Latest News From Beef - General

'Sacrifice Pastures' Spare Best Cattle Grazing Pastures

So-called “sacrifice pastures” might be needed to help promote forage production the rest of this cattle grazing season.

Cattle Chat: Understanding Hardware Disease

Cattle sometimes eat objects that they shouldn’t. On a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians discussed the signs of hardware disease and offered suggestions on ways to manage the incidence.

Nevil Speer
Critical Thinking Is Paramount (And No, Cows Are NOT Killing The Earth)

An Open Letter to Superintendent Rick Nielsen, Nebo School District (Utah): “Utah school gives kids ‘disgusting’ insects to eat in class for climate assignment on cows killing the Earth.”

BQA Low Stress Cattle Handling Principles

Sound care and handling practices, based on years of experience and research are known to impact the well-being of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity.

Is Grass-Fed Beef Healthier or Better for the Environment?

Oklahoma State University meat scientist Gretchen Mafi has studied the scientific differences between beef that comes from animals finished on a grain diet versus those animals finished on grass.

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National Institute for Animal Agriculture to Host Equine Industry Leaders

Equine leaders will discuss the importance and sustainability of the working ranch horse at NIAA’s Annual Conference in April.

Bonehead Lawsuit and Other Signs of the Looming Apocalypse

Cybercriminals, cholesterol spiking ice crème flavors or just plain silly lawsuits? It’s becoming harder to distinguish which activities should cause our alarm.

Greg Hanes CEO Cattlemen's Beef Board
Hanes: The Beef Checkoff and Lab-Grown Protein

Regardless of how lab-grown protein products are categorized, the federal law that created the Beef Checkoff does not allow such products to be promoted.

A Labor Of Love

Thirteen-year-old Addi Drury's best friend is a 1,520-pound bucking bull named Hard Labor. When tragedy struck a year ago, Addi's family loaded him up and headed for the OSU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Use Caution With Heat Lamps and Newborn Livestock

Providing additional heat in the form of heat lamps for newborn lambs, kids and calves inside a “hot box” can aid in newborn survivability.

Don’t Assume That Old Refrigerator Is Good Enough To Store Vaccines

Household units and mini fridges are often unsuitable for maintaining veterinary products, according to a recent study by Emmanuel Rollin, DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia.

Diversify Income Opportunities with Multispecies Grazing

Grazing sheep, goats or cattle together can open up new market opportunities and help improve pasture stewardship.

Scott King to Lead U.S. Cattle Business for Boehringer Ingelheim

King brings more than three decades of animal health experience to the role. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and practiced veterinary medicine for 10 years.

Acidosis: Here's What You Need to Know

Changing cattle diets may seem simple. However, it's important to know if diet changes require an adaptation period to avoid health problems, such as acidosis.

Replacement Heifer Dynamics

Uncertain when, but there will be strong interest in rebuilding the herd when conditions permit. Leaving aside the question of more drought, what's possible in 2023 given current availability of replacement heifers?

Brazil Confirms BSE Case, Halts Exports to China

Brazil's beef exports to China will be halted starting Thursday after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para, the country's agriculture and livestock ministry said on Wednesday.

AZ Rancher Faces New Charges in Death of Migrant, Defense Argues Investigation Mishandled and Law Enforcement Lit Powder Keg

Attorneys on Wednesday argued conflicting accounts of how a Mexican national came to be killed on an Arizona borderlands ranch. The rancher is due back in court on Friday.

Aerial Gunning of Feral Cattle in New Mexico Set to Begin, USFS Violates Agreement

Feral cattle in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest are expected to come under crosshairs once again as USFS and USDA APHIS plan to decrease the area’s population via aerial gunning, beginning Thursday, Feb. 23.

Understanding Diseases Associated with Histophilus Somni

Veterinarians and researchers have hypothesized why H. somni is becoming more widespread and increasingly prevalent, but there is not a clear culprit.

Could BRD Cases Decline In High-Risk Cattle With Delayed Vaccination?

While vaccination is widely considered a critical component of cattle health management, could the timing of vaccination impact the efficiency of the product?

Restocking Will Be a Slow-Go

The smallest beef cow herd in 60 years will be rebuilt cautiously as ranchers struggle to recover from the perfect storm of economic and weather black swans.

Winter Tick: What You Need to Know

The cold seasonal temperatures enhance “Winter Tick” survival. Here's what to look for, the possible economic damage and how to control the pest in your herd.

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Acidosis and Feed Connection

When cattle diets are changed without an adaptation period or if cattle have sudden access to a new feedstuff, health problems can follow.

Select Sires Announces Creation of Low Carbon Technologies, LLC

Select Sires creations Low Carbon Technologies, LLC, as part of its farmer-owned cooperative to serve beef and dairy farmers seeking to document, verify and improve their carbon footprint and overall sustainability.

