Latest News From Wyatt Bechtel

Friday’s report is anticipated not only for the information that enables market analysts to estimate slaughter cattle supplies, but also because the January report was unpublished due to the government shutdown.

The year-on-year carcass quality improvements are well underway again in 2019, at a pace that seems almost unrealistic in light of the hand-over-fist progress achieved in each of the past dozen years.

In the U.S., cattle cycles traditionally happen about every 10 years with cattle being added or removed from the herd during market swings.

For creep feeding to be profitable, the costs of the added weight gain must be less than the value of that gain.

Does the severity (coldness or mildness) of the winter have an impact on spring-born calf birth weights?

Current finished cattle prices are neither favoring the direction of packers or feedlots which means both parties can be content or they are both dissatisfied because they want a larger share of the margin.

Four considerations to make before your bull purchase.

There has been some drama in the cattle market lately because of the delay in USDA reporting, poor winter weather and trade uncertainties.

Kansas State University's Animal Sciences and Industry Department will host Cattlemen's Day 2019 on Friday, March 1 at Weber Hall in Manhattan.

When purchasing replacement heifers many factors should be considered.

Fed cattle and boxed beef cutout values entered 2019 and have stayed at levels similar to or better than last year. 

USDA released a slew of delayed crop data last week which provide an update to feed and forage market conditions for livestock markets.

It is estimated that anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 cattle were killed in Australia during what has been described as a once in a lifetime flood.

Despite our best efforts at bull selection and heifer development, cows or heifers occasionally need assistance at calving time.

The market has been moving sideways for three straight months and there is no sign of it breaking out in either direction.

The climbing cattle inventory and poor feeding conditions this winter are having mixed results on the cattle market.

Schaff Angus Valley has set another world record price for a bull after selling SAV America 8018 for $1.51 million.

The Green New Deal is sending mixed messages to agriculture as it seeks to work with farmers and ranchers, but also mentions getting rid of “farting cows.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has put forth their policy priorities for 2019.

A man in Nebraska was killed on Feb. 5 after he was attacked by a bull while attempting to check on cattle.

The comprehensive cutout is 3% ahead of a year ago in the month of January, averaging $213.21 per cwt.

As livestock owners care for livestock in frigid temperatures, it is important to know where efforts are best spent.

There’s no question that carcass weights were significantly lower in January than they would have been given a more typical weather pattern for the month.

Purchasing or raising replacement females represents a significant investment for cow/calf operations and the impact may be felt for years after.

Cattle in route from Canada to a packing plant in Washington crashed less than 9 miles from their destination in an event police called a “spontaneous carnival ride.”

Beef production in 2019 is forecast at a record 27.4 billion pounds, up 1.8 percent year over year.

Before you buy a bull, consider what you need to improve.

The futures markets for live and feeder cattle have not been overly volatile and the forward-looking volatility remains low.

There are methods of increasing the immune status of the baby calf so that when the calf comes in contact with the pathogens, it will have a much better chance of fending off the disease entity.

Cow-calf producers should consider the expected price increase the next couple of months to determine if selling now or delaying marketings into March would be advantageous.

Neonatal calf diarrhea (commonly called “calf scours”) is one of the most costly disease entities in the beef cattle business.

Success grass-fed beef production is dependent on several factors. 

Cattle prices look to hold steady through much of 2019, but trade will have the potential to impact if prices rise or fall, according to analysts at CattleFax.

Beef demand may also be impacted as weather disrupts travel and business.

Bred cow prices at auctions during the last quarter of 2018 were down 10-20% from a year earlier in key cattle production regions.

Multiple incidents in Louisiana have resulted in cattle being injured or killed by people either shooting or running cattle over with vehicles. Authorities are offering awards for information in several of the cases.

No matter how hay is packaged, if you waste it, you lose money.

A basic understanding of genetics will help us understand why some traits are more heritable than others. The basis for heritability has to do with a phrase you have probably heard before – “nature verses nurture.”

Acceptable substitute supplementation for distillers grains depends on the class of livestock fed, the basal diet available, and the desired performance.

Nearly half a year after a Presidential Pardon, the Dwight and Steven Hammond families have had their grazing permits reinstated by the federal government.

The very prolonged cloudy, wet weather with regular bouts of rain has resulted in muddy conditions that require substantially more energy in feeds just to maintain body heat

Winter conditions may continue to provide support for cattle prices in the near term, but industry participants should not be surprised if prices falter before the spring market provides support.

Although we can’t alter the weather, there are management steps that can be taken to help maintain cattle health and performance.

After an employee suffered severe burns from anhydrous ammonia exposure, a beef packing plant has been fined almost $183,000 by the federal government.

We are beginning to enter the last 3 months of gestation for the majority of spring-calving cows.

Managing cows through the winter provides different challenges compared to managing those same cows during the growing season.

Wholesale beef markets are starting 2019 with a continuation of generally strong prices seen last year.

While consumers have long preferred a highly marbled, juicy steak or roast from the rib and loin, the industry struggles to achieve much premium from Choice over Select on the lower priced cuts.

This Friday should have been the publication of USDA’s January Cattle on Feed report. The report will not be released due to the government shutdown. 

Planning and preparing for the calving season can help to minimize calf loss, increasing the percent calf crop at weaning.