Beef Cattle
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.
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.
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.
Here’s information on life cycles and best preventative measures. Often, outbreaks of the disease follow severe weather.
When used correctly, growth-promoting implants can increase ADG by 20% in growing cattle. With a 100-day feeding period, 48 lbs. more of liveweight could mean $40 to $50 per head more, depending on the price slide
Dehydration is an added stress for cows in cold weather. Help cows deal with winter stress and maintain their body condition by ensuring they have adequate water.
Deciding when to offer assistance for a calving cow is a judgment call and good judgement is the result of experience. Here are tips to help make the determination.
Euthanasia of an animal that is suffering from irreversible disease or injury is a primary responsibility for cattle producers and veterinarians.
Melting snow has created special challenges for beef cattle producers and monitoring the body condition of gestating cows during times of cold stress becomes critical for calving and rebreeding.
Oklahoma State’s Derrell Peel points out with the U.S. beef cow herd the smallest since 1961 and the all cattle inventory the lowest since 1951, it’s setting the cattle market up for higher highs.
The increased cow mature weight equates to an increase in stocking rate if cow numbers are not adjusted. As stocking rate increases we know that weaning weights and rebreeding rates decrease.
Technology and robust data management will allow more cattlemen and smaller processors access to USDA graders to remotely assign official quality grades for beef carcasses, providing an opportunity to increase value.
The single most important factor in keeping a cow at zero non-productive days is body condition, which has a direct impact on calving interval, conception rate and percentage of open cows.
Breeding efficient cows is usually measured by a cows’ ability to calve each year and maintain a yearly calving interval.
For each 1-degree Fahrenheit the average daily temperature is below 30 degrees a cow in moderate BCS will need an additional one percent in daily energy requirement.
Cow-calf producers know their deworming program is an essential part of their overall parasite management plan, but what isn’t as clear is which animal to deworm and when.
New equations will better estimate protein utilization by beef cattle, benefit producers.
Obtaining a basic understanding of nutrition and making data driven decisions can give every cattleman an advantage in creating a nutrition program best suited to their operation.
Producers interested in expanding their herd or considering alternative production practices due to limited perennial pastures and rangeland are the target audience for the Dakota Alternative Beef Cow Systems Symposium.
Veterinarians at Kansas State say now’s the time to put together treatment plans and protocols for the upcoming calving season. Another important thing to remember: keep them consistent across the operation.
In beef calf preconditioning programs, the importance of vaccinations to minimize respiratory illness, related to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), cannot be overstated.
Cow-calf costs and returns data from the Kansas Farm Management Association Enterprise Analysis for individual producers finds annual returns over variable costs averaged $71.02 per cow over a 46-year period.
Determining the value of a bull is an important question, and one that is a challenge to answer. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University, offers some calculations to help determine a value.
Being prepared ahead of calving season is the best way for producers to assure they will bring home the newborn calves successfully.
JBS parent company J&F Investments has paid about 28% of the fine levied against the giant meatpacker in 2017 over a political bribery scandal.
Johne’s disease is gaining greater attention among beef cattle producers and veterinarians who work with beef cattle. Here’s an in-depth look into the disease and how to best avoid it.
Angus Media, CattleFax survey producers to gather insights on current management, future intentions of cow-calf and feedlot sectors.
New research at Oklahoma State University is adding to our understanding of stocker cattle nutrition programs and its affect on finishing performance.
With limited options to address the disease, pharmaceutical stewardship must be considered when using antimicrobials in the treatment and control of anaplasmosis to maintain long term effectiveness of these products.