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October 1, 2007

National Stocker Award

Know Your Strengths

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

When Shawn Mercer took over management of his grandparents' farming and cattle operation 15 years ago, he'd have given his eye teeth for a blueprint he could apply to the cattle business in general, and the stocker business specifically. After his grandfather died, Mercer and wife Katie struggled to figure out how to make the farm pay its way for another generation....

Match game

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Grass management is our primary focus, emphasizes Scot Holcombe, this year's summer-stocker division winner in the National Stocker Award competition....

Follow the facts

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

I never felt so sick in my entire life because I realized how far behind we were, says Tom Gallery of the Gallery Ranch at Dewey, OK. He's remembering...

Features

Plan Now For Spring

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

If you're thinking about implementing the Sandhills Calving System (SCS) for your 2008 calving season, now's the time to be contemplating your strategy...

All The Choice You Want

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

Look at the numbers commonly used to gauge industry trends in carcass quality and it's easy to conclude that fewer cattle are grading Choice. For instance,...

LESSONS Hard Learned

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Burt Rutherford

Used to be, if you wanted to make significant genetic improvement in your herd, you needed to focus on identifying and culling the bottom 20% of your...

NAIS Business Plan Coming

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

USDA's effort to register America's livestock premises is picking up momentum, says Bruce Knight, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs....

Computer Savvy: Recordkeeping

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

One of the first questions Harlan Hughes asks producers is: Are you collecting data or information? Hughes is a farm business management guru and monthly...

PINGING For Premiums

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Burt Rutherford Senior Editor

Remember those old WW II movies? The ones where U.S. Navy ships are trolling for enemy submarines and the only sound that cuts the tension-thick air is...

Stocker feature

LOTS Of Cattle, LOTS Of Grass

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Becky Mills

When people find out Leo Hollinger preconditions and/or stockers 6,000 head of cattle/year on 350 acres, it's easy to imagine either an overgrazed, muddy...

News Makers

Forage Utilization for Pasture-Based Livestock Production

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Is your pasture meeting its full potential? What supplements will you need to add to a forage-based diet? Answer these questions and more with the new...

Angus Announces Alliances

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

August was a big month for announcements from the American Angus Association (AAA). The world's largest cattle registry announced the following: AAA's...

Fertile Female

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Alaina Burt

Dennis Nelson of Milaca, MN won't soon forget #134, the ID tag one of his favorite, fertile females wears. She's got that determination to really make...

Sign Up Now For The BEEF QUALITY SUMMIT

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Bill Zimmerman BQS Program Coordinator

Almost overnight, the ethanol juggernaut has reworked the U.S. agricultural landscape. Driven by ever-increasing, government-mandated production levels,...

Editor's Roundup

Come fly with us

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

There are two words that particularly stir the competitive anxiety of U.S. beef producers and two countries with seemingly inexhaustible natural resources,...

BEEF XPress

This month in brief

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Market Advisor columnist Harlan Hughes believes the relative prices for feeder calves, feeder cattle and slaughter cattle will change over the next few...

Big Mac is 40

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

McDonald's signature Big Mac sandwich turned 40 years old on Aug. 22, debuting in 1967 for just 45 at a single restaurant in Uniontown, PA. The burger,...

Drainage system suspected

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

A final report on the United Kingdom's (UK) August outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) says it may have been caused by an aging drainage system at...

Fever tick quarantine

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

At least 50 premises in Zapata County along the Mexican border in South Texas are in a temporary quarantine area designated in early September to prevent...

Record exports expected

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

USDA expects U.S. agriculture exports to hit a record $79 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2007, only to be eclipsed by the FY '08 projected total of $83.5...

New scholarship

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

The National Cattlemen's Foundation (NCF) and Fort Dodge Animal Health are collaborating on a new scholarship program called the Fort Dodge Animal Health...

Record net farm income

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) is forecasting a record net farm income for fiscal year 2007 of $87.1 billion, an increase of $28.1 billion over...

Reader's Viewpoint

The correct advice

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

In regard to veterinarian Dave Sjeklocha's September issue column, is the word, (p. 16) there is no question. This includes optimizing performance levels,...

Market Advisor

2007's calf-marketing opportunities

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

Biofuels are impacting today's marketing decisions. As 2006 corn prices escalated in response to ethanol demand, it became clear that relative prices...

Cattle Economics

Stocking the future

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

It's easy to watch thousands of calves prowling vast pastures or smaller groups trolling a feed bunk, and get to thinking the stocker and backgrounding...

My Perspective

Talking the game vs. living it

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Troy Marshall contributing editor

I've attended some educational meetings where I learned that by instituting some changes in our grazing strategy I was sure we could consistently reduce...

Who are the new giants?

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by Terry Stokes

The cattle industry said goodbye to two of its greatest pioneers and champions recently. W.D. Farr, 97, of Greeley, CO, and Fred Johnson, 91, of Summitville,...

Grazier's Page

Wildlife-friendly fencing

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

Farmers and ranchers across the U.S. have a love-hate relationship with wildlife. For many ranch families, one of the perks is seeing wildlife, from big...

Vets' Opinion

Health concerns of co-products

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM, by W. Mark Hilton contributing editor

With the ever-increasing availability of soybean and especially corn co-products, owners of beef cows, stockers and feedlots are exploring their options...

Research Roundup

Effects of wintering stockers

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

Rate of gain during the winter stocker period impacts finishing performance and carcass quality, researchers from West Virginia, Virginia and South Carolina...

BEEF Tech

Natural pellet options

Oct 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Micro-encapsulated ProTernative yeast is available from Ivy Natural Solutions for use in pelleted feed. ProTernative Continuous Fed formula (CF) is a...