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The reduced number of cattle harvested wasn’t a surprise with the issues that all packers have faced in the past few weeks with COVID-19.

While dairymen have used artificial insemination, or AI, profitably for decades, beef producers are starting to show more interest, and for good reasons.

Dan Thomson, host of DocTalk TV, is settling in to his new role as chair of the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University.

The cattle industry continues to struggle getting cattle out of feedyards and into harvest facilities, leading to another week of limited trade.

Cattle are adaptable to a variety of feeding systems and programs, and their growth can be programmed in a very predictable way through changing the net energy of the ration or using “programmed feeding.”

If you’ve built a powerhouse cow herd, its best fueled with robust grass.

Plant closings and slowdowns are major symptoms of the meat and poultry industries’ disruption due to COVID-19 and product distribution and livestock production are also critical to a smoothly running supply chain.

Vaccines can cost more than $3.00 per dose, and if not stored properly they can be rendered ineffective. Producers cannot afford to overlook the importance of how they store vaccines and handle them prior to injection.

As a large agricultural employer in North America, Cargill says it knows people are feeling the impacts of COVID-19, including grocery store and restaurant employees, farmers, ranchers and employees of other businesses.

The loss of the food service demand caused beef middle meats to drop to their lowest price in a decade. Conversely, the carcass cutout value has increased, driving a wider spread between live cattle and carcass values.