Texas aquaculture stable as producers contend with summer heat, drought
| Crop and Weather
Texas aquaculture remains steady despite seasonal challenges of drought and excessive heat faced by many producers, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. “Not much new has happened in Texas aquaculture in the last year — no new farms, no new species added, no new laws or regulations — and ...
Queen of the turf
| Columnists
Pan Zareta, the greatest filly in horse racing history, was a safe bet if you bet her to win. The New York Timeslabelled her the “Queen of the Turf” and others dubbed her “Texas Whirlwind” and “Panzy.” In the course of six years, in 151 races in three countries, Pan Zareta ...
Fundamental price impacts of announced tariff waiver on ground beef
| Industry News
The cattle markets have been an eventful topic over the past month or so. The list of market-moving news includes slaughter and processing plant closures, the border reopening to Mexican cattle, a tight Cattle on Feed report and an announced tariff waiver for ground beef imports. Not surprisingly, cattle prices ...
Can virtual fence make better grazing management easier?
| Cover Story, Production
Virtual fencing’s greatest value may be its ability to make grazing management practices that require frequent fence movement or additional cross fencing more practical. Over the past few years, we have conducted three studies evaluating virtual fencing in different grazing situations. The studies addressed three questions: Can virtual fencing replace ...
Beef imports and the Brazil roller coaster
| Cover Story, Industry News, Uncategorized
Beef imports continue to be the subject of political attention that has resulted in a myriad of variable and inconsistent policies and actions. Cattle and beef markets have been buffeted by a barrage of political interference that has clouded markets and contributed to producer uncertainty and delay in responding to market ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I would venture to say that when we attend church, it’s not considered a very humorous place. Let’s face it, we go to church to pay respect to our faith in God and the rules that we are supposed to live our daily lives by. This is not to say ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Today is Aug.31, 2026. Today also marks the day when the Risk Management Agency (RMA) publishes the new County Base Values for your Rainfall Index policies, or what are known as Pasture Rangeland Forage (PRF) policies. If you have followed this column, then you also know that we are starting ...
What to expect from Mexican cattle imports
| Marketing
There is lots of speculation on both sides of the border about what to expect with the resumption of cattle trade between the U.S. and Mexico. How many cattle? What type of cattle? How fast? There are many questions about if and how much the world has changed since the border closed ...
Weaning calves during hot, dry weather
| Genetics & Performance, Production
Many producers have considered starting to wean their calves early this year due to drought and declining forage quality. Early weaning is an effective drought-management tool to reduce the nutrient requirements of the cowherd, preserve cow body condition and reduce forage demand. Weaning is a stressful event in a calf’s ...
Hunting outlook good, hunters encouraged to report signs of New World screwworm
| Crop and Weather
Based on available population surveys and precipitation trends across much of the state, hunters can anticipate an average-to-good fall hunting season across key game species, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. This relatively positive outlook comes at a time of heightened concern for wildlife following confirmed cases of New World screwworm in ...
The resiliency of U.S. ag exports
| Industry News, Marketing
U.S. agricultural trade has faced a lot of headwinds in recent years. Events such as the global pandemic, international military conflicts, increased competition, a slowing global economy, domestic weather events, a 75 year low in cattle inventory, slumping crop prices, high input prices, and a relatively strong dollar have adversely ...
The invisible track highway
| Columnists
S.B. Moore started his career with the Southern Pacific Railway as a conductor in California and worked his way up to construction engineer for Southern Pacific lines running east of El Paso. We remember him now, not for working on the railroad, but for a weird idea he had to ...
TAHC releases first eligible New World screwworm infested zones
| Herd Health, Industry News, Uncategorized
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) executive director officially released movement restrictions for areas of Texas previously deemed as New World screwworm (NWS) Infested Zones. Following months of coordinated surveillance and eradication activities, designated areas of Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, La Salle, and Webb Counties were released from NWS ...
Looking for the low
| Columnists, Weighing the Market
Cattle markets continue searching for a practical bottom to the sharp early-summer correction as cattle prices trended lower from the middle of July through the middle of August. Besides seasonal pressure and sluggish wholesale beef values, a variety of news and uncertainty continue to roil confidence. Toward the end of ...
How much beef is it?
| Industry News
On Friday, Aug, 21, 2026, President Trump announced that the United States would allow 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to enter the country over the next 90 days without being subject to out-of-quota tariffs. The announcement also stated that these imports would be sold at 25% below current market ...
Consumer demand for beef
| Industry News
The past several years of lower cow inventories, fewer fed cattle, higher values of live cattle and profitability across the sectors of beef production, and particularly, high retail beef prices lead many of us to ask: “Is there a price point at which consumers are no longer willing and able ...
AgriLife Extension updates fact sheet with new pasture mealybug treatment
| Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service updated its treatment options for pasture mealybug in a fact sheet with science-based recommendations for using Centric 40WG to control the pest. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, recently approved the insecticide for emergency use in Texas pastures, giving producers their first effective tool against the invasive pest threatening ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
If you recall, several months ago I wrote in my column how cattlemen seem to catch the Chicken Little syndrome. At that time, calf prices were on the way up and the New World screwworm was nearing the border of Texas. Ranchers were starting to panic and the coffee shops ...
Texas A&M leads research on New World screwworm wound treatment
| Herd Health
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from across The Texas A&M University System are developing fast‑acting, low‑residue wound treatments to deploy immediately when New World screwworm (NWS) infestations are detected in livestock. The $1.86 million project is being led by The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, TEES, and Mustafa E. S. Akbulut, Ph.D., associate professor in ...
Texas at a crossroads: Population growth, land loss and the changing face of rural Texas
| Cover Story, Industry News
In the words of the country/western singer, Ian Munsick, “There are to many towns and not enough cattle.” That song lyric is being repeated over and over in Texas’ conversations. There are a lot more towns and less cattle. The landscape has changed and is changing. This is more than casual conversation ...
Fed cattle weights
| Industry News, Marketing
Fed cattle slaughter ran 8.6 percent below last year through June but fed beef production fell only 5.4 percent. The difference is carcass weight. Steer dressed weights opened 2026 near 985 pounds and, through mid-July, had eased only to about 962. The seasonal decline is expected, but the overall level ...
USDA releases August crop reports
| DC News
U.S. farmers planted a record combined 183.5 million acres of corn and soybeans in 2026, according to the USDA’s August crop reports, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already closely watched grain market. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates farmers planted 96.7 million acres of corn and 86.8 million ...
Rice crop harvest continues as rice delphacid infestations remain low
| Crop and Weather
Texas rice crop harvest continues with steady yields and relatively mild insect pressure, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Going into the crop season, challenges such as insect pressure and market prices were concerns, but producers are optimistic as harvest rolls on, said Sam Rustom, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and ...
Art deco on the plains
| Columnists
Cruise U.S. Highway 83 south out of Ochiltree County and you will come to the Panhandle town of Shamrock. The name comes from George Nickel, an Irish immigrant who grazed sheep on the area’s immense grasslands. In 1890, he applied for a post office at his dugout, six miles north ...
Three important questions and answers about El Niño
| Weather Forecast
I’m sure most of you are so done with the El Niño talk. However, I keep getting a lot of questions about how strong it will be, how long it will last, and what impacts it will produce. So, let’s address those three questions… How strong will this El Niño ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I am writing this column today for the first time in our new location. That’s right—we’ve moved offices for the first time since December of 1992! Hard to believe? The reason publications seldom move is because of all the archived publications. In our case, this involved repacking and moving issues ...
Texas A&M agricultural economists: Expect stable meat prices this summer
| Industry News
Texas shoppers heading to the meat counter this summer should expect beef prices to remain near record highs, but a new Texas A&M University report suggests the wild swings of last summer are unlikely to repeat. The Texas A&M Food Price Predictor: Summer 2026 Meat Prices report, from the Texas A&M College of ...
AgriLife Extension offers New World screwworm field guide for cattle producers
| Herd Health, Industry News
Beef cattle producers who find or suspect New World screwworm, NWS, now have a user-friendly resource to help guide their next steps in the process. Two Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialists have developed a Field Guide for Beef Cattle Producers to walk operations through the detection, reporting, collection, submission, treatment and ...
Ken Jordan inducted into Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame
| Industry News
Ken Jordan, Jordan Cattle Auction, San Saba, Texas was inducted into the prestigious Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame on July 24 in Dodge City, Kansas. He joined other 2026 indcutees H. Skinner Hardy, Famosa, California; Rick Machado, Shandon California; Dwayne Mayus, Ogallala Nebraska; Jim Odle, Brush, Colorado and Jerry Speck, Ogallala, ...
Keeping replacement heifers: Challenges and opportunities
| Cover Story, Production, Reproduction
To keep or not to keep . . . that is the question facing many producers today when making the decision about weaned heifers. Many producers may wish they would have kept some heifers back two years ago to have calves to sell today, but record-high prices for feeder heifers ...
Ice in summer
| Columnists
Legendary Old West gambler and lawman turned New York sportswriter Bat Masterson observed in his final column: “There are those who argue that everything breaks even in this old dump of a world of ours. I suppose these ginks who argue that way hold that because the rich man gets ...
Secretary Rollins announces program to support small- and mid-size beef processors
| DC News
(Washington, D.C.)–U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers (SPUR) Program on June 26th that will provide temporary support for eligible beef processing establishments. Under SPUR, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide up to $500 million in payments to eligible entities to support ...
Cattle cycle update and the Mexican border
| Industry News, Marketing, Uncategorized
Cattle cycle update The July Cattle report pegged the total U.S. cattle inventory as essentially unchanged from last year, up a scant 0.2 percent (Table 1). The beef cow herd was down 0.7 percent, indicating that the herd inventory has not yet stabilized. However, the beef replacement heifer inventory was up 2.7 ...
Build cows that stay: Smarter heifer development for long-term productivity
| Genetics & Performance, Production, Reproduction
Setting replacement heifers up for cowherd longevity is more than achieving a first pregnancy. It requires building females that remain productive within the constraints of their production environment (forage resources, climate, and management). Research across a range of development systems demonstrates that similar pregnancy rates can often be achieved ...
Bearish turn
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Supply and demand fundamentals fueling the cattle market’s lengthy bull run remain largely unchanged, but prices took a decidedly negative turn heading into July. Wholesale beef values never sparked as much as seasonally expected with Choice the cutout price reaching a recent peak of $400.31/cwt. June 23 and then declining ...
Texas wheat: More problems than bright spots this year
| Crop and Weather
The 2025-2026 Texas wheat season was characterized by drought and heat stress as well as viral and fungal infections across the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. Sporadic rainfall around planting allowed for good and quick establishment in some areas, while drought conditions prevented germination until February in ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
It was a scary, wild week recently and my thoughts and prayers go out to all the people west of San Antonio living in the Sabinal, Uvalde and surrounding communities that were lambasted by crazy amounts of rain. It’s not that we haven’t seen this kind of weird weather system ...
Jesse James Supposedly
| Columnists
Two strangers on horseback supposedly showed up at Bill Bishpop’s Bell County farm about suppertime one day in the 1870s seeking food and lodging. Bill showed the riders to a barn where they could stable their horses and commented on their “fine Missouri stock.” “We got these horses in Denton,” ...
The Pasture Mealybug: A new invasive pest of pastures and hayfields
| Cover Story, Pastures & Forages
Background: Since April 2025, southern pasture and hay producers have reported problems in their fields. These fields show grass patches becoming brown or necrotic, or patches that are completely dead. There have been extreme cases where entire fields show symptoms of grass desiccation. Originally, it was presumed that symptoms were caused ...
El Niño update
| Weather Forecast
By now, you are all likely sick of hearing about El Niño. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this event and for good reason. This event is already quite strong and going to continue to strengthen. The forecast model graphics below show what type of strength is possible. ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists, Uncategorized
June is here! June marks the month where we go to one publication for June and one newspaper issue for July, along with our annual magazine Special Edition. But June also marks the month where I try to put together my fall sale schedule. Getting the calendar corrected, getting my ...
Experts emphasize prevention, early detection and reporting protocols as Texas enters heightened awareness of NWS
| Cover Story
Following the June 3 announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, APHIS, confirming the presence of New World screwworm (NWS) in Texas, experts across Texas A&M AgriLife are supporting state and federal agencies in their response and providing educational programming and resources to help protect livestock producers, wildlife managers, veterinarians, public ...
Registration open for Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 3-5
| Industry News, Uncategorized
Registration is open for the 72nd annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 3-5 in Bryan-College Station. The event is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science. One of the longest-running and largest beef cattle educational events of its ...
Rice crop facing lots of obstacles
| Crop and Weather
Texas rice producers enter a new crop year with a watchful eye on prices, yield potential and the threat of rice delphacid, an invasive planthopper that wreaked havoc on the 2025 crop, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. “The Texas rice crop is showing great progress as we reach the midpoint of ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
McAllen’s Bubble Gum King Andy Paris was walking down the street in McAllen one day in 1946 when he encountered a group of boys scuffling over something in the street—a piece of bubble gum, of all things. It occurred to him that because of World War II and its immediate ...
Trump administration announces Texas cattleman and food safety entrepreneur, John Bellinger, as NWS Preparedness senior advisor
| DC News
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 8, 2026 — Today U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced President Donald J. Trump has appointed John Bellinger as the new senior advisor for New World Screwworm Preparedness. In this role, Bellinger will integrate into USDA’s team to help further drive its robust effort to explore ...
Weighing the market
| Columnists, Weighing the Market
Fundamental cattle market strength continues Volatility continues to roil cattle markets, pushed and shoved during the last month by a wide range of factors. Examples include packing plant strikes — both real and rumored — the Department of Justice investigation into beef packers, the ongoing White House rhetoric about the ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
It’s times like this that I am so glad to be in agriculture and more specifically, the cattle business. In the last few months, I’ve been able to travel to a large portion of this great state, going to numerous cattle sales. Almost everywhere I’ve seen the conditions really good ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The sea-to-sea aviator One of Texas’s first great aviation events was the arrival of the Vin Fiz Flyer in Fort Worth on Oct. 17, 1911. The Vin Fiz was a Wright Model EX biplane with four cylinders, a water-cooled engine and a wingspan of 32 feet. The absence of a ...
