Beef Quality Assurance

Hidden Hazards: Now is the Time to Rethink Gun Use in Cattle Handling

Tue, 13 May 2025 16:59:17 GMT

With the smallest cattle herd size on record, the impact of every pound of beef and every head lost due to foreign material contamination is even more significant today than it has ever been.

Pat Mies, Tyson Fresh Meats vice president food safety and quality assurance and beef industry food safety council chair, shares alarming math regarding foreign material contamination.

There is an economic loss due to cattle contaminated with foreign materials. Mies explains regulatory rules consider any foreign material, regardless of size, to be an adulterant and unfit for human consumption.

There’s more than 50 griding/further processing facilities across the U.S.

(NCBA)

The issue is industry-wide and not just state or region specific. Processors from across the U.S. have frequently reported challenges with foreign material in beef cattle.

“It’s not a Texas issue or New Mexico issue or a South Dakota issue,” Mies says. “It’s an entire U.S. issue.”

Trey Patterson, Padlock Ranch president and CEO, says “Food safety in our industry is non-negotiable; it’s now an expectation.”

(Schwartz, West Texas A&M)

Patterson says the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit revealed a significant problem: 100% of non-fed plants reported finding foreign objects in beef, with half experiencing customer complaints about items like shotgun pellets. And in the audit, 50% of fed plants are having the same issue.

Trent Schwartz, West Texas A&M University assistant professor, explains, “This is not a fed versus non-fed issue. This is all cattle being sold for meat consumption, and we believe highly that all of this is happening in the production phase, whether it be cattle gathering techniques or treating cattle.”

Mies acknowledges plants have access to resources and technology to catch foreign material but it is not 100% accurate.

“We have metal detectors, defect eliminators, X-ray systems and vision systems,” he admits. “We’re using artificial intelligence to train these systems to do a better job, to get rid of these foreign objects. And then we also have the human element — people watching product and pulling product that may have foreign objects in it. We have all these things in our plants, yet we still have problems. It’s not 100% foolproof. It’s not 100% fail-safe.”

Economic Impacts

Patrick Linnell, CattleFax analyst, provided an economic perspective regarding cull cows and the financial loss due to foreign material contamination.

“Cull cows is one area in particular where there’s an especially strong connection between animal welfare and husbandry and value to the producer,” Linnell says.

With cow inventory at its lowest since the 1950s, and as the beef and dairy industries try to stabilize and rebuild, Linnell says cull cow supplies will remain tight for the foreseeable future. Cull cows on average represent 20% of total marketing and management for an individual operation and the industry as a whole, he adds.

“The consumer wants all the beef through the system that we can provide them,” Linnell says. “That’s why making sure we don’t have to dispose of this high-value product because of foreign material contamination is important.”

The economic and reputational implications of foreign contamination are severe. With current beef prices, each contaminated animal represents a significant financial loss. Moreover, these incidents can damage domestic as well as international market confidence.

Linnell says that 50% of U.S. beef consumption is in the form of ground beef.

“If you do the simple math and look at what ground beef costs today in retail stores, it’s on average, about $5 per lb. across the U.S. That is a lot of money that we’re pulling out of the system because people decided to use a shotgun and bird shot to move stubborn cattle,” Mies says.

Starts With the Live Animal

Schwartz is the lead researcher working on a checkoff-funded study in partnership with NCBA regarding foreign material detection techniques in live animals before the animal enters the processing facility.

He says a wide range of foreign objects have been found in live animals, with metal shot being the most common. He points out that most of the foreign material found relates back to metal objects coming from the live side, not something that’s added to the product post-harvest.

His team is cataloging pictures and materials received from plants and individuals for future use and educational purposes. The primary source of these foreign objects appears to be cattle handling practices.

“Cattle get in rough country and won’t come out,” he says. “The first instinct is to use a shotgun or rat shot, and to move those cattle with some metal shot.”

Hunters are another concern for the shot residue.

“We don’t feel like this is a hunting issue,” he says. “This is direct contact, point-blank type issue. Criminal mischief has also been brought up. Criminal mischief or criminal acts is certainly a possibility.”

