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February 1, 2007

Cover Story

Mating with a Guarantee

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Wes Ishmael Contributing Editor

At some point there won't be any reason to buy or mate cattle without knowing the DNA in an animal, and the interaction between that DNA and the specific...

Genetic Features

Mixed Bag On DNA-Testing

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Alaina Burt Managing Editor

The sale barn in Creston, IA, drew a few more spectators than usual in late November for Nichols Farms 10th annual genetic source-verified feeder-calf sale. The first of two sales consisted of ...

Practical Composites

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Wes Ismael Contributing editor

“These half-blood bulls will pull you quicker toward the center of what you're trying to achieve than any other system,” says John Welch, president and CEO of Spade Ranches...

Finding PIs

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Clint Peck Contributing Editor

Health management programs are popping up around the country to investigate the role of screening cattle for persistent infection (PI) of the bovine viral...

Strategic Supplementation

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Clint Peck Contributing Editor

Optimal reproductive performance of two- and three-year-old cows is a challenge for most U.S. cow-calf producers. The goal of ongoing research at New Mexico State University (NMSU) is to increase...

Other Features

Test-Tube Meat

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Lorne McClinton

While cattle-free quarter-pounders or chicken-free nuggets may sound like science fiction, Jason Matheny, lead author of a paper on in vitro meat production...

Snow Rescue

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Compiled by BEEF staff

Cattlemen in the Plains will be dreaming about a white Christmas for quite some time it appears. Back-to-back blizzards during the Christmas and New Year...

Big Beef Buyers

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Joe Roybal Editor

During BEEF magazine's BEEF Quality Summit last November, a panel of the top purchasers of U.S. beef addressed the crowd of 160 attendees...

News Makers

Canada border rule published

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Joe Roybal

USDA published its proposed rule last month to allow the importation of live cattle more than 30 months of age, and beef products from such animals, from...

PETA called losers, frauds

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

Colorado Gov. Bill Owens castigated People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) last month after a PETA spokesman criticized efforts to save cattle...

Editor's Roundup

Carrots not sticks

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Joe Roybal editor

USDA's December announcement about the permanent voluntary status — on the federal level at least — of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) didn't signal the death of the program...

BEEF XPress

This month in brief

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Persistent infection (PI) of calves with bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) has received a great deal of attention in recent years, and more and more feedyards,...

Senators speak out on cloned meat and milk

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

A number of U.S. Senators wrote the Secretary of Health and Human Services recently about their concerns with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans...

APHIS wants change in Bangs regulations

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) wants to amend the brucellosis regulations to allow for research on brucellosis-exposed or infected...

Market Advisor

Good accounting Part III

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Harlan Hughes contributing editor

Last month, I suggested ranchers look to their on-ranch accounting systems to answer two key business-management questions...

Cattle Economics

Bull cost per hundredweight

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Wes Ishmael contributing editor

When it comes to buying bulls, the difference in price between what you need and what you think you can afford may be less than it first appears...

Cattleman's Calendar

Click to view to BEEF's Cattleman's Calendar

Vets' Opinion

Dealing with PI calves

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Dave Sjeklocha contributing editor

Persistent infection (PI) of bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) has received a great deal of attention in recent years. BEEF has featured several articles on...

BEEF Tech

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by Alaina Burt managing editor

Dry ice blaster Krcher Industrial Products' IB 15/80 Dry Ice Blaster uses compressed air to propel tiny dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds to flash-freeze...

News Briefs

My Top 10 Clicks

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Barry Dunn Executive Director King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management Kingsville, TX...

Pasture & Range Plants

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

The second edition of Pasture & Range Plants, revised by Robert Nicholson, Fort Hays State University (FHSU) plant and rangeland ecology expert, is now...

U.S. lags in emergency preparedness

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Five years after Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. emergency health preparedness is still wanting, says the report, Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from...

McDonald's tests Angus burgers

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

McDonald's is testing hamburgers made with Angus beef at six Los Angeles-area restaurants. A McDonald's spokeswoman says customer response to the three...

Correction:

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

On page 40 of the January issue, David Billingsley was incorrectly identified as David Gordon in The Positives of Pooling....

Panama & U.S. complete FTA

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

The U.S. and Panama completed free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. USDA says the agreement provides that more than half of all current U.S. farm exports...

Vietnam trade measure approved

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Congress has approved permanent normal trade relations status (PNTR) for Vietnam. According to the U.S. Trade Representative it means tariffs on U.S....

Wisconsin leads in premises ID

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

As of Dec. 26, eight states have registered at least 50% of their total livestock premises under the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)...

From My Perspective: Steve Meyer

Immigration raids pose industry dilemma

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Steve Meyer contributing editor

The raid by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel on six Swift & Company plants dominated the news...

Research Roundup

USDA evaluates prion-free cattle

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by Alaina Burt managing editor

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists evaluated cattle genetically modified to not produce prions, and determined there were no observable adverse...

Grazier's Page

Swath grazing

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Jim Gerrish contributing editor

Swath grazing is becoming an increasingly popular way of feeding cattle during winter months on the Northern Plains and in the Canadian Prairie Provinces...

News Closeout

CAB logs another growth year

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

Despite abundant cattle supplies and a record-high 13.1 million identified Angus cattle, Certified Angus Beef (CAB) had a record-low 14% acceptance rate...

Land-grant colleges help in Iraq

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

Five land-grant universities will lead a USDA effort to strengthen agriculture extension and training in Iraq as a means of helping the new democracy...

U.N. blasts cattle production

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

A U.N. report takes aim at the world's livestock industry but particularly singles out beef production, calling for the taxing of beef products as a way...

Food Safety To Get Look-See

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

The Democrat-led Congress plans to make food safety a top priority, which could include placing all governmental food safety divisions under a single...

Japanese chains ask for beef

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, compiled by BEEF staff

Japanese restaurateurs are urging their government to ease import restrictions on U.S. beef. The Japan Food Service Association (JFSA) and three other...

BEEF Feeder Section

Crush Em

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Larry Stalcup

It's a marketing tool that can help protect cattle feeders from $1 higher corn prices in what's become one of the most volatile periods ever for cattle and corn markets...

Riding to the Rescue

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Clint Peck Contributing Editor

Sick-cattle management begins in the home pen — not in the hospital pen. And it's in the home pen where pen riders can create trust in cattle, resulting in the ability to identify...