Making the cut: Why timing and method matter in castrating bull calves
| Production, Reproduction
Castration remains one of the most important management practices in beef production, yet the timing and method continue to generate discussion among producers. Castration is a key component of calf preconditioning programs, which are designed to reduce stress, improve health, and enhance performance after calves leave the ranch of origin. ...
Ag, food economics are hard to simplify
| Industry News, Uncategorized
LITTLE ROCK — Consumers who see parallels between crude oil and gas prices might expect the same for food, but what seems like a straightforward relationship between prices at the farm and prices at the grocery store is anything but simple, say economists with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Making a direct connection between the two “is extremely ...
White House addresses fertilizer concerns
| DC News
With fertilizer costs and global supply concerns still weighing heavily on American agriculture, the Trump administration is moving to accelerate domestic production. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced three new initiatives May 19 aimed at expanding U.S. fertilizer manufacturing, speeding up project approvals and increasing market transparency for farmers. Speaking alongside Republican lawmakers ...
The importance of China in global and U.S. beef markets
| Cover Story, Marketing
The role of China in global beef markets has changed rapidly in the past two decades. China (including Hong Kong) was not a player at all in global beef markets as little as fifteen years ago but has risen rapidly to become the largest beef importer in the last decade ...
Check in on the Choice-Select spread
| Industry News, Marketing
Over the last few weeks, the choice-select spread has become a topic of discussion in my market outlooks. The Choice–Select spread directly reflects the market value of quality, signaling how much buyers are willing to pay for cattle that grade USDA Choice versus Select. When the spread is wide, cattle that ...
El Niño and summer forecast
| Weather Forecast
If you read last month’s article, you know that I focused a lot on the historical weather patterns that El Niño can produce for us. This month, I want to show you what the May model run has to offer for the June/July/August timeframe. Seasonal Model Forecast Forecast Temperature Anomaly ...
Texas fruit production down due to low chill hours
| Crop and Weather
The combination of a late freeze and a lack of chill hours will likely lead to reduced fruit yields across the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Tim Hartmann, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide fruit specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of ...
Not Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
This past Saturday, May 9, 2026, marked the complete and total dispersal of the 7 P Ranch Simmental and Simbrah herd. I don’t normally take the time or space to talk about past sales. Those are usually taken care of by the sale reports. But this sale was different. And ...
Texas A&M breaks ground on new Meat Science and Technology Center
| Cover Story, Industry News
Leaders from Texas A&M AgriLife and The Texas A&M University System gathered May 4 to break ground for the new Meat Science and Technology Center, a $133.36 million project designed to modernize applied agricultural research, teaching and extension services. The ceremony, held at 3844 Finfeather Road, marked the beginning of construction for an 85,600-square-foot ...
Weighing the Market
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Cattle prices maintains Strength Negotiated cash fed cattle prices reached historic highs the first week of May at $255-$260/cwt. (FOB live) and $400-$403 (dressed delivered), amid tighter supplies and with packers seeking inventory on the cusp or grilling season. The CME Feeder Cattle Index continued historically high, ranging from $369.32 ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A true Texas dog (and cat) The Lacy brothers—Frank, George, Erwin and Harry—moved from Kentucky to the Texas Hill Country in 1858. They were masons and worked the granite operations at Granite Mountain near Marble Falls. George Lacy was one of three businessmen who donated stone for the Texas State ...
Miller named AHA director of commercial programs
| Breed News
Justin Miller, Canyon, Texas, joined the American Hereford Association (AHA) as director of commercial programs March 16. With more than 25 years of experience working in cattle procurement, feedyard marketing, carcass data analysis and branded beef programs, Miller will bring a relationship-driven and data-focused approach to his position. Miller received his ...
Texas A&M AgriLife celebrates new home for High Plains Research and Extension Center
| Cover Story
Texas A&M AgriLife held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains Research and Extension Center, a state-of-the-art facility that combines research and education outreach for the greater Texas High Plains region. The facility, at 3211 Russell Long Blvd, is a part of The Texas A&M University System’s Charles W. “Doc” ...
Fertilizer price surge squeezes Texas producers
| Crop and Weather
Texas producers of crops, including hay are facing a sharp rise in fertilizer costs this spring, adding pressure to already tight margins as global instability continues to ripple through agricultural commodity markets. Fertilizer prices, which remained relatively steady early in the year, began climbing in March amid escalating conflict in ...
Groundbreaking marks next major milestone in strengthening U.S. New World screwworm preparedness
| DC News
(Edinburg, TX, April 17, 2026) — Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Lieutenant General William H. “Butch” Graham, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commanding general, led the groundbreaking for the new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. USDA is partnering with USACE ...
Beef Cattle 101 workshop set for May 18-19 in College Station, Kosse
| Industry News
Novice ranchers, landowners and farmers can gain practical, hands-on experience during the Beef Cattle 101 two-day workshop hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service on May 18-19. The workshop will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, with sessions being held in College Station and Kosse. The program is ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Spring of 2026 seems to be getting better and better! For instance, last week I received 2-3 inches of rain at our ranch near Castell, and from what was reported to me, many of you south and southeast of San Antonio received even more than that. This recent rainfall should ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A world champion fiddler The guitar, by decree of the 1977 Texas legislature, is the state instrument of Texas. With apologies to and deep respect for that fine instrument, we’re going to say the fiddle did the most to shape the state’s music in its early days. Not that it ...
El Niño update
| Weather Forecast
From the last time we chatted, the El Niño chatter has taken off. I am not surprised by this, but feel like we need to continue to talk about what it means. While some outlets tell you that we won’t see impacts until fall/winter, I believe that we are already ...
Mexican border basics
| Cover Story
Prior to the border closing in November 2024, U.S. imports of Mexican cattle had averaged 1.18 million head annually in the previous decade (Figure 1) and 1.12 million head per year in the previous 35 years. Mexican cattle imports equaled 3.4 percent of the total U.S. calf crop from 2015-2024 and 3.1 percent ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The alleged microbe killer One of the most successful frontier quacks, from a commercial standpoint, was William Radam, a Prussian immigrant who migrated to Texas in 1872 and established Pleasant Valley Nurseries in and around Austin. He was a prosperous and contented family man until he came down with malaria, ...
USDA announces the creation of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network to strengthen U.S. farm and ranch profitability
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., April 7, 2026) – USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics Under Secretary Dr. Scott Hutchins today announced the launch of the USDA National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech (NPG-Ag), a nationwide initiative designed to rigorously evaluate agricultural technologies under real-world U.S. farming and ranching conditions. “Agricultural research in the United States has ...
Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine rises to No. 3 in U.S., No. 5 in world in 2026 QS Rankings
| Industry News
The Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) is the No. 3 veterinary school in the United States and the No. 5 veterinary school in the world, according to new rankings released from Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Of the top 10 veterinary schools in the world, the VMBS had the ...
Tug-of-war in the cattle industry: Balancing cow size, carcass weights, and total system efficiency
| Genetics & Performance
The beef industry is currently experiencing a tug-of-war between biological efficiency and market signals that reward heavier carcass weights. Recent Rancher’s Thursday webinar sessions (https://extension.okstate.edu/programs/beef-extension/ranchers-thursday-lunchtime-series/tug-of-war-in-the-cattle-industry) highlighted the growing tension in the beef industry between the market driven feeding for heavier carcass weights, selection for increased growth and efficiency and the ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Today is April 13. Are your taxes done? Due to the passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, there are sweeping changes, including the permanent extension of 2017 tax cuts and several new major deductions for individuals. Key Changes include: Child Tax Credit ...
Price relationships of Beef X Dairy calves and dairy calves
| Industry News, Marketing
Over the last few years, the Beef X Dairy (BxD) markets have gained attention due to the rise in BxD prices. Day-old calves (80-90 pounds) have gone from $50 per head a few years back to recent Pennsylvania auction data showing 80-89 pounds BxD calves averaged $1706.21 per head for ...
High carcass quality is helping fuel strong beef demand
| Genetics & Performance, Industry News
Much has been written about rising harvest weights in the beef sector, which have helped sustain production despite tight cattle supplies. Less attention, however, has been paid to the parallel trend of improving carcass quality grades. The percentage of cattle grading USDA Prime averaged 9.2% in 2023, increased to 11.8% ...
FarmHope expands mental health care and education to ag industry
| Industry News
Free counseling and stress management support are available to Texas agricultural producers and their families through FarmHope, a collaborative effort of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Health Telehealth Institute. Farmers and ranchers face some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression, substance use and suicide in the nation. Yet ...
Texas ‘green industry’ shifts to steady, sustainable growth following COVID-era boom
| Crop and Weather
Texas ornamental horticulture remains a national leader with positive prospects for both industry producers and consumers despite increased input costs and intermittent supply chain disruptions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. Also referred to as the “green industry,” the ornamental horticulture industry in Texas is diverse and far-reaching, encompassing sectors ranging from ...
Cattle market latest
| Weighing the Market
Cattle markets continue to underscore their fundamental strength with cattle prices holding their ground or gaining in the face of multiple shocks, including significantly higher crude oil prices and uncertainty stemming from the U.S. War with Iran, the strike at the JBS packing plant in Greeley, Colorado and lingering wonderment ...
USDA promotes new, voluntary “Product of USA” label
| DC News
Washington, D.C., March 24, 2026) – Today, on National Agriculture Day, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the launch of a national public awareness campaign to inform meat, poultry and egg producers of the “Product of USA” voluntary labeling standard which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2026 and increases ...
XIT Ranch: A Texas legend returns – new photography exhibition opens at the Cattle Raisers Museum
| Industry News
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Cattle Raisers Museum in Fort Worth is proud to present XIT Ranch: A Texas Legend Returns, a compelling photography exhibition celebrating the legacy and enduring influence of the historic XIT Ranch. The multi-gallery exhibition opened March 27 and will remain on display through February 2027. Established in ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A sure thing man Though his legend is most often associated with nefarious activities in Colorado and Alaska, the man history knows as Soapy Smith spent a couple of impressionable teenage years in Round Rock and began his career as a con artist and crime boss in Fort Worth. Before ...
Ranch-Raised Beef Conference set for May 14-15 in Bryan-College Station
| Industry News
Registration is open for the Ranch-Raised Beef Conference on May 14-15 in Bryan-College Station, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science. The conference is designed for beef producers of all experience levels who want to grow and finish high-quality ...
Producer preparedness critical as New World screwworms approach
| Cover Story, Herd Health, Industry News
Livestock producers need to take steps now to prepare as the New World screwworm approaches the Texas-Mexico border, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service livestock specialists. Necessary action now breaks down to three areas: plan, prepare and monitor the situation and livestock, said AgriLife Extension livestock specialists Ron Gill, Ph.D., professor, ...
Managing first-calf heifers: Setting 2-year-old cows up for success
| Genetics & Performance, Production, Reproduction
Our expectations of first-calf heifers are high. We ask a 2-year-old cow to calve for the first time, rebreed on time to maintain a 365-day calving interval and continue growing all at the same time. On top of that, there is significant financial pressure on this animal. She has not ...
Influence of backgrounding on finishing performance and carcass traits
| Feed & Nutrition, Production
The segmented nature of the beef industry naturally leads to production and economic inefficiencies. Management and nutrition prior to feedlot entry have long-lasting implications on performance during the finishing phase. In the past few weeks, I have discussed observations on the increase in cow mature body weight and its impact ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
What’s the number one topic of conversation this spring? Maybe it’s the high prices we are still getting for our calves. No, that’s an old topic now days. Maybe it’s the increased prices being paid for replacement females. That probably is getting to be old news as well, since that ...
What El Niño could mean for us?
| Weather Forecast
I really don’t want to focus on the latest computer model information, as it will be dated by the time you read this. However, let’s look at some past years that fit the analog package when we moved into an El Niño episode.. I am only looking at the temperature ...
Uncertainty hampers cattle markets
| Columnists, Weighing the Market
Fundamental supply and demand strength continues for cattle and beef markets, albeit with outside forces pressuring prices in recent weeks. Much of it is tied to volatile Cattle futures shoved around by uncertainty about the strike at the JBS packing plant in Greeley, Colorado and concerns about the wider potential ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The month of March is for me all about Springtime, baby calves and March Madness! Drive down just about any Texas highway and you will see fresh baby calves running and romping about. What you don’t see so far are our beloved Texas Bluebonnets. It seems as if the prolonged ...
Seasonal supply squeeze drives sheep and goat prices higher
| Crop and Weather
Texas sheep and goat producers are seeing strong prices this spring as seasonal supply patterns tighten markets while demand remains steady, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Premium lamb and goat prices at Texas sale barns recently exceeded $4 per pound and in some cases, approached $5 per pound, said Jake ...
.JBS workers go on strike
| Industry News
On Monday, March 16th approximately 3,800 workers at one of the nation's largest meatpacking plants went on strike in what union representatives said is the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse since the 1980s. The strike at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley follows accusations from union officials that ...
How fast is mature cow size increasing?
| Genetics & Performance, Production
Over the past 60 years, mature cow body weight has increased at an annual average of 7.7 pounds per year, but it has not increased at a constant rate. The following chart shows the average annual estimated cow live weight estimated from USDA reports for monthly cow carcass weights. When ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Dead Robber Bounty The odds were generally in your favor if you robbed a bank in 1920s Texas, especially if the bank was off the beaten path with only a constable or marshal patrolling a large territory. Cruise into town, seize the bank with a show of force, collect ...
