Beef - General
Despite a state-wide drought and market challenges into fall, average prices for Show-Me-Select heifers posted healthy prices at six sanctioned sale locations.
Imports and exports [both product and cattle] create value and provide opportunity for all trading partners, thereby underpinning the reason international trade exists. A review of data confirming the value of trade.
Khloee Cannon, Hawkeye, Iowa, was announced as the 2024 recipient of the Iowa Foundation Heifer Award, given each year by Iowa Beef Breeds Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Foundation.
A little cowboy math to help you determine what that next herd bull is worth in your cow herd.
NASDA members, the state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, have announced the chosen five issues to serve as the organization’s primary policy focus for 2024.
Producers who intend to be profitable must consider closely the relationship of current and future costs, to current and future revenues, and cow longevity and productivity.
January often provides challenging cattle marketing prospects and this year offered multiple winter storms disrupting feeder and fed cattle markets, as well as boxed beef markets.
Negotiated cash trade finished the week in a standoff with few sales and little price movement. Feeders and packers both look to benefit from improving winter weather and pen conditions this week.
A mid-January deep-freeze failed to deliver any bounce to cattle markets as packers appear flush with formula and contracted inventories. Friday’s Cattle on Feed report fell within expectations.
Without selecting to increase weaning weight, increasing the number of calves born the first 21 days of the calving season positively impacts total pounds of weaned calf and pounds of weaned calf harvested per acre.
Greater Omaha Packing Inc. announces the successful acquisition of Heartland Protein, solidifying its commitment to meeting the increasing demand for bovine-originated products.
The single most important factor in keeping a cow at zero non-productive days is body condition, which has a direct impact on calving interval, conception rate and percentage of open cows.
Breeding efficient cows is usually measured by a cows’ ability to calve each year and maintain a yearly calving interval.
For each 1-degree Fahrenheit the average daily temperature is below 30 degrees a cow in moderate BCS will need an additional one percent in daily energy requirement.
Current Death Tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2025, and it is vital that Congress acts soon and provide permanent relief for family operations.
If you are risk averse—the cattle business may not be for you. It’s a business full of environmental, production and marketing challenges.
The onset of severe cold temperatures and snow in a broad spectrum of cattle feeding regions will pull fed cattle production down. Beyond the reduced weekly slaughter head counts, carcass weights are set to plunge.
What do you use your land for? It’s easy to say that pastures are for grazing and cropland is for farming, but the list is much larger than that.
Winter weather dominated livestock markets the second full week of the year with slowing harvest and transportation. Cattle and hog prices were steady and margins improved modestly, yet losses remain significant.
Critics of U.S. beef’s trade activity claim imports distort domestic cattle prices. But actual data tells a much different story.
Severe winter weather across cattle feeding country reduced weekly harvest and damaged feeding performance. Cattle feeders will seek higher prices this week.
U.S. hay production in 2023 was 6.3% higher than the drought year of 2022, but remains 7.8% lower than the 10-year average. Hay stocks were higher in eight of the ten states, with decreases only in Kansas and Kentucky.
No matter when beef cross calves are being sold, steps can be taken to make them more marketable.
New equations will better estimate protein utilization by beef cattle, benefit producers.
Brutal winter weather disrupted cattle markets and significantly curtailed cattle harvest in western Kansas. Cash cattle trades were steady to lower while wholesale beef prices posted a significant rally.
Are You Ready For the Polar Plunge? Some Areas Could See Temperatures Plummet to Negative 40 Degrees
From 40 degrees above zero earlier this week in parts of the Great Plains to now forecasts for temps to fall 40 degrees below zero, ag meteorologist Drew Lerner says the frigid conditions will be dangerous for livestock.
Whether it is a bull sale, bull shopping, calving or anything else; what can you do this week to prepare/make the next season go smoother?
There remains a lot of noise around the issue of LRPs in the cattle markets. That was best described by one of my readers last week: “[most of the critics] don’t even understand the facts, let alone the myths.”
What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? GET PREPARED!
As the fastest growing breed in America, the American Wagyu Association is actively working to keep the momentum going with additional staff and new programs.