News
Today’s livestock headlines and expert perspectives serving cattle producers, processors, nutritionists and the greater livestock industry.
USDA looks to improve the future measure, monitoring, reporting and verification of ag climate emissions via a $300 million investment announced on Wednesday.
Summertime in July means there are often two pasture requirements: shade and reliable water. There is plenty of debate whether shade is required or not in arid parts of the country as well as beyond the pasture setting.
Bob McClaren and 44 Farms were recognized as Seedstock Producer of the Year by the Beef Improvement Federation at the group’s symposium in Calgary, Alberta.
Dr. Carl Zulauf of Ohio State University, via a FarmDoc Daily article, proposes merging General CRP and Continuous CRP into a Site Specific CRP.
The program targets those who were discriminated against before Jan. 1, 2021, or those still in debt from discriminatory USDA farm loans.
Douglas Lake Cattle Company, Douglas Lake, British Columbia, was recognized as the Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of the Year on July 4 at the group’s annual symposium in Calgary, Alberta.
Which cities have the best barbeque? The answer depends on who you ask, and two recent rankings provide different results.
OSU with Osage Nation recently concluded its inaugural Meat Mastery Program, a hands-on experience aimed to provide participants with comprehensive knowledge on multi-species meat harvesting and value-added processing.
By improving wildlife migration barriers, Ranchers Stewardship Alliance can secure funding for projects from conservation partners with the goal of preserving and maintaining wildlife habitat.
Newly independent entity will continue to serve its growing customer base while accelerating progress in precision livestock farming.
Beef imports will continue to be supported by higher domestic beef prices and the reduction in U.S. processing beef supplies due to reduced cow slaughter.
Packers searching for cattle last week hinted at their looming predicament – showlists too small to utilize current industry capacity.
If there was an industry-wide BOLO system (be on the lookout), packers would have used it this week as they seek to build an inventory of market-ready cattle to fill their post-July 4th needs.
The PAC Summit for Industry Leaders will be held July 12, 2023, at the Holiday Inn in Kearney, Nebraska. The event features an exciting line-up of speakers and topics.
Launching the new Center on Vaccine Evaluation and Alternatives for Antimicrobials, or CVEAA, Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine aims to support animal vaccine development and usage.
Interstate movement requirements of animals, especially livestock, vary according to the state of destination. These requirements have existed for years to facilitate trade and prevent the spread of disease.
Attractive wholesale beef prices have encouraged packers to give up some inventory with aggressive slaughter numbers. Packers may need to get creative in the weeks ahead as numbers decline.
Satellite technology and remote monitoring systems keep the water flowing on the Bar T Bar Ranch, Arizona, with the ability to quickly change water flow, start pumps, or turn off water — directly from a mobile phone.
A California man has shown that ghost cattle are unnecessary to create a Ponzi scheme, just ghost manure. Or, at least, ghost manure digesters.
Profit margins for both beef and pork producers moved slightly higher last week, ending a month-long downward trend. Both sectors remain solidly profitable.
Cattle feeding margins declined $22 per head last week, but remain more than $280.
Cattle feeders saw another significant bump in profit margins last week.
Cattle and hogs prices both moved higher last week and both enterprises posted profits on closeouts for the first time in several months.
Cattle feeders saw modest profits for the 10th consecutive week, a headline-worthy observation in normal times. The beef complex is not operating in normal times.
Average feedyard closeouts saw modest profits for cattle last week as cash prices improved. Hog finishing margins declined from near breakeven to a loss of $6 per head.
Industry-wide average cattle feeding closeouts were printed in red ink last week for the first time since late September, while packers saw another significant decline to their margins.
Average cattle feeding margins improved $20 per head last week, which beef packer margins declined 17%. Farrow-to-finish operations recorded per head losses for the fourth consecutive week.
Cattle and hog finishing profit margins were little changed from last week, with modest profits for cattle and losses for hogs. Beef packer margins declined again to their lowest mark since March.
Higher grain prices and lower cash livestock prices contributed to a decline in feeding margins last week, leaving closeouts showing red ink for both cattle and hogs.
Beef packer leverage is evident with cash cattle prices $7 per cwt. lower than the same week a year ago and beef cutout prices $23 per cwt. higher. Pork producers are gaining leverage with a $5 per cwt. price rally.