USDA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advance New World screwworm preparedness
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., Mar. 9, 2026) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’ sweeping 5-prong ...
Consult vets in spring management decisions for optimal cattle health, performance
| Herd Health
Stockton, Missouri – “As spring approaches, cattle operations face a range of important management decisions,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Engaging your local veterinarian can provide guidance, as they possess the expertise required to support sound management choices that enhance productivity and profitability. Davis addresses ...
Beef demand relative to prices
| Marketing, Production, Uncategorized
If you recall, last year, new records were set basically every month for retail beef prices. The Retail All Fresh Beef Demand Index is an economic indicator that measures U.S. consumer demand for fresh beef by combining per capita consumption, retail beef prices, and inflation adjustments to capture how much ...
AgriLife Research Brahman program at Overton named Breeder of the Year
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Brahman program at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton has been named the American Brahman Breeders Association, ABBA, 2025 Performance Breeder of the Year. The recognition underscores the center’s five decades of leadership in Brahman performance testing, research-driven innovation and service to the beef industry. “It’s ...
Taking stock: Reminders on livestock care during wildfire season
| Industry News
Monitoring surviving animals is crucial in the days after a wildfire, said Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, OSU Extension beef cattle specialist. “We need to be thinking about long-term repercussions,” she said. “Thermal injuries, burns can be a big issue on these animals. We also need to be thinking about smoke inhalation and ...
Secretary Rollins announces $263 million food purchase to support U.S. producers and strengthen America’s food supply
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., February 19, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) intent to purchase up to $263 million in dairy and agricultural products from American farmers and producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. These purchases ...
Blackleg: Frequently asked questions about the disease and its prevention with vaccine in cattle
| Uncategorized
1. What is “blackleg”? This is a rapidly fatal disease of cattle, typically seen in calves 6-12 months of age on pasture, caused by the bacterium Clostridium chauvoei. In a majority of cases, affected calves are simply found dead in the pasture with no symptoms of disease. Blackleg usually affects calves ...
A snapshot of the cattle feeding industry
| Marketing
The latest USDA Cattle on Feed report showed feedlot inventories at 11.505 million head on February 1, down 1.8 percent year over year and the fifteenth consecutive month of declining feed inventories. January placements were down 4.7 percent year over year while January marketings were down 13.0 percent compared to last ...
Outlook for feed costs holds steady as weak dollar supports exports
| Feed & Nutrition
The USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist released its monthly commodity market projections in mid February. A highlight was boosting projected corn exports for the current crop year to an unprecedented high of 3.3 billion bushels, +30% higher than the record set last year. Combined with strong corn refining usage ...
High demand dwindles hay supplies as dry weather persists
| Crop and Weather
Dry conditions prevail across Texas, and rainfall outlooks are raising concerns about hay supplies and grazing in the near term and production potential this coming season, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension forage specialist and professor, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Overton, said livestock producers ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Chasing Villa The world got its first glimpses of what 20th century warfare would look like in May of 1916 when the U.S. sent troops to Texas in pursuit of Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. Officers who once pursued or fled from Apaches and Comanches on the frontier now fought a ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I don’t know about the younger generation, because I don’t know what they teach anymore in school. I would be willing to bet that most of you know the story of Paul Revere and how he warned the public about the encroaching British troops, stationed in Boston were about to ...
La Niña to El Niño transition update
| Uncategorized
Since we last spoke, things have been rapidly changing in the Pacific Ocean. The following maps show what the sea surface temperature anomalies looked like in late December, January, and as we finished February. We maxed out this La Niña event in late December. Since then, we’ve seen it rapidly ...
San Antonio Sale Strong
| Industry News
The 35th Annual San Antonio All Breed Bull and Commercial Female Sale reached a historic milestone, drawing a standing-room-only crowd and an exceptionally active market. As producers focused on rebuilding their herds with top-quality cattle, the sale, held on February 17th & 18th in conjunction with the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo, saw ...
USDA announces completion of sterile fly dispersal facility in Texas
| Industry News, Uncategorized
USDA announces completion of sterile fly dispersal facility in Texas(Edinburg, Texas, Feb. 9, 2026) – At Moore Air Base, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and Governor of Texas Greg Abbott celebrated a significant achievement in the fight against New World screwworm (NWS) with the completion of a U.S.-based sterile ...
Trump expands imports of Argentine beef
| Industry News, Uncategorized
On Feb. 6th, President Donald Trump, signed a proclamation temporarily expanding low-tariff imports of Argentine beef, a move designed to bolster ground beef supplies for U.S. consumers but one that is drawing criticism from domestic cattle producers. The proclamation increases the U.S. beef tariff-rate quota by 80,000 metric tons for ...
Three ways to be more profitable making hay
| Pastures & Forages, Uncategorized
COLUMBIA, Missouri. – Haymaking is a game of threes, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Carson Roberts. To be profitable, producers must manage three key factors: equipment expenses, quality and yield. Haymaking grew in popularity in the 1970s with the introduction of the large round baler. Large bales ...
Texas beef herd signals higher prices ahead for producers and consumers
| Industry News, Marketing
The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture cattle inventory report delivered another clear signal that the U.S. beef herd has yet to turn the corner, and Texas remains central to the story, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Nationally, the number of beef cows dropped just over 1%, a sharper decline than many market ...
USDA shifts sterile fly dispersal efforts to defend U.S. border
| Industry News
Washington, D.C., Jan. 30, 2026—The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing a shift in its 100 million per week sterile fly dispersal efforts to stop the northern spread of New World screwworm (NWS). USDA will reallocate aircraft and sterile insects to reinforce ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
2026 marks the 20th anniversary year in where the Pasture, Rangeland, Forage has been offered, at least to some producers. Briefly, PRF was first offered in 2007 as a pilot program. Initially available to a limited number of counties, the program was designed to provide coverage for rainfall shortages, with the program expanding ...
Preventing cattle theft
| Industry News
At a time of record high cattle value, management to prevent cattle theft has more value than ever as well. Preventing cattle theft involves consistent herd monitoring, secure fencing and proper identification of cattle. While some large-scale thefts occur, it is often small operations (less than 50 head) which are ...
Vaden on Prop 12: ‘Should be struck down’
| DC News
California’s Proposition 12, which regulates space requirements for farm animals, should be struck down, said Stephen Vaden, deputy secretary of agriculture. Prop 12, as it’s known, was passed by California voters in 2018. The regulation has two components. First, it bars confinement of specific types of farm animals in “a cruel manner” within ...
The U.S. beef cow herd contracted in 2025
| Industry News, Marketing
Strong prices and tight supplies of cattle were the theme for 2025 and that remains the setup for 2026 after the annual USDA Cattle inventory report was released Jan. 30th. This report provides the most comprehensive look at cattle inventories of the year and was much anticipated this year as the sector ...
Conduct business with FSA online
| Uncategorized
For your convenience, Farm Service Agency (FSA) is modernizing and expanding our digital services. To conduct business with FSA online, producers will need a Login.gov account. About Login.gov Login.gov is the public’s one account for government. Producers can use one account and password for secure, private access to participating government ...
Bull care for calves later
| Reproduction
Owning bulls during the idle months is not all sunshine and rainbows. Broken fence, beat up hay rings, injuries from fighting …. And all that comes with bored boys - I mean bulls - in the winter. However, bull management must be held to high standards in order to get ...
Boehringer Ingelheim secures emergency use authorization for IVOMEC®(ivermectin) 1% Injection to help protect cattle against NWS
| Herd Health
DULUTH, Georgia (Feb. 5, 2026) – Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in animal health, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the use of IVOMEC® (ivermectin) 1% Injection for the prevention of infestations caused by New World screwworm (NWS) in cattle. ...
AgriLife Extension, Capital Farm Credit strengthen Texas agriculture education
| Uncategorized
The success of next-generation educational programming offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service continues to be enhanced by community support from Capital Farm Credit. The company, which has provided agriculture producers and rural communities with financial services since 1916, is invested in Texans’ success and aligns with AgriLife Extension’s goal to provide ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Ben Thompson’s tombstone In 1910, as the City of Austin was demolishing a group of dilapidated buildings on the corner of Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, a group of what the Austin paper identified as “prominent citizens” went rummaging through the backrooms of an old building that once housed the ...
Three strategies to improve profitability for small cow-calf operations
| Cover Story
Running a small cow‑calf operation can be rewarding, but it is not without challenges. Larger farms spread their costs over more cows, making it harder for smaller herds to compete. There also tend to be scale efficiencies related to labor, input purchases and other expenses that make larger operations more ...
Texas drought, shifting markets shape 2026 crop outlook
| Crop and Weather
Texas row crop producers are heading into planting season amid early weather uncertainty, shifting price relationships in major commodities, and ongoing economic pressure from high input costs, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economists. While timely rains supported strong cotton yields in 2025, the upcoming season is beginning under La Niña ...
What’s your marketing plan?
| Marketing
As a beef producer, you put a lot of effort into managing your production risk. Think of all the time you spend researching which bulls to use, developing and implementing your nutrition and herd health programs, shopping around for minerals, the time spent making hay or growing crops to feed ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Earl of excess The party that Joseph Heneage Finch threw at Big Spring in December of 1884 lasted two weeks and featured copious amounts of alcohol and who knows what else. Finch, an English nobleman turned West Texas rancher, was the life of the legendary party right up until ...
Selection decisions and breeding value
| Genetics & Performance, Reproduction
Selection of cattle is the process by which we determine which animals become parents, how many offspring they will produce and how long they will remain in our breeding herd. When we select replacement heifers or herd bulls we are practicing selection. When we cull old, open cows or ornery ...
Red Angus Association of America names Luke Bolin as director of communications
| Breed News
DENVER— The Red Angus Association of America (RAAA) has named Luke Bolin as its new director of communications, bringing extensive experience in agricultural communications, creative services and team leadership to RAAA’s staff. In this role, Bolin will lead RAAA’s communications strategy across print, digital and social platforms, working closely with ...
AgriLife Extension launches online ‘Principles B4 Practice’ course
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently launched Principles B4 Practice, a free, online course that equips landowners, producers and rangeland managers with practical knowledge in soil health, rangeland assessment and grazing management. The course is made possible through a collaborative effort involving the Texas Grazing Land Coalition and the Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands ...
Shaping tomorrow’s ag leaders at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo
| Cover Story
No doubt livestock shows, rodeos, shopping and concerts are major draws at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. But another facet of the event and one that continues to grow each year, is its wide array of youth competitive educational and leadership contests. During this year’s show, more than ...
Latest cattle inventory down slightly
| Industry News, Marketing
All cattle and calves in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2026 totaled 86.2 million head, slightly below the 86.5 million head on Jan. 1, 2025. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 37.2 million head, were slightly below the 37.3 million head on Jan 1. 2025. Beef cows, ...
Ensuring healthy herds: The critical role of water management for livestock in winter
| Crop and Weather, Herd Health
Water stands as an essential nutrient for beef cattle, much like it does for humans. It plays a vital role in various bodily functions, including growth, reproduction, lactation and the regulation of body temperature. However, the winter season intensifies the challenge of providing a sufficient and accessible water supply. This ...
Cattle on Feed suggests continued tight supplies and limited heifer retention
| Crop and Weather, Industry News
USDA released the January Cattle on Feed report on Friday Jan. 23rd. These monthly reports estimate on-feed inventories for feedlots with capacity over 1,000 head, which represents more than 80% of total on-feed inventory in the U.S. As of Jan. 1, total on-feed inventory was estimated at 11.45 million head, ...
Calving management to reduce disease risk
| Herd Health, Reproduction
Calf scours remains one of the most common health challenges facing cow-calf producers and is rarely caused by a single factor. Instead, diarrhea results from the interaction between disease-causing organisms, the calf, and its environment. One management approach designed to address environmental exposure during calving is the Sandhills calving system. This ...
A bull breeding soundness exam pays
| Reproduction
STOCKTON, Missouri. – “A bull breeding soundness exam (BSE) is suggested prior to each breeding season to make sure a bull is physically and reproductively sound to breed females,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. During the fall, MU Extension cooperated with veterinarians and a pharmaceutical ...
Potential analogs March-September
| Uncategorized
While it will never be a perfect method of long range forecasting, looking into the past to see into the future can be of use. The maps below show the potential analog years (years from the past) that match up closely with what we may see from March - September ...
What is a good bull worth in 2026?
| Genetics & Performance
With the onset of The Cattlemen’s Congress currently taking place in Oklahoma City, the spring 2026 bull buying season has officially started. The full schedule of sales during the Cattlemen’s Congress can be found at https://cattlemenscongress.com/sales/. Bull buying season will continue into the spring months, in Oklahoma and across the nation ...
What’s your plan for 2026?
| Industry News
Cattle and beef markets are poised to continue the path of the past few years in 2026. Despite turbulence in the fourth quarter of 2025, cattle markets ended the year strong. Tight cattle supplies, decreased beef production, and strong demand continue to support and elevate cattle and beef prices. Multi-decade lows in cattle ...
Cattle prices and prospects of herd expansion
| Marketing
Cattle prices are starting the year strong again. Auction prices are above year-ago levels across cattle classes and weights. 2025 marked the fifth consecutive year of annual increases in fed cattle prices. Over the past 35 years, the only other stretch of five consecutive years of increases was 2010-2014. Whether ...
Back to fundamentals
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Cattle and beef prices began the new year with significant recovery from the late-2025 plunge, which was tied to a variety of factors including Tyson shuttering some of its packing capacity to on-again, off-again tariffs, rumors of the U.S. resuming feeder cattle imports from Mexico and all sorts of political ...
