Latest News From Calves

The need for traceability hasn’t gone away for numerous reasons

Weather, management and worm species play into deworming recommendations

As the temperatures warm and winter moves in to spring, it’s time to start preparing for calving season.

It is necessary that the cow manager understand the change in nutrient requirements of beef cows as they change from gestating cows to early lactation cows.

The 2017 U.S. calf crop at 35.8 million head was up 2% or 751,000 head from 2016’s.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects international demand for U.S. beef to stick around in 2018. Its latest forecast calls for 3 billion pounds of exports in 2018.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects international demand for U.S. beef to stick around in 2018. Its latest forecast calls for 3 billion pounds of exports in 2018.

A newborn calf needs to receive adequate levels of colostrum as quickly as possible. Research shows the first 6 – 12 hours are critical.

Producers are being asked to provide input on their experiences of livestock raised without antibiotics, "no-not ever" production programs and the impact on animal health and welfare.

Producers are being asked to provide input on their experiences of livestock raised without antibiotics, "no-not ever" production programs and the impact on animal health and welfare.

What does research show on how a cold winter impacts birth weights?

What will 2018 hold in store for cattle prices?

Weaning weights haven't see much movement in the past 15 years.

The drought areas include the Great Plains and much of the Southeast with the hardest hit parts being in the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.

Before the spring calving season commences, now is the time to put together and post a protocol for family members and hired employees to follow when they find a cow or heifer starting in the process of calving.

Custom cattle feeding can be a “win-win” strategy when done correctly.

A pack of dogs in northern Arkansas has been pinpointed as the cause of multiple cattle deaths in the past few weeks.

We covered a lot of ground in the cattle industry in 2017. It was a year that, on average, exceeded most expectations in terms of cattle prices.

From this research we learned that calving difficulty as a two-year-old had a profound effect on productivity. 

Cow-calf herd owners can send more pounds of beef to market by feeding calves after weaning. It’s called backgrounding to prepare calves for the feedlot.

Match individual managerial skills with the operation and market accordingly.

Weaning calves early is a powerful management tool to reduce demands on range and pasture.

Advising producers to sell now or to continue growing animals is a tough call in the current market, but it is also tough to make the wrong decision at this juncture.

Feeder cattle and calves continued their fall rally in October, gaining 3% to 5% at auctions. Prices at the beginning of November are nearly 9% higher for both calves and yearlings than the August averages.

Market watchers weren’t too surprised to see increases in Friday’s Cattle on Feed report. But how fast the market is moving to handle the influx of cattle has been a shock for many.

Strong stocker demand pushed calf prices counter-seasonally higher before Thanksgiving.

The current growth benchmark for actual weaning weight is 554 pounds at 192 days of age, with an average daily gain of 2.5 pounds.

Preconditioning is a generic term that means different things to different people and encompasses the different operating procedures that may be applied to a calf prior to shipping.

JBS Says It's Done With Asset Sales as Earnings Boost Outlook

Current cattle markets are a series of bad news-good news. Bad news—cattle prices pulled back last week. Good news—the jump in prices earlier this month has current levels at or above most expectations.

Don’t get caught by higher hay prices later this winter—be as accurate with your hay needs as you can now while you still have time to adjust your feeding plans.

The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) offers incentives for producers to share cow-calf production information.

Prices were higher for all classes of cattle for the week ended Oct. 13, with cash fed cattle trading at $111 per cwt., $2 higher. Cattle sold on a dressed basis at $175 per cwt., $2 to $3 higher.  

Despite a seasonal decline, as of mid-October this year, calf and stocker prices are down only about two percent, indicating strong stocker demand despite larger calf supplies.

Feeding cattle successfully is a bit like a horse race; a bad start can doom the chances of winning.

If your greatest passion is working with cattle, not running a business, there is an alternative.

Grass-fed beef is not as environmentally-friendly as some proponents claim. That’s the conclusion of a new study from U.K.-based Food Climate Research Network (FCRN).

Increased efficiency has allowed the beef industry to produce more product with fewer cattle.

Driving pairs deserves special attention because this could be one of the top cattle handling problem on ranches. Everyone has trouble, at least sometimes.

The U.S. Department of Treasury withdraws proposed restrictions on estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax.

Led by demand, CAB sales move onward and upward, with a 10.3% increase in CAB sales tonnage in fiscal 2017

Tissue-sampling units (TSUs) are now accepted by Angus Genetics Inc. (AGI) as a DNA sample type for seedstock producers seeking genetic testing.

Wheat pasture has developed relatively slowly in Oklahoma so far this fall, but September prices for stocker steers and heifers average 14% to 18% higher than last year.

Bred heifers in higher demand this fall

Assuming rainfall comes to the Southern Plains, wheat pasture will again be a key source of protein and some energy for many cow herds starting in late November or early December.

Shipping Fever, or Bovine Respiratory Disease, is the major health problem encountered by beef calves upon arrival at cattle feeding operations.

The industry trend toward larger, heavier weight cattle could drive the need for changes in the design of facilities and equipment. 

Several cow shootings are being investigated in South Dakota.

Cattle markets moved lower this week, spurred by futures markets that nosedived on Wednesday.

Japanese officials confirm rising imports of frozen beef in the first quarter of the Japanese fiscal year (April-June) have triggered a safeguard, resulting in an automatic increase to Japan's tariff rate under the WTO on imports of frozen beef from the U.S.