Purdue's The Beef Blog

Changes In Urine Could Lead To BSE Test For Live Animals

ScienceDaily

Researchers have demonstrated that protein levels in urine samples can indicate both the presence and progress of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) disease in cattle. The scientists hope that their discovery might lead to the development of a urine-based test that could prevent the precautionary slaughter of many animals as now occurs when the disease is detected.

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TSCRA provides COOL forms for cattle producers

North Texas e-News

Cattle raisers now have forms available for download to help them easily fulfill their part of the country-of-origin labeling (COOL) law that goes into effect at the end of this month.

COOL is a USDA marketing program mandated by the 2002 Farm Bill which requires retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of beef (including veal), goat meat, lamb, pork, poultry, fish and other perishable agricultural commodities.

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NCTA students benefit from Gudmundsen research

High Plains Journal

University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken recently commended the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture for its entrepreneurial vision. Milliken specifically recognized the 100 Beef Cow Ownership Advantage program NCTA began to offer last year. The program addresses farm and ranch entrepreneurship, working to give participants valuable cattle assets upon graduation. President Milliken was one of many speakers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory 9th Annual Open House Aug. 27.

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Board expected to extend mandatory bovine TB testing

Chelle Delaney

Cjonline.com

Mandatory bovine tuberculosis testing is expected to be extended to the whole state starting next week, according to the state veterinarian and officials of the New Mexico Livestock Board.

New Mexico is expected to be added to a list of states that have been declared “modified accredited advanced” by the USDA because of an animal that was infected with bovine TB in Curry County earlier this year.

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Where’s the beef…from?

Lyndon farmer finds customers like knowing meat is raised locally

JONA ISON

Chillicothe Gazette

Farming has been a part of Charlie Eselgroth his entire life, and he intends to keep it that way.

“I got right out of high school and took a little bit of college. The classes I took were those I could use on the farm,” he said.

Over the past several years, Eselgroth has looked for ways to continue his lifestyle and maintain a living. One of the first efforts was direct marketing the beef cattle he raises at Buckskin Farms which consists of five different farms across about 900 acres.

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What is your pasture home to?

Cattle Business Weekly

Pastures that have been routinely overgrazed undergo a change in plant composition. The plants that make up an area of land are referred to as increasers, decreasers or invaders. Knowing how they react to the impact of grazing is important to your bottom dollar, says Chuck Lura, rangeland specialist at North Dakota State University’s Central Grasslands Research Extension Center.

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Prions jump species barrier

Amber Dance

Nature

Test tube experiments may help identify the most hazardous prion proteins.

Infectious prion proteins from hamsters can change normal proteins from mice into new, infectious forms of prion - simply by mixing the proteins together in a test tube.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston suggest their discovery could be turned into a useful test for whether a given prion strain is transmissible from one species to another. Prion proteins are responsible for Creutzfeld-Jakob disease and “mad cow” disease.

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BeefTalk: Tough Decisions at Cow Culling Time

Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Fall Cow Sorting List Fall Cow Sorting List

Now is the time to cull those extra market cows and bulls.

Fall is fast approaching. Last week we had high temperatures near 100 degrees. Lows are forecast for the 30s by midweek as we prepare for seasonal change.

If summer is defined as a growing season, there was no summer for some people. Others had a great summer.

Regardless, summer has departed and fall is making its presence known. This fall is going to be difficult for many producers because high prices have translated into high costs. This has eliminated any margin for error.

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Necessary skills for a future in the industry

Opportunities exist, but new thinking is required

 Jason Ahola, University of Idaho

Cattle Business Weekly

It’s almost back-to-school time, and what a great occasion to look at the education of our nation’s youth, particularly those hoping to work in the beef industry. With significant opportunities for the U.S. beef industry on the horizon, this is a great chance for young people to prepare themselves starting at an early age.

Our nation’s ranchers are getting older. In fact, 12 years ago UDSA reported that 66% of cow/calf operators were over 50 years old. This has resulted in a massive generational transfer of agricultural operations across the U.S.

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The Immune System, Immunity and Livestock Herds

E.J. Richey, DVM

University of Florida

Immunity is the ability of an animal to resist disease. Fortunately, immunity is a basic fact of nature; unfortunately, we take it for granted. In reality, immunity culminates from the activity of a very complex and intricate system of the body - the immune system; a system that we can to some extent enhance and manipulate to provide various degrees of protection against most disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

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Q&A     What are some of the key elements affecting change in the beef business?