Weinheimer joins IBBA staff
| Breed News
The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) welcomes Cord Weinheimer, Taylor, Texas, to serve as the organization’s director of field staff, genetics and advertising. Weinheimer will lead efforts to strengthen membership relations, drive growth in IBBA’s genetic programs and enhance communications that promote the value of the Brangus breed nationwide. “We ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Roy Bean and the heavyweights The 1896 fight for the world heavyweight boxing championship between Bob Fitzsimmons and Peter Maher almost took place in Dallas and then it almost took place in El Paso, Arkansas and Galveston, and then it almost didn’t take place at all. It wouldn’t have if ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Uncharted waters. When you think of the ships that traversed the globe over 500 years ago, I think of Christopher Columbus. History tells us that in 1492, he made landfall in the Americas. Imagine leaving from Spain on a westerly course—something no one had successfully attempted before. The journey, sponsored ...
Confirmed New World screwworm cases grow in Mexico
| Herd Health, Industry News
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging heightened vigilance from livestock producers along the Texas-Mexico border after Mexico confirmed eight additional cases of New World screwworm in the state of Tamaulipas. Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety, and Quality confirmed the new cases, bringing the total number of ...
A look at 2025 cattle slaughter and beef production data
| Production
While quantity has declined, quality certainly has not. The final reports summarizing 2025 cattle slaughter numbers and total beef production, and 2026 herd inventory, will be released towards the end of January. However, data available through the end of November provides a clear picture of tightening cattle supplies, declining slaughter ...
Uncertainty ahead for 2026
| Cover Story
2025 has been a year for record books in the cattle business. We have seen historically high cattle prices at the farm gate and beef prices on the grocery store shelves. We have also seen extreme volatility in the cattle markets caused by uncertainty. The volatility has been reflected by ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Here we are again, beginning a New Year. And 12 months from now, we will once again be looking back and saying, my goodness, how fast the year went by. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the merry-go-round of lifeeach year continues to spin faster and faster. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m getting older or because I havemore responsibilities that keep me busy trying to catch up. But before I get ahead myself and ruin the spirit of a ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Life and times of dangerous Al Jennings Al Jennings was a bad outlaw but not bad in the sense that he was dangerous or feared but bad in the sense that he wasn’t very good at outlawry. Jennings was, however, a good storyteller and good stories outlast bad outlaws unless, ...
FarmHope expands mental health care and education to ag industry
| Industry News
Free counseling and stress management support are available to Texas agricultural producers and their families through FarmHope, a collaborative effort of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M HealthTelehealth Institute. Farmers and ranchers face some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression, substance use and suicide in the nation. Yet ...
USDA advances farm security action plan to protect U.S. farmland and federal programs from foreign adversaries
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., December 30, 2025) –, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a number of coordinated actions to continue to emphasize American agricultural research and innovation by ensuring ideas stay in America or among our allies, not with hostile nations and that we are putting American farmers and ...
Data modeling drives Texas A&M war on cattle ticks
| Herd Health
Texas A&M AgriLife scientists have uncovered new insights into how cattle fever ticks survive and spread across South Texas, revealing hidden refuges that could explain why the pest remains one of the U.S. cattle industry’s greatest threats. In two recently published studies, the research team pairs mapping cattle movement with advanced ...
Beyond the feed bunk: Researchers redefine how producers understand cattle stress
| Feed & Nutrition, Uncategorized
Cattle gather around the feed bunk, dust rising as feed hits the trough. It is a familiar sight for any producer, but what happens during that daily routine can carry the biggest impact. Hidden stressors, from transportation to temperature swings, can affect animal health, meat quality and a producer’s bottom ...
Beef Cattle Short Course slated for Jan. 13 in San Antonio
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Bexar County will host the 2026 Beef Cattle Short Course Jan. 13 in San Antonio. The course is scheduled from 3-8:15 p.m. and will be held at the Ozuna Library on the campus of Palo Alto College, 1400 Villaret Blvd., San Antonio. Cost is ...
Latest EURO Seasonal Model update
| Weather Forecast
As I type this, the latest EURO seasonal model information arrived. It comes out on the fifth of each month, and is always a day I look forward to… not that all models are correct or even useful, but the EURO seasonal model is usually better than most other seasonal ...
Back to the fundamentals…hopefully
| Industry News
After a tremendous string of record cattle prices in the first three quarters of the year, the market was ripe for a significant correction. For the past few weeks cattle futures and cash markets have been dominated by a near continuous stream of political rhetoric, speculation and fears mixed with ...
Potential impacts of the Mexican border reopening
| Cover Story, Marketing
Cattle markets have been nervously reacting to rumors and speculation that the Mexican border may reopen at any time to cattle imports into the U.S. Many questions are swirling about when the border might open, how many cattle are backlogged in Mexico and how fast cattle might cross into the U.S. Some ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
For the first time in the history of Texas A&M University, they are headed to the College Football Playoffs. Since the inception of the 4-team playoffs back in 2014, A&M has come close once to making the 4-team bracket back in the 2020 season, when they ended the season beating ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The reindeer of Texas Not a lot of people remember this but there was a time when reindeer roamed wild in Texas and spread cheer and wonder all over the state and beyond, during the holidays. Nitpickers will argue that the reindeer weren’t wild, but they were here, all right, ...
From La Niña to El Niño in 2026
| Weather Forecast
I’ve talked a lot about this subject over the past several months. I highlighted this potential at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in August. I've been chatting about it here and my clients are probably tired of me talking about it. However, the transition from La Niña (current ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
The time has come for me to fess up about something. I have dreaded this week since Nov.30, 2024. If you don’t recognize this date, then you are not an Aggie! Nov. 30th was the date when the college on the Colorado River once again renewed the age-old rivalry, by traveling ...
USDA announces opening of sterile fly dispersal facility in Tampico, Mexico
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., Nov. 13, 2025) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the next milestone in the fight against New World screwworm (NWS) – the opening of a sterile fly dispersal facility in Tampico, Mexico. The Tampico facility will allow USDA to disperse sterile flies aerially across northeastern Mexico, including ...
Texas citrus shows heavy crop, smaller fruit
| Crop and Weather
Texas’ citrus crop is slightly behind schedule for the season and facing an uncertain future when it comes to water, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Juan Anciso, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist and associate head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center ...
Weighing the Market
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Political risk overshadows fundamentals Left to their own devices, bullish supply and demand fundamentals continue for beef markets. Unfortunately, the federal government continues inserting itself into the marketplace, in the name of lowering consumer retail beef prices. “What is clear is that uncertainty and volatility from political comments and rhetoric ...
Equine Herpes Virus detected
| Herd Health, Industry News
AUSTIN, TX – The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) received confirmation of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM), the neurologic disease linked to equine herpes virus (EHV-1), in a Texas Quarter Horse on Nov. 18, 2025. The horse attended the 2025 WPRA World Finals and Elite Barrel Race event in Waco, Texas ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The camels of Texas If Jefferson Davis and others could have had their way, camels might have become as much a symbol of Texas as the longhorn or mustang. Mules, oxen and other beasts of burden might have found themselves unemployed when it was time to cross American deserts and ...
Texas A&M Board of Regents approves construction of Meat Science and Technology Center
| Cover Story
The Committee on Facilities Planning and Construction, on behalf of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, has approved construction of the Meat Science and Technology Center at Texas A&M-RELLIS. The Meat Science and Technology Center, a $114.6 million project, will include a 75,000-square-foot building with modern laboratories, classrooms and a ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The Boys Deserve Their Due Now I’m not one to start handing out trophies just because somebody looks good on paper, but after this season, there are four of my beloved Aggies who’ve flat-out earned some hardware. They didn’t just show up—they showed out. And in a sport where effort ...
Selecting replacement heifers: building a productive cowherd for the future
| Cover Story
As we all consider current cow herd dynamics and market trends, producers are evaluating options to rebuild or expand, making this a timely moment to revisit selection priorities. Thoughtful replacement heifer selection is essential to shaping the future of a cowherd. Heifers that fit the production environment, breed early, calve ...
What’s next for cattle and beef markets?
| Marketing
Cattle futures and cash markets were pummeled by a barrage of politics the past two weeks. Negative market reactions piled up under a slew of political statements and proposals along with rumors about additional political actions that left market traders and producers running for the sidelines. Feeder cattle dropped $200-$300/head in value ...
DC News
| DC News
Trump wants beef packers investigated U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 7th urged the Justice Department to launch an investigation into major meatpacking companies, questioning whether they played a role in driving up beef prices. In a social media post, Trump accused the industry of inflating costs for American consumers through ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Alley Oop is a Texan Alley Oop arrived on the American scene in 1933 aboard his faithful dinosaur companion, Dinny, via V.T. Hamlin’s popular “Alley Oop” comic strip. Mr. Oop was born a million years ago in a land called Moo but he showed up in the 20th century via Dr. ...
Brangus Value Project confirms performance, profitability across the beef chain
| Breed News, Uncategorized
The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA), in conjunction with the International Brangus Breeders Foundation and the IBBA Breed Improvement Committee, recently completed the fourth year of the Brangus Value Project (BVP). Designed to benchmark the terminal performance of Brangus-influenced feeder cattle, the project continues to display how Brangus genetics deliver consistency, ...
Could El Niño follow the current La Niña?
| Weather Forecast
I am pretty sick of La Niña and El Niño. Both of them get too much blame and too much credit for the observed weather. However, they both play an integral role in setting the table for different weather patterns. When they are present, they can act to set up ...
Unfriendly fire breaks market momentum
| Columnists, Weighing the Market
Increasing market uncertainty and volatility, tied mostly to threats and rumors of government intervention, broke cattle prices' steady climb higher in October. All of them relate to U.S. President Donald Trump’s chatter about the need to lower domestic consumer beef prices, capped so far by this Truth Social post attributed ...
Relative prices of steers, heifers and bulls
| Marketing
Cattle prices are incredible. Nearly all weights and types of cattle sold this fall are fetching the highest prices ever. Just four years ago, 650 lb. steers in Mississippi were averaging about $850 for the total price of the animal. This fall, those same steers are averaging about $2,200 per ...
USDA unveils plan to strengthen beef industry amid import debate
| Cover Story, Industry News
The week of October 21 was filled with political developments carrying potential implications for the beef industry. President Trump suggested increasing Argentine beef imports to offset high prices for consumers—a proposal that sparked widespread frustration, uncertainty, and anger throughout the beef sector. It’s important to note that current demand for ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Lots of things always seem to happen this time of the year…cattle sales, upcoming deadlines for PRF insurance renewals, opening day of deer season, football games, and of course, Halloween. Now, I hate to be the one that delivers the bad news, but Thanksgiving is only 28 days away and ...
USDA shares New World screwworm response playbook
| DC News
WASHINGTON, October 17, 2025 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the availability of the New World Screwworm (NWS) Response Playbook. The playbook outlines key approaches, resources, and tools to implement animal health response activities in the event of a U.S. detection of ...
Beef imports to the rescue?
| Industry News
Could beef imports from Argentina reduce beef prices in the U.S.? Argentina is the sixth largest beef producing country and the fifth largest beef exporting country, accounting for roughly 6 percent of global beef exports. Argentine beef production is about 27 percent of total U.S. production. In recent years, Argentine ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Bane of the Bunco Men Anyone who has ever been ripped off can admire a diminutive and otherwise unassuming Texan named J. Frank Norfleet, who was born during the last year of the Civil War and died four years after the JFK assassination. In between he was a buffalo hunter, ...
A small percent of a large number is a large number
| Marketing
Cattle prices are historically high, as we are all aware, but that is also skewing our reference point for normal cattle price dynamics. The first graph in this article shows the average seasonal price index for 700-800 lb. steers in the Southern Plains. The graph indicates that the average seasonal ...
The first World Series of Chili
| Columnists
The ongoing and perhaps never-ending public feud over who makes the best chili— Texans or people who aren’t from Texas and don’t know beans about chili— has its origins in a book by a Dallas columnist and a magazine article by a New York writer. The book was A Bowl of ...
The slow cattle cycle timeline
| Marketing
Increasingly, cattle producers, consumers and policymakers are asking how high cattle prices will go; when will they reach a peak; and what happens after the peak. Questions about the cyclical peak in cattle prices and the trajectory of prices past the peak depend on factors that are still unknown at this ...
Tax planning for cow/calf operations: Don’t let the snowball roll out of control
| Cover Story
The past several years have been profitable for cattle producers. Cow/calf operations are amid a period of unprecedented high incomes—something that crop farmers experienced back in 2012 and again in 2022. Strong income years are a blessing, but they also bring challenges: larger tax bills, pressure to spend on prepaid ...
Understanding New World screwworm
| Columnists
Today, I have asked ChatGPT about the New World screwworm (NWS), including how it was in the 1960s-early ‘70s versus what has changed more recently. I normally don’t like to dwell on topics that include flesh-eating larvae—but here you go. What is the New World screwworm The NWS is a ...
Seven percent rule of body condition scores
| Production
The body condition scoring system (BCS) is used to assess body energy reserves in beef cows. The BCS system used for beef cattle ranges from 1 to 9. A score of 1 indicates cows that are thin and emaciated, cows of BCS 9 are fat and obese. When condition scoring ...
New World screwworm updates
| DC News, Herd Health
According to Reuters, on Oct. 7th a New World screwworm (NWS) infected calf, traced to a herd from southern Mexico, was intercepted in Montemorelos, about 60 miles south of Monterrey. Mexican officials reported that the larvae found were dead or dying due to mandatory antiparasitic treatments, including ivermectin. This marks Nuevo León’s second case ...
Have you scheduled your bull breeding soundness exam?
| Reproduction
STOCKTON, Mo. – Have you scheduled your bull breeding soundness exam? Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist, suggests your bulls have a BSE prior to each breeding season. “The bull BSE helps make sure bulls are ready to be successful during the breeding season,” says Davis. The ...
Feedlot placements and marketings down sharply from 2024
| Industry News, Marketing
The USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report released Sept. 19th showed continued tightening of feedlot supplies. Total cattle on feed was down only 1.1 percent from a year ago, but both placements into feedlots and marketings out of feedlots were sharply below year-ago levels. As of September 1, feedlots with 1,000 head or more ...
