Latest News From Beef - General

What is Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)?
What is Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)?

While many tools for managing risk exist for livestock producers today, livestock risk protection (LRP) might be an option for producers to consider no matter how large or small the operation.

High Production Costs Could Weigh on the Ag Economy Through 2024, New Survey of Economists Finds
High Production Costs Could Weigh on the Ag Economy Through 2024, New Survey of Economists Finds

The Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor is a new survey of nearly 50 economists. Most ag economists agree the next 12 months could produce more financial pressure for agriculture, but their views vary depending on commodity.

Iowa State University Advances Veterinary Diagnostics with High-Volume Testing Innovation
Iowa State University Advances Veterinary Diagnostics with High-Volume Testing Innovation

Iowa State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) is set to revolutionize molecular diagnostic testing with the introduction of a cutting-edge machine—the “SmartChip.”

Op-Ed: How Fringe Animal Groups Threaten Food Production
Op-Ed: How Fringe Animal Groups Threaten Food Production

The anti-farmer movement now underway by fringe extremist groups is not pro-animal. It is extremism promoting regressive policies that will chip away at America's historically stable -- and affordable -- food supply.

Nebraska_Rangeland_Pasture_Forage
Lingering Drought Challenges for Some Pasture and Range Conditions, USDA Report Reveals

While parts of the Midwest catch some much needed rains, other areas face dry conditions this growing season. Here's a look at the seasonal drought outlook and what it means for pasture and range conditions.

Cell-Cultured Chicken Gains Final USDA Approval
Cell-Cultured Chicken Gains Final USDA Approval

Three California-based cultivated meat companies have received approval from USDA to begin producing and marketing lab-grown chicken.

First Generic Cydectin® (moxidectin) Injectable Solution Now Available
First Generic Cydectin® (moxidectin) Injectable Solution Now Available

Tauramox™ (moxidectin) Injectable Solution provides economical, effective control of many internal and external parasites in cattle.

Vaccinations
Bovine Core Vaccination Guidelines

The establishment of bovine core vaccines was created based on the major infectious agents that require protection in all types of cattle.

Tough Culling Decisions Arise with Drought, Forage Shortages
Tough Culling Decisions Arise with Drought, Forage Shortages

With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.

Proposed Bill Would Allow FDA to Probe Feedlots
Proposed Bill Would Allow FDA to Probe Feedlots

The Food and Drug Administration would have authority to inspect large feedlots linked to salmonella outbreaks and other foodborne illnesses under the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act.

Divestment plan leads to ownership changes for 11 feedlots
Cattle Chat: How to Promote Good Gut Health

One of the goals of feeding cattle a proper diet that promotes good gut health is to keep the lining of the intestinal tract from getting damaged.

Do Heifers Have More Potential Value Than Steers?
Do Heifers Have More Potential Value Than Steers?

When going out to tag calves, most cow-calf producers would prefer to find a new bull calf. However, it's important to remember the extra options and opportunties heifer calves provide.

Over-The-Counter Livestock Antibiotics Officially a Thing of the Past
Over-The-Counter Livestock Antibiotics Officially a Thing of the Past

Starting on June 11, over-the-counter livestock antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels.

Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?
Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?

Producers should make the decision of whether or not to creep based on economics. Here's a simple, quick “Cowboy Math” example based on current economics.

Farmer Nightmare: Government Floods Family Twice, Kills Herd and Refuses to Pay Damages
Farmer Nightmare: Government Floods Family Twice, Kills Herd and Refuses to Pay Damages

Richie Devillier is fighting back after the government twice flooded his 900-acre farm and home, killed his cattle, ran his family through emotional hell—and insisted he foot the entire bill.

Former USDA Animal Inspector Sentenced for Accepting Bribes
Former USDA Animal Inspector Sentenced for Accepting Bribes

While serving as an inspector at the southern U.S. border, a Laredo, Tex., man accepted bribes from Mexican cattle brokers to allow cattle to enter the country without proper quarantine or inspection.

Can the Cattle Industry Have a Positive Impact on Climate Change? YES!
Can the Cattle Industry Have a Positive Impact on Climate Change? YES!

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, often referred to as the "greenhouse gas guru," spoke to the Blueprint For The Future Cattlemen's Conference at Oklahoma State Universtiy.

Genetics Can Improve Livestock Grazing in South Texas
Genetics Can Improve Livestock Grazing in South Texas

Raising heat-tolerant cattle that are able and willing to go further to graze in subtropical climates is the goal of a new beef cattle research project at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research station at Beeville.

