Latest News From Beef - General

Sorting Through the Noise: My Favorite Places for Beef Industry News
Sorting Through the Noise: My Favorite Places for Beef Industry News

Where do you go for your cattle and beef industry news? Here are a few of Shaye's go-to resources during my busy and slow seasons to keep me up to date.

Developing a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine
Developing a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine

Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine will to create a Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine to address challenges in rural communities including impacts to veterinary medicine and animal agriculture.

Differences Between High-, Medium-, and Low-Profit Cow-Calf Producers
Differences Between High-, Medium-, and Low-Profit Cow-Calf Producers

Cow-calf costs and returns data from the Kansas Farm Management Association Enterprise Analysis for individual producers finds annual returns over variable costs averaged $71.02 per cow over a 46-year period.

Mackey: A Good Week for Competition
Mackey: A Good Week for Competition

The final week of 2023 found at least three bidders in the market in multiple regions.

In Memory of Jarold Callahan, Cattle Industry Icon
In Memory of Jarold Callahan, Cattle Industry Icon

The generation of students Jarold Callahan affected are industry leaders today. That's the real legacy of a great man, says Paul Beck at OSU.

Proper Vaccination Increases Calf Welfare and Value
Proper Vaccination Increases Calf Welfare and Value

In beef calf preconditioning programs, the importance of vaccinations to minimize respiratory illness, related to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), cannot be overstated.

AgDay TV Markets Now: Brad Kooima Discusses if the Cattle Market Can Make New Highs in 2024
AgDay TV Markets Now: Brad Kooima Discusses if the Cattle Market Can Make New Highs in 2024

AgDay TV Markets Now: Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek, recaps a record year in the cattle market and discusses if new highs are possible in 2024.

Nevil Speer
Speer: The Most Important Thing

The most important thing largely revolves around our perspective, and subsequent management, of risk (or lack thereof). Eleven essential tips for risk management.

Markets: Cash Cattle Finish 2023 Moving Higher
Markets: Cash Cattle Finish 2023 Moving Higher

Feedyards saw higher cash cattle bids for the second consecutive week as the market closed the year on an upswing. Futures prices finished the week lower.

Grain and Livestock Futures Mostly Lower for 2023.  So, What’s Ahead in 2024?
Grain and Livestock Futures Mostly Lower for 2023. So, What’s Ahead in 2024?

2023 was a lower year for all the grains as the market went through a commodity reset similar to 2013. What's ahead for 2024?

Be proactive in managing through financial stress
Fraud Alert: Don’t Fall Victim to These Common Schemes

Farmers routinely handle high-dollar transactions — and the nature of the payments, often through unsecure methods, leaves them susceptible to foul play.

Profit Tracker: Cattle, Hog Margins Steady in Red
Profit Tracker: Cattle, Hog Margins Steady in Red

Santa failed to deliver any margin improvements for cattle and hog producers while beef and pork packers operated in the black.

Top 5 Most Notorious Cattle Business Crimes Of 2023
Top 5 Most Notorious Cattle Business Crimes Of 2023

There may not be shootouts on Main Street anymore, but Wild West-type scandals are alive and well across the cattle industry. Here’s a look at the top 5 cases of theft, fraud and cattle ponzi schemes from this year.

One-Participant 401(k): A Tool for Farmers and Ranchers
One-Participant 401(k): A Tool for Farmers and Ranchers

According to USDA, only 40% of farm households participate in some type of retirement account. Here's a way to potentially save money for retirement, reduce taxable income, and have more borrowing options.

Consumer Ranking of Beef Sustainability Attributes
Consumer Ranking of Beef Sustainability Attributes

How do consumers view beef production and what sustainability attributes are important to them?

How to Set Goals for Your Ranch
How to Set Goals for Your Ranch

'Tis the season for New Year’s Resolutions and reflecting on the past 12 months. Here's some tips to help with the goal setting process that will keep you on track throughout the year.

2023 Year in Review
2023 Year in Review

Overall, 2023 should close out as profitable year for all segments of cattle production. This is historically rare. Current low cattle inventories indicate high value of cattle of all classes for the next several years.