Estimating winter hay needs
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
There are some basic rules of thumb to follow when determining the hay supplies you will need to sustain your cow herd over the winter and into next spring. 1. Determine your average mature cow size. This can be done by weighing your 4-7-year-old cows and calculating the average weight. ...
Consistent summer rains spur this year’s pumpkin harvest
| Crop and Weather
Texas pumpkin producers are experiencing a strong harvest thanks to consistent rainfall and a dry July. While quantity is on par with last season’s harvest, producers say overall pumpkin quality is better compared to last year, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources ...
Updated look at the next three months
| Weather Forecast
As I talked about the last time we spoke, this will be the fifth out of the last six fall/winter seasons that we’ve been dealing with a La Niña. The current sea surface temperature anomaly is shown below, as of Oct. 13th. The areas that I have highlighted in rectangles ...
Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
Maybe someone has said something about it or maybe you’ve read it online or on Facebook, but Texas A&M is ranked #6 this week in the AP College Football Rankings. Now, for all of you tu readers and TT heads out there, the Longhorns are #9 and the Red Raiders are ...
Simple steps may help prevent equipment theft
| Cover Story
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — Harvesting crops, hauling grain and moving hay, among other seasonal tasks, make fall a busy time for farmers. Completing all this work often requires staging vehicles, heavy equipment and tools at different fields scattered across large areas. Unfortunately, this can leave expensive machines susceptible to opportunistic ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Prairie dog lawyers We don’t usually mention lawyers when we talk about the hardships our pioneer ancestors endured on the Texas frontier but we should. Being a pioneer anywhere meant doing without the civilities of civilization, at least for a while. Frontier lawyers had to ply their trade without the ...
Outlook for beef demand
| Feed & Nutrition, Industry News
Beef prices are much higher this year and are expected to increase over the next several years as U.S. beef production decreases. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows All Fresh Retail Beef prices averaging $8.48 per pound through July 2025, up $0.53 per pound from the same ...
New World screwworm updates
| Herd Health, Industry News
•On Sept. 21st, New World screwworm (NWS) was confirmed 70 miles from the U.S. border, •Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins reported on Sept. 22nd that 80,000 sterile flies were released on “spot” and nearly 200 surge staff had been deployed to Mexico. •According to Reuters, Mexican’s agriculture ministry said there is no risk of ...
Wobbly but historically strong
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Cattle prices experienced expected seasonal weakness in August and September, as a wider variety of spring-born calves began coming to town and consumers moved beyond the last official grilling day of the summer. But prices remain historically high for all classes, in response to dwindling cattle numbers and continued robust ...
USDA to provide funding to flood and wildfire-impacted livestock producers
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., Sept. 12, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced eligible livestock producers will receive disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW) to help offset increased supplemental feed costs due to a qualifying ...
Moisture, low row-crop prices prompt possible record Texas peanut production
| Crop and Weather
Summer rains and a competitive market that outpaced other commodities could result in record-breaking Texas peanut production, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists. “Starting in May through the end of planting, we had good rainfall across much of Texas,” said Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide peanut specialist, agronomist and ...
Beef-on-Dairy crosses are a practical alternative for stocker programs
| Genetics & Performance, Industry News
Calf supplies are expected to be tight this fall. The U.S. beef cow herd is the smallest since the early 1960s, and calf crops continue to shrink. Stocker operators will need to look for alternative sources of grazing cattle. One option is beef-on-dairy crosses. Each year, U.S. dairies produce more ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Adolph Korn: “The boldest boy I ever knew” On New Year’s Day in 1870, a 10-year-old fair-skinned son of German immigrants named Adolph Korn and his twin brother Charlie were tending a neighbor’s sheep in a Mason County pasture when three Apaches on horseback took them by surprise. Charlie had ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I am truly torn with the good news—bad news scenario. The good part is really good! The bad is about as bad as you can get. So, I will start with the bad and end up on a more positive note with the good. With last week’s events, it has ...
USDA tackles veterinary shortage
| DC News
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced Aug. 28th, a commitment to new actions to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and our food supply. ...
How will cash from exceptional calf income be invested?
| Production
Cow-calf producers are looking at the potential for exceptional levels of income for 2025 due to high calf prices. This income will give many cow-calf producers the opportunity to invest capital back into the operation in ways that can prepare them for future success. The following are options, in no ...
Depreciation and opportunity interest are large cow-calf costs with today’s market prices
| Cover Story
The recent sharply higher prices have been a financial benefit for those owning cows. Being able to capitalize on increasing calf prices and to sell a weigh-up cow for more than it costs to develop or purchase has made for excellent times financially for cow-calf producers. However, the recent ...
The next three months
| Weather Forecast
Not everyone has been getting good rain over the past month. There are areas in northwest, central, and southern Texas that have been striking out lately. That being said, some areas have received some great moisture. The green/blue areas have been wetter than average, while the brown/red areas have been ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
In 1983, I was fortunate enough to land a job with Gulf Coast Publishing located in San Antonio, Texas. I say fortunate enough, because it allowed me to continue working with cattle, but more importantly it allowed me to meet so many wonderful and intriguing people in South Texas that I ...
Rains, mild temperatures set the stage for strong fall hunting outlook
| Crop and Weather
Thanks to timely spring rains and relatively mild summer temperatures, hunters have reason to be optimistic as they take to the field this fall, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Although portions of the Trans Pecos, Edwards Plateau and South Texas Plains continue to experience some form of drought, more ...
Record prices again and again
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Even the most bullish at heart must be impressed by the surge in cattle prices through August to repeated record high levels as buyers chase snugger supplies. In fact, the sheer price height makes some on both sides of the trade understandably queasy, wondering when and how fast it might ...
Preconditioning calves: Can it add value?
| Cover Story, Production
Weaning time is just around the corner and cow-calf producers are now faced with the decision of calf placement after weaning. Producers have a few options for their calves after weaning: Calves can be sold immediately after weaning Calves can undergo a preconditioning period before sale Calves can be retained ...
Hot markets, tax changes call for new planning
| Industry News, Marketing
FORSYTH, Mo. – Rising cattle prices still show no signs of letting up. Recent data from the USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News report charts the continued upward trend of Missouri feeder steer prices since 2015. “High prices typically lead to increased profits, which is good news for cattle ...
Current value of replacement heifers
| Reproduction
There is evidence of an increase in heifer retention with improved drought conditions across much of the Central Plains and summer video auctions reporting a smaller percentage of heifer calves. Retention does not appear to be aggressive. With the calf market on pace for another year of record prices providing ...
USDA to no long fund taxpayer dollars for solar panels on farmland
| DC News
(Lebanon, TN, Aug. 19, 2025) –U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins alongside Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, Representative John Rose, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, announced USDA will no longer fund taxpayer dollars for solar panels on productive farmland or ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
America’s first cowboy poet The idea of cowboy poetry, as opposed to other poetry, is that cowboys write cowboy poetry, not that they can’t write any kind of poetry they want. A Texan named Lysius Gough published a book titled Western Trails and Other Rhymes in 1886, which is generally considered the first ...
A disaster-ready strategy for cattle operations
| Uncategorized
Natural disasters and disease outbreaks can strike at any time, but planning keeps losses minimal and protects both our animals and livelihoods. For cattle producers, we can incorporate guidance and resources into a cohesive operation‑level emergency action plan. Without a plan, cattle operations expose themselves to liability risks, animal welfare ...
Three livestock skin concerns to evaluate
| Crop and Weather
Most livestock species have thicker skin than humans, but it’s still vulnerable to harsh summer conditions. Sun exposure, bacterial infections and increased activity of parasite-carrying insects can all take a toll on livestock skin. Each year, the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, receives samples that reveal how sweltering summers affect ...
USDA announces additional plans to protect nation from New World screwworm
| DC News
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins at the Texas State Capitol alongside Governor Greg Abbott and stakeholders from across the country announced on Aug. 15th the largest initiative yet in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to combat the New World screwworm (NWS). This announcement builds upon USDA’s five-pronged plan issued ...
Tiny parasite; big problem
| Genetics & Performance, Herd Health, Industry News
Start thinking about the biggest threats to the livestock and wildlife industry now. That was the advice given at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course during a panel discussion and general session talk about New World screwworm. Almost 2,000 livestock producers and industry-affiliated participants attended the event hosted by the Texas A&M ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Billy the Kid’s Texas vacation A lot of what we know about Billy the Kid is dead wrong and that includes stories and information about the time he spent in Texas during what amounted to a working Texas vacation for Billy and his gang. Here are a few true facts, ...
Texas rice growers optimistic despite challenges
| Crop and Weather
The Texas rice harvest is in full swing, and growers hope a good second crop can bring a positive end to a challenging season, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Sam Rustom, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and ...
Record prices, strong demand and a bright outlook: Randy Blach addresses cattle market at Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course
| Cover Story, Marketing
“How many of you have waited a lifetime to see these cattle prices?” That was the question asked by Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax, as he delivered an upbeat market outlook during the recent Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. Blach set the stage by explaining why the industry is ...
DVAuction announces sale to new ownership group
| Industry News
Norfolk, NE – August 4, 2025 – DVAuction, the nation’s leading real-time online livestock auction service, along with its subsidiaries National Beef Wire and Feeder Flash, is pleased to announce its sale from founder and CEO Dan Broz to the current leadership group. The new ownership group, effective Jan. 1, ...
Just your standard bull
| Columnists
I’m sure you are like me in that you get these emails advertisements from various airlines (particularly one stationed out of Dallas Love Field) about all of these cheap fares available to you if you book right now! Well, I like a good deal as much as the next guy. ...
La Niña update and late summer/fall preview
| Weather Forecast
Last month, I talked about the likelihood that La Niña was going to come back and be a factor in our seasonal forecast. So, let’s see what has happened since we last spoke… Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly as of August 18th Sea Surface Temperature Change August 11th - August 18th ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I’m officially pointing out that the dog days of summer have arrived. For you that enjoy trivia, the dog days of summer refers to the hottest, most humid period of summer, typically from late July to early September. The name originates from ancient times, specifically from the star Sirius, the brightest ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Hauling bones in Texas When buffalo bones were worth a lot of money on the open market, people made a lot of money selling buffalo bones on the open market. The great buffalo slaughter in Texas lasted roughly from 1874 to 1878. But long after the buffalo were gone, the ...
When estrus synch goes sideways: Practical troubleshooting for beef producers
| Reproduction
The estrous cycle in cows is characterized by hormonal changes that regulate ovarian activity, including the development of follicles and the corpus luteum (CL). This cycle typically recurs every 21 days, with ovulation occurring approximately 24 to 32 hours after the onset of standing estrus. Estrus synchronization protocols rely on ...
Reports from 12 districts in Texas
| Crop and Weather
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries: Panhandle Widespread thunderstorms across the district brought additional precipitation during the week. Rains added to moisture soil profiles throughout the district, but overall, soil moisture levels were still short to adequate. Daytime high temperatures were in the upper 80s and low 90s, ...
Less beef meets summer beef demand
| Industry News
The summer doldrums between Independence Day and Labor Day usually means slack beef demand. Indeed, the Choice boxed beef cutout dropped from the end of June to a current weekly average of $386.75/cwt., down from the recent high of $394.19/cwt. However, boxed beef prices remain 19.1 percent above this time last year ...
Calf management and marketing: What’s your next move?
| Marketing, Production
Every cow-calf producer strives to produce the best cattle that their unique resource base allows. Right now, you are likely making – or have already made - decisions for your current calf crop based on (1) the resource constraints that you face and (2) the market opportunities available to you. ...
Cattle prices march higher
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Bullish supply fundamentals and extraordinarily resilient consumer beef demand continue pushing cattle prices higher. For perspective, the five-area direct weighted average FOB live fed steer price the last day of July was $243.08/cwt. The dressed delivered fed steer price at $383.60. The previous week, cash prices for steers weighing 600-700 ...
USDA announces reorganization
| DC News
Washington, D.C., July 24, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), refocusing its core operations to better align with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching and forestry. Over the last four years, USDA’s workforce grew by 8%, ...
Australia lifts longstanding ban on U.S. beef imports
| Industry News
President Donald J. Trump announced on July 23rd that Australia will lift its two-decade-long ban on beef imports from the United States. The restriction, originally enacted in 2003 over concerns related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, has now been removed following an extensive review ...
Wet year prompts weed challenges in crops
| Crop and Weather
Uncharacteristically wet weather this year has left many producers across the state with a growing weed problem, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Scott Nolte, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state weed specialist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station, said widespread drought during ...
Not Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The cattle industry remains significantly underserved in the realm of crop insurance, despite its crucial role in American agriculture and the economy. Unlike crop farmers, who benefit from extensive insurance programs protecting against weather-related losses, the livestock sector has historically received limited coverage and subsidies, leaving many cattle producers vulnerable ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Risky business in Comancheria At a time when few people dared to travel across the Llano Estacado, the Comancheros made a good living in a region known at the time as “Comancheria” and marked on maps as “The Great American Desert.” It was no desert but hardly anyone except Comanches ...
Texas A&M’s Beef Cattle Short Course tackles markets, herd management Aug. 4-6
| Uncategorized
High calf prices, unpredictable weather and a new threat will headline the general session of the 71st annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 4-6 in Bryan-College Station. Beyond the traditional market and weather forecasts, experts will discuss the New World screwworm. Hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas ...
Registration is now open of the 3rd Annual Women in Ag Conference
| Industry News
The 3rd Annual Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on Sept. 9 and 10 in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The two-day event, hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Tarrant County’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent, Jacklyn Jones-Doyle, is designed to assist farm and ranch women with problem solving, record keeping and ...
New World screwworm advances adding to market volatility
| DC News
New detections of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico led Sec. Brooke Rollins to close southern ports of entry to livestock imports. USDA had previously announced a phased re-opening of southern ports, beginning with the furthest port away from where NWS has been detected in Mexico and moving east as continued ...
