Hybrid Vigor Key For Commercial Cattle Producers, Says Veteran Texas Rancher Donnell Brown

Hybrid Vigor Key For Commercial Cattle Producers, Says Veteran Texas Rancher Donnell Brown

Oklahoma Farm Report

It’s all about profitability if you want to stay in business and a key for commercial cattle producers is increasing hybrid vigor within their herds. For more than 100 years the R.A. Brown Ranch, Throckmorton, TX., has been producing commercial and seed stock cattle. Donnell Brown, a 5th generation rancher has worked with 18 different breeds of cattle and today has settled on a three-breed rotation of Angus, Red Angus and Simmental cattle.

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Cattle industry faces novel virus

Cattle industry faces novel virus

Charles Wallace

Western Livestock Journal

Producers already have enough to worry about, and now a novel virus that causes diarrhea in calves—first detected in Japan in 2003—has emerged in the U.S. Bovine kobuvirus (BKV) was identified by researchers at the University of Illinois by Dr. Leyi Wang and his team in April 2019.

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Livestock Facility Inspections: Do I need one? If so, what should I expect?

Livestock Facility Inspections: Do I need one? If so, what should I expect?

Leslie Johnson

University of Nebraska

Inspections collect information about livestock facilities and are how the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) determines whether the facility is in compliance with regulations. There are two different kinds of inspections for livestock operations. Initial inspections help NDEE determine whether a permit is needed. Routine inspections allow the NDEE representative to make sure permitted operations are in compliance with their permit.

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Reduce Cold Stress

Reduce Cold Stress

Kaci Foraker

Angus Beef Bulletin

One of the biggest issues on producers’ minds when the temperature starts to drop is protecting their cattle from intensely low temperatures. Though some cattle are more adapted to deal with extreme environments, cold stress can affect any animal.

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It pays to be an unconventional rancher

It pays to be an unconventional rancher

Mitch Kezar

Successful Farming

“It’s definitely not the way everyone else is doing things on their farms,” says Barry. “For instance, we don’t use creep feeders because we believe that a calf should start to eat grass as soon as its rumen is able to digest grass. We wean lighter calves, but we haven’t spent a dime on feeding them anything extra either.”

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Weighing the value of permanent and portable livestock handling facilities

Bruce Derksen

Canadian Cattlemen

For some cattle producers, the choice of permanent or portable handling facilities is never considered. Feedlots and grow yards require a permanent infrastructure due to the number of cattle worked daily in a specific location. Sizeable cow-calf owners also require a structure to handle both the larger cows and the smaller calves.

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Hawaii’s cattle ranchers: Producing local beef

Hawaii’s cattle ranchers: Producing local beef

AG Daily

When you think of cattle ranchers across the country, you might not think of Hawaii cattle ranchers first, but they are providing for their communities just like their fellow ranchers. This video shows exactly how Hawaii’s cattle producers are providing beef for the local supermarkets and restaurants while also meting the demands of local consumers.

 

Cattlemen, connection define 37 years of Oklahoma Steer Feedout program

Cattlemen, connection define 37 years of Oklahoma Steer Feedout program

Raney Rapp

FarmTalk

Five steers. Five data sets. Five chances to evaluate whole-herd improvement. For 37 years, the Oklahoma Steer Feedout provided producers with the opportunity to assess feed efficiency and genetic performance in an accessible Extension-led format.

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Do Your Homework When Aiming For A Niche Market.

Do Your Homework When Aiming For A Niche Market.

Heather Smith Thomas.

American Cattlemen

A growing number of cattle producers are selling their animals into niche markets like natural, organic, grass-fed, animal welfare approved, etc.  Stacy Davies (manager of Roaring Springs Ranch in Oregon) is involved in Country Natural Beef and says niche markets give ranchers an opportunity to tell the good story about beef and connect with consumers.

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Lessons Learned from 2020

Lessons Learned from 2020

Walt Barnhart

Calf News

Hindsight is 20/20, and most people are thankful hindsight is where 2020 has gone. Few would challenge the idea that the year would best be viewed as a distant point in our rear-view mirrors. But as we shift to look forward out the windshield, we’re faced with some questions: Where do we go from here? How do we use the lessons learned in 2020 as we chart a course for the industry? And what changes do we need to make to assure success for those in it?

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K-State team eyes facial recognition technology for cattle

K-State team eyes facial recognition technology for cattle

Kansas State University

New technology being developed at Kansas State University will capitalize on the power of artificial intelligence to build a database of facial recognition technology for the cattle industry.

Just like humans, each cow in a herd has a set of unique facial features that modern technology can scan and later use to track the animal throughout its life.