He also says unintended exposure or living conditions can lead to the foreign material such as cattle ingesting wire and it protrudes through the stomach and into the skirt or other organs.

Darts are also becoming an increasing concern, with some found deeply embedded in muscle tissue and even lungs.

“We need to start looking at the production side and how we can limit some of these items that are making their way into the plant,” Schwartz summarizes.

His ongoing research project is focusing on developing methods to detect objects in live animals under the hide using ultrasound, X-ray and metal detection techniques.

“The goal of the research is to determine efficacy. Does it work?” Schwartz explains. This work will allow for technology advancements to potentially identify foreign material throughout the supply chain in the live animal.

How You Can Help

Patterson suggests a voluntary, industry-wide effort to address the problem before it reaches processing facilities.

“I need your help,” Mies says in a plea to all beef producers. “I need you to talk to your friends, your family, your neighbors, anybody that you can about moving cattle with shotguns, and that it should never happen in our industry.”

To learn more about foreign materials found during beef processing watch this NCBA webinar:

Your Next Read: Streamline Spring Cattle Processing with These 3 Stress-Reducing Steps

Functional Facilities Reduce Stress and Boost Efficiency

Mon, 05 May 2025 12:44:11 GMT

As cattle producers prepare for working cows and calves before grass turnout, it’s important to evaluate facilities and make sure they are in working order before running the first cow in the chute.

A well-maintained pen and chute system is key to making processing day stress free — on both the cattle and the people. Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts, along with K-State extension veterinarian A.J. Tarpoff, shared their cattle working facility recommendations during a recent “ Cattle Chat ” podcast.

Preventative maintenance is key to keeping working facilities in good working order and reduce the likelihood of injuries to people or cattle.

“Before processing, start with basic preventative maintenance, such as making sure the gear teeth are in order, that the movable points are well oiled,” says K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers.

Take the time to walk through the system just as cattle will on processing day.

“Before you start moving cattle through the system, walk through the alleyways to see if there is anything protruding that will cause the cattle to get injured or balk as they are being pushed ahead,” says K-State veterinarian Brad White.

Considering a new set up?

Tarpoff encourages producers looking to build or revamp working facilities to consider investing in what they use regularly. He also reminded producers to think about how they can get multiple functions out of one system.

“Cow-calf operators are going to be using their system for a lot of different things,” Tarpoff says. “A simple, well-built straight alley with functional sorting gates that can be used for sorting, loading and processing is one of the best investments producers can make for their cow-calf operation. It’s easy to invest in something you regularly use.”

K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster says it is important to build a facility with labor force in mind because sometimes people are moving cattle alone.

“Keep it simple. You don’t need to build an elaborate facility but instead design a system that will work for the labor you have available,” Lancaster explains.

Make sure facilities are set up in a way that works best for the size of the cattle that are being handled.

“Think about what is the right size for the herd — how many cows will I need to move, can I change the width easily for cows versus calves? These are questions producers should be thinking through,” says K-State veterinarian Bob Larson.

The function of the crowding area, often called a “tub,” is to funnel cattle into alleyway on the way to the squeeze chute or loadout. The crowding area must be designed and located so cattle can be easily moved into this area from a common sorting alley that is fed by holding pens. There are two commonly used systems. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University beef cattle breeding specialist, in a recent release compared the two systems.

(Whit Hibbard)

Sweep tub

The circular crowding area, with totally enclosed sides and crowding gate, is effective because the only escape route visible to the animal is through the alleyway leading to the squeeze chute or loadout. To further encourage cattle to exit crowding area, the solid crowding gate is intermittently moved toward a closed position. This effectively restricts the cattle to a successively smaller area as they move into the alleyway.

A roughened concrete floor is desirable to provide an all-weather surface and for ease in cleaning. This design of cattle working facilities is to use circular crowding areas and working chutes. The circular designs take advantage of cattle’s tendency to circle and crowd toward the outside of a curved passage.

