Month: September 2020

Transportation Shrink in Beef Cattle

– Steve Boyles, OSU Beef Extension Specialist

A better understanding of factors affecting shrink should help buyers and sellers of cattle to arrive at a fair pencil shrink under specific marketing conditions.

Types of Shrink. There are two types of shrink.  One is excretory which is the loss of urine and feces.  When ambient temperatures are low (below freezing, urine and fecal output can comprise 30-35% of shrink.  When temperatures are hot, urine and fecal losses account for about 15-20% of shrink.  Much of this loss is replaced when cattle are again allowed to eat and drink.

The second type is loss is tissue loss.  It is the loss of fluid from the cells.  Tissue shrinkage occurs after holding cattle off feed and water. It also occurs when cattle are subjected to stresses such as hauling. It becomes more important than excretory shrink the longer the shipping time. Since it is actual loss of tissue weight, it is harder to Continue reading Transportation Shrink in Beef Cattle →

Weekly Livestock Comments for September 4, 2020

– Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

FED CATTLE: Fed cattle traded $2 lower compared to last week on a live basis. Prices on a live basis were primarily $101 to $105 while dressed prices were mainly $162 to $164.

The 5-area weighted average prices thru Thursday were $103.18 live, down $1.94 compared to last week and $163.11 dressed, down $3.41 from a week ago. A year ago, prices were $102.31 live and $166.19 dressed.

Finished cattle prices once again declined compared to the previous week. Late summer and early fall are consistently a tough time period for cattle exiting the feedlot as beef demand softens and so does demand for finished cattle. This soft demand will persist for several weeks, but it is hard to imagine cattle prices retesting the lows they have already experienced earlier in the summer. The one thing that should support finished cattle prices is the hole that was created by reduced placements into feedlots during March and April. Many of the animals that would have been placed in March and April would be coming off feed now, but the Continue reading Weekly Livestock Comments for September 4, 2020 →

When the Art and Science of Grazing May Not Match

– Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Morgan County (originally published in The Ohio Cattleman)

I remember the first forage presentation I did in Perry County back in 1989 and I have spent my life professionally and personally working with forages. When we started teaching grazing schools in the early 90’s, one of the foundational topics taught was the basics of Management Intensive Grazing and those principles include no seed heads, rest periods, and short duration grazing.

That is the science, how about the art?

I remember Lorin Sanford, our OSU Extension Beef Specialist saying to me almost 40 years ago that “It is the eye of the master that fattens the cow.” That is the art. In our environment with so many things that go on, sometimes the art is more important than the science and sometimes the science even supports the art.

For example, we talk about rotating from one paddock to the next, but not all are created equal. I have several that are drought prone which I may skip in dry weather and I have one paddock that is Continue reading When the Art and Science of Grazing May Not Match →

Posted by at Posted in Pasture

It’s time to prepare for fall and winter feeding

– Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

It’s been a good year for red clover, almost too good.

The summer has flown by and, like it or not, I have to start thinking about fall activities that need to be accomplished long before winter decides to show up. It has not been an easy summer. It seems a lot of time was spent trying to catch up on things and either dealing with dry periods or trying to get something done in between rains. I was reminded recently that one of my uncles would say that he prefers a rain every Saturday evening. That way, activities could resume as scheduled Monday morning and moisture would still be enough. Weather will never be that predictable, but it would be nice.

It is the time of year to be thinking about any stockpiled forage that you might want or need. I’ve said it before, but if tall fescue has an attribute, it is as winter stockpile. It does need to be thought out some, and you will have to Continue reading It’s time to prepare for fall and winter feeding →

Posted by at Posted in Pasture

How to Use a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Effectively

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

Unusual or unexplained sickness and death loss of farm animals is an unavoidable occurrence for all producers at some point. Whether it is one animal affected suddenly or multiple animals developing symptoms of disease in a short span of time, most producers want to find the cause, the best effective treatment and how to prevent reoccurrence. The local veterinarian is the best resource for this information and should be the first person contacted to examine any affected animals and determine an appropriate treatment. The earlier the veterinarian is contacted in the disease process, the better the chance of instituting an effective therapy. However, in cases of sudden death (found dead) or when disease is spreading or in cases where treatment appears ineffective, veterinarians often turn to a vet diagnostic laboratory for help confirming a diagnosis and assisting in development of a plan for treatment and control based on test results. The UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Lexington (Website: vdl.uky.edu ) and the Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville (Website: https://breathitt.murraystate.edu/ ) are both full service laboratories serving the veterinarians and producers across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Much useful information about an individual animal death and overall health issues in the herd can be gleaned by performing a necropsy (the animal equivalent of a human “autopsy”). During the necropsy, the pathologist will first look for abnormalities they can see with their eyes; this is called “gross necropsy” and often gives an initial indication of the cause of death. Samples are then taken from all the organ systems as well as Continue reading How to Use a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Effectively →

Posted by at Posted in Health

What are Total Export Commitments Telling Us about Beef’s Potential in 2020: Positive Signs?

Overarching Market Conditions

The recent cattle on feed report suggests that cattle feedlots are coming closer to sorting through much of the backlog associated with plant closures and shutdowns as a result of plant workers testing positive and plants implementing CDC and OSHA worker health recommendations. For example, the number of cattle on feed over 90 days has dipped below 2019 levels for the first time since April. However, cattle on feed over 120 days is still about 10% higher than 2019. The result of cattle being on feed longer is sustained record level dressed weights for both steers and heifers. Heavier carcasses has led to higher beef production in recent months relative to 2019 putting downward pressure on cattle prices. With net feedlot placements (i.e. higher than 2019 and the five year average, cattle feedlots look like they are once again reloading with cattle less than 700 lbs. potentially sustaining record beef production in the long term that will need to be consumed. With lower, but growing, domestic demand and concerns about what a second government shutdown might due to domestic demand, beef export demand is likely to play a larger and more prominent role in sustaining domestic cattle prices.

Total Beef Export Commitments

One way to monitor beef exports is through USDA-FAS weekly export sales report. This report shows the Continue reading What are Total Export Commitments Telling Us about Beef’s Potential in 2020: Positive Signs? →