Beef Production
Severe winter weather across cattle feeding country reduced weekly harvest and damaged feeding performance. Cattle feeders will seek higher prices this week.
U.S. hay production in 2023 was 6.3% higher than the drought year of 2022, but remains 7.8% lower than the 10-year average. Hay stocks were higher in eight of the ten states, with decreases only in Kansas and Kentucky.
No matter when beef cross calves are being sold, steps can be taken to make them more marketable.
New equations will better estimate protein utilization by beef cattle, benefit producers.
With larger-than-expected yield revisions to both corn and soybeans, it leaves one burning question: which states grew such big yields in 2023? USDA NASS released maps and charts to help answer that.
Are You Ready For the Polar Plunge? Some Areas Could See Temperatures Plummet to Negative 40 Degrees
From 40 degrees above zero earlier this week in parts of the Great Plains to now forecasts for temps to fall 40 degrees below zero, ag meteorologist Drew Lerner says the frigid conditions will be dangerous for livestock.
What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? GET PREPARED!
Economics and the impact on weights – both longer-term and decisions based on short term factors will play an important part in determining beef production in 2024.
Obtaining a basic understanding of nutrition and making data driven decisions can give every cattleman an advantage in creating a nutrition program best suited to their operation.
The first week of the New Year provided little cheer for either cattle feeders or beef packers as both saw increasing per head losses. Ditto for pork producers.
Grounded by his family but propelled by vision, Trey Wasserburger is the energetic force behind creating more processing capacity for local cattle producers.
Trey Wasserburger, the 2023 Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award winner, is redefining the conception-to-consumer beef model to live out his dream of being a cowboy.
With a slogan of “raised, not sourced,” Tim Haer had a wild idea to differentiate their business: create a vending machine to sell meat produced on their family’s farm, an idea he says that’s been wildly successful.
University of Nebraska extension provides a checklist to prepare your feedyard for winter weather.
Producers interested in expanding their herd or considering alternative production practices due to limited perennial pastures and rangeland are the target audience for the Dakota Alternative Beef Cow Systems Symposium.
Mexico recently issued a decree extending zero-duty treatment of certain food imports – including pork, beef and poultry – from all eligible suppliers through the end of 2024. What does this mean for the U.S.?
Producers are encouraged to implement plans to help make the year on your ranch more successful.
As milk prices continue to sink lower, more and more dairy producers are turning their attention to creating a healthy beef cross calf to generate additional income for their farms.
Cattle markets are encouraging more aggressive production. Individually, cattle producers may be able to respond immediately or may be forced to remain on the defensive due to physical or financial reasons.
“Go down your own road. Keep your goals to yourself and do exactly what you want to do — you’ll be happy with the results,” says Logan Yancey, first-generation cattle rancher and business owner near Ripley, Miss.
Cash fed cattle prices traded at higher prices the first week of the New Year despite a significant decline for wholesale beef prices.
From the intense heat in the South to drought blanketing much of the U.S., weather stole headlines again in 2023. What caused such extreme conditions? One meteorologist explains the culprits of the heat and drought.
Santa failed to deliver any margin improvements for cattle and hog producers while beef and pork packers operated in the black.
If your pastures were able to recover from drought, winter grazing of stockpiled grass produced during the growing season might be an option to extend the grazing season and reduce winter feed costs.
Overall, 2023 should close out as profitable year for all segments of cattle production. This is historically rare. Current low cattle inventories indicate high value of cattle of all classes for the next several years.
Determining the value of a bull is an important question, and one that is a challenge to answer. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University, offers some calculations to help determine a value.
Good growing conditions in 2023 provided producers with better hay production than seen in the last couple of years, so using high-quality hay as a supplement can definitely be an option this winter.
December’s Cattle on Feed showed December feedlot inventories were 102.7 percent of last year. Texas on feed number was up 4% and Kansas was up 7%.
The “maternal” discussion is far more complex than a healthy live birth and seedstock producers are using more data and knowledge to create better dams each year.
Shelter for livestock during the winter months can influence the success of calving and a livestock operation.