Beef Quality Assurance For Cow Operators 

By Dave Sparks, DVM

Much has been said about Beef Quality Assurance in recent years, but how many of us really know what it is and why it is important to all beef producers? Simply put, BQA is the effort to instruct...

Washington State to Host Cattlemen’s Boot Camp in January 

The American Angus Association®, Angus Foundation and Washington State University (WSU) will conduct a Cattlemen’s Boot Camp Jan. 3-4, 2008, in Pullman, WA. The Boot Camp is open to all cattle producers...

Cattle muscling gene identified by Aussies 

Researchers at Adelaide University in Australia have identified a gene that explains a large increase in retail beef yield. While the gene, called myostatin F94L...

Consider a New Heifer Development Strategy 

By Jason K. Ahola, University of Idaho Extension beef specialist

In this new era of elevated feed costs (both grain and hay), developing heifers from weaning to breeding involves a substantial investment. And, if heifers developed this winter fail to re-breed after their first calf next summer...

Information key in designing supplemental feeding program 

By Evan Whitley, Noble Foundation

Lack of forage (quantity and quality) is the cause of many cattle being in less-than-desirable body condition going into the winter. The months ahead are critical, regardless of whether your cows calve in the fall or spring, to ensure that cows breed back. So what can be done to cushion the wrath of Mother Nature? Well, in some form, we must intervene....

Ag’s Heritage: Pass It On 

By Kindra Gordon

Anyone who grew up on a farm or ranch likely has fond childhood memories of life on the land. From newborn calves to climbing on freshly stacked hay bales. But, fewer of today’s youth have the opportunity to grow up on farms and ranches – and have less of a connection with agriculture as a result. ...

Temple’s Top Animal Handling Tips 

By Kindra Gordon

Animal behaviorist and Colorado State University professor Temple Grandin has built a career on sensing how livestock react when being handled. Here’s her quick list of do’s and don’ts for you and your crew when you are rounding up the herd:...

Dry matter intake booster 

AgriLabs has introduced Vita Charge and Vita Charge Appetite Plus, a family of all-natural products proven to quickly increase dry matter intake and improve performance during times of stress. Vita Charge-brand products combine Amaferm – a proprietary Aspergillus oryzae, a type of fungi – with vitamins and minerals, and use a unique mode of action to deliver higher yields of energy and protein from feed. Available in six formulations for convenient individual animal dosing...

Black Ink: Keep the mild, Cull the wild 

By Steve Suther, Certified Angus Beef

Whether you have two cows or 2,000, there is a top and bottom half of your herd. The top half is above average in some way, the kind you want more of. The trouble is, a cow is often above average in one trait and below average in another. Sometimes the meanest cow in the herd weans the biggest calf....

Grazier: The Value of Education 

By Jim Gerrish

A lot of farm and ranch kids growing up in the '70s and '80s were told by their parents to “get an education” and find a better job than farming or ranching. Lack of profitability and too much daily drudgery drove most of my generation off the farms and ranches where they grew up....

Sage seedstock advice: Keep it real  

By Wayne Vanderwert, American Gelbvieh Association

Breeding seedstock provides genetic leadership to the industry, but it comes with some responsibility. Temptations are plentiful; so it’s good to frequently remind ourselves of the needs and expectations of commercial cattlemen and focus on those traits. Here are some temptations to be wary of:...

Range Science 101: Avoid Damage to Pastures during Fall Grazing 

A little extra rain this fall and cooler temperatures have stimulated many cool-season pastures with smooth bromegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, wheatgrasses and needlegrasses to provide some extra growth compared to the past several years. Extra fall regrowth is always welcome but as we move towards the end of the growing season, try to avoid grazing off every green blade....

Business Basics for Niche Cattle Ventures 

By Sarah Aubrey

If your beef cattle operation is sandwiched somewhere between ‘huge and hobbyist,’ you may have at least considered starting some sort beef business off the farm. No better time seems to exist for the establishment of such ventures as consumers are actively seeking...

National FFA membership tops 500,000 

For the first time in 29 years, student membership of the National FFA Organization broke through the half million mark. This year, there are 500,823 members in 7,358 FFA chapters across the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands...

Getting Better and Getting Radical 

By Troy Marshall, BEEF Magazine

I've long felt it absolutely essential that, as managers, we must focus not only on making incremental improvements to our product and production efficiencies, but also embrace bold approaches to management and marketing. Incremental improvements are critical to keeping you competitive from a cost standpoint...