Latest News From Beef Production

Through May, beef cow slaughter for the year-to-date is 15% higher. While some drought reduction has improved pasture conditions, range and pasture conditions remain at the worst level ever for this time of year.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service raised its forecast for total U.S. red meat and poultry production in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) on Friday.

Ranchers in the Northern Plains have suffered multiple weather stresses and now may face a large number of cows not raising a calf. Many of those cows may be in less than ideal condition due to feed shortages.

Rising costs have forced stoppage of construction on the expansion of Iowa Premium's beef slaughter facility in Tama, Iowa, the company confirmed Thursday.

Hereford breeders and commercial users of Hereford genetics enrolled a record number of steers in the 2022 Hereford Feedout Program to find out how their genetics perform in the feedlot and on the rail.

Producers can capture added value by preconditioning and weaning their calves. Along with weaning at least 45 days, preconditioning includes several practices that add value for both the buyer and seller.

With a high likelihood of drought continuing through the summer months, prepare for a shortage in forage production using these tools and strategies!

In hot summer conditions, heat transfer failures cause accumulation of body heat resulting in heat stress, reduced performance, animal discomfort, or death. Here's some tips to help get your cattle through high temps!

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis can take a toll on cattle, especially calves. Three bovine veterinarians provide their insights on diagnosing the problem and when to use and not use antibiotics for treatment.

As we move into June, cattle markets are transitioning into summer mode, reflecting seasonality and a myriad of other factors which are currently impacting markets. 

Declining carcass weights and the search for higher-grading cattle may lead to a market rebound sooner than expected.

Together, with more than 30 of their network partners, Vytelle is sharing high accuracy bulls that have risen to the top of more than 94,000 animals of 25 different breeds and more than 289,000 RFI EPDs.

Creep grazing programs can produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets. There are many ways to adapt this system to each individual situation.

Carcass weights in the latest USDA report for the week of May 9th show a large seven pound drop for steers and 10 pounds lighter on the heifers. This suggests currentness has picked up in the fed-cattle sector.

Late May and June typically produce the first heat events of the season when temperature, humidity and feed intake will significantly impact water consumption by feedlot cattle.

Arm mangled inside a hay baler, Doug Bichler fought a gruesome battle for life, determined to escape the machine at all costs.

An 8,000-head per day state-of-the-art beef processing facility utilizing robotics and other high-tech features was announced in Rapid City last week. Groundbreaking would be as early as next year.

Erosion that occurs with flooding increases the chance that animals will ingest the spores of anthrax, a disease in cattle, humans and other species caused by a bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis.

Cover crops for grazing can provide significant cost savings to producers by minimizing the need for baled forages or provide an alternative grazable forage to allow recovery to overgrazed pastures.

A good working facility, understanding animal behavior and good animal husbandry skills all work in synergy with regard the safe handling of cattle. 

Texas received crucial rains this week, reviving farmers’ hopes of producing a crop this year. A dire drought situation already robbed farmers of their winter wheat, but rains are now sprouting hope for other crops.

Lower average cattle prices last week cut average feedyard margins by $43 per head last week, while pork producers saw a $5 per head increase in average margins.

As drought continues in the Great Plains, producers are making hard decisions about cowherd management and feeding options, but cost of production and opportunity costs must be carefully evaluated.

Merck Animal Health is introducing AROVYN – a broad-spectrum antibiotic that treats the major organisms associated with bovine respiratory disease, foot rot and pinkeye.

Drought has the ability to make any kind of worm infection more severe because it puts additional stress on the animal.

Extension specialists say ranchers facing drought should always plan to destock sooner rather than later as prices in a drought region will become depressed.

Spring green-up has been muted by the ongoing drought and each passing week is critical and by any measure, the U.S. is in the worst condition now of any May in at least the last 35 years.

Cattle feeders saw prices erode last week and have a summer slump in sight with large on-feed inventories and increasing costs of gain.

Negotiated cash cattle prices were $2 softer last week in a moderate to active trade. Friday's Cattle on Feed report reported an inventory of 12.0 million head, up 2% from last year while a 1.3% decline was anticipated.

Opportunity or challenge? A survey from Veylinx, a consumer insights platform, found 77% of respondents said they could be convinced to buy meat alternatives. Gen Z consumers were the most interested at 87%.

Rising fertilizer prices has producers searching for ways to cut input costs. Producers should do the math to determine the price at which fertilizer becomes economically cost prohibitive.

Missouri cattle producers have an opportunity to get a good return on their investments through the Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program’s regional sales.

American ranchers face a dry start to the summer grazing season as about half of the nation's beef cows reside under some designation of drought. Texas shows 76% of pastures in poor to very poor condition.

The cattle placement pattern beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021 shows the finished cattle supply will start to swell in June and could become a 20,000 head surplus over a year ago.

Although drought cannot be avoided entirely, a good forage management plan will lessen the impact on forages and hasten pasture recovery when growing conditions return.

Most producers provide free choice mineral to cows during grazing season and assume that it provides adequate minerals. However, there are some important factors to consider to ensure mineral requirements are met.

The ongoing drought continues to squeeze available hay supplies and drought this year is a severe threat to 2022 hay production. May 1 hay stocks in the 17 plains and western states were down 17.7 percent year-over-year.

Check out the photographs of nine common problems Dr. Ahmed Tibary, Washington State University, says he most often sees in the sperm of bulls that fail breeding soundness exams.

This week could be very unpredictable in the cattle trade. The North-to-South spread may continue to narrow as calves are still not ready and packers seem to be chasing more mature cattle in the South.

Farmers and ranchers raising calves now have access to the free Calf Care and Quality Assurance (CCQA) program online. Certification through CCQA helps ensure optimal calf health and welfare.

Estrus synchronization can be an important management tool to get cows settled as early in the breeding season as possible and get cows bred to bulls with highest possible genetic value.

Wildfire threats are not over in Texas, but preliminary estimates from early March through the end of April put losses to ranchers at $23.1 million from multiple fires that covered 433,000 acres.

Established product requirements in the beef industry may differ somewhat from one segment of the industry to the next, but there are some common expectations fundamental to each.

Back-to-back blizzards in April meant the Veeders battled Mother Nature at the height of calving season. While they did everything they could to save newborn calves, they also saw relief in the form of vital moisture.

Focus on factors like body condition score and estrus intensity for breeding season success.

A solid annual forage strategy can produce cost-effective, high-quality feed, and for some varieties, aftermath grazing.

Vaccination plans are only one pillar in an effective herd health program and should be viewed as a mechanism to minimize risk of disease.

Every re-treatment puts additional stress on calves and reduces profit due to additional medicine and labor. But waiting too long to re-treat calves that need an additional dose can increase the number of sick calves.

The 7th Annual Gardiner Angus Ranch "Meating Demand" bull sale was held Monday, May 2, 2022, at the ranch near Ashland, Kansas.

A new poll of global consumers suggests they’re not giving up beef burgers for environmental reasons, but the study itself maligns livestock production with faulty claims.