Latest News From Beef Production

Will Volatility and Uncertainty Delay the Next Cattle Cycle?
Will Volatility and Uncertainty Delay the Next Cattle Cycle?

While the relatively predictable cattle cycle has proved itself many times, Rabobank says the next cow herd expansion will face multiple headwinds that will affect the speed of rebuilding. Here's the details.

US Hay Stocks Fall to Lowest Level Since ’74
US Hay Stocks Fall to Lowest Level Since ’74

High fertilizer prices and drought in 2022 handed hay production in the United States its biggest decline in 11 years with stocks at their lowest level since data collection began, according NASS.

Mackey: Signs of Growing Leverage
Mackey: Signs of Growing Leverage

The standoff lasted until late week, but most trade regions saw multiple bidders for fed cattle.

Strategic Feedlot Bedding
Strategic Feedlot Bedding

Providing bedding is one of the time-tested strategies for dealing with winter weather. But how does bedding affect the bottom-line?

Divestment plan leads to ownership changes for 11 feedlots
Cash Cattle Steady to Weaker, Feeders Mixed

Cattle feeders and packers were in a standoff most of the week with cash trading only moderate in all regions. Cattle feeders are in a good position as inventories and carcass weights declining.

Health Advocates and Online Activists Sue FDA Over Antibiotics in Livestock
Health Advocates and Online Activists Sue FDA Over Antibiotics in Livestock

A coalition of public health advocacy groups and online activists have filed a lawsuit against the FDA and its Center for Veterinary Medicine, challenging the decision to keep important antibiotics in animal ag.

Proprietary Feeding System Improves Feed Efficiency and Carcass Yield
Proprietary Feeding System Improves Feed Efficiency and Carcass Yield

FBN Livestock and Boveta Nutrition announce a proprietary feeding system for beef cattle that improves feed efficiency and carcass yield while reducing methane gas emissions and wet waste.

Does All This Rain and Snow Mean La Niña Is Loosening Its Grip On the U.S.?
Does All This Rain and Snow Mean La Niña Is Loosening Its Grip On the U.S.?

The sudden switch from drought to too much precipitation in parts of California now begs the question: Is the weather changing, and will California start to dig out from three consecutive years of drought?

A Good Start for Baby Calves
A Good Start for Baby Calves

What should happen at the beginning of life for a baby calf to get off to a good start? Let's review the sequence of several steps that need to happen.

Gardiner Angus Ranch Early Bird Bull Sale Report
Gardiner Angus Ranch Early Bird Bull Sale Report

Gardiner Angus Ranch hosted its 6th Annual Early Bird Bull sale on Monday with buyers from 22 states and Mexico.

CAB Insider: Fed Cattle Projections Factor in Carcass Value
CAB Insider: Fed Cattle Projections Factor in Carcass Value

Focusing on carcass quality can allow feeder cattle buyers to factor in higher returns based on better-than-projected feedlot performance and/or carcass quality premiums than average.

Raising The Orphan Calf
Raising The Orphan Calf

Raising an orphaned beef calf can be time consuming and may require additional expense. Additionally, calves may not be thriving at the time they are orphaned so managing health and nutrition can present challenges.

What Cattle Producers Need to Know About Ag Tech
What Cattle Producers Need to Know About Ag Tech

Technology and ranching go together more than one might initially expect. Here's one example where technology helps cattle producers capture herd data.

Profit Tracker: Feeding Margins Steady, Packer Margins Erode
Profit Tracker: Feeding Margins Steady, Packer Margins Erode

Average cattle feeding margins were near steady last week despite weaker cash prices. Pork producer margins slipped further into the red as lean carcass prices dropped more than 3% for the week.

Calf Vigor and the Suckle Reflex: What You Need To Know
Calf Vigor and the Suckle Reflex: What You Need To Know

How can ranchers quickly identify compromised calves and help predict whether they can acquire optimal passive immunity? Elizabeth Homerosky, DVM, Veterinary Agri-Health Services, set out to find answers.

Hereford Feedout Numbers Climb
Hereford Feedout Numbers Climb

More Hereford breeders and commercial users of Hereford genetics are discovering the feedlot and carcass performance of their genetics through various American Hereford Association (AHA) programs.

