As we sat on the deck during a recent evening, bats from behind the neighbor’s chimney awoke to fly over the neighboring yards. After counting 36 of them, I stopped as they went about their insect control. Amanda Radke writes about the pros and stigmas concerning promoting bat populations for pest control. Source: BEEF, May 20, 2019. Link. Bats may have a negative … [Read more...]
Collegiate meat judging featured by Sports Illustrated
Comparing the core components to NCAA athletics, Mike Piellucci goes in-depth into the recruitment, rivalries, commitment, competitions and impact of this intercollegiate meat judging. The skill set of a champion meat judge is both eminently teachable and difficult to master: quick decision making, critical reasoning, self-assurance and, above all, the ability to quiet one’s … [Read more...]
May is National Beef Month
There’s plenty to appreciate when it comes to beef. It’s in the hamburger you cook on your grill, the gelatin that makes up the marshmallow you roast, the gum you chew, the medicines you take, the soap you wash with and in many other products. Beef and its by-products have an immense impact on our society and around the world. Source: Kansas Farm Food Connection. Link. . . . … [Read more...]
Rural infrastructures declining, negatively affecting agriculture (includes video)
Safe, efficient transportation methods are crucial to successful agriculture. Aging of roads, bridges, railroads, waterway technologies and ports challenges how we will move ag products around our country and the world. Natalina Sents investigates the decline in rural infrastructure and what can be done to fix it. Source: Successful Farming, May 6, 2019. Link. The … [Read more...]
China doesn’t know how many pigs ASF has killed
In documented moves that foster public distrust of the government, Chinese officials are not creating an atmosphere of trust when it comes to producers reporting African Swine Fever (ASF), a disease that has claimed more than 1 million pigs to date. Reality may be worse as farmers are not reporting all the infections. This underreporting and low official response is a pattern … [Read more...]
Rapid fertility evolution has beef bulls in demand on dairies
Corey Geiger explains why some dairy managers are using beef genetics in their dairy cow herds. Earlier use of heifers, sexed semen and improved pregnancy rates are part of the reasons for this shift in fertility strategies. This April, 4284 bulls were declared active by A.I. organizations . . . but only 1,074 of those bulls had milking daughters. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
Consolidation continues as nearly 3,000 U.S. dairy farms closed in 2018
Consolidation is happening throughout the animal health industry. Hoard’s team provides a series of articles that project a picture increasing cow numbers on fewer farms. While market conditions are a primary factor, attrition due to dairy farmers’ age, absence of succession options and carrying costs also contribute to this trend. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman. Dairy farm … [Read more...]
NPPC cancels World Pork Expo 2019 to avoid risk of African swine fever
The 32nd World Pork Expo has been cancelled to prevent any potential for African swine fever to enter the U.S. swine herd, despite negligible risk associated with holding the event, The health of the U.S. swine herd is paramount; the livelihoods of our producers depend on it. Prevention is our only defense against ASF, and NPPC will continue to do all it can to prevent its … [Read more...]
Remembering the 1886 blizzard
There’s no question that the this year’s flooding will be remembered for generations. While it doesn’t lessen the pain of the losses currently happening, this article reminds us that weather challenges to crop and livestock production have always been with us. The Great Plains monster blizzard of 1886 imperiled settlers and left fields of dead cattle in its wake. Source: … [Read more...]
Flooding could surpass 1993, 2011
Most of the country is expected to experience above-average precipitation this spring, increasing the flood risk. According to NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook issued March 21, nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states face an elevated risk for flooding through May, with the potential for major or moderate flooding in 25 states. Source: BEEF, March 21, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Don’t believe what China says about ASF
Betsy Freese, executive editor of Successful Farming, recently spent a week in China on a market study tour with U.S. farmers, swine and beef producers and other agricultural business people. She focuses on four points about African swine fever (AFS) shared, seven items a U.S.-based company she was not allowed to name stated and nine statements Chinese officials put … [Read more...]
Feds seize 1 million pounds of pork from China
Agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized about 1 million pounds of pork imported from China last week at the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in New York . There are fears the products could contain African swine fever. CBP and USDA authorities are still investigating. No charges had been filed as of last Friday. Sources: The Hill, March 16, 2019. … [Read more...]
Swine vets highly valued, need more diagnostics
It may be a sign of swine producers’ growing expectations of technology, but fewer than 45 percent rated their vet as “excellent” at diagnosing problems in a study conducted by CF Grass Consulting. With high scores overall, the diagnostic metric reveals the continual need to educate producers on preventative production practices and to develop better diagnostic tools. … [Read more...]
Aggie drones work to reduce antibiotic use (includes video)
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are testing drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras as a method to identify feverish animals. By singling out sick cattle for treatment . . . they can treat only the ones in need of medication instead of relying on the practice of injecting the entire herd with antibiotics. Source: Feedstuffs, February 28, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Coyotes going metro
The coyote (Canis latrans) is one of nature’s most adaptable wild animals. More and more cities are being invaded by these daring and crafty canids. As omnivores, coyotes enjoy a veritable smorgasbord in suburban areas. A study by the Urban Coyote Research Program analyzed over 1,400 scat samples from urban coyotes and discovered the most common food items were small … [Read more...]
