per acre.

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A cowboy’s summer hobby

A cowboy’s summer hobby

Erica Louder

Progressive Cattle

Last week, I was talking to a fellow rancher friend. She commented that one of the reasons she liked summer so much was the chance to slow down just a bit. I did one of those comical-cartoon double takes. “Slow down, what do you mean slow down? Summer is so busy.”

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Getting a better handle on docility measurements

Getting a better handle on docility measurements

Beef Central

The importance of docility as a beef cattle trait was highlighted in a recent survey of more than 1200 beef producers across Australia, which found temperament was the most important trait when selecting a bull.

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Producers watching prices, looking for opportunities

Producers watching prices, looking for opportunities

KMA Land

Cattle prices were holding steady or moving higher to begin the month of August. Andrew Griffith, University of Tennessee ag economist, says this is not usually the case. “It is rare this time of year to be able to say that all classes of cattle are witnessing steady to stronger prices, but that is the case in today’s market,” he says. “One would generally expect calf prices and slaughter cow prices to begin softening at this point in the summer. However, slaughter cow and slaughter bulls remain in strong demand.”

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Mitigating heat stress in cattle using the Nebraska Mesonet

Mitigating heat stress in cattle using the Nebraska Mesonet

Syracuse Journal-Democrat

Extreme summer heat can be a cause for concern for feedlot operators and cattle producers in Nebraska. Heat causes stress and other negative impacts in cattle production. Cattle at a comfortable temperature are more productive, gain weight more efficiently and maintain a higher level of health.

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