Latest News From Fed Cattle

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.

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

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.

Bovine lameness is one of the costliest animal health issues to the beef industry and it’s also a major animal welfare concern that we can mitigate.

Production Animal Consultation (PAC) will host two beef industry summits in April, allowing people from the beef industry to gather and exchange ideas.

Following last month's blizzard, warmer temperatures and recent rains have created muddy feedlot conditions that present challenges for cattle and cowboys. Nebraska extension offers these strategies to cope.

UNL Feedlot Extension has organized an online discussion for noon (CST) Monday, Feb. 5 to talk with cattle producers about the challenges they're facing in dealing with the muddy conditions.

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.

Ag tech startup MyAnIML and USDA find first-of-its-kind facial recognition technology successfully analyzes cattle muzzles to predict illness.

The first system to make feeding recommendations via artificial intelligence (AI) and machine vision has been announced by Precision Livestock Technologies.

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.

Four grants have been awarded by ICASA totaling roughly $1.15 million to identify why liver abscesses occur and develop diagnostic tools to enable informed decision-making to treat the condition.

Using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and sensor technologies, Oklahoma State University researchers have embarked on a groundbreaking project aimed at studying stress in cattle.

Despite ever smaller feeder cattle supplies, feedlot inventories have temporarily halted the slow decline of the last year with the September surge in placements.

Prices for day-old beef-X-dairy (BXD) calves are often surprisingly high. But what used to be a highly discounted after-thought (straight dairy calves) is rapidly transforming into a meaningful source of production.

Congestive heart failure is estimated to cause 4% of feedlot mortality causing significant economic losses to feedlots as the majority of these deaths occur late in the finishing period.

Last week I learned I'm a 12-percenter, and if you're a Drovers reader it is likely you are a 12-percenter, too. That's not good, at least according to those who would regulate our dietary choices.

The sharp increase in feeder cattle prices this year represents a growing market incentive for the beef cattle industry to transition from liquidation to expansion, but it does not appear the industry is responding yet.

The use of shades in feedlots has made a big difference in the effects of heat on fat cattle, but a few other strategies can help keep cattle cool, enabling cattle to keep gaining, even in the dog days of summer.

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.

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.

As temperatures ratchet up, the disorder is more frequently seen in fed cattle ready for slaughter. Veterinarians offer their take on what contributes to the problem and seven recommendations to help prevent it.

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.

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

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.”

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

Beef packers saw per head losses nearly double last week as wholesale beef prices tumbled $7 per cwt. lower. Pork processors are also found negative margins and producer margins remain short of breakeven.

The pendulum continues swinging toward cattle feeders as cash prices jumped $3 last week and left packers with their largest negative margins in nearly six years.

The nation’s fifth-largest beef packer will receive a grant from USDA that will help add 700 head to its daily harvest capacity.

The pendulum continues to swing in cattlemen's favor as cash prices rally $3 per cwt. Pork producers see improved profit margins with a $7 per cwt. rally.

Even a 10% reduction in U.S. beef exports and imports would cause a significant disruption to prices and quantities of both feeder cattle and fed cattle, according to a new economic analysis.

The Justice Department says it has filed a memo in federal court with its recommended sentence for Washington rancher and cattle feeder Cody Easterday who pleaded guilty in a $244 million "ghost cattle" scheme.

America's dairy industry has been robust the last several decades. Now, larger average dairies are producing more beef-dairy crossbred calves that are much higher quality for producing beef.

Sustainable Beef LLC received a giant boost in its efforts to bring a new, 1,500 head per day beef processing facility online with a commitment from Walmart.

The average cost of feeding a steer to finish weight was 25% higher for cattle marketed last week and is projected to be 31% higher for cattle placed on feed last week at roughly $600 per head.

During a ceremony in downtown Amarillo, principals for Producer Owned Beef announced their plans for a 3,000-head per day beef packing facility that will break ground next year.

Sudden deaths late in the feeding phase are both frustrating and expensive. Simplot Land & Livestock says its research suggests genetic selection can greatly reduce the incidence of bovine congestive heart failure.

Western Legacy Development Corporation's proposed large packing plant has Rapid City, S.D., residents and city officials seeking more details on how the project may impact the region. Meeting set for Thursday in Wall.

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced two bills aimed at making cattle markets more transparent and competitive, with Sen. Chuck Grassley declaring his "years-long beef with Big Cattle" close to being settled.

These images depict a steer calf that had been on feed for 272 days with no treatment history when it was found dead in the pen.

Grocery retailer Giant Eagle alleges the nation’s large beef packing companies have exploited their market power to limit the supply of beef and raise prices in a new lawsuit filed in Chicago on Wednesday.

Prior to testimony at the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Wednesday, Tyson Foods Inc. President and CEO Donnie King released a statement to give his perspective about cattle and beef market practices.

Next week will be a good one for folks with good internet access and a few free hours who want to see some rhetorical fireworks about cattle price discovery.

Seven years after repeal of mandatory country-of-origin labeling, a proposal has been introduced for the Secretary of Agriculture to "determine a means of reinstating" COOL, despite evidence of "no measurable benefits."

A substantial portion of beef advertised as “raised without antibiotics” may, in fact, contain antibiotics, according to research by George Washington University published in Science Magazine.

Feed is a major cost input for all segments of beef production. Feed efficiency is always a primary determinant of profitability, but when feed costs are high, it becomes even more important.

Continued demand for non-GMO feed for livestock will increase greenhouse gas emissions on farms, and raise consumer prices for meat, milk and eggs, according to a study by Iowa State University.

Four U.S. Senators announced they have introduced a revised Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act and will push for a hearing on the bill by the Senate Agriculture Committee in the coming weeks.

USDA announced the availability of up to $215 million in grants and resources as part of a continued effort to strengthen the meat and poultry processing sector and create a more resilient food supply chain.

Cattle markets were hit hard Thursday on news of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Higher grain prices drove feeder cattle prices as much as $5 lower on CME feeder cattle futures and more than $2 lower for CME Live cattle.