The curved crowding area and working chute encourages cattle to move in a continuous flow toward the squeeze chute. Solid enclosures shield the animals’ vision from distractions outside the working area while focusing their attention on moving out of the crowding tub. When a balky animal needs to be prodded, it is only a short walk from the squeeze chute to any location along the curved working alleyway.

“Cattle can normally be worked in less time with a curved alleyway than with a straight one,” Johnson says.

The crowding alley also should be curved with totally enclosed sides.

“Cattle move more freely because they cannot view the cattlemen or squeeze chute until they approach the palpation cage or rear gate of the squeeze chute,” he adds. “Sloping sides in the working alleyway confine the animal’s feet and legs to a narrow path, which in turn, reduces balking.”

Sloping sides also reduce the capability of an animal to turn around in the crowding alley. Sloping sides are well matched to cow-calf operations because varied sizes of cattle can be worked efficiently in the same system. Recommended width for the bottom of the alleyway is 16 inches with the top at 28 inches. Emergency release panels can be constructed as movable crowding alley side panels that can be opened.

Johnson says an important consideration is that the cattle handler does not need to be inside the sweep tub. The handler works from the outside of the tub and alleyway while processing the cattle.

Naive calves effortlessly flow around the handler and up the chute because the BudBox makes our idea the animals’ idea.

(Whit Hibbard)

Bud Box

The same concepts regarding the alleyway leading to the squeeze chute or loadout still apply. The primary difference is the way in which cattle are coaxed into the alleyway. The Bud Box is a rectangular pen in which the alleyway leading to the chute is placed at a right angle at the point of entry. The design is simple and with proper handling techniques can be highly effective.

Cattle are brought into the box, and the position of the handler along the opposite side of the box stimulates cattle to move by the handler and into the alleyway. The gate that is closed behind the cattle as they moved past the alley forms the box.

“The Bud Box requires a basic understanding of cattle handling principles and may require additional training for inexperienced producers,” Johnson says “The effectiveness of the design and the manner in which cattle flow into the alley is the result of the cattle handling skills and the attitude of the handler. Proper use of the box requires the cattle handler to be inside the box with the cattle.”

The Bud Box contrasts the large, circular, sweep systems. The absence of large, fabricated bends makes it easier to construct. The box typically has open sides and does not require crowding gates, which reduces the material cost and footprint of the facility. A typical box is 12 feet wide and 20 feet long. It is closed on one end with a gate at the other end. A Bud Box can be constructed and deconstructed from portable panels.

“The decision of incorporating a sweep tub or bud box into your cattle working system should be based on considering a number of factors determining what is the best fit for your budget and type of operation,” Johnson summarizes. “There are numerous YouTube videos available on the web showing examples of working cattle through, and the construction of, both sweep tubs and Bud Boxes.”

Your Next Read: Streamline Spring Cattle Processing with These 3 Stress-Reducing Steps

Streamline Spring Cattle Processing with These 3 Stress-Reducing Steps

Thu, 01 May 2025 15:46:11 GMT

Reducing stress during livestock handling can increase productivity, maintain or improve meat quality, reduce sickness and enhance animal welfare. Implementing low-stress handling techniques when working with cattle is important to reducing stress.

As producers prepare for spring processing, Beth McIlquham, University of Wisconsin-Madison regional livestock educator, encourages producers to consider these low-stress handling strategies.

“While temperament in cattle is moderately heritable, environment does play a role and even cattle that are less docile will benefit from low-stress handling methods,” Mcllquham says. “A good handler can help reduce fear in an animal, which is the primary driver of negative consequences associated with handling stress.”

Even if the animal is not experiencing any pain, fear can still cause physical responses in the body, such as high cortisol levels. These responses can ultimately lead to increased susceptibility to illness, lower meat quality and overall lower performance.

Mcllquham says one negative handling experiences can affect future handling situations.

Identifying stress through body language
Cattle in a state of fear or under stress can be identified through their body language. Obvious signs of fear in cattle are running, kicking, vocalizing and aggressive behaviors toward handlers. Subtle signs of fear are heavy breathing and showing the whites of their eyes. Stressed cattle can cause serious injury to themselves and humans. Relaxed cattle are quiet and walk or trot calmly. When low-stress handling techniques are used, the risk of injury is lowered.

