Calf Health Management on Arrival – Producer Perspective

Calf Health Management on Arrival – Producer Perspective

John Schroeder

University of Nebraska

This video is part of the Calf Health Management on Arrival webinar series. John Schroeder, manager of Darr Feedlot near Cozad, NE, highlights some of their receiving protocols and feeding programs for calves on arrival.

Ranching in a COVID world: 2020 Cattle harvest and beef production

Ranching in a COVID world: 2020 Cattle harvest and beef production

Nevil Speer

Beef Magazine

The COVID slowdown generally meant more days on feed for the feeding sector. That subsequently led to bigger carcass weights. The year-over-year difference peaked at 52 pounds in late May and early June. Carcass weights have since moderated but the industry is still grappling with those added pounds.

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IVF access steadily improves for beef cattle

IVF access steadily improves for beef cattle

Barb Glen

Western Producer

In vitro fertilization in cattle is becoming more viable for purebred beef producers as knowledge of genetics improves and costs come down. Several veterinary practitioners in Alberta and British Columbia offer the service, as do many in the United States. As well, there are mobile units that provide IVF on the farm.

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Storing, testing hay remains important

Storing, testing hay remains important

Joe Paschal

Victoria Advocate

Economic analyses of beef cattle production in Texas has shown that feed costs are about one-third of the total annual cost of running a cow. Fortunately, land cost is included in that (grazing leases and grass), and no one wants to purchase upwards of $250 in feed to maintain a cow and her calf. But some do.

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Cattle are ecological misfits in the

Cattle are ecological misfits in the

Erik Molvar and Jennifer Molidor

Durango Herald

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.

Unlike cows, native wildlife in the West don’t need arid lands flooded with water to be productive. Before the agricultural colonization of the West (and its displacement of Indigenous people and wildlife that made it possible), sage grouse flocked together by the thousands, and streams teemed with trout and salmon. America’s natural wealth of fish and wildlife hasn’t been sustained by the plague of cattle, sheep and irrigated hayfields, it’s been decimated by them.

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Livestock groups weigh in on electronic eartags

Livestock groups weigh in on electronic eartags

Carol Ryan Dumas

Capital Press

Industry comments range from pro to no on USDA’s proposal to require the use of radio frequency identification eartags for adult cattle and bison transported between states.

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Obese cattle? I have a plan for that

Obese cattle? I have a plan for that

CAROLE SOULE

The Laconia Daily Sun

Fat cows make a farmer happy; most of the time. A cow with a layer of insulating fat will stay warmer in winter than her thin sister. So I don’t like to see bones or ribs on my beef cows.

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Beef producers push for changes to make markets more transparent

Beef producers push for changes to make markets more transparent

Steve White

NTV

Ranchers still do business with a handshake but their relationship with those who process beef is more complicated. COVID has amplified longstanding concerns over cattle markets as cattlemen seek change. “To make sure we have more cash trade, more transparency in the marketplace,” said Marty Smith, president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

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Ranchers webinars to cover cattle on wheat, small grains

Ranchers webinars to cover cattle on wheat, small grains

Tahlequah Daily Press

The popular series of free Ranchers Thursday Lunchtime teleconferences heads to the end of the year with the spotlight turned toward cattle on wheat and small grains. “Fine-tuning cattle and winter annual grazing management can make a big difference in enterprise profitability,” said Paul Beck, beef cattle specialist at Oklahoma State University Extension. “The Ranchers’ Thursday Lunchtime discussions have been well-received by the ranching community, and they will not be disappointed with the excellent topics and presenters in this addition to the series.”

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Don’t discount alfalfa as a winter supplement

Don’t discount alfalfa as a winter supplement

Dana Zook

Enid News and Eagle

I grew up on a farm where alfalfa was always part of the crop rotation. Much of the alfalfa went to local dairies, but even inferior alfalfa found a home at a local feed yard. Just like the corn and beans harvested each fall, alfalfa was marketed accordingly and maintained an important part of the farm’s financial equation.

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