Carving Out Convenience: Young Cattle Producer Serves Up Success With Vending Machine of Meat
Carving Out Convenience: Young Cattle Producer Serves Up Success With Vending Machine of Meat

With a slogan of "raised, not sourced," Tim Haer had a wild idea to differentiate their business: create a vending machine to sell meat produced on their family's farm, an idea he says that's been wildly successful.

Feedlot Cattle Health Summit in Kearney Neb., July 12
Feedlot Cattle Health Summit in Kearney Neb., July 12

The PAC Summit for Industry Leaders will be held July 12, 2023, at the Holiday Inn in Kearney, Nebraska. The event features an exciting line-up of speakers and topics.

Americans Love Meat and Say It's a Healthy Choice
Americans Love Meat and Say It's a Healthy Choice

A majority of Americans regularly eat meat and believe that it's a healthy choice, according to a recent poll that has some critics up in arms.

Meat Institute Launches Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council
Meat Institute Launches Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council

The Protein PACT Academic Advisory Council is formed to advise on research priorities and the latest evidence related to meat production and consumption.

Atypical BSE Case Confirmed at South Carolina Slaughter Plant, No Trade Impacts Expected
Atypical BSE Case Confirmed at South Carolina Slaughter Plant, No Trade Impacts Expected

USDA announces an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a neurologic disease of cattle, in an approximately five-year-old or older beef cow at a slaughter plant in South Carolina.

Vaccines Using mRNA Can Protect Farm Animals Against Diseases Traditional Ones May Not
Vaccines Using mRNA Can Protect Farm Animals Against Diseases Traditional Ones May Not

According to Iowa State University's David Verhoeven, vaccines using mRNA technology have been shown to reduce disease on farms, and it’s all but impossible for them to end up in your food.

Redefining Beef on Dairy
Redefining Beef on Dairy

Purina Animal Nutrition gathers supply chain to discuss opportunities and challenges with beef-on-dairy segment.

Give It a Name: Family Ranch Adds Value to Common Practice with New Beef Label
Give It a Name: Family Ranch Adds Value to Common Practice with New Beef Label

Though rooted in tradition, this father-daughter duo is stepping into new territory, using genomic testing and creating their own specialty beef label to add value and increase efficiency in their operation.

Insecticide Resistance: How to Help Cattle Fight Flies
Insecticide Resistance: How to Help Cattle Fight Flies

While livestock fly control may already be in the cattle management plan—have you considered the possibility of insecticide product resistance? Is feeding garlic an option? Here are some tips to consider.

Internal Parasite Control in Spring Calving Herds
Internal Parasite Control in Spring Calving Herds

Decisions on when to administer the first round of vaccinations, castration, growth implants and parasite control will impact the profit potential of those calves in the months ahead.

WSJ Challenges The “Big Meat Conspiracy Theory”
WSJ Challenges The “Big Meat Conspiracy Theory”

After Tyson Foods reports anemic first quarter sales and downgrades its forecast, The Wall Street Journal editors wrote, “This doesn’t look like an antitrust conspiracy or market oligopoly.”

Drought and Forage Challenges Continue in 2023
Drought and Forage Challenges Continue in 2023

Persistent drought in major beef cattle production regions continues to have a significant impact on the cattle industry despite improvements in drought conditions in other parts of the country.

USDA Just Provided the First National Snapshot of Pasture Conditions, And It Hints at More Cow Culling Ahead
USDA Just Provided the First National Snapshot of Pasture Conditions, And It Hints at More Cow Culling Ahead

USDA’s pasture and range conditions shows 33% is rated good/excellent and 37% is poor/very poor. While the picture is improved from last year, a deeper dive shows one state is worse than 2013.

MyAnIML Expands Predictive Health Platform Using Muzzles To Detect Disease
MyAnIML Expands Predictive Health Platform Using Muzzles To Detect Disease

Agtech startup MyAnIML™ announces a hardware update designed to support the implementation of its AI-enabled predictive health platform in commercial feedlot and dairy operations. 

Gene-Editing Technology Produces First Calf Resistant to BVDV
Gene-Editing Technology Produces First Calf Resistant to BVDV

Scientists at Clay Center, Neb., have collaborated to produce the first gene-edited calf with resistance to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a virus that costs the U.S. cattle sector billions of dollars annually.

Time to Check for Ergot in Grasses
Time to Check for Ergot in Grasses

Now is the time to check for ergot, a toxic fungus which infects the surface of grasses and cereal crops and can cause severe illness in livestock such as cattle and horses.

