Divide & Conquer

Wes Ishmael, Contributing Editor

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) no longer poses the significant cattle and human health risks it did in 1917 when the nation's TB eradication program was developed....

When, Not If, Disaster Strikes

By Wes Ishmael

Finding dead cattle from time to time isn't exactly uncommon. Finding a bunch of them all at once is another heartbreaking matter. An Arizona rancher...

BSE Sanctions Costing U.S. Billions

Source: Rod Smith, Feedstuffs

The sanctions that countries around the world placed on U.S. beef following the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the cattle herd in 2003 -- despite being inconsistent with international standards -- cost U.S. cattle ranchers and beef processors billions of dollars in export losses. ...

Experts Note Progress Against BSE Disease

Source: Angus e-List

Overreliance on meaningless testing and a lack of focus on documenting the effectiveness of steps that are making significant inroads against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) are hindering a hungry world’s access to protein, driving up food costs and harming local economies as well as the U.S. beef industry...

Eliminating PI Animals Makes Economic Sense

Montana cattle ranchers still have time to screen their herds for animals persistently infected (PI) with the bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus. And the managers of the Montana BVD-PI Herd Screening Project...

Persistently Infected Calves Cost

In a recent study of cattle herds in southern Oklahoma, nearly 17% of the ranches had at least one BVD persistently infected (PI) calf in the 2006 calf crop...

Preconditioning & Calving Studies Provide Cost Efficient Tips for Ranchers

Scott Laudert

Summer-calving cows require less supplemental feed, and calves are weaned older and heavier say University of Nebraska researchers ...

Tweaking calving season

Scott Laudert

Shortening the calving season is among the most effective practices a cow-calf producer can implement. Improving early calving frequency increases weaning...

Busting pinkeye in cattle

By Dave Sjeklocha

Growing up in Missouri, I saw firsthand the wonderful benefits that heat, humidity and high rainfall provide a fly population...

Outsmarting Flies On the Ranch

By Heather Smith Thomas

The battle against flies is constant, but a combination of tactics can keep them at bay. Beyond chemical options, there are also biological methods to add to the mix; and being familiar with the various habits and behaviors of different flies can provide the most effective combination of tactics...

Rating BVD vaccination programs

By Clint Peck

Relatively new resources for bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) control programs are within reach of nearly every cattle producer in the U.S. Successful and...

Spoiled Potential

By Wes Ishmael, Contributing Editor

Those cattle pharmaceuticals you stick in the ice box, just like the label says, may still be compromised or rendered useless if you're not monitoring...

Busting pinkeye in cattle

By Dave Sjeklocha

Growing up in Missouri, I saw firsthand the wonderful benefits that heat, humidity and high rainfall provide a fly population...

Antibiotics Point & Counterpoint

A recent opinion column in the February issue of BEEF discusses antibiotic use in food-animal production. Included was an attack on the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production ...

Weaning management

by Clint Peck contributing editor

Weaning time is harvest time in cow-calf country. This can be a stressful time for the cow, the calf and the rancher. Probably the most critical weaning...

Late Calving, Early Weaning Nets Higher Return

Kansas Livestock Association

Calving in April and weaning during August may produce a lighter calf, but with feed costs at record levels, cow-calf producers will see better returns under this production system...