Latest News From Cattle

When choosing a breeding protocol, it’s important to consider time, labor, skill, cow condition and cost. Dr. Steven Hughes shares considerations and tips to have the most success in your breeding season.

The North American Meat Institute said the latest version of the Grassley-Fischer government mandate bill is now more onerous and more irrelevant as market driven prices for cattle have risen to seven-year highs.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is still a serious threat to the economics of beef production accounting for $800 to $900 million in losses from death loss, treatment cost, and reduced production.

Wheat and other small grain pastures have been short, but as growing conditions improve, forage growth comes on rapidly. Rapidly growing small grain forage can lead to bloat of grazing cattle.

Cattle feeders have been more willing to sell finished cattle in recent weeks since corn prices have elevated the ration cost and feed conversion efficiency decreases at the end of the feeding period.

Jury deadlocks over price-fixing, bid-rigging allegations by poultry executives. Prosecutors suggest a third trial but the U.S. District judge wants a explanation from the head of the DOJ’s Antitrust Division first.

Senators renewed their call for mandatory minimum cash trades for the purchase of fed cattle as they unveiled a revised Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, and suggested Senate will hold hearings soon.

Four U.S. Senators announced they have introduced a revised Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act and will push for a hearing on the bill by the Senate Agriculture Committee in the coming weeks.

As the spring thaw in eastern North Dakota continues at a rapid rate, inspecting the dirty-water containment ponds and manure stacking areas daily is an important practice for livestock owners.

If drought conditions persist, feedlots may continue to borrow against the future with early weaned calves available through the spring and summer before facing the full reality of tighter feeder cattle supplies.

Kansas cattleman and feedyard operator Robert "Bob" E. Foote, Bucyrus, Kansas, passed away March 25 at his home surrounded by loved ones.

Modest packer participation in all regions led to another disappointing week for cattle feeders trying to push the market higher.

Fed cattle trades began the week at steady before finding higher bids late week. Cattle on feed numbers remain high as USDA reported a 9% increase in February placements over last year.

The North American Meat Institute issued a statement regarding House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott’s announcement of an upcoming hearing on the beef industry and food prices.

While inflation has become a focus of many recent news reports, there is much confusion about how inflation affects farm and ranch income.

U.S. and Japanese officials announced an agreement allowing American producers to meet Japan’s growing demand for U.S. beef while lowering the risk of Japan imposing higher tariffs in the future.

Kansas State University's Livestock and Meat Industry Council recognized Pat Koons, Burdick, Kan., as the Kansas Stockman of the Year in Manhattan on March 3, 2022.

Sustainable Beef has taken another step towards making a new $325 million beef processing facility in North Platte, Neb., a reality.

Dr. Bob Weaber shares how the beef on dairy phenomena is a disrupter in the usual dairy and beef business and discussed research findings from a beef on dairy carcass trait collaborative project.

Selected as Grand Champion Jr. Market Steer from a field of 1,750, Vanilla Ice sold for a record $1 million at the 90th Anniversary of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Is there really a massively growing market of repeat buyers for something that has even a hint of a mushy cardboard eating experience? Especially in a time when meat quality is at all-time highs.

Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist Mark Z Johnson provides an answer to the question he posed in Part 1: Which bull transmits more profit potential to this operation?

A controversial animal rights activist and former member of the Colorado State Board of Veterinary medicine has been charged with animal cruelty. The blatant hypocrisy is stunning.

Feeder cattle markets have been in transition for several months and more transition is ahead. A strong uptrend in feeder prices is now reflected in Feeder futures prices, which may offset typical seasonal patterns.

Cattle feeders began last week optimistic that the market trend would be higher, but those ideas were quickly squashed as futures prices began trending lower.

The U.S. House of Representatives' Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on April 27, 2022, on anti-competitive behavior by the nation’s largest beef packers.

Cash fed cattle prices traded mostly steady in what most describe as a disappointing market. Cattle feeders began the week asking higher prices but cash bids of $138 bought most cattle in the South.

The owner of a Kansas City barbeque joint says he's "embarrassed" by brisket prices. He wants customers to "order anything besides the brisket and burnt ends." Have the Biden folks read the history of the Nixon debacle?

The Ranch Rover is an autonomous ranch vehicle with the purpose of providing aid to the ranch operation in the form of feeding, livestock monitoring, and data collection.

Sales of live and frozen Hereford genetics increased in 2021, with continued growth forecasted for 2022.

Ensuring that bulls are in good body condition and physically fit for the upcoming breeding season is key to reproductive success.

A number of causes and contributing factors can result in hair loss and itching, and last year's drought has played a role as harvested forages may be low in vitamin A.

A bi-annual survey of the four largest packers showed a dramatic increase in rewards for the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand. Grid, formula and contract premiums paid on CAB carcasses in 2021 totaled $182 million.

In 2019 Certified Angus Beef reported an aggregate packer CAB premium total of $92 million. By 2021 that total was nearly double, resulting in $182 million in CAB premiums.

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced an investment of $13 million in research to explore novel therapies and prevention strategies for animal diseases that cost the agricultural industry billions.

By comparing the EPDs of new bulls under consideration to the five bulls that sired our existing cowherd, we can predict genetic change expected in the next generation of cows in an operation.

Three categories of pregnancy losses in beef cattle include early embryonic death, abortion and stillbirth. Many potential causes for stillbirths and abortions make it important to investigate each calf loss.

Name calling aside, what problem are we really trying to solve? Twenty-two years of data sourced from LMIC tell a compelling story (or lack thereof) about the relationship between cash trade and producer profitability.

Castration is a key component to any preconditioning program that can greatly influence market price premiums or discounts, especially in older bull calves.

Six best practices for safely pulling a calf, provided by Valley Vet Supply Technical Service Veterinarian.

U.S. beef exports remained red-hot during January, a continuation of last year’s record-breaking performance. Pork exports continued to trend lower in January despite another outstanding month for exports to Mexico.

In an exclusive Drovers commentary, the president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute says despite popular arguments, America's cattle and beef industries are better without government intervention.

USMEF Chairman-elect Dean Meyer, who raises cattle, corn and soybeans in northwest Iowa, shared why it's so important for USMEF to be at an event like Commodity Classic.

Warmer temperatures, low humidity, dry conditions and wind mean that wildfire risks are very high now. The drought conditions impacting the region will become much more apparent in the coming weeks. 

The month of March will continue to bring more cooler cleanings on the packer’s part.  This will continue to keep the number of cattle needed by the packer to minimum.

Access to adequate, good quality water will continue to be a challenge for ranchers in North Dakota who depend on surface water sources, such as dugouts and stock dams to provide water to livestock.

Maps show the severity of drought in eight Central Plains states and where they began 2022 in beef cow numbers. These eight states represent 52% of America's beef cows, and accounted for 67% of last year's herd culling.

The pilot program marks a win for the U.S. cattle industry as it equips producers with the market data they need to make informed business decisions and work to capture more value for producing the highest quality beef.

Inflation has hit consumers hard and drawn the attention of the national media. With increasing media attention on climate change, do activists see inflation as a way to encourage Americans to reduce beef consumption?

In a rebuttal to accusations of being an “ally” to big packers over federal mandates for minimum cash trades for live cattle, Steve Cornett pleads not guilty and offers additional arguments for consideration.