Is La Niña coming back?
| Cover Story, Weather Forecast
I know it is very early to be thinking about this subject, but the status of the Pacific Ocean is always on the front of my mind. Why? Because it is so important in determining what happens in our longer range forecast. So, let’s see what it looks like right ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The opium war, Texas style The slanderous and libelous who lurk among us today have unprecedented platforms from which to launch an attack upon the character of any individual, public or private, with or without the benefit of facts. In days of yore, the platforms were few but the character ...
Rain sparks insect pressure in crops
| Crop and Weather
Rainfall has benefitted many crops statewide, but the moisture also serves as a catalyst for insects and pests, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Farmers across Texas continue to scout fields for signs of pests and damage to crops as the prime growing season begins. Cotton thrips, flea hopper At ...
Santa Gertrudis Breeders International elects new board of directors
| Breed News
KINGSVILLE, Texas (June 4, 2025) – Santa Gertrudis Breeders International (SGBI) members gathered for the association’s annual meeting in San Marcos, Texas, May 1-3. Six members were elected to the SGBI Board of Directors, including these four new members: Cody Mattingly, Battletown, Kentucky; Larry Garza, Edinburg, Texas; Callie Strait Loden, Streetman, ...
Registration opens for Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 4-6
| Cover Story, Industry News
Registration is open for the 71st annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 4-6 in Bryan-College Station. The event is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science. The largest-attended beef cattle educational event of its type in the world ...
Percentage of choice-graded beef grows thanks to better genes, feedlot tech
| Industry News
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Headed into grilling season, consumers have a better grade of beef to choose from as the percentage of beef earning a “choice” grade has increased from about 50 percent in the early 2000s to about 75 percent today. Choice is one of three grades consumers are likely ...
NCBA urges FDA to toughen rules for fake meat marketing
| DC News
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) has submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to toughen up guidance for fake meat companies that would prevent them from using misleading labels on plant-based products. “Cattle farmers and ranchers work hard every day to raise wholesome, ...
Cash leads the way
| Columnists, Marketing, Weighing the Market
Cattle feeder leverage is on full display as they and resilient consumer beef demand continue pressing negotiated cash fed prices higher. Prices were record-high once again the first full week of June at $232-$235/cwt. for live FOB trades in the Southern Plains and at $240-$244 in the North. Dressed delivered ...
Beef cow slaughter on pace for ten year low
| Industry News, Uncategorized
Changes in beef cow inventory are driven by two factors – how many new bred heifers enter the herd each year and how many cows exit the herd through culling and death loss. As is always the case when calf prices are high, a lot of discussion has been focused ...
The Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
Well, here we are again…getting ready to start the long, hot, dog days of summer again and I’m not sure I’m quite ready for them. Looking at the latest forecast, it appears the weather models are leaning towards wetter conditions to continue until the end of June. So, I thought ...
Texas Crop and Weather
| Crop and Weather
For much of the sorghum-growing regions of the state, the arrival of rain and the amount that fell have dictated this year’s outlook, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide cropping systems agronomist and associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The current farm bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation that addresses a variety of agricultural and rural issues, including the persistent problem of screwworm infestations in South and Central America. The screwworm, a parasitic fly that can cause significant harm to livestock, has been a long-standing concern for farmers ...
Texas A&M AgriLife announces New World screwworm fact sheet
| Cover Story, Industry News
The New World screwworm has been making headlines lately and in Texas, it’s top of mind for many. In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended importations of cattle, horses and bison from Mexico into the U.S. to prevent New World screwworm movement north following detection in Veracruz, Mexico. Texas A&M AgriLife ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Randolph Marcy got around If you’re ever in West Texas and encounter a lot of California place names, you’re probably on the old Marcy Trail, named for soldier and explorer Randolph Marcy. When California was the place where fortune seekers thought they ought to be, the Marcy Trail got them ...
Moisture check and the next three months
| Weather Forecast
all are doing well. Crazy that it is already Memorial Day Weekend and as I sit here and type to you, I thought it prudent to do a moisture check in and see where we are headed for the summer. So, let’s dig in… Rainfall Anomaly for The Past 30 ...
Texas A&M opens Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center
| Cover Story
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and The Texas A&M University System opened a new state-of-the-art Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center at Texas A&M-RELLIS campus May 6. The roughly 27,000 square-foot indoor and covered-outdoor biotechnology center in Bryan is a joint project of AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science. The new center ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
My column this month is not going to be very informative when it comes to the cattle industry, maybe because there is really nothing else that needs to be said about this incredible market. We continue to witness encouraging signs that the demand for beef is not only domestically but ...
Rangeland conditions vary dramatically across the state
| Crop and Weather
Conditions in rangelands and unimproved pasture vary dramatically across Texas based on precipitation as the warm-season forage growing period begins, said experts with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. At more than 92 million acres, rangelands represent Texas’ largest native cover type and comprise diverse ecosystems of native grasses and forbs ...
Beef producers stand to gain from UK agreement
| Industry News, Marketing
On Thursday, May 8, President Donald Trump announced a new trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) that he and White House officials say will significantly benefit the U.S. agriculture sector—especially beef producers. According to the White House, the deal will boost U.S. market access in the U.K. by $5 ...
Historic Common Ground Summit unites industry to secure America’s agricultural future
| Industry News
DENVER—In the face of mounting challenges, 40 leaders from across the livestock industry convened at the Common Ground Summit April 21-23 at Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel. Their shared mission: to safeguard rural communities, ensure America’s food independence and preserve a way of life central to the nation’s agricultural heritage. A ...
Secretary Rollins suspends live animal imports through ports of entry along southern border
| DC News
(Washington, D.C., May 11, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, effective immediately. NWS has ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Cooking the books Frederick Albert Cook was a doctor, explorer and Texas oil promoter who probably should have stuck with doctoring. He was a surgeon with Robert Peary’s Antarctic Expedition from 1897-99 and led expeditions to Mt. Everest in 1903 and 1906. Today, he’s still best known for claiming to ...
Fundamentals shove cattle prices higher
| Weighing the Market
Cattle price records continue falling, despite swirling volatility in equity and futures markets tied to uncertainty around U.S. tariffs on key trading partners. The weekly weighted average five-area direct fed steer price was record high the week ending May 2 at $220.97/cwt., according to the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC). That ...
Texas producers plant corn amid strong, but uncertain markets
| Crop and Weather
The corn market has been relatively strong as Texas producers monitor planted fields in southern areas and prepare to plant in the High Plains. But that strong market might not last due to market pressures and a large increase in projected planted acres nationwide, said Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Mystery of the Spider Rocks In 1902, a man named David M. Arnold rode into the town of Haskell and inquired as to the whereabouts of the town’s druggist, Caleb Terrell. Terrell had in his possession a treasure map he’d taken as payment for treating an elderly Hispanic man some ...
Is it time for a budget checkup?
| Production
FORSYTH, Mo. – Many cattle producers are gearing up for the hay season. Spring can be hectic on the farm, but it’s also an important time to check on where you’re heading financially. “With cattle prices as high as they have been, it can be easy to assume this will ...
Impacts of nutrition during finishing on beef quality
| Feed & Nutrition
We have discussed factors that impact meat quality from prefinishing segments of beef production and let’s discuss the impact of nutrition during finishing in the feedlot on beef quality. Grain-finishing in confinement remains the predominant finishing system in North America due to land-use and management efficiency and consistency of beef ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
In recent months, discussions around the transformation of the United States from a consumer-centric nation back to a working nation has gained momentum. It's akin to hitting the reset button on our economic and political trajectory, aiming to rejuvenate the workforce and manufacturing sectors that once stood as the backbone ...
Farm Bureau calls for clarity in WOTUS
| DC News
The American Farm Bureau Federation (ABF) on April 22nd asked for changes to the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule to bring it in line with the Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court ruling, which called for more clarity in water regulations. AFBF submitted comments in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s request for recommendations. ...
$280 Million in assistance to South Texas Agriculture Producers
| Crop and Weather, Industry News
AUSTIN – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have agreed to provide $280 million in grant assistance to agriculture producers with irrigation water rights along the Rio Grande River. This grant offers economic relief to producers affected by water ...
April Cattle on Feed points to higher placements, but fewer heifers
| Industry News
USDA released the April Cattle on Feed report on Thursday April 17th. The Thursday release was due to the 18th being Good Friday. Monthly Cattle on Feed reports estimate inventories for feedlots with capacity over 1,000 head, which represents over 80% of total on-feed inventory in the U.S. As of April ...
Wild April weather update
| Weather Forecast
As we wrap up April and look back at what it has produced, it has been pretty impressive. Severe thunderstorms and flooding have impacted many areas. Here is the rainfall anomaly (in inches above/below average) for the past 30 days. We finally put some water in the ground farther west, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The unsung saloonkeeper The gambler, gunfighter, cowboy and the occasional prostitute endure in the popular imagination as cliched Old West characters, but what about saloonkeepers? We dare to say the Old West would have been settled much later and in a much less entertaining fashion if not for saloons and ...
Weighing the Market
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Uncertainty grows with tariff wonderments Although cattle fundamentals are unchanged, Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University says all market bets are off amid the chaos wrought by evolving, far-reaching tariffs and the global response to them. “U.S. and global economies are being hit with a maelstrom ...
Heifers are key to rebuilding
| Cover Story, Production
Heifers are essential to rebuilding the U.S. cow herd. Depending on who you ask or what you read, some believe the rebuilding phase is underway, others think it hasn’t started yet, and some remain uncertain about when it will begin. Regardless, heifer retention remains the most reliable indicator that rebuilding ...
Investing in herd expansion: Time value of money and opportunity cost
| Production
The decision to rebuild the U.S. cowherd is based on profitability—not just current prices. According to the Livestock Marketing Information Center (LMIC), cow-calf returns in 2023 and 2024 are estimated at $252 and $443 per cow, respectively. At the same time, a common concern among producers is the cost of ...
Egg prices falling ahead of Easter demand
| Crop and Weather
Egg prices have been dropping, and a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert believes a continued downward trend should follow the Easter holiday. David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, said eggs typically reach a seasonal price peak around Easter, historically followed ...
Red Angus tenderness data released
| Breed News
Red Angus are above the industry average for tenderness. Since switching to Igenity Beef® as the association’s main commercial DNA panel in July 2024, almost 900 Red Angus cattle have been tested. Tenderness is an important consumer-level trait that is reported on each animal tested, and, overall, Red Angus looks ...
Pre-finishing nutrition’s impact on beef quality
| Production
Post-weaning management significantly influences beef quality, particularly through compensatory gain. Compensatory gains is the accelerated growth following a period of nutrient restriction. This growth response varies, with the greatest gains occurring when feed restriction is moderate and short. Studies show that restricted growth during the stocker phase can impact carcass ...
Management to reduce horn flies
| Herd Health
One of the realities of beef production is dealing with significant fly populations. The beef cattle industry loses millions of dollars each year due to external parasites. Blood loss, irritation and annoyance lead to reduced levels of performance due to flies. Horn flies are considered the most important external parasite ...
Jodi Jackson elected to IBBA Board of Directors
| Breed News
Jodi Jackson of Waco, Texas, was recently elected to the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Board of Directors and began serving her three-year term in March of this year. Jackson’s lifelong passion for the Brangus breed stems from her childhood growing up on a registered Brangus operation in Oklahoma. Her ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
As I sit in my office on April 15, 2025, Tax Day, I can’t help but sit back and ponder about what the rest of this year will be like. After reviewing several stories written about Texas agriculture including land prices, cattle inventory in the pastures, feedlot placements and number ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
La Menken and the First Horse Opera The term “horse opera” usually refers to the Singing Cowboys and the movie serials of the 1930s. Silent film star William S. Hart coined the term because musical interludes in these films sometimes featured the singing cowboy serenading his horse. In some snooty ...
Wheat production and prices are down, but options are available
| Crop and Weather
Wheat producers are in a tough position due to drought right now, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. However, there are options available that could improve their bottom line. Last year, coming into March and early April, the drought index was improving, but this year, conditions are worsening as ...
Brewing food security: Transforming food waste into sustainable nutrition
| Industry News, Uncategorized
As a food scientist, Reza Ovissipour, Ph.D., knows that one industry’s waste can be another’s solution to feeding a growing population — once you perfect the fermentation process. In his lab at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Food Science and Technology, he is pioneering ways to ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I drove by a Tesla dealership last week, only to see people standing in front of the entrance asking us to boycott Tesla. I don’t own an electric vehicle. The closest I have come is my battery powered leaf blower. But I do appreciate the ingenuity behind Tesla and the ...
Importance of managing inputs with high cattle prices
| Cover Story
2025 is expected to be another year of high cattle prices as a result of, primarily, tight supplies. Average weekly prices for 500-600-pound steer calves across the country have increased by roughly 10 percent with fed steer prices also increasing 10 percent year over year. Week to week, there has ...
Hay season is coming
| Pastures & Forages, Uncategorized
The value of a hay bale is determined by a complex set of supply and demand factors. We can summarize this by saying that hay, especially in drought conditions, acts an essential item for the cowherd. Thus, it will be purchased for the cows regardless of price until it reaches ...
Five ways to reduce unit cost of production in a cow-calf enterprise
| Production
Unit cost of production is a ratio where costs in the numerator are divided by the units produced in the denominator There are five ways to reduce unit costs of production in a cow-calf enterprise. Decrease costs while keeping production the same. An example of this would be to sell unneeded ...
USDA announces $10 billion for farmers amidst economic hardship, uncertainty
| DC News
LITTLE ROCK – As farmers face high input costs, low commodity prices and a postponed farm bill, the USDA is issuing up to $10 billion in direct economic assistance to agricultural producers. The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, will provide payments to growers based ...
