Latest News From Feedyard

Sid Miller, commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, says the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza impacting beef cattle in the state's panhandle – where dairy cows have been infected – is minimal.

Last week’s rally to new record prices pushed packer and feeder margins in opposite directions. Pork producer margins continue higher with prices now above year ago.

A primary reason feedlot inventories have remained high is due to the continued placement and feeding of heifers. At some point, increased heifer retention will lead to more pronounced decreases in feedlot inventories.

Production Animal Consultation (PAC) plans to hold beef industry summits for stakeholders to gather and exchange ideas the first week in April.

Cash cattle posted solid gains this week as futures prices closed the week with four-month highs. Friday’s Cattle on Feed report met expectations with the exception of placements, which were higher than anticipated.

Bovine lameness is one of the costliest animal health issues to the beef industry and it’s also a major animal welfare concern that we can mitigate.

Production Animal Consultation (PAC) will host two beef industry summits in April, allowing people from the beef industry to gather and exchange ideas.

Following last month's blizzard, warmer temperatures and recent rains have created muddy feedlot conditions that present challenges for cattle and cowboys. Nebraska extension offers these strategies to cope.

UNL Feedlot Extension has organized an online discussion for noon (CST) Monday, Feb. 5 to talk with cattle producers about the challenges they're facing in dealing with the muddy conditions.

As beef-on-dairy animals within the feedlot system continue to rise, feedlots are craving two key pieces of information to help ensure these crossbred cattle thrive.

New equations will better estimate protein utilization by beef cattle, benefit producers.

Methodical grind. There’s no question talent makes a difference, but what makes the biggest difference is commitment -- the daily decision to choose to work hard and show up. 

University of Nebraska extension provides a checklist to prepare your feedyard for winter weather.

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

New research at Oklahoma State University is adding to our understanding of stocker cattle nutrition programs and its affect on finishing performance.

More calves born on dairies than ever before are eventually headed to feedyards these days. Performance and profitability merits sending healthy animals from the calf-rearing stage to the feedlot.

Prices for market-ready cattle have tumbled $7 to $8 per cwt. since the beginning of the month even as supplies remain relatively tight. Volatility continues in the futures market.

While there are many factors that weigh into creating a treatment regimen, understanding the different classes of antibiotics and how they work is important to ensure your cattle are getting the best treatment response.

Cash trade was light as many cattle feeders passed on steady bids. Feeder cattle and calves traded mixed. Live and feeder futures contracts posted weekly gains.

Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame 2024 inductees and industry award winners will be honored on Feb. 1 at the 15th annual banquet, held during CattleCon24 in Orlando, Florida.

The demise of cattle feedlots is a talking point often used to stir emotion among those in the industry. How might such claims be argued in court where alternative facts are usually exposed under cross examination?

The goal of any feedlot receiving strategy is to make the transition from calf origin into the feedlot or backgrounding yard as seamless as possible in order to achieve best cattle performance.

In an effort to evaluate the potential compensatory effects of winter rate of gain and implant strategy across the entire production system, a two-year study by the University of Nebraska addressed those questions.

While vaccination is widely considered a critical component of cattle health management, could the timing of vaccination impact the efficiency of the product?

Market prices for beef and cattle impact margins and short-term decisions at every level of the supply chain, but decisions concerning long-term financial health are driven by factors that may lead to structural change.

While we can’t control the heat, there are some things we can control to help cattle through it.

When $1 lower bids failed, packers reduced bids even more, encouraging some feeders to sacrifice ground to secure a spot for some ready cattle.

In an effort to connect customers to the dedication of farm and ranch families to high standards of animal care Sysco and Certified Angus Beef are joining forces.

The spread between cattle feeding margins and beef packer margins has now reached $500 per head as packing losses increase. Pork producer margins are the highest of the year.

Beef cows and total mid-year inventory down 3%. Cattle on Feed July 1 totaled 11.2 million head, down 2% from July 2022.

Newly independent entity will continue to serve its growing customer base while accelerating progress in precision livestock farming.

The use of shades in feedlots has made a big difference in the effects of heat on fat cattle, but a few other strategies can help keep cattle cool, enabling cattle to keep gaining, even in the dog days of summer.

Compared to other animals, cattle can’t dissipate their heat load very effectively. Cattle do not sweat effectively and rely on respiration to cool themselves.

Higher cattle prices have calmed much of the producer angst about the market not working. Now seems like a good time to analyze how we think about factors that drive prices.

The Food and Drug Administration would have authority to inspect large feedlots linked to salmonella outbreaks and other foodborne illnesses under the Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act.

As temperatures ratchet up, the disorder is more frequently seen in fed cattle ready for slaughter. Veterinarians offer their take on what contributes to the problem and seven recommendations to help prevent it.

The area was hit especially hard by historic rains on Friday. It is home to several feedyards, with owners and operators trying to assess the number of cows lost due to flood waters rising so quickly.

The PAC Summit for Industry Leaders will be held July 12, 2023, at the Holiday Inn in Kearney, Nebraska. The event features an exciting line-up of speakers and topics.

A misinformation campaign is underway attacking NCBA and endangering the programs that generations of farmers and ranchers worked hard to establish.

Workshop training events for managers and employees of feedyards and related industries are scheduled for June in Kearney, Neb., and Garden City, Kan.

As beef producers, who is our real customer? While there is value in focusing on the person writing the check, it's also important to keep the whole supply chain in mind, Koester says.

With cattle feeders in the driver's seat, packers will seek leverage to price cattle for future delivery. They aren't looking to do feeders a favor with the strategy.

In a steady market, fed prices would typically peak seasonally about now and move lower through the third quarter before increasing to year end, but there is good reason to expect the uptrend will continue in 2023.

There are few options once muddy conditions are in place, so preventive practices are key. Here's some tips for protecting livestock health and managing muddy conditions.

Sound management, health protocols and facilities maintenance can help achieve the ultimate goal of keeping cattle healthy and productive.

Equine leaders will discuss the importance and sustainability of the working ranch horse at NIAA’s Annual Conference in April.

Oklahoma State University meat scientist Gretchen Mafi has studied the scientific differences between beef that comes from animals finished on a grain diet versus those animals finished on grass.

From a cash price perspective, both cattle and beef markets continue on a relatively bullish run the past few weeks. Meanwhile, winter weather has hindered feedyard performance this season.

Real-world data confirms cattlemen are rewarded for high-quality carcasses through grid pricing. Why, then, would/should the industry regress back to selling more cattle on a cash basis?

Veterinarians and researchers have hypothesized why H. somni is becoming more widespread and increasingly prevalent, but there is not a clear culprit.