Month: March 2017

Don’t Remove Your Plants’ Solar Panel by Grazing Too Early!

– Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Yes, there is new green growth, but that doesn’t mean start grazing!

Yes, it appears that we are trying to having an early spring, but I refuse to count those chicks before they hatch! Abnormally warm weather in February and early March is not that uncommon here in Indiana, unfortunately neither are late March and early April snows. The accumulated growing degree days so far this year, on average across the state, are higher than normal.

Now, it is REALLY early still, but I know how some Continue reading Don’t Remove Your Plants’ Solar Panel by Grazing Too Early! →

Preparing Cows for Breeding

– Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

A successful breeding season actually begins with management decisions made at calving.  Cattlemen can impact rebreeding efficiency by focusing on body condition score (BCS), early assistance during calving difficulty, scheduling a breeding soundness exam for the herd sires, planning their herd reproductive health program, and developing a plan to regulate estrus in their first-calf heifers and late-calving cows.

Reproductive management begins with Continue reading Preparing Cows for Breeding →

Castration; Earlier is Better

– Justin Sexten, Ph.D.  Director, Supply Development Certified Angus Beef (reprinted with permission)

Everybody knows bull calves sell at least $5/cwt back of steers at weaning, and the discount grows for any still intact as yearlings. That’s because virtually all of them are bound for the feedyard, where steers are the rule. The only question revolves around when the bulls become steers.

Castration at weaning means one more stress at a stressful time and mandates a Continue reading Castration; Earlier is Better →

Discussions Begin Heating up for the 2018 Farm Bill: What Does it Mean for the Cattle Industry?

– Brian R. Williams, Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

The 2016 elections are now a distant memory and the transition into a new presidential administration is nearly complete. Only three cabinet picks have yet to be confirmed, one of which is the Secretary of Agriculture whose confirmation hearing is set to begin Thursday. Now that the dust has settled a bit and most of the cabinet picks have been confirmed, talk about the 2018 Farm Bill has begun to heat up. Which programs will be cut, which will be changed, how will the new programs look, and will Continue reading Discussions Begin Heating up for the 2018 Farm Bill: What Does it Mean for the Cattle Industry? →

Making Hay from Seeding to Harvest Workshop – April 3rd

Are you interested in learning more about hay production? The Hardin County OSU Extension office is having a workshop titled ‘Making Hay: From Seeding to Harvesting’ on April 3 from 6:30-9:00 pm. The location of the Extension office is 1021 W Lima Street, Suite 103 in Kenton. Topics taught during this program will include Continue reading Making Hay from Seeding to Harvest Workshop – April 3rd →

Ohio Cattlemen Seedstock Improvement Bull Sale Set for April 8

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) will hold its annual Seedstock Improvement Sale on Saturday, April 8 at noon at the Union Stock Yards Company in Hillsboro, Ohio. This year’s sale features 44 bulls from one year to five years of age. Breeds consigned include Angus, Simmental, Hybrid Simmental, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Maintainer, Red Angus, and Shorthorn.

Buyers attending this sale have the opportunity to Continue reading Ohio Cattlemen Seedstock Improvement Bull Sale Set for April 8 →

Posted by at Posted in Events

Running on Empty? Lack of Energy in the Diet Will Cause Cattle Deaths

– Michelle Arnold, DVM, Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, UKVDL

From a weather standpoint, the winter of 2016-17 has been a non-event. Record temperatures recorded in February and very little measureable snow throughout winter has been a welcome change from previous years. Despite this unexpected warmth, submissions at the UKVDL and telephone conversations with veterinarians and producers confirm many cattle are losing excessive body condition and some are dying of apparent malnutrition. This indicates winter feeding programs on many farms this year are not Continue reading Running on Empty? Lack of Energy in the Diet Will Cause Cattle Deaths →

Rendered Ingredients Significantly Influence Sustainability, Quality and Safety of Pet Food

– Meeker and J. Meisinger, J. Anim. Sci. 2015.93:835–847, condensed by Steve Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist

The United States currently produces, slaughters, and processes approximately 112 million pigs, 32 million cattle, and 8.5 billion chickens annually. The current volume of raw material rendered in the United States and Canada is nearly 25 million tons.  Meat consumption worldwide is expected to increase to about 100 pounds per capita by 2030. This large increase is mostly due to the increase in meat consumption by people in developing countries.

A DESCRIPTION OF RENDERING:  Rendering is one of the Continue reading Rendered Ingredients Significantly Influence Sustainability, Quality and Safety of Pet Food →

Factors Behind the Recent Cattle Market Downturn

– Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

There continues to be a great deal of discussion surrounding the current cattle market and specifically why prices dropped so much over the course of 2015 and 2016. It is one of the most common questions I am asked when I travel the state and it has been written about in farm and popular press. There is a lot of frustration among those in the industry and also a great deal of misinformation circulating. My motivation for writing this is simply to provide some objective information and answer some questions that are out there. There are multiple factors behind the price drop from 2014 to the present and Continue reading Factors Behind the Recent Cattle Market Downturn →

Strong Trade Numbers and Good Technicals

– Stephen R Koontz, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University

The market fundamentals news released last week was excellent for all the meat production sectors.  The USDA released meat and poultry trade data last week for the month of January.  The main conclusion from the information is that exports were stronger and imports were weaker.  And this is in the face of a continuing strong dollar.  The U.S. dollar did not strengthen appreciably in January but did rally to two-year highs during the last half of 2016.  This is likely when the Continue reading Strong Trade Numbers and Good Technicals →