Greg Henderson
Gov. Polis Releases Wolves in Covert Ceremony

The gray wolves relocated from Oregon to Colorado have a lengthy rap sheet. Maybe the secret reintroduction ceremony included a secret clemency grant from the Governor.

Farm Journal's PORK, Drovers Bring Home Top Honors in 2023
Farm Journal's PORK, Drovers Bring Home Top Honors in 2023

It's been a banner year for Drovers and Farm Journal's PORK. As the year comes to a close, here's a look back at the stories that garnered top honors this year.

Mackey: Feeders Push the Tide Higher Throughout Week
Mackey: Feeders Push the Tide Higher Throughout Week

Multiple packers participated last week in a market that turned higher for the first time since Halloween.

Speer: LRP, Markets, Good Business
Speer: LRP, Markets, Good Business

LRP insurance is straightforward, versatile, and makes risk management readily accessible to producers. And that’s more important than ever; record prices translate to heightened equity risk.

Alfalfa-Tony_Souza_4-09_001
Using Alfalfa as a Supplement for Beef Cows

Good growing conditions in 2023 provided producers with better hay production than seen in the last couple of years, so using high-quality hay as a supplement can definitely be an option this winter.

Keeping Cows Maternal
Keeping Cows Maternal

The “maternal” discussion is far more complex than a healthy live birth and seedstock producers are using more data and knowledge to create better dams each year.

Wrapping up Christmas Presents and Cattle Markets
Wrapping up Christmas Presents and Cattle Markets

December's Cattle on Feed showed December feedlot inventories were 102.7 percent of last year. Texas on feed number was up 4% and Kansas was up 7%.

Industry Mourns Passing of Jarold Callahan
Industry Mourns Passing of Jarold Callahan

Express Ranches, Yukon, Okla., issued a Christmas Eve announcement on the sudden passing of its president and industry influencer Jarold Callahan.

Windbreaks for Cattle Protection and Snow Diversion Explained
Windbreaks for Cattle Protection and Snow Diversion Explained

Shelter for livestock during the winter months can influence the success of calving and a livestock operation.

Feed Requirements for Beef Cattle During Cold Weather
Feed Requirements for Beef Cattle During Cold Weather

Experiencing colder temperatures can have a significant impact on livestock in areas that experienced relatively mild fall conditions.

Meeting Cow Requirements While Winter Grazing
Meeting Cow Requirements While Winter Grazing

The need to feed hay is not eliminated through winter grazing, especially during inclement weather and as cows advance in pregnancy. However, winter grazing can be used to reduce the amount of supplementation required.

December Cattle on Feed
December Cattle on Feed

USDA's December Cattle on Feed report totaled over 12 million head for the first time since May of 2022.

National Drought Monitor
National Drought Monitor

Good precipitation fell on Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Parts of the South, interior Southeast, and Midwest worsened. As of December 19, 2023, 33.32% of the lower 48 states are in drought.

Cash Cattle Higher for First Time Since Halloween; COF up 2%
Cash Cattle Higher for First Time Since Halloween; COF up 2%

Cattle traded in moderate volumes at higher prices, posting the first weekly gains in more than six weeks. USDA's Cattle on Feed total was 2% higher.

Five Gray Wolves Released in Colorado
Five Gray Wolves Released in Colorado

The first wolves were released in a voter-approved reintroduction project that sharpened the ideological divide between Colorado’s rural and urban residents.

A Look at the Largest Sleigh Collection in the U.S.
A Look at the Largest Sleigh Collection in the U.S.

Bill Engle remembers attending a sale 22 years ago where some old sleighs were being sold.  That sparked an interest and today, he has a growing collection with nearly 300 sleighs.

Johne’s Disease: What You Need to Know
Johne’s Disease: What You Need to Know

Johne’s disease is gaining greater attention among beef cattle producers and veterinarians who work with beef cattle. Here's an in-depth look into the disease and how to best avoid it.