Brangus Value Project proves Brangus are built for profit
| Breed News
The Brangus Value Project (BVP), launched nearly four years ago as a collaborative effort between the International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) Breed Improvement Committee and the International Brangus Breeders Foundation (IBBF), continues to showcase the breed’s superior economic and production advantages. This initiative was designed to benchmark the terminal value ...
Bulls and breeding soundness examinations
| Reproduction
A significant portion of reproductive failures in cow-calf enterprises are due to the fertility of the herd bull. With turnout just around the corner, it’s time to focus on your bull battery. Most spring calving cow-calf operations are 30-60 days from the start of the breeding season. There are some ...
Updated look at spring and summer
| Weather Forecast
As I sit here and type this, folks in far South Texas, East Texas and points eastward have been getting some solid rain. In fact, here is what the total rainfall has looked like for the past week (March 23rd through March 30th) Obviously, other areas have not been as ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Who Is Bozo Texino? The question has been asked many times and in many ways: “Who is Bozo Texino?” We have to assume that people have been asking that question since the late 1920s, when Bozo Texino burst upon the art scene, provided we’re willing to make room for railroad ...
Texas sheep and goat prices rise as supply tightens
| Crop and Weather
Texas sheep and goat producers are benefiting from strong market conditions in early 2025 with seasonal supply trends supporting elevated prices. Current market conditions are in line with expected seasonal patterns, with a tighter supply leading to higher prices, said Jake Thorne, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service sheep and goat program ...
Don’t underestimate the cost of late calving cows
| Cover Story, Marketing
Reproductive efficiency has a major impact on the profitability of a cow-calf operation. Discussions around this topic often focus on getting cows bred, which is definitely a crucial first step. Most economic research suggests either culling open cows or only retaining them in specific/unique situations. However, getting cows bred in ...
The Other Side of Texas
| Columnists
After the unfortunate event that took place this past weekend in Gillespie County, I would like to dedicate this column to the amazing men and women who donate their personal time to be volunteer firefighters all across the state of Texas. To me, these brave and giving people remind me ...
Grady Green elected IBBA President for 2025–2026
| Breed News
SAN ANTONIO, TX — The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) has elected Grady Green of El Dorado, Arkansas as its president for the 2025–2026 term. A lifelong cattleman, Green brings extensive experience in both registered and commercial Brangus operations. He currently serves as president of Draggin’ M Ranch, one of ...
Emerging data begins to quantify value beef and dairy crossbred cattle bring to U.S. beef supply chain
| Industry News
DENVER, Colorado --New data from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is beginning to shed light on the impact of beef and dairy crossbred cattle on the beef supply chain. While limited in scope, the data collected to date suggests the growing number of beef-on-dairy animals is contributing to higher cattle ...
USDA to establish New World Screwworm sterile fly barrier zone in Mexico
| DC News
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) is adjusting its New World Screwworm (NWS) sterile fly dispersal strategy to push the devastating pest back toward the previously established biological barrier in Panama. USDA-APHIS is shifting its dispersal efforts to Mexico—the northernmost point of the outbreak—using ...
Weighing the Market
| Weighing the Market
Cattle price ride out tariff confusion Cattle markets continue to mostly fade the heat of tariff confusion, eroding consumer confidence and increased uncertainty and volatility. Moreover, Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University says cattle markets are expected to continue strong, barring major macroeconomic disruption, such as ...
Bull to female ratios important to calving season
| Reproduction
Breeding season is approaching, and bull turnout is only weeks away for herds that plan to start calving next January. The first goal of breeding season is to get cows bred early in breeding season resulting in more calves born earlier in calving season, shorter breeding/calving seasons, older calves at weaning ...
Brangus breeders gather in Houston to shape the future of the breed
| Breed News
SAN ANTONIO, TX — The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) convened for its annual convention during the opening week of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The event featured committee meetings, a board of directors’ session, and the annual general membership meeting. Attendees also participated in the National Show for ...
San Antonio All Breed Bull and Commercial Female Sale Hits 34-Year Record
| Cover Story
The 34th Annual San Antonio All Breed Bull and Commercial Female Sale reached a historic milestone, drawing a standing-room-only crowd and an exceptionally active market. As producers focused on rebuilding their herds with top-quality cattle, the sale, held on Feb. 11 and 12 in conjunction with the San Antonio Livestock ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Question of the day. Which would you have more confidence in? An internal audit or an independent audit? Many of our readers belong to one or more non-profit organizations. Various cattle associations, as well as our different breed associations are non-profit organizations. Currently, I serve on the board of the ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Crash at Crush William George Crush came to Texas from Chicago in 1893 to work as a ticket agent for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. In 1896, during a period of lagging ticket scales, Crush, like the Grinch, had “a wonderful awful idea.” Crush proposed staging a head-on collision between two ...
The skinny on what your hay bales really weigh
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
COLUMBIA, Missouri – Ask five cattlemen how much their hay bales weigh, and you’ll probably get five different answers — none of which are backed up by a scale ticket. “That’s because most folks think they know their bale weights, but more often than not, they’re guessing,” says University of ...
Price risk always exists, even in a bull market
| Marketing
I doubt many would take issue with me calling the last couple of years a “bull market” for cattle. The combination of tight supplies and strong demand has resulted in cattle markets tracing an upward trajectory over the last couple of years. As an illustration, the chart below tracks the ...
Keep them fit
| Reproduction
While reading some industry information, I was reminded about an article Dr. Burris wrote for Cow Country News a few years ago. The focus of his article was to treat your herd bulls like an athlete; keep them fit and in great working shape. As always, it was a super ...
Hay supplies mixed, new crop outlook hinges on rainfall
| Pastures & Forages
Current hay supplies across the state depend on conditions of winter-planted forage crops and rainfall, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Winter forages such as ryegrass and oats have helped supplement hay feeding, while ranchers who opted not to plant winter forage crops have relied solely on available hay supplies. ...
February Cattle on feed and feedlot sizes
| Industry News, Production
The February Cattle on Feed report was released Feb. 21st and reported 11.7 million head of cattle in feedlots on Feb. 1st. This was a 0.7 percent decrease from Feb. 1, 2024. Marketings were up 1.4 percent year over year. There were no big surprises in the report relative to ...
Corporate Transparency Act is back, with new March 21 filing deadline
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — The Corporate Transparency Act, a law aimed at combating financial crime, is back in play with a new filing deadline after a federal district judge lifted a stay he imposed last month. “Since the stay has been lifted, the CTA is again enforceable,” said Elizabeth Rumley, a senior ...
U.S. farmers expected to increase corn acreage as prices remain resilient
| Feed & Nutrition
U.S. farmers are projected to shift acreage to corn this spring as corn prices maintain an impressive run while prices for competing crops struggle to keep pace. Corn prices have been buoyed by tight global stocks, strong export demand and record ethanol production. Profitable feeding margins in the livestock and ...
Abby Geye Joins International Brangus Breeders Association as Director of Operations
| Breed News
The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) has welcomed Abby Geye as its new director of operations. A native of Rising Star, Texas, Geye brings extensive experience in the registered cattle industry, as well as expertise in administrative and financial management. In her new role, Geye will oversee IBBA’s daily operations, ...
La Niña and updated seasonal forecast
| Weather Forecast
As I was mentioning last month when we chatted, La Niña had likely peaked and was on its way out. Well, let’s see if that is the case… We still have some cooler than average water in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, but areas eastward along equator to South America ...
Who will take over the ranch?
| Cover Story
As Benjamin Franklin famously said, “Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” And most ranchers don’t like to discuss either. But having a ranch succession plan in place can ensure the future of your land and legacy when you’re no longer at the helm. While estate planning is what makes ...
Prices strong amid market volatility
| Weighing the Market
Market volatility ratcheted higher last month as cattle imports from Mexico resumed, a new strain of bird flu was confirmed in dairy cattle and uncertainty tied to political risk increased.Even so, prices remain near historic levels with the promise of more of the same, fueled by declining cattle numbers and ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of a better feeling than when you get something like a scheduled event completed. Some examples would be your income tax, Christmas shopping, working your calves, turning the bulls out and so on. For me, it’s getting the San Antonio All Breed ...
Hay supplies mixed, new crop outlook hinges on rainfall
| Crop and Weather
Current hay supplies across the state depend on conditions of winter-planted forage crops and rainfall, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Winter forages such as ryegrass and oats have helped supplement hay feeding, while ranchers who opted not to plant winter forage crops have relied solely on available hay supplies. ...
Texas beef herd grows slightly amid record prices
| Genetics & Performance, Industry News, Production
The Texas beef cattle herd grew slightly since January 2024, but the overall U.S. herd remains near its lowest numbers since 1961. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts expect several factors to continue working against a rebuild of the Texas beef cattle herd. The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture survey showed the U.S. herd ...
Noble Research Institute expands educational offerings with release of new Noble Land Essentials Online course
| Industry News
ARDMORE, Oklahoma -Noble Research Institute, a trusted resource for farmers and ranchers since 1945, has announced the release of its newest program, Noble Land Essentials Online. This fully online and self-paced version of Noble’s in-person course focuses on teaching farmers and ranchers soil health principles to restore and improve their grazing lands. ...
New Land Trends Report highlights status of and shifts in Texas’ agricultural lands
| Cover Story
The document is a critical resource to help understand the complex makeup of Texas’ agricultural lands and the challenges presented by rapid economic and population changes.The report describes the status and recent changes in land values, ownership size and land use of privately owned Texas working lands. It shows on ...
MU Extension offers beef feeding financial tool
| Feed & Nutrition
A risk management strategy for buying or retaining cattle is the goal of a new tool from University of Missouri Extension. The tool, developed by MU Extension agricultural business specialist Rachel Hopkins, is a free Excel spreadsheet tool that lets producers track input costs of groups of cattle. “You’ve got ...
More to manure than meets the eye
| Feed & Nutrition, Production
Over the last three decades, South Texas cattle producer Bob McCan has discovered more about his rangeland and pasture conditions from analyzing manure than any academic paper or ranch consultation could provide. McCan is one of many producers nationwide who rely on Texas A&M AgriLife Research’s Grazingland Animal Nutrition Lab, GAN Lab, ...
How do I get my cows to eat poor quality hay?
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
To encourage cows to eat low-quality hay, you can consider a few strategies: 1. Supplementation: Providing supplemental feeds, especially those rich in protein, can make low-quality hays more digestible and increase passage rate. For example, enhancing low protein hays with a high protein supplement can provide essential nutrients that might be lacking ...
Fed puts off interest rate cuts as consumers keep spending like it’s 2022
| Production
LITTLE ROCK — The Fed’s painstaking decisions to boost interest rates helped slow the economy, but a holiday-fueled acceleration may mean any cuts to the interest rates may be pushed past the second or third quarter this year. February's report from the NY Federal Reserve Bank shows the rise of in household debt. ...
National Ag Law Center highlights urgency of Corporate Transparency Act with March webinar
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — If you own a small business, farm, or share beneficial ownership of an entity, you are likely subject to a new reporting requirement in 2024. The Corporate Transparency Act is directed at small businesses or entities who have beneficial owners, and failure to comply with reporting may ...
Cattle inventory report
| Marketing, Uncategorized
The latest USDA-NASS Cattle report affirmed tighter U.S. cattle supplies. As of January 1, 2025, there were 86.7 million head of cattle in the U.S. Breakdowns by categories were generally lower by the same percentage as the overall total. Beef cows were lower, while milk cows were steady. All heifer types were ...
Cattle and Bison Imports from Mexico resume under new protocol
| Feed & Nutrition, Industry News
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 1, 2025 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the resumption of cattle and bison imports from Mexico. Imports are scheduled to resume within the next several days. To protect U.S. livestock and other animals, APHIS halted shipments of Mexican cattle and bison in November 2024 after a positive detection of New World ...
Texas Trails
| Uncategorized
Bose Ikard’s splendid behavior One reason the relatively brief cattle drive era, which lasted from the end of the Civil War to the early 1880s, had such an impact on history was because the cattle drives allowed men to rise above the circumstances of their upbringing and education to make ...
Year-end and new year financial planning tips
| Industry News
Saving more and making better money management decisions are among the top resolutions people make for the new year. Employing some basic money management strategies can help you reach your personal financial goals and prepare for your financial future. “The end of the year is a good time to reflect ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I encourage everyone to follow the Department of Government Efficiency on X. It went live on Nov. 12, 2024. But what you really want to see is all the examples of fraud, waste and abuse our government has allowed in recent years. But before I give some of these examples, ...
LBJ and the Sad Irons
| Columnists
Lyndon Johnson has been called “the last of our frontier presidents” and that doesn’t miss the mark by much. He wasn’t born in a log cabin in the early 1800s, ala Abraham Lincoln, but in a farmhouse on the Pedernales River in 1908. His grandfather, Sam Ealy Johnson, Sr., bought ...
Shipman: Impact of 2024 elections on agriculture ‘a lot to talk about’
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the 119th U.S. Congress beginning and President Trump back in the White House, what developments and changes can the agricultural community expect going forward? Shipman said he expects attempts to claw back Inflation Reduction Act funding in a number of areas, such as energy. (Image courtesy Hunt ...
Wildfire preparedness publication to aid Texas landowners
| Industry News
A new publication released by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service aims at helping landowners take preventive measures to mitigate the impact of wildfires. Wildfire: Preparing the Ranch is an online educational resource debuting at Fire and Rangeland Management Symposiums in the Texas Panhandle. The first event was in Pampa on Jan. 21 ...
Soil moisture levels improve for some, worsen for others
| Crop and Weather
Drought conditions continue to influence agricultural production across more than half the state, but large swaths of Texas are experiencing the best soil moisture in years, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Some parts of the state are going into spring with a good soil moisture profile. However, according to ...
