Cull prices hitting record highs
| Culls haven't looked so good for a long time.Both cull cow and cull bull prices
have been butting up against record-high levels recently -- an
invitation to savvy managers who would like to get a genetic boost in
their herds as economically as possible.
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Resource center to spread facts
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| Beef industry leaders at the Cattle Industry
Summer Conference learned about the Sustainable Beef Resource Center and
its goal to provide useful, science-based information to the food chain. Anyone can visit the web site SustainableBeef.org for beef-production facts and talking points about the environmental and
economic benefits of beef technologies
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Vaccine care: how do you care for your beer?
| You probably wouldn't leave your beer sitting on the dash of your truck all day, and then drink it. But what about your vaccines? Vaccines are
fragile. They need to be treated with great care. If you wouldn't do it to your beer, don't do it to your vaccine!
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NCBA responds to audit
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| The National Cattlemen;s Beef Association has released a 27-page
response to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board audit and
independent accountant's report critical of the way NCBA expenses are
charged as beef checkoff activities. Woodall says while USDA officials stressed
it's only a proposed rule and the industry will be able to provide
comments - they have yet to answer requests to extend the comment
period. He states everyone would benefit from additional time to analyze
and provide feedback on the complex rule no matter where they stand on
the issue.
Read the article here...
Government asked to take action on beef checkoff
NCBA's initial response
State Beef Councils and NCBA still partners
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Trend toward higher-quality beef continues
| It was a roller-coaster ride in the cattle business the first half of
2010, but one positive trend remains a constant - the trend toward
higher-quality beef, according to Paul Dykstra, beef cattle specialist
with the Certified Angus Beef brand. Dykstra tracks variations in U.S. Department of Agriculture harvest and
grading reports in the weekly e-newsletter column, Rearview Mirror on
Quality. "Relatively attractive prices for cull cows and bulls
beefed up overall supplies since last winter, the number of all cattle
harvested being up 1.8% over 2009," Dykstra said. "That's ironic,
considering the U.S. cowherd is still shrinking at an annual rate of
about 2%. It also means we are likely to see fewer of these culls on the
market the rest of this year."
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Tracking the heredity of BRD
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| According to Iowa State University research published in the Journal of
Animal Science, cattle treated one time for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD)
weighed 24 pounds less at slaughter than healthy cattle, amounting to an
average loss of $23.23 per head. With an estimated occurrence rate of more
than eight percent, those numbers are staggering when applied industry wide. That's
why new research being conducted at Colorado State University is attempting
to identify animals that are genetically more susceptible to BRD. The preliminary result, according to Dr. Mark Enns, lead researcher for the
project, indicates 19 percent heritability for the animals' susceptibility
to the disease. "That's pretty big," explains Enns.
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The economics of preg checking
| Many ranchers prefer to calve early and most breed their heifers to calf at least 21 days before the cows begin. With early pregnancy diagnosis it is possible to group heifers into
calving periods. The earliest bred heifers are thought to be the most
fertile. These are the animals you would like to add to your herd. By
grouping heifers, you could calve the early group and retain them in the
herd, market other pregnant heifers at a later date as pregnant, and
sell the opens or later heifers to market as feeding yearlings.
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Optimism abounds at beef short course
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| Both experts and producers spoke positively about the future of the
cattle business while attending the 56th annual Texas A&M Beef
Cattle Short Course in College Station this week. "We've got a lot of optimism in our business with fewer numbers of
cattle across the United States, increasing demand and rainfall," said
Dr. Jason Cleere, Texas AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle
specialist and short course coordinator. "Cattle prices should be good
in the coming year."
Jim Schwertner, CEO of Capitol Land & Livestock and Texas
A&M System Regent, was upbeat addressing attendees during the
general session Monday. "I think we are at a turning point in our industry," he said. When looking at McDonalds or other beef eateries, he said "go to any of
these restaurants and if they're full, we're doing good."
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