Maintaining healthy livestock can be achieved through knowledge of which chemical parameters affect nutritional status, the natural occurrence of chemicals, plus regional and seasonal variability of water quality, A.M. Dietrich of Virginia Tech explained here at the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of the...

Hello all, I know several people called last week while I was out; however, I was at a conference in Mobile, Alabama.  The conference had several tours available, but of course I chose to attend "Where's the Beef?".  We toured the following facilities: 1.  Hastings Farm is located...

by Taking Stock Contributor By Anne Zinn, ASAS Communications A two-year study appearing in the October issue of the Journal of Animal Science examined the effects of frame size and time...

Every year I am asked to provide a information on feedstuffs to balance rations.  I found an article that has a link to a Table of 280 feedstuffs commonly used to feed cattle and sheep.Keep in mind though that feeds are not constant.  The best way to balance a diet is to have your...

Well the cool weather is over.  Many producers have told me that they were trying to catch up on hay production.  It definitely was a pleasant weekend; too bad it would not last through October!Even though we had a brief reprieve from the weather, keep in mind that it has been hot and...

For more than a century, a livestock disease mystery has stumped producers and veterinarians alike—how does bluetongue disease overwinter? The answer is the virus survives the winter by reproducing in the tiny midges that transmit it, report veterinary scientists at the University of California...

WITH farm-state members of Congress sounding the alarm over actions taken against small grain farms by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a top Department of Labor official said the intent, practice or policy of the agency...

While reading numerous articles about the beef industry, this one seemed rather interesting.  Curious as to what you think.The U.S. cattle industry needs to change the way it produces beef if it is to stay competitive in what has become a "ground beef nation,'' according to Don Close, an...

Easily excitable cattle can be dangerous to themselves and cattle-handling personnel. And according to a recent project conducted at North Dakota State University, they may also have lower quality carcasses than calmer cattle. The study, which was conducted from August 2013 to February 2014,...

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking public input on possible revisions to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Carcass Beef to adjust for recent improvements and trends in animal raising and feeding. AMS is also seeking input on a review of beef instrument grading. One driver is...

Consumers given a random list of 15 sources of information about meat and livestock rated USDA as the most trustworthy source and Chipotle Mexican Grill as the least trustworthy, according to the Oklahoma State University Food Demand Survey. Respondents rated both the Humane Society of the...