OTC Livestock Antibiotics Will Require Prescription June 11

Beginning June 11, 2023, over-the-counter livestock antibiotics will require a veterinary prescription. Producers are encouraged to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship now.

State of the Cattle Industry: Supply Shock Results in 61 Year Low in Beef Cow Herd and Record Price Forecast

With the massive liquidation of the nation's cattle herd due to the historic drought what is the state of the cattle industry?

Arizona Border Rancher Accused of Killing Migrant, Now Held With $1 Million Bond

Rancher asks for reduction of $1 million bail to care for wife and his ranch. Meanwhile, Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo seeks to help with legal fees.

Feeding Monensin to Cows Decreases Intake but Increases Efficiency

Practices that decrease feed costs without affecting productivity have potential to improve profitability. Ionophores can increase energetic efficiency and reduce production of waste molecules such as methane.

Calf Scours and Calving Pasture Rotation

Calf scours results in sickness, poor performance, medical expenses and death. Here's a look at the complex disease and one management method found to decrease and even prevent transmission.

Will Cattle Prices Smash New Records This Year, Topping 2014?

After years of liquidation, the U.S. cattle herd continues to contract. With drought still a driving force behind lower cattle numbers, market experts think cattle price could top previous price records set back in 2014.

Forage Testing is Good Management

Testing forage and feed for nutrient quality helps ranchers ensure they are meeting nutrient requirements for optimum beef cattle performance.

U.S. Cattle Herd Smallest in Eight Years

America's beef cow herd shrank by 4% last year, leaving the total inventory down 3% and the smallest in eight years.

Elanco Enhances PenPoint™ Offering for Feedyards

PenPoint Sort is a bolt-on chute technology system that helps simplify the difficult task of objectively measuring and sorting cattle.

Health Advocates and Online Activists Sue FDA Over Antibiotics in Livestock

A coalition of public health advocacy groups and online activists have filed a lawsuit against the FDA and its Center for Veterinary Medicine, challenging the decision to keep important antibiotics in animal ag.

Proprietary Feeding System Improves Feed Efficiency and Carcass Yield

FBN Livestock and Boveta Nutrition announce a proprietary feeding system for beef cattle that improves feed efficiency and carcass yield while reducing methane gas emissions and wet waste.

Global Feed Production Estimates Released in 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook

Combining data from 142 countries and over 28,000 feed mills, Alltech recently shared its 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook with global feed production survey data.

Raising The Orphan Calf

Raising an orphaned beef calf can be time consuming and may require additional expense. Additionally, calves may not be thriving at the time they are orphaned so managing health and nutrition can present challenges.

Best, Four-Legged Farm Hands Announced in Farm Bureau’s Farm Dog of the Year Contest

Providing purpose both on and off the farm, farm and ranch dogs earn top honors, selected from over 100 contestants across the nation, in the annual Farm Bureau contest.

Too Much of a Good Thing: Ionophore Toxicity Discovered the Hard Way

When calves on grass drop like flies, have minimal gains and many carcasses are condemned on the rail, Kansas State University experts uncover the unfortunate cause.

Nine Research Grants Focus on Improving Beef and Swine Antibiotic Use

The International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture (ICASA) has awarded nine grants to develop management strategies that improve judicious antibiotic use in beef cattle and swine.

Creep Feeding Fall-Born Calves: Yes or No?

At approximately 90 to 120 days after calving, forage provides most of the calf’s nutrient requirements, which introduces a management decision: should I creep feed? 

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Groups Seek Reintroduction of American Beef Labeling Act

Fifty groups and organizations recently sent a letter to Congress members encouraging reintroduction of the American Beef Labeling Act in 2023.

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Sexten: Feeding the Foundation

In a year with rising commodity prices and limited availability, strategically feeding forages may offer the best option to deliver supplemental nutrients using existing infrastructure and equipment.

Weather the Freeze: 3 Tips to Ensure Cattle Have Winter Water Access

Strategies to keep your water sources open and clear to drink to optimize your cattle’s performance during winter.

Cattle Health Impacts Carcass Traits

While genetic selection and feeding decisions play a large role in the quality of beef product reaching consumers' plates, a number of studies show cattle health is also a key factor affecting carcass quality.

Purchasing Thin Cows: Opportunity or A Train Wreck?

In every drought cycle some producers have an earlier end to the drought than others while others are more severely affected by drought. This cows are often available to purchase, but they aren't always a bargain.

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Fescue Foot Reported in Missouri Cattle

Reports of fescue foot in Missouri has extension specialists urging producers to check herds for warning signs of the disease in January when it most often occurs.

Don’t Forget the Cows

Cows contribute half the genetics and all the colostrum.

The Best Water Tanks for Winter

Breaking ice on water tanks is often a daily or multiple times per day task this time of year. What water systems do you have on your operation to ensure cattle always have water on the coldest days of winter?

Windbreaks for Cattle Protection and Snow Diversion

Shelter for livestock during the winter months can influence the success of calving and a livestock operation.