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Let me set the scene. Your cows are pregnant, healthy, and out on pasture – there is just one problem: limited forage. Underfeeding pregnant cows becomes more common when there is limited plant growth, like during the “summer slump” or when cows graze winter range, in the case of SD spring-calvers.

We all know that better beef = more profit when cattle arrive at the packing plant. Beef is one of the most expensive meats that a consumer can purchase, and there’s an expectation for consistent quality. How can you raise quality beef that consumers desire? There are three factors that

The high-points: * Lactic acid bacteria improve both rumen fermentation and silage quality in the cattle industry. * Tested delivery of bacteria to the large intestine by using a technology called nanofiber microcapsules that surround the bacteria. * The nanofiber coating protected the product from being released into ruminal fluid but did not

The high-points: * Brazil houses roughly 23% of the cattle on earth but produces 17% of the beef, suggesting inefficiencies in the beef production systems. * Researchers in Brazil tested the impacts of genetic selection on the revenue for Brazilian cow-calf ranchers raising Nellore cattle. * Selecting for increased average daily gain, ribeye

The high-points: * High concentrations of sulfur can be toxic to cattle, decreasing performance as well as causing polioencephalomalacia. * Cattle receiving additional sulfur were producing significantly more hydrogen sulfide. * There was no correlation between sulfur treatment and hydrogen sulfide production. What you need to know: High concentrations of sulfur can occur

The high-points: * The flavor of grass-fed beef is a constraint of consumer preference due to the beef often having lower "beef flavor" and greater "off-flavor". * The average daily gain for each of the small-grain fed steers was greater than that of the alfalfa-fed steers. * Alfalfa had

The high-points: * Common sustainability practices at use in feedlots, decrease greenhouse gas emissions. * Some of these practices use technology like hormonal feed additives, implants, and β-agonists. * Still today, growth-enhancing technologies have a vital role in the efficiency of beef production. What you need to know: As discussed in a previous

The high-points: * Many consumers, non-profits, and government organizations are keen to know the environmental impacts of what consumers are buying, including meat. * Paper provides producers with actionable indicators to report sustainability metrics, specifically those within the cow/calf system. * In the programs they reviewed, many sustainability goals shared common interests

The high-points: * The microbes in the rumen have a large impact on the health and productivity of the ruminant. * Increased levels of both lactic acid-producing and utilizing bacteria can decrease the risk of acidosis and improve the animal growth rate. * Other research has shown that supplemental microbes can decrease the

The high-points: * The effects of lameness on the wellbeing of the hurt animal and the bottom line of the feedlot are both concerns worth investigating. * Observed an increase in the proportion of animals with lameness between current and old studies. * Common risk factors were: increased body weight, older animals, increased