Latest News From BEEF

Individual identification of cattle is important for many reasons, making it possible to identify a number of important management aspects.  

South Dakota Dairy Producers encourages all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their herd veterinarian immediately if cattle appear symptomatic.

Cherry County Neb. remains the U.S. County with the most beef cows, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. South Dakota has seven counties ranked in the Top 33 while Texas has five.

Now, along with undergraduate students, current high school seniors who have experience raising and caring for small or large livestock, equine and/or poultry, are eligible to apply.

In an effort to prevent domestic cattle from being exposed to Bovine Influenza A Virus (BIAV), 17 states have restricted cattle imports from states where the virus has infected dairy cows.

Steve Troxle, state commissioner of agriculture, said he is waiting for more diagnostic information from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory and will work collaboratively with North Carolina dairy farmers.

Liver abscesses remain a singular, dark cloud over the otherwise sunny segment of dairy-beef-cross cattle. Several entities are performing research to try to solve this frustrating industry obstacle.

NCBA and the PLC oppose three finalized Endangered Species Act rulemakings that significantly expand federal overreach and roll back reforms that previously provided some relief to farmers and ranchers.

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners is making the name change, as it more accurately reflects the issue.

Kay Russo, DVM, Novonesis technical services manager for dairy and poultry, emphasized the situation is rapidly evolving and more clarity will come with time as researchers learn more.

Sid Miller, commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, says the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza impacting beef cattle in the state's panhandle – where dairy cows have been infected – is minimal.

Mexico will increase surveillance and reinforce inspections of U.S. livestock imports after bird flu was found in dairy cattle.

Keeping replacement females from first calf heifers can work if producers plan and select sires that are adequate for calving ease and also offer maternal traits that are beneficial.

As cattle are fed to heavier end points, the incidence of BCHF is increasing. The beef industry is stepping up to help producers and veterinarians make production and selection decisions to reduce the occurrence of BCHF.

Livestock producers and veterinarians are urged to practice good biosecurity practices to prevent transmission of the disease. Five states have also issued restrictions on dairy cattle movement.

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture announced that HPAI, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been found in dairy cattle in Idaho.

A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and USDA food safety experts, properly prepared beef is safe to eat and is not a food safety risk to humans.

USDA says genetic sequencing revealed the mystery illness impacting Texas dairies is the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that's been in the U.S. The virus is carried by wild waterfowl.

Preventive practices are recommended for feedyards to reduce the stress and performance loss that comes from muddy lot conditions.

While HPAI has been detected in predatory mammals that prey on infected birds, this is the first identified case of HPAI in domestic livestock in the U.S.

Each of the pathogens exhibits slightly different clinical signs and often at different times.

Firefighters were dispatched to National Beef's 6,000-head per day facility in Liberal, Kansas, Wednesday evening.

Weeks after the smoke has cleared from the wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory is alerting livestock owners to watch their surviving livestock for respiratory issues.

Improving the efficiency, sustainability and profit potential of commercial cow calf production involves reducing feed costs while improving pounds of calf weaned.

Most if not all injuries caused by livestock can be prevented. Livestock producers can reduce the risk of injury by studying animal behavior, by using proper handling techniques, and by using equipment correctly.

In a near decade-long effort to create giant sheep hybrids in the U.S. with the goal of selling the trophy species to captive hunting ranches, the defendant violated federal wildlife trafficking regulations.

Animal nutritionist studies precision livestock management technology to develop cost-effective and noninvasive methods of monitoring feeding behaviors that can make operations more efficient.

Ag Secretary Vilsack hails voluntary “Product of U.S.A.” label as a vital step towards consumer protection and builds on efforts to bolster trust and fairness in the marketplace.

Dr. Angela Baysinger, DVM, passed away on March 8. Baysinger was well known throughout the pork industry for her contributions to veterinary medicine and empowering those around her every day.

Cows have a job, and that job description will vary from ranch to ranch. Have you taken time to write down what cows need to do to earn their keep?

Ensuring cows are in an adequate nutritional status (body condition score of 5 or 6) and not overfed can help reduce concerns of dystocia and plays a role in determining the quality and quantity of colostrum.

A cowherd of optimum mature size and milk level relative to a given production environment creates the potential to increase revenue in the form of increased reproductive efficiency.

Turning out a subfertile bull means some cows in the herd won’t get bred or bred in a timely manner. Both problems are costly, says Chance Armstrong, DVM, Auburn University. Check out the two scenarios he outlines here.

Growing, lactating cows have greater nutrient requirements and smaller rumens than mature cows making it difficult for them to meet their nutrient needs with the same diet as the cow.

Edgewood Locker got its start in rural northeast Iowa in 1966. The business now spans over three generations, and it's largely thanks to Joan Kerns who helped start the family business that's now seen phenomenal growth.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension photographer Sam Craft was in the Texas Panhandle documenting the aftermath of the largest wildfire in Texas history, and the aid and support for fire victims.

Bulls passing all four parts of a BSE are set up for reproductive excellence. The best achieve a 60% to 65% conception rate every 21 days on healthy, cycling cows, says Dr. Chance Armstrong. Subfertile bulls are costly.

After burning for more than six days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma was only 15% contained Sunday morning. Drifting sand now poses a threat to rural roads.

Selecting heifers that will have the optimum mature size and milk level to fit our production system, breed quickly, wean a calf annually and have longevity is important for the success of your ranch.

Nebraska officials say a mower ignited a wildfire that burned roughly 110 square miles of central Nebraska grasslands.

While the Smokehouse Creek Fire rapidly became the state's largest in history, four other wildfires are burning in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle area. (Additional images contained in story.)

Donations of hay, feed, fence supplies, cow feed and milk replacer are needed to support livestock owners impacted by the wildfires that have scorched ranchland across a large portion of the Texas Panhandle.

Devastating wildfires are burning in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle region and the Smokehouse Creek Fire has already become the second largest in Texas history, consuming at least three-quarters of a million acres.

A new collaborative effort is helping fund rapid investigations of unexplained morbidity or mortality events in animals – unexpected deaths or illnesses that could signal emerging animal disease threats.

Since 2011, dairy cows evaluated using genetic testing has doubled every five years to exceed 1 million annually. That reduced sire generation interval to the point where genetic improvement is at the biological limit.

The feedlot inventory as a percentage of the total inventory has increased over time, and the declining number of feeder cattle means there are not sufficient feeder cattle to maintain feedlot inventories this year.

Beef-on-dairy numbers in the U.S. will reach up to 5 million head – roughly 15% of the cattle harvested annually – as early as 2026. The sexed-and-beef model of production will play a prominent role in the process.

Cattle grazing small grains pastures this time of year are susceptible to bloat which is influenced by environment, weather, forage growth stage and forage quality.

Unusual winter weather conditions have created benefits for some ranchers, but that could change and ranchers should consider whether winter feed supplies are enough to stretch into spring in case of delayed turnout.