Blogs

by Troy Marshall Feb. 16, 2012

How Do You View Mistakes On Your Operation?

There are two different kinds of mistakes; some are preventable and some aren’t. Take calving season, for instance; a calf dies because it was born on frozen ground and simply couldn’t maintain its body temperature at that fragile time of life. If bedded, out of the wind, or warmed up, that calf would have been perfectly fine....More

by Amanda Radke Feb. 22, 2012

Do You Support McDonald’s Stance On Gestation Crates?

As a cattle producer, I’m proud that today’s beef industry looks much the same as it did 100 years ago. Cattle drives are still commonplace. Ranchers still rely on horses to work the herd. Cattle spend much of their time on rolling pastures. And, the cowboy spirit is alive and well....More

by Wes Ishmael Feb. 13, 2012

Beef Exports Shatter Records

Beef exports finished the year at 1.287 million metric tons (mt) valued at $5.42 billion. This broke the 2003 volume record of 1.274 million mt and easily surpassed the 2010 value record of $4.08 billion. Export volume was 21% larger than in 2010, with value up 33%....More

by Harlan Hughes Jan. 26, 2012

The Economic Value Of A Preg-Checked Heifer

Profits per cow grew in 2010 and preliminary data suggest profits per cow were up again in 2011. I project even higher profits for the next few years, all of which should trigger an expansion in the nation’s cow herd, right?....More

by Steve Kay Jan. 27, 2012

My Hope For More Beef Industry Records

We’re one month into 2012 but it’s not too late for me to share my wish list for the U.S. beef industry for this year. Topping my list, as you might expect, is my hope that Americans continue to support beef as much as they did last year. For we all know that demand, not supply, will determine how high beef and cattle....More

by Burke Teichert Jan. 26, 2012

Efficiency Is All About The Dollar Signs

There’s a lot of talk these days about efficiency. Much of it focuses on feed efficiency in a feedlot setting, but it is just as important at the ranch level, where the issue isn’t so much feed for gain as feed for maintenance. For most of my life, I’ve enjoyed and worked on cattle genetics. However, after about 20....More

by Mike Apley Jan. 26, 2012

Cephalosporins Aren’t Withdrawn From The Market

FDA’s Center forVeterinary Medicine (CVM) released a final rule in early January prohibiting some extralabel uses of cephalosporins in food animals. Let’s discuss which antibiotics are included in this group, the rationale, and changes coming down the road. But, first of all, it’s important to understand that the....More

How Do You View Mistakes On Your Operation?