“Besides increasing performance and lowering sickness and injury rates, consumers have indicated that they care that their food is humanely raised,” McIlquham explains. “Implementing low-stress handling is a great place to start and comes with many other benefits. Although it may sound like a daunting task, utilizing low-stress handling techniques can be done in smaller steps.”

Step 1: Put away the electric prod
“Our first step is to put away the electric prod,” she says. “To decrease use, place electric prods away from where you’re handling cattle but still be accessible in an emergency. This way, instead of instinctively reaching for it, the inconvenience of going to grab it can decrease electric prod use.”

Step 2: Understand cattle’s natural instincts
“We should utilize these instincts to work for us instead of against us,” she says. “The fact that cattle are prey animals drives a lot of their behaviors.”

Cattle are herd animals and like to be in groups. When moving them, keeping cattle in small groups (two to five head) can help keep them calmer and easier to handle. Additionally, cattle want to see you. Humans are naturally predators, and because cattle are prey animals, their instinct is to be able to keep handlers in sight.

Cattle want to go toward lighted areas and will resist going into darker areas. It is easier to see any potential threats in areas that are light. Keep in mind shadows can reduce cattle flow through an area.

Step 3: Study and use cattle’s natural flight zone
Good handlers study and use cattle’s flight zone and point of balance, McIlquham explains.

Two concepts are illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Flight Zone and Point of Balance

(Beef Quality Assurance Cattle Care & Handling Guides)

Walking into the flight zone makes the animal move away from the handler. Stepping out of the flight zone will take pressure off and remove the animal’s desire to continue to move away. Note that the size of flight zones varies between animals. The point of balance allows handlers to move the animal forward or backward. Stepping into the flight zone in front of the point of balance will make the animal move backward. Stepping into the flight zone behind the point of balance will drive the animal forward.

Keep in mind cattle have a blind spot directly behind them. If you approach the animal in the blind spot, they could get spooked. Walking in a zigzag pattern behind cattle helps let them know you are there.

Extra tip: Taking breaks
Calm cattle are easier to move than stressed cattle. Fearful cattle are more reactive, more easily injured, and more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors. If a handling situation does get intense, take a little break and release pressure on the cattle.

“Even taking a brief break can help both the animal and handler calm down and come back to the situation in a more positive light,” Mcllquham summarizes.

Your next read: Effective Needle and Syringe Strategies to Ensure Spring Processing Success

Trump Plans to Ease Trade Tensions by Reducing Tariffs On Chinese Goods

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:38:45 GMT

Comments President Donald Trump made at a White House press briefing on Tuesday have signaled the U.S. trade war with China is about to de-escalate.

The 145% import tax rate imposed on Chinese goods will “come down substantially, but it won’t be a zero,” Trump said.

“I don’t know if we can call what President Trump did on China a U-turn, but some people are calling it that,” AgriTalk Host Chip Flory said on Wednesday. He asked guests what their level of support is for what the Trump administration is doing on trade currently.

“I think he’s doing what needed to be done,” said Scott McGregor a cattleman and grain producer from northeast Iowa, near Nashua.

McGregor said he wants to see a level playing field for the U.S. in its trade efforts and negotiations with China.

“China needs to be a trade partner, not just a trading destination. That’s a lot of it,” McGregor said. Get the complete AgriTalk discussion here .

Financial Losses In The U.S. Beef Industry

Beef producers are reported to be “losing up to $165 per head on cattle currently, due to the absence of Chinese competition for high-value cuts like short rib and chuck. That’s a $4 billion annual blow to the U.S. beef sector…,” reported The Scottish Farmer last week.

McGregor said he would like to see the U.S. open up new markets for its beef and grain products to increase opportunities and minimize potential risks from future tariffs.

“China is not our only destination for our ag products, right? We need to expand our horizons as much as we can,” McGregor said.

When U.S. cattlemen start talking about market opportunities, Flory said they often turn their focus on Australia. The U.S. imports about $3-billion worth of beef from Australia a year.