Industry Surveys Gauge Sentiment of Angus Genetics
Industry Surveys Gauge Sentiment of Angus Genetics

Angus Media, CattleFax survey producers to gather insights on current management, future intentions of cow-calf and feedlot sectors.

Brazil Supreme Court Suspends $2 billion JBS Fine
Brazil Supreme Court Suspends $2 billion JBS Fine

JBS parent company J&F Investments has paid about 28% of the fine levied against the giant meatpacker in 2017 over a political bribery scandal.

Norm A. Timmerman - 1946 - 2023
Norm A. Timmerman - 1946 - 2023

Nebraska rancher and cattle feeder Norm Timmerman passed away December 18, 2023.

America’s Premier Farmers and Ranchers to Gather at 2024 Top Producer Summit in Kansas City
America’s Premier Farmers and Ranchers to Gather at 2024 Top Producer Summit in Kansas City

The 2024 Top Producer Summit will feature industry-leading speakers on finance, innovative management practices, human resources, technology and succession planning.

Prepare for Animal Activism in 2024
Prepare for Animal Activism in 2024

Animal Agriculture Alliance releases reports from 2023 animal rights conferences. Food chain urged to prepare for activism in 2024 including "open rescue," legislative campaigns and pressure to drop meat from menus.

CAB Insider: Carcass Premium Spreads Continue Strength
CAB Insider: Carcass Premium Spreads Continue Strength

The shift to tighter fed cattle supplies and smaller slaughter head counts pushed year to date (YTD) fed cattle prices up 22% on average for the year.

Nebraska Couple Named to Gelbvieh Assn. Hall of Fame
Nebraska Couple Named to Gelbvieh Assn. Hall of Fame

Mark and Patty Goes, Odell, Nebraska, were inducted into the American Gelbvieh Association Hall of Fame during the 53rd Annual AGA National Convention.

Raised with Respect Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall
Raised with Respect Cattle Care Campaign Launched This Fall

Certified Angus Beef and Sysco join forces to support farmers and ranchers, the beef community as a whole.

CattleCon24 Showcases Sustainability Efforts
CattleCon24 Showcases Sustainability Efforts

Two unique sessions during CattleCon24 in Orlando, Florida, provide opportunities to share ideas and continue conversations about the importance of continuous improvement.

Anaplasmosis: An Ongoing Battle
Anaplasmosis: An Ongoing Battle

With limited options to address the disease, pharmaceutical stewardship must be considered when using antimicrobials in the treatment and control of anaplasmosis to maintain long term effectiveness of these products.

Profit Tracker: Cattle, Hog Margins Worst Since Summer 2020
Profit Tracker: Cattle, Hog Margins Worst Since Summer 2020

The Grinch is writing closeouts ahead of the holidays as cattle and hog profit margins tumble to their lowest point since the summer of 2020, just months into the COVID pandemic.

Navigating Structural Changes: Rabobank's Insights on Challenges and Opportunities in Global Animal Protein Markets
Navigating Structural Changes: Rabobank's Insights on Challenges and Opportunities in Global Animal Protein Markets

Both dynamic and resilient, the animal protein sector is likely heading into another challenging year. However, it’s important to identify potential opportunities that could help your operation survive or even thrive.

Peel: Beef Cow Slaughter and Herd Culling
Peel: Beef Cow Slaughter and Herd Culling

The pool of bred beef heifers is likely to remain low going into 2024, keeping the prospects of beef cow herd growth minimal in the coming year.

Mackey: Feeders Win Late-Week Battle
Mackey: Feeders Win Late-Week Battle

Increased packer margins in recent weeks has encouraged a quicker chain speed. That speed likely will not be supported through the end of the year with two Holiday shortened weeks.

John Nalivka
Nalivka: Prepare for a Changing Beef Industry

Activists will intensify their calls to end grazing and beef production over the next several years as climate change and carbon emissions become the priority as opposed to just protecting the environment.

Markets: Cash Lower for 6th Week, Futures Higher
Markets: Cash Lower for 6th Week, Futures Higher

Futures markets posted solid gains for the week, but cattle feeders continued to lose marketing leverage as cash prices declined a sixth consecutive week.