From Seedstock to Meat Case, A Vision Becomes Reality for Nebraska Rancher
From Seedstock to Meat Case, A Vision Becomes Reality for Nebraska Rancher

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.

Mackey: Cattle Feeders Playing Catch-Up
Mackey: Cattle Feeders Playing Catch-Up

Cattle feeders seem to start each week from behind as packers have utilized their captive supplies perfectly to maintain their margins.

Peel: Fewer Heifers in Feedlots...Finally!
Peel: Fewer Heifers in Feedlots...Finally!

Feedlot inventories declined for the fourth consecutive month and the number of heifers on feed declined for the first time since July 2021.

Cash Cattle Lower; COF Placements Down 8%
Cash Cattle Lower; COF Placements Down 8%

Cash cattle markets traded modestly lower in another week of lackluster activity. Northern regions experienced adverse weather conditions added stress to cattle and reduced weights.

Value Creation on the Ranch
Value Creation on the Ranch

The best market outlet for your cattle depends on multiple things, but much of it is determined by the attributes that you’ve built into your calves through your management.

Beef-on-Dairy Continues to See Major Growth
Beef-on-Dairy Continues to See Major Growth

With the demand for beef up, more dairy producers are crossbreeding poor genetic or less productive cows with beef semen. Over the past few years, dairy semen sales have idled while domestic beef sales have exploded.

Johnson: Preparing for Winter Calving
Johnson: Preparing for Winter Calving

To make calving during late winter months as problem-free as possible, producers must spend necessary time to get prepared.

Too Much of a Good Thing: Ionophore Toxicity Discovered the Hard Way
Too Much of a Good Thing: Ionophore Toxicity Discovered the Hard Way

When calves on grass drop like flies, have minimal gains and many carcasses are condemned on the rail, Kansas State University experts uncover the unfortunate cause.

Profit Tracker: Cattle Margins Narrow, Pork in the Red
Profit Tracker: Cattle Margins Narrow, Pork in the Red

Cattle feeding margins narrowed significantly last week while pork producer margins remain mired in red ink the first weeks of the new year.

Fence Designs for Winter Pastures
Fence Designs for Winter Pastures

Who loves winter fencing? Here's a look at some tips and strategies for working around the challenges winter throws at cattle producers when it comes to the not-so-loved winter task.

Is Your Herd Hitting Calving Season Benchmarks?
Is Your Herd Hitting Calving Season Benchmarks?

Reproductive performance is important to the overall success and bottom line of an operation. Benchmarking may help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business.

Understanding the Three Stages of Parturition
Understanding the Three Stages of Parturition

Understanding the three stages of the birthing process is critical in order to know when/if to provide assistance during calving season.

Record Low Hay Stocks This Winter
Record Low Hay Stocks This Winter

U.S. hay stocks are at their lowest level since 1973 as two years of widespread drought have taken its toll on forage production.

Mackey: Packers Executed Their Play Perfectly
Mackey: Packers Executed Their Play Perfectly

Keeping the harvest under 650,000 for six weeks has allowed packers to set the tone for the market and keep some cattle feeders desperate to move cattle.

Cattle Markets Weaken As Harvest Ramps Up
Cattle Markets Weaken As Harvest Ramps Up

Cattle markets traded modestly lower as slaughter levels recovered from the holiday-shortened schedules. Wholesale beef prices traded lower for the week, but Live Cattle futures ended on an up note.

Background and Research Supporting Caffeine for High-Risk Calves
Background and Research Supporting Caffeine for High-Risk Calves

Caffeine may help stimulate at-risk calves that are the result of dystocia (difficult birth), hypothermia from being born in the cold, or being run down from a stressful event such as disease or transport. 

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Winter is Time to Plan to Beat the Summer Slump

Producers can prepare for drought by adding warm-season forages to pastures that grow during the warm, dry conditions of midsummer known as the “summer slump."

Creep Feeding Fall-Born Calves: Yes or No?
Creep Feeding Fall-Born Calves: Yes or No?