Kentucky Cattle Scheme With 78,000 Ghost Cattle Unravels
Kentucky Cattle Scheme With 78,000 Ghost Cattle Unravels

A fraudulent cattle scheme allegedly orchestrated by a Kentucky cattleman has left investors and a financial institution reeling under a $100 million loss.

Why Grazing Before Pastures are Ready Can Have Lasting Impacts
Why Grazing Before Pastures are Ready Can Have Lasting Impacts

Resist the temptation to turn cattle out before grass is ready and use caution if there is no other option. Management practices now can have lasting impacts.

Low-stress Cattle Handling’s Domino Effect on Improved Health, Productivity
Low-stress Cattle Handling’s Domino Effect on Improved Health, Productivity

Minimizing handling stress provides several benefits for ranchers, including improvements in animal immune response, appetite and performance.

Surviving The Harshest Conditions, Parasites Remain A Burden Despite Drought
Surviving The Harshest Conditions, Parasites Remain A Burden Despite Drought

While drought does not lead to ideal parasite growing conditions, it does not necessarily mean the threat of parasites no longer exists. Here are some management considerations heading into the 2023 grazing season.

Soybean vs. Corn Processing Coproducts: The Changing Feed Ingredient Landscape
Soybean vs. Corn Processing Coproducts: The Changing Feed Ingredient Landscape

The push for renewable energy, with a new wave of focus on biodiesel, has a full head of steam and will likely result in changes in how we feed cattle.

Cattle Cycle Uncertainty Looms As Drought Kicks Expansion Down the Road
Cattle Cycle Uncertainty Looms As Drought Kicks Expansion Down the Road

With persistent drought conditions across many states, indications show the current cattle cycle may not be nearing an end anytime soon. Here’s a look a historical trends and what we might expect in the coming months.

Norbrook Announces Facility Expansion And Upgrades
Norbrook Announces Facility Expansion And Upgrades

The company has doubled the warehouse space available for its veterinary pharmaceutical products. The 1,000-plus temperature-controlled pallet spaces are maintained with a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system.

 mRNA Conspiracy Theories: Ranch Group Offers ‘Fearmongering’ and ‘Misinformation’
mRNA Conspiracy Theories: Ranch Group Offers ‘Fearmongering’ and ‘Misinformation’

Misinformation and conspiracy theories regarding the use of mRNA vaccines in livestock continue, despite efforts of the scientific community, who emphasize, "mRNA from a vaccine will NOT be passed along in meat."

USDA Awards $2.29 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health
USDA Awards $2.29 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding $2.29 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network Farm Bill program to advance APHIS’ animal health preparedness.

Punishing Drought Now Expected to Persist Through July Across Texas, Plains
Punishing Drought Now Expected to Persist Through July Across Texas, Plains

The updated Seasonal Drought Outlook for the U.S. is painting a grim picture for many drought-plagued areas of the Plains, but forecasters also expect drought to improve in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

Livestock and mRNA Vaccines: What You Need To Know
Livestock and mRNA Vaccines: What You Need To Know

As misinformation regarding the use of mRNA vaccines in livestock filter through social media, there are facts begging to be set straight.

Greg Henderson
A Girl, a Goat and the Law: The Shasta County, CA, Boondoggle

How fair officials and the local sheriff, both unencumbered by intelligence, tarnished your image as a livestock producer and created a public relations disaster.

BT_Implant_Cattle
Beef Cattle Implant Changes: What You Need to Know

While over-the-counter livestock antibiotics are set to require a prescription as of June 11, there will also be updates to FDA guidelines and product labels regarding reimplantation of growth-promoting implants.

Economic Impact Study Shows Livestock Auctions Growing in Importance for Rural Vitality
Economic Impact Study Shows Livestock Auctions Growing in Importance for Rural Vitality

A 2023 economic impact study, which updated a study from 2017, found that livestock auction markets continue to be important for the growth and vitality of rural communities.

A Story of Old Ben: The Biggest Beef Ever
A Story of Old Ben: The Biggest Beef Ever

Beef producers are always looking for an efficient steer to feed. Perhaps none was better than a calf raised near Kokomo, Ind. 

Two Veterinarians Talk Calf Care
Two Veterinarians Talk Calf Care

Young calves continue to dot fields across the country. To help offer young calves a healthy start, Tony Hawkins, DVM, and Ray Shultz, DVM, shared some tips.