Latest News From Beef Production

Raising heat-tolerant cattle that are able and willing to go further to graze in subtropical climates is the goal of a new beef cattle research project at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research station at Beeville.

Increasingly tight cattle supplies suggest that margins at all levels above the cow-calf sector will be squeezed in the coming months.  The severity of the squeeze and the timing will vary across beef industry segments.

Packers unexpectedly found themselves chasing a limited supply of higher-grading cattle last week and the result was sharply higher prices in the North.

The price spread between Northern cash cattle sales and Southern sales more than doubles as packers struggle to find inventory to maintain acceptable capacity utilization.

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.

Keith Harmoney, K-State range scientist in Hays, has developed a decision tree that provides some guidelines given a pasture’s current soil moisture condition and the relative level of stress on the pasture last year.

Careful evaluation of your production system permits you to identify the traits of primary economic importance.

As beef producers, we know beef is healthy, nutritious, a great source of protein and tastes delicious! But, do you think consumers know all of these things?

The Food and Drug Administration is changing guidance for using implants in beef cattle after June 2023.

Missouri forage producers should begin removing seed heads from tall fescue grass pastures soon to reduce toxic endophytes that thwart herd health and profits.

For the second time in a decade, drought has pushed cattle numbers in the U.S. lower than planned and lower than needed to meet the demands of the market. 

The current front-end supply and winter delayed calf-feds have the northern packers stretched for inventory. Will that aid feeders' ability to push prices higher in the coming weeks?

Cash cattle traded steady to higher with futures prices trading higher for the week. Wholesale beef prices finished the week near steady.

Purina Animal Nutrition gathers supply chain to discuss opportunities and challenges with beef-on-dairy segment.

Implanting your calves before weaning is cost effective and will increase weaning weights of both steers and heifers with very little impact on reproduction rates of replacement heifers.

Cattle feeders saw average profits of more than $300 per head last week while pork producers found average losses of about $13 per head.

Though rooted in tradition, this father-daughter duo is stepping into new territory, using genomic testing and creating their own specialty beef label to add value and increase efficiency in their operation.

Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged. Here's a look at why this practice is important from a health, animal welfare, beef quality and cow-calf producer's perspective.

While livestock fly control may already be in the cattle management plan—have you considered the possibility of insecticide product resistance? Is feeding garlic an option? Here are some tips to consider.

Decisions on when to administer the first round of vaccinations, castration, growth implants and parasite control will impact the profit potential of those calves in the months ahead.

Packers increase their slaughter ahead of the first holiday weekend of the summer and the spread between North and South widens back to $6 per cwt.

Calves enrolled in the OQBN Vac-45 Program attained an average market premium of $18.67/cwt in 2022 and an average of $13.06/cwt over the past 12 years, compared to similar nonpreconditioned calves.

Persistent drought in major beef cattle production regions continues to have a significant impact on the cattle industry despite improvements in drought conditions in other parts of the country.

Drier than normal weather conditions likely have put replacement heifers a little behind schedule with regard to target weights and body condition. Reproductive Tract Scoring can help make replacement heifer decisions.

Negotiated cash cattle prices declined for the fourth consecutive week in the South but held steady in Northern trades.

A recent episode of The Angus Conversation explored bovine congestive heart failure.

A broad view of recent carcass cutout values shows plenty of strength in wholesale boxed beef prices. To contrast current values to a year ago, CAB and commodity Choice cutouts are 14% higher.

Grilling season set to kick off as both packers and cattle feeders operating with profitable margins. Pork producers continue the struggle to reach profitability.

The Hadricks, both fifth-generation beef producers in South Dakota noticed a need for a small packing plant in their area to help not only themselves but also their rural community. The result? North Prairie Butchery.

Scientists at Clay Center, Neb., have collaborated to produce the first gene-edited calf with resistance to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a virus that costs the U.S. cattle sector billions of dollars annually.

Now is the time to check for ergot, a toxic fungus which infects the surface of grasses and cereal crops and can cause severe illness in livestock such as cattle and horses.

Gardiner Angus Ranch's 8th Annual "Meating Demand" sale was held May 1, 2023, at the ranch, Ashland, Kansas.

Packers are working to remain profitable, using basis for extended delivery, freighting cheaper inventory to areas of regional cash strength and running harvest at a snail's pace.

Nearly all market indicators suggest the time to rebuild the cow herd is here, all we need is a cooperative environment. For those turning out bulls this spring the foundation of herd rebuilding has already begun.

Negotiated cash cattle prices declined for the third consecutive week in a moderate to active trade. Wholesale beef prices also declined yet remain above seasonal averages.

If you haven’t recently contemplated how your breeding and calving seasons contribute to the value of your cattle operation, take some time to consider whether there are incentives to change it.

Packers have navigated through the tightest supplies of the season while maintaining profitability. Now, supplies are anticipated to increase seasonally which could swing more leverage in their favor.

As beef producers, who is our real customer? While there is value in focusing on the person writing the check, it's also important to keep the whole supply chain in mind, Koester says.

Currently, 94 participants from 22 states are feeding more than 1,400 head of Hereford and Hereford-influenced feeder cattle at HRC Feed Yards, Scott City, Kansas.

Resist the temptation to turn cattle out before grass is ready and use caution if there is no other option. Management practices now can have lasting impacts.

This is the time of year when it is easy to get excited about the cattle business. It is also time to be planning for the future and keep your business poised for economic sustainability.

Strip-grazing milo (grain sorghum) is a money-saving alternative winter feed plan for cattle, according to Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Rusty Lee.

Bull breeding soundness exams offer the opportunity to identify and remove bulls from the breeding herd that have a low probability of siring calves.

Minimizing handling stress provides several benefits for ranchers, including improvements in animal immune response, appetite and performance.

Wholesale beef prices hit a recent low the end of March at $280.51 per cwt., but the steady march higher since then put Friday’s close as the highest Choice cutout value for that week on data available back to 2004.

Global macroeconomic concerns continue to keep beef markets nervous.  Slowdowns in some markets have had some impact and, yet global beef markets continue to be resilient and demonstrate continued growth.  

Cash cattle traded lower in all regions while feeder cattle and calves were mostly higher. Many analysts remain optimistic that the spring highs are yet to be seen.

While drought does not lead to ideal parasite growing conditions, it does not necessarily mean the threat of parasites no longer exists. Here are some management considerations heading into the 2023 grazing season.

While drought hits all portions of an operation hard, being strictly focused on the herd and the immediate concerns about feeding or finding a place for cattle often leads to the impacts on our pastures being overlooked.

The push for renewable energy, with a new wave of focus on biodiesel, has a full head of steam and will likely result in changes in how we feed cattle.