At approximately 90 to 120 days after calving, forage provides most of the calf’s nutrient requirements, which introduces a management decision: should I creep feed? 

Beef Producers: 'Get Your House in Order' in 2023
Beef Producers: 'Get Your House in Order' in 2023

Beef producers should approach 2023 with cautious optimism – matched with resolutions of good management and investment in infrastructure, says a University of Missouri business specialist.

Cattlemen's Heritage Acquires Site for New Iowa Beef Plant
Cattlemen's Heritage Acquires Site for New Iowa Beef Plant

Construction is expected to begin this year for Cattlemen's Heritage Beef Company, a 2,000-head per day beef processing facility south of the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area.

Efficiency and Forage Intake Research at OSU Range Cow Research Center
Efficiency and Forage Intake Research at OSU Range Cow Research Center

Growth rates and carcass weights have been increasing over the last 30 years. However, little research has been conducted to determine how aggressive selection for production traits affects cow maintenance requirements.

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The Importance of Adequate Colostrum

Being ready and prepared before the start of calving season can make life much easier for cow-calf producers and potentially save a calf. 

Is Your Calving Season Too Long?
Is Your Calving Season Too Long?

What’s the reason behind the length of your calving season? When it comes to your improving your bottom line, the length of your calving season may be a good place to start.

CAB Insider: Cattlemen Will Continue to Reap Quality Rewards in 2023
CAB Insider: Cattlemen Will Continue to Reap Quality Rewards in 2023

Diving into 2023, the much-discussed beef cow herd culling comes home to roost, bringing on a supply challenge for the beef industry.

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Sexten: Feeding the Foundation

In a year with rising commodity prices and limited availability, strategically feeding forages may offer the best option to deliver supplemental nutrients using existing infrastructure and equipment.

Profit Tracker: Breakevens Reach Highest Level Since 2015
Profit Tracker: Breakevens Reach Highest Level Since 2015

Cattle feeders are finding modest profits on market-ready cattle early in the New Year, but replacement feeder cattle prices are driving projected breakevens to eight-year highs.

Weather the Freeze: 3 Tips to Ensure Cattle Have Winter Water Access
Weather the Freeze: 3 Tips to Ensure Cattle Have Winter Water Access

Strategies to keep your water sources open and clear to drink to optimize your cattle’s performance during winter.

Peel: A New Year for Cattle and Beef Markets
Peel: A New Year for Cattle and Beef Markets

The new year looks to contrast with last year with noticeably tighter cattle numbers, especially at the feedlot level, driven by previous herd liquidation and sharply lower feeder cattle supplies.

Mackey: Standoff Ends With Steady
Mackey: Standoff Ends With Steady

Cattle feeders and packers were again locked in a standoff last week negotiating prices for fed cattle. The tug-o-war continues this week with cattle feeders’ leverage growing.

Cattle Health Impacts Carcass Traits
Cattle Health Impacts Carcass Traits

While genetic selection and feeding decisions play a large role in the quality of beef product reaching consumers' plates, a number of studies show cattle health is also a key factor affecting carcass quality.

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Winter Weather Advisory: Make Your Cows Cold Weather Ready

When the weather forecast calls for extremely low temperatures, what preparations are a must on your operation? Here's a look at some of the most important "To Do" items before the winter chill sets in.

Pork Exports Gain Momentum; Beef Export Value Sets Annual Record
Pork Exports Gain Momentum; Beef Export Value Sets Annual Record

U.S. pork exports saw continued growth in November, posting the largest volume and value numbers of 2022. Despite a November slowdown, beef export value sets records in key markets. Here's a look at what's happening.

Calves, Feeders Higher, Fed Cattle Steady
Calves, Feeders Higher, Fed Cattle Steady

Cash fed cattle traded steady on the week, but further gains in the wholesale beef market gives cattle feeders the incentive to stick to higher asking prices in the short run.

How to Adjust Feed Resources and Reduce Hay Waste
How to Adjust Feed Resources and Reduce Hay Waste

Last year's drought has ranchers scrambling to manage reduced feed resources to keep their cows adequately fed throughout the winter.