Dr. Larry Corah, Technical Services, Certified Angus Beef, Manhattan, Kansas

A:     Increased Globalization. We now live in a global society. It is important to remember that the North American continent is not the only place in the world where beef is produced. Export markets are vital to growth of our industry. Only 4% of the world’s people live in the U.S. but we produce a much higher percentage of the world’s food supply.

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Will Mandatory COOL Hurt Ground Beef Sales?

Steve Kay

Beef Magazine

Think of beef and most people bring to mind a juicy steak. But the beef industry’s most valuable product is ground beef, sold as such, in patty form or in other ways. Estimates suggest these products represent about 42% of all the beef consumed in the U.S. each year. In terms of volume, the market is divided 50/50 between retail and foodservice.

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Statements, procedures to move COOL livestock origin information along ownership chain developed at ‘unprecedented’ industry meeting

Livestock Marketing Association

Seventy representatives of over 30 livestock industry, related groups and organizations gathered recently in Kansas City, in a meeting organized by Livestock Marketing Association and co-hosted by the National Meat Association and the National Farmers Union, to tackle a key issue as the federal Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law takes effect Sept. 30.

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Eight Biosecurity Tips For The Cow-Calf Man

Beef Magazine

Ask a swine producer about the role of biosecurity and herd health on the average hog farm, and a protocol and 20-minute lecture are surely to follow. Ask a cow-calf producer, and you’d likely get a much less detailed response.

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Don’t sell your cattle — market your beef

Ranchers are in a continuously changing cattle business.

With collaboration from several sectors of the industry, the Colorado BQA Program and Colorado Beef Council will host cattle producer meetings throughout Colorado addressing current issues and trends affecting our evolving beef marketplace. Please plan to attend these sessions in Burlington on Sept. 10; Akron on Sept. 11; Alamosa on Sept. 13; Durango Sept. 23; and Rocky Ford Sept. 24.

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Livestock groups to present industry-wide COOL affidavit

Bob Meyer

Brownfield Network

Members of the livestock and meat industry will meet with USDA Undersecretary Bruce Knight on Friday to present a standardized affidavit for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). Heather Vaughan with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says this is a simple affidavit that would be initiated with the first sale of an animal. “It’s very simple and straight-forward, it says I testify to the best of my knowledge these cattle are of such-and-such origin, you sign it, date it and that’s it.” Group affidavits would be used in the case of feedlots that buy animals from several sources, rather than have to send copies of all of the affidavits on when the sell. Producers would have to keep the affidavits on file for at least a year after the animal is slaughtered or dies.

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NCBA statement on COOL

KTIC

“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is pleased to join an industry-wide coalition in announcing the development of a standardized affidavit to declare country of origin for livestock throughout the marketing chain. The affidavit is available online here

( http://www.beefusa.org/uDocs/countryoforiginaffidavit453.pdf ).

“Tomorrow, NCBA and other representatives from throughout the livestock and meat industries will meet with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary Bruce Knight to present this affidavit.

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TB testing expected for state’s cattle

Chelle Delaney

PNT online

Mandatory bovine tuberculosis testing is expected to be extended to the whole state starting next week, according to the state veterinarian and officials of the New Mexico Livestock Board.

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Mt. Stockgrowers Assoc. ‘Follow the Cattle Tour’ travels to Colorado and Nebraska

Shelby Promoter

The Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Follow the Cattle Tour-an intensive four-day educational tour of various segments of the beef industry-was a great success this year! The tour, held every other year, is designed to expand the knowledge of participants in the beef industry beyond the fences of Montana ranches. This year’s tour stopped in Colorado and Nebraska and focused on the effects of ethanol production on the cattle industry from the feed yard to the processing plant. Participants toured several feed yards, one processing plant, an ethanol plant and a brewery.

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K-State Ag Today: Beef expert gives advice for supplementing pasture cattle

Jeff Wichman

KTKA

When distributing a weekly amount of supplementation to a cattle herd, is it better to ration out daily portions? Or put out the entire week’s worth in one setting?

Ted McCollum, a beef specialist for Texas Agrilife Extension, addressed the issue at this year’s K-State Beef Conference.

He says a single feeding offers better opportunities for each animal.

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