“Australia doesn’t import any beef from the U.S., and there’s cattlemen here that would like to see that fixed,” Flory said. “But the issue is, there’s only, what, 30 million people in Australia?”

Furthermore, Australia has a lot of beef to export that the U.S. needs for use in hamburger, McGregor said.

“I know people don’t want us to import it, but Nellie bar the door if we couldn’t import beef from Australia for grinding,” he said. “Our demand is so huge here in the United States that we have got to import it. It has to meet all the specs that our beef does for importation, and it isn’t like we’re just willy-nilly importing some beef. We need it bad. And yes, it’d be great if they took some of our beef, but they don’t have the population.”

China has turned its attention and dollars to accessing more Australian beef, as well. According to Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian grain-fed beef exports to China surged almost 40% in February and March year-on-year, according to The Scottish Farmer article.

“Australian beef finds itself in a rare sweet spot – a prime cut of opportunity in a world of lean margins,” the article said.

Your next read: CAB Insider: Market Update April 23

Birdshot in Beef: A Hidden Defect

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:42:36 GMT

Birdshot or shotgun shell pellets have been found and reported in the beef supply since the first National Beef Quality Audit in the early 1990s, and the incidence of this foreign material in the beef we produce is not subsiding. In fact, the opposite might be true.

According to the 2022 National Beef Quality Audit, birdshot is a problem, with 100% of packing plants reporting buckshot/birdshot in beef from market cows and bulls. There are roughly 28 categories of items documented each year as foreign material in beef carcasses. Most of those items are found once to 15 times each on an annual basis and consist of large and easily identifiable objects. Birdshot, however, is found around 105 times a year and well over two times the rate of any other foreign object.

For context, if a ground beef processor makes 5 million ground beef patties each day, a defect rate of 1% would lead to 50,000 patties of wasted beef. A defect rate of 0.1% is 5,000 patties. A single incidence of birdshot found in the processing lines cost $10,000 in lost product and downtime. Why so much? If one pellet makes it through the grinder, it might have been sheared into numerous pieces that are barely detectable.

Bottomline: Hunters are not causing this problem — there are people out there handling their cattle with shotguns. This is not only poor animal handling, but also inhumane. Buckshot will not bounce off cattle and somehow go away. No matter how stupid or waspy cows and bulls might act, they should not be shot intentionally or by accident.

We need everyone on board to get the message out in producer meetings, educational programming and word of mouth. If we focus on promoting the right way mentality of Beef Quality Assurance, we can make a difference. Ultimately, birdshot, needles, darts and other foreign objects in beef are a food safety issue. Any abuse of animals is not acceptable, and shotguns are not a cattle handling tool. This needs to stop!

References:

A Black Spot in the Cattle Industry that’s Impossible to Chew. Jason Duggin, UGA Beef Extension Specialist. Michaela Clowser, NCBA’s Director of Producer Education. Dr. Patty Scharko, Clemson Extension Veterinarian.

Right Way. Right Time. A Guide to Cull Cattle Management. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The Beef Quality Assurance Team and OSU Cooperative Extension Service hosted a hands-on workshop to share the latest knowledge will soon be available through your local county OSU extension office.

VIDEO: Meet Trust In Beef Industry Partner U.S. Roundtable For Sustainable Beef

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:50:31 GMT

This article was written by Nate Birt, Vice President of Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative. Learn more at www.trustinfood.com

Across the U.S., beef producers are taking the next step on their sustainability journey. To highlight the voice of those making a difference, Trust In Beef™ proudly introduces a video series spotlighting the collaborative value chain program’s partners.

In this video, Trust In Beef™ features rancher and U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) 2021/22 Chair Steve Wooten of Kim, Colo.

“USRSB set goals for the entire beef supply chain because we’re all in it together – from pasture to plate – and made stronger by common efforts,” says Samantha Werth, Ph.D., executive director of USRSB. “These goals were set for the industry by the industry, including start-to-finish involvement of cattle producers.”

Learn more at USRSB.org/Goals.