Pig’s faces get mapped on some Chinese pig farms
Facial and voice recognition may become standard on Chinese hog farms. As African swine fever threatens China’s supply of pork, worried owners are turning to high-tech to try and control the problem. While some experts and farmers are skeptical, agricultural officials have praised “raising pigs in a smart way” using the A-B-C-Ds: artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud … [Read more...]
Methane potent but not long-lived (audio interview)
Methane produced by livestock is the most potent of the gases in question, BUT it simply does not stick around all that long of time compared to gases created by the use of fossil fuels. . . . the three greenhouse gases are not created equal. CO2 and nitrous oxide, have a lifetime of 1000 years. Methane however has a lifespan of only 10 years Source: Radio Oklahoma … [Read more...]
CattleFax predicts slower and more measured pace in 2019
David Cooper shares a summary of the 2019 CattleFax outlook he heard during the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. The cattle business cycle will enter a typical slowdown as this year progresses. Kevin Good, CattleFax analyst, explained that weather and profitability drive expansion in the beef industry. Prices for the U.S. will remain relatively … [Read more...]
Upwards of 300,000 Australian cattle feared dead in record-break floods
Two years’ worth of rain that fell in two weeks in northwestern Queensland, Australia, has killed an untold number of cattle. Following a severe drought and recent high winds and cold weather, some say the losses will likely climb higher. Source: Beef Central, February 11, 2019. Link. “The loss of hundreds of thousands of cattle after five, six, seven years of drought, is a … [Read more...]
Cannabis gaining acceptance in U.S. agriculture
Cannabis has become an everyday subject in animal health as an alternative to traditional treatments. Someone has to plant, cultivate and grow these plant sources. A Farm Journal exclusive survey of crop farmers and livestock producers reveals farmers’ attitudes about cannabis and gauges their interest in growing cannabis as a commercial crop for medical use, recreational … [Read more...]
As Farm Aid turns 30, its focus raises questions (includes video)
Farm Aid was created during the farm crisis of the 1980's and is today is a nonprofit with the stated mission of helping farmers and farm families. Clinton Griffiths questions the current focus while sharing information about the organization. Source: Drovers, January 25, 2019. Link. … [Read more...]
Female ranchers seizing owner, manager opportunities
Fourteen percent of the 2.1 million farms in the U.S. were owned by females in 2012, according to USDA. That percentage is likely to grow as more the half the farms and ranches in the country are expected to change hands. This photo essay offers snapshots of five operations owned by women. This reimagining of a role that has for so long loomed large and male, in the … [Read more...]
BEEF blog’s top 10
Consider broadening your perspective as customer interactions begin this year. Top-read lists similar to this one offer insights into customer priorities and interests. Here are the 10 BEEF Daily blogs that received the most traffic in 2018: 1. Researchers conclude livestock have no detectable effect on climate 2. Hay bale kills ranch mom 3. Move over kale; steak is the … [Read more...]
New Zealand culling cattle to control Mycoplasma bovis
A New Zealand program to eradicate the country of Mycoplasma bovis has resulted in 50,000 cows being culled so far and nearly as many still scheduled to be killed. If successful, New Zealand will become the first country to rid its boundaries of the disease, which can lead to mastitis, pneumonia, abortions and lameness. Government and industry jointly spearheaded an eradication … [Read more...]
Change the feeding schedule of spring-calving cows now
December is the time to reset the feeding schedule to dusk hours for cows bred to spring calve, says Glenn Selk. Known as the Konefal method, adjusting the feeding schedule limits night-time calving when observation is more challenging and when temperatures usually lower. University studies have confirmed this method moves calving to daylight hours in as many as 85 percent of … [Read more...]
John Deere, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever announce partnership
A new partnership promises to help promote wildlife habitat and discover innovative ways to help farmers, ranchers and landowners turn marginal, unproductive acres into more beneficial wildlife habitat. This bodes well for songbirds, wild mammals and soil conservation efforts. Pheasants Forever, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and … [Read more...]
Texas landowners get feral hog reporting tool
Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute has released a new online tool <link> to help in the growing effort to control the feral hog population in the state. The wild pig website offers Texas landowners and homeowners an easy-to-use tool to report sightings of feral hogs and the damage they may have caused. Source: National Hog Farmer, November 29, 2018. … [Read more...]
Join Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count
Wildlife vigilance is not new to animal health pros. Did you know that the Audubon Society has conducted a bird count for more than 100 years? Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this long-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation action. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an … [Read more...]
Beagle brigade sniffs out border risks (includes video)
Bringing agricultural products across the U.S. border without properly identifying them is illegal. It is one of the greatest threats to U.S. efforts to stop the spread of foreign animal diseases (FADs) from entering the U.S. Beagles are the breed of choice for the agriculture mission due to their non-threatening appearance and kind nature, as well as their high drive for … [Read more...]
Feeding weed by-products to pigs
No! the pigs don’t get high but some say the market for legal cannabis by-products may add value to pork production. What I do taste is juicier pork, and a more resistant texture – there’s no mushiness involved.” Source: PORK, November 2, 2018. Link. Feeding byproducts of the legal marijuana industry is of interest to many in the pork industry,” says Anna Dilger, associate … [Read more...]