Mark Parker: The Top 10 signs spring can’t be far off

Mark Parker:  The Top 10 signs spring can’t be far off

FarmTalk

#10. The first of 10,000 potentially yield-crushing diseases are hitchhiking up from Texas.

#9. You remove your first tick from a darned inconvenient location.

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Hay Quality; What a difference a year makes, or does it?

Hay Quality; What a difference a year makes, or does it?

Ted Wiseman

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

We can certainly say this past year has had its challenges. However, quality of forages made in 2020 was much better for most compared to the previous two years.  Weather conditions were more favorable especially for first cutting. The late frost in May set our forages back and for many first cutting forage yields were extremely low. Second, third and four cuttings were better, but overall hay supplies are tight again for some.

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Managing hypothermia in newborn calves

Managing hypothermia in newborn calves

Emma Henning

Agriculture.com

Subzero temperatures across the Midwest have come at a particularly important time for cattle producers, many of whom are welcoming newborn calves on their farms.

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Demand for Preconditioning Grows as Feeders Shift Away From Population-Based Management

Demand for Preconditioning Grows as Feeders Shift Away From Population-Based Management

Victoria Myers

Progressive Farmer

A lot happens to a calf from the time it leaves its dam to when its hooves hit the feedlot. Every step of the way is a chance for viral or bacterial exposures that cost buyers in time, expense and lost gains.

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NCBA leader says there still work to do on a CFAP3

NCBA leader says there still work to do on a CFAP3

Brownfield Ag News

Meghan Grebner

Ethan Lane, vice president of government affairs, says the USDA has a set of rules and regulations they must follow before the assistance can be distributed.  “Give then fact that the original CFAP last spring took about 30 to 45 days, I would say that’s probably the earliest you can expect to see any additional payments for cattle producers,” he says.  “It’s going to take them a little bit of time to get them through the process.”

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What do increased grain prices mean for backgrounders?

What do increased grain prices mean for backgrounders?

Jeff Lehmkuhler

Beef Magazine

Backgrounding and stocker enterprises are tight-margin industries.  This time of year, we receive several questions regarding supplementing cows and calves. Often, I must ask what feeds are available and what prices are as this is rarely included in the original request.

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The Importance of Reading a Feed Tag

The Importance of Reading a Feed Tag

Sure Champ

Walk into any feed room in any barn, and what do you see? Rows of neatly stacked bags that look very similar. It doesn’t matter what species you are feeding; the differential is in the brand. One brand might be purple and black, another green and white and another tan and orange; but bag after bag will appear to be the same – on the outside.

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Select grade becoming a ‘no man’s land.’

Select grade becoming a ‘no man’s land.’

Miranda Reiman

Angus Beef Bulletin Extra

What was exceptional yesterday is average today. That’s true in the cattle business and especially apparent in high-quality beef production.

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Forage inventories help plan for forage uncertainties

Forage inventories help plan for forage uncertainties

Emma Ohirko

Progressive Forage

Establishing a feed and forage inventory is an important tool for the operation of many farms. It can provide value to the farm for a variety of reasons, including understanding current supply to mitigate the risk of running out, to calculate forage available, to determine if a given forage will run out and to calculate the daily forage needs of a herd. It also helps calculate how many days forage inventories will last.

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Cattlemen’s Beef Board elects new officers

Cattlemen’s Beef Board elects new officers

Beef Magazine

Hugh Sanburg, Norman Voyles, Jr. and Jimmy Taylor are pictured. The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill.  The Beef Board has elected three cattle producers as their new leaders.

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Mid-South Stocker Conference

Mid-South Stocker Conference

Assisting stocker operators in exploring ideas for the production of efficient performing healthy cattle and determining the role of stocker production in a rapidly evolving cattle industry and effectively meeting consumer expectations.

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Analyzing Forage Quality to Meet the Nutritional Needs of the Beef Cow

Analyzing Forage Quality to Meet the Nutritional Needs of the Beef Cow

Ohio Beef Cattle News

The third session of the 2021 Ohio Beef Cattle Management School was hosted via ZOOM by the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team on February 1st. During that third session the focus shifted to preventing storage losses in harvested forages, analyzing harvested forage quality, and meeting the nutritional needs of the cattle being fed. To begin the first segment from that evening, OSU Extension Beef Field Specialist Garth Ruff introduces Extension Educator Ted Wiseman and his presentation on forage quality analysis and meeting the nutritional needs of the cow.

Easterday-Tyson saga shows counting 200K cattle isn’t easy, especially when they might not exist

Easterday-Tyson saga shows counting 200K cattle isn’t easy, especially when they might not exist

Anna King

OPB

Just how do you miss 200,000 phantom cattle over several years? That’s what some people in the Columbia Basin cattle-feeding industry are wondering in an ongoing saga between Tyson Fresh Meats and Easterday Ranches.

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South Dakota’s DX Ranch Focuses on Growth and Community

South Dakota’s DX Ranch Focuses on Growth and Community

AGWeb

Established in the 1930s, the DX Ranch began with beef cattle and draft horses. Today it includes quarter horses and a direct-to-consumer, grass-finished beef operation. Their mission is simple: Provide beef that is local, nutritious, and that improves their communities.

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CattleFax cow-calf survey released

CattleFax cow-calf survey released

Beef Magazine

The information gathered will help to determine cow-calf profitability.  CattleFax has introduced its annual Cow-Calf Survey. Information requested in the survey provides participants and the rest of the industry with valuable data regarding industry benchmarks and trends.

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It’s so cold on the Plains that calves’ ears are falling off

It’s so cold on the Plains that calves’ ears are falling off

Dallas Evening News

In Arkansas, ranchers are fitting pantyhose over the heads of calves in a desperate attempt to keep them warm. In Montana, they’ve been duct-taping calves’ ears to their necks to stop them from falling off. In Oklahoma, newborns arrived onto snow-packed frozen ground and perished while ranchers were reportedly sticking the hardest-hit animals in the front seat of pickup trucks and even inside their homes.

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Cold weather, grade expectations

Cold weather, grade expectations

CAB Cattle

Extreme winter conditions and temperatures well below zero have been widespread across the country impacting most of the major central cattle feeding region. Feedlot weight gain will be stalled for a period of days in many cases as nutrient intake is channeled toward maintenance needs.

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Late February, early March Beef Production Tips

Late February, early March Beef Production Tips

Jason Garrett

Overton County News

It always seems this time of year Spring just can’t get here fast enough. Even though the dreary weather prevents many Overton County beef producers from doing tasks they need to perform or enjoy doing, there are still management practices that need to be implemented before Spring arrives to ensure your operations productivity.

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Playing to Win: Grid Marketing Opens Door to Premiums

Playing to Win: Grid Marketing Opens Door to Premiums

Morgan Boecker

Drovers

Learning to play chess in later life isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. Grid marketing finished cattle is similar. It’s not intuitive, but it’s a learnable risk management tool.  “Maintaining ownership through the cattle feeding period and selling on the rail is an opportunity to recapture the input costs and hopefully improve our bottom line,” said Paul Dykstra, Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) assistant director of supply management and analysis. “The key is to align genetics, management and performance with the seasonal trends.”

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Changes in stocker market analyzed

Changes in stocker market analyzed

Willie Vogt

Beef Magazine

Back in 2007, BEEF Magazine conducted a comprehensive survey of the beef stocker market to get an idea of the shape of this part of the beef industry. For 2021, BEEF Magazine returned to the subject with a new National Stocker Survey to see how this industry segment has changed in 14 years. The survey was sponsored by Zoetis.

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