Research sparks prevention techniques for wildfires and outages
| Industry News, Uncategorized
Fires can start in 10s of milliseconds, and approximately 10% of wildfires are started by something related to the power system. For over 30 years, researchers in the Power System Automation Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University have been studying ways to monitor ...
Placements below expectations in January Cattle-on-Feed Report
| Industry News, Uncategorized
The January Cattle on Feed report was released on Jan. 24th. Total on-feed inventory to start the year was estimated at a little over 11.8 million head, which is down by just under 1% from January of 2024. Despite the fact that feeder cattle supplies have been lower, feedlot inventories ...
Cattle recordkeeping system for success
| Feed & Nutrition, Industry News
STOCKTON, Missouri – “As a new year begins, cattle producers may find value in looking back at the previous year to evaluate the operation’s productivity and profitability,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. In this previous year’s evaluation, cattle producers should evaluate their recordkeeping system and ...
10 ways to manage high input costs in 2025
| Industry News, Uncategorized
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agronomist Wayne Flanary says 2025 likely will be a year when corn producers need to batten down the hatches to offset low sale prices and high input costs. MU Extension ag business economist Ben Brown and others predict that corn prices will ...
Who still has drought to overcome?
| Weather Forecast
Hey folks, I hope the first month of 2025 has been going well for you. I wanted to take this opportunity to look at where we stand with soil moisture, drought and what lies ahead in the short term. Fortunately, most of us are in pretty good shape when it ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Happy New Year and welcome to 2025! The year is starting with a bang. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a yearolder or maybe just I’m getting more disorganized, but it seems like my world is spinning like a merry-go-round and I’m barely hanging on. If you are in the cattle business, which most of you are if you’re reading this column, I thinkthis year is going to be very rewarding. I was watching a video the other night of some calves selling ...
Terminal crossbreeding: A missed opportunity
| Genetics & Performance
Crossbreeding is one of the most underexploited breeding tools in the beef industry. The industry’s recent push for larger carcass weights while keeping cow costs at a minimum has brought terminal crossbreeding programs to the forefront. Dr. Mark Thallman, a research geneticist from the USDA Meat Animal Research Center in ...
Historical perspective on feedlot exit/market weights
| Marketing
Currently, one of the common discussion items in the feedlot industry is cattle exit weights. Feedyard managers have continued to market both steers and heifers at greater exit weights in recent months. Data from the October 2024, K-State Focus on Feedlots reported an average final weight 1,497 lbs. for steers ...
An overall look back at 2024
| Industry News
As we look back on 2024, there are many things to be thankful for and reflect on, with many more things to look forward to and plan for in 2025 concerning the cattle market. Tight supplies, record-level/breaking prices, carcass weights and culling rates were some of the main talking points ...
How moldy hay or baleage can impact livestock production
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
Hay is a staple feed for livestock in the southern U.S.A., providing protein, energy, and fiber. It has been a tough year for good hay production and producers are trying to utilize any possible available hay, but with that comes mold issues. Most hay can become moldy when it is ...
Have a plan for lice control this winter
| Herd Health
Lice negatively impact the health, performance,and wellbeing of our cows, stockers and feedlot cattle during the winter months. The months of greatest lice infestations generally range from December through March. Not only can lice be the cause of direct animal performance losses, but also increases wear and tear on our ...
Four questions the 2025 cattle market will need to answer
| Marketing
Trends are always difficult to ascertain coming out of holiday periods as many markets are closed and volumes tend to be pretty light, but cattle prices have started 2025 very strong. While questions exist on the demand side, tight cattle supplies will remain the primary driver in the new year ...
Feeder cattle expected to start crossing at Mexico border again
| Industry News
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) suspended imports of live cattle and bison from Mexico on Nov. 22, 2024, after detecting New World screwworm (NWS) near Mexico’s southern border. This decision aimed to prevent the spread of NWS, a pest that poses serious risks to cattle health. ...
FAPC spotlights food trends for 2025
| Industry News
Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center (FAPC) explores the future of flavor with a look into some of the 2025 food trends. The culinary landscape is buzzing with new trends, some familiar and others emerging as frontrunners in the industry. Social media has played a powerful role, ...
The on-again, off-again Corporate Transparency Act has March 25 court date, but SCOTUS may get first crack
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas - After being reinstated and paused again by panels of the United States 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in December, the Corporate Transparency Act has a March 25 date before the whole court, unless the U.S. Supreme Court gets to it first. On New Year’s Eve, the Department of ...
Cedar fever’ season begins in Texas
| Uncategorized
It’s time for Texans to brace for ‘cedar fever’ season once again. Cedar fever is an allergic reaction to the pollen released by mountain cedar trees and, unfortunately, you don’t have to be allergic to the pollen for it to affect you. In Texas, what is known colloquially as mountain ...
Know the signs of impending calving in cows or heifers
| Reproduction
As calving season approaches, pregnant cows will show typical signs that will indicate parturition is imminent. Changes that are gradually seen are udder development, or making bag, and the relaxation and swelling of the vulva or springing. These indicate the cow is due to calve in the near future. There ...
Building upon the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo legacy
| Cover Story
The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo’s mission is to be a volunteer organization that emphasizes agriculture and education to develop the youth of Texas. Each year, thousands of exhibitors compete in a wide array of stock shows and youth competitions. “We like to showcase different events and competitions that ...
Weighing the market
| Weighing the Market
Cattle markets power into new year Cattle prices barreled into 2025, propelled by strong consumer beef demand, declining cattle numbers and slower packer production. For perspective the weighted average five-area direct FOB live steer price the first full week of January was record-high at $202.58/cwt. The weighted five-area average dressed delivered ...
The mineral supplementation puzzle: Pre-made mixes vs. single ingredients
| Feed & Nutrition
Minerals are an important piece to the cattle herd nutrition puzzle. Supplementation method is important to examine, as mineral supplementation is another cost in maintaining a herd. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of pre-made mineral mixes on the market for cattle producers to purchase. The price of these products ...
Genetics for a better cow herd
| Genetics & Performance
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Improving fertility in cows involves leveraging genetic selection and advanced genomic tools to enhance reproductive performance. But genetic potential is only half the battle. Environment is the other half, said University of Missouri Extension state beef genetics specialist Jamie Courter. “Fertility is a lowly heritable trait and, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Karl May’s Cactus Forest Karl May is the best-selling author you’ve probably never heard of, even though his books have reportedly sold about 200 million copies over the years and he is the best-selling German writer of all time. He set about 20 of his books in Texas and the ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The vote has been certified, Jan. 20th is just around the corner and cattle prices have never been higher! The year 2025 promises to be a year like none other. Politically, we may see more change in a short period than we have seen in decades. Regardless of what side of ...
Managing beef cows during cold stress
| Cover Story
Cow-calf producers generally recognize that winter weather is a stressor which increases cow nutrient requirements. The practical questions that must be asked when managing cowherds through cold stress events are “What is cold to cow?”, “What nutrients increase and by how much?”, and “How should the feeding program be adjusted ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A short history of beer in Texas The people who settled Texas were thirsty. They arrived thirsty and stayed that way. Since most of them came from Europe, they were thirsty for beer as much—or more— than anything else. In its absence, they resorted to concoctions like potato beer and ...
December Cattle on Feed Report and cautionary note on “Demand Destruction”
| Industry News
On Friday, Dec. 20th USDA NASS released the latest Cattle on Feed report. Dec.1st inventory was estimated at 11.98 million, on par with 2023. Placements in November were estimated at 1.80 million, down 4% from 2023 while marketings were estimated at 1.73 million, down 1% from 2023. Overall, this report was ...
Corporate Transparency Act, Foreign Ownership, Chevron shift mark turbulent 2024
| DC News
LITTLE ROCK — Upending of a 40-year precedent in rulemaking and a pair of end-of-year plot twists for two laws meant to prevent fraud and improve national security were just some of the events that marked a turbulent year in agricultural and environmental laws. "It seems like just a few days ...
Advocacy is needed
| Industry News
Only 2% of U.S. citizens work in production agriculture. It is a foregone conclusion that virtually everyone reading this article is among that 2%. Therefore, we understand where food comes from, that beef cattle under our care and management have a higher standard of living than if they were released ...
Third-Quarter U.S. Beef Exports slightly higher than expected
| Production
September beef exports totaled nearly 240 million pounds, about 4 percent higher year over year. Monthly exports were up year over year to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Mexico. Exports to countries outside the top six were also strong in September, increasing 5 million pounds, nearly 14 percent over the ...
La Niña update
| Weather Forecast
Hey folks, I hope you had a great finish to 2024 and an even better start to 2025. It is time to check on our old friend La Niña and see what she is up to… You can see from the graphic below that there is a solid swath of ...
Trump selects Texas native Brooke Rollins as next Secretary of Agriculture
| Cover Story
Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), has been appointed as the next Secretary of Agriculture by President-elect Donald Trump. Announcing the decision Trump praised Rollins for her "unwavering commitment to American farmers, the protection of U.S. food self-sufficiency and the revitalization of agriculture-dependent small ...
Why forage is the cornerstone of a working ranch horse’s diet
| Cover Story
For ranch horses, a forage-based diet is not just a recommendation; it’s essential for their health, energy and overall performance. Understanding their unique digestive system helps highlight why forage is a critical component of their diet. Working ranch horses play a vital role in daily ranch operations, and their ability ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Tiger Torn and the black-eyed pea If you’re superstitious, Texan, or Southern, the odds are good that black-eyed peas are part of your New Year’s Day menu every year because eating black-eyed peas on Jan. 1 is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity the rest of the year. Popular ...
AgriLife reports on crop and weather
| Crop and Weather
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries of Texas Crop and Weather reports the week of November 25th. A map of the 12 Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service districts. Central Temperatures cooled off and the district experienced the first frost of the season. A few areas received scattered showers, ...
Thousands of farmers could unknowingly face federal fines or jail time
| DC News
Time is running out for thousands of farmers who may face steep fines and possible jail time for failing to file their businesses with the federal government. Jan. 1, 2025, is the deadline to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). New analysis ...
Breakthrough could revolutionize future of tick control
| Herd Health
Research collaboration by the Texas A&M Department of Entomology and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, creates potential for genetic tools to control disease-spreading ticks. A recently published study by Jason Tidwell, a part-time graduate student in the Texas A&M College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Department of Entomology and full-time microbiologist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research ServiceCattle ...
Cattle prices strengthen
| Weighing the Market
Improved wheat pasture prospects and declining cattle numbers are adding demand for calves and feeder cattle. Surging post-election equity markets have strengthened market underpinning. “Weekly cattle prices have rebounded from September’s relative lows to establish new highs for October and November,” according to analysts with USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), ...
Cattle imports from Mexico restricted after new world screwworm detection
| Industry News
Big news broke over the weekend of Nov. 23rd as Mexico notified the USDA of a positive detection of New World screwworm in a cow in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. The USDA-APHIS announcement noted the case was identified at an inspection checkpoint near the border with Guatemala. As a result, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The snow capped mountains of Lubbock Dime story novelists of the early 19th century shaped the early world view of Texas. Thomas Mayne Reid, who wrote dozens of books under the byline Captain Mayne Reid, was one of the most popular of those writers. Reid was a rebellious Irish lad ...
Turkey prices low ahead of Thanksgiving holiday
| Crop and Weather
Consumers should find good whole turkey prices, but that could change as the holiday season progresses due to lower production and supplies than last year, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, said prices on ...
Is anyone keeping heifers?
| Genetics & Performance, Production
Is anyone keeping heifers? It’s a question I’ve been asked at every cattleman’s meeting I’ve been to this fall—and one I’ve been asking myself. The answer appears to be a definitive no from all the information I’ve gathered. Every data source I can think of points to the same conclusion. ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
What just happened? Our government operates under a system of checks and balances, with power divided among three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. Each of these branches plays a critical role in shaping national policies. Winning control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White ...
Cattle nutrition: Fall-calving cows
| Feed & Nutrition
With the fall-calving season here, it is time to handle increased cow nutrition needs at calving and during lactation. A dry, pregnant cow experiences a shift in nutrient requirements leading up to calving and providing proper nutrition during this crucial time will influence milk production and reproductive efficiency. The main ...
AgriLife Extension offers educational programs Dec. 3-4 at Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show
| Industry News, Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer two days of educational programming during the Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show on Dec. 3 and Dec. 4 at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza Ballroom, 401 S. Buchanan St., Amarillo. The Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show will be open from 9 a.m. to ...
La Niña update
| Weather Forecast
Historically, if La Niña is going to strengthen, this is the time of year it will happen. So, let’s see what it's up to… The graphic above shows how La Niña has been behaving since the middle of August. Remember, to be classified a La Niña, that dotted blue line ...
Texas Crop and Weather
| Crop and Weather
Honey production up in 2024 after a difficult 2023 As beekeepers finish up their last fall harvest, honey production is looking better than last year, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Garrett Slater, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension honeybee specialist and assistant professor in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, works to ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Robbing the treasury The term “hell breaking loose” is apt when describing what Texas was like in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. It got that way when word finally reached Texas that the war was over and the South had lost. The word was not widely believed and ...
DC News
| DC News
NCBA slams Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommendations The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) slammed the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s unhinged recommendations that propose replacing high-quality proteins like beef with beans, peas and lentils. “The preview meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee this week stands out as one of the ...
Cowherd expansion considerations
| Cover Story
Fall of 2024 is officially here. The U.S. beef herd inventory was at 28.2 million cows as of January 2024. During the last peak of the cattle cycle in January of 2019, the U.S. beef herd inventory reached 31.6 million cows. That is a drop of 3.4 million cows (11% of the inventory) ...
Weighing the Market
| Weighing the Market
Consumer beef demand underpins cattle prices Choice boxed beef cutout values were on a tear through most of October as packers reduced production and consumers continued to buy more beef year over year at higher prices. Wholesale Choice beef prices reached $323.50/cwt. on Oct. 28, which was $11.04 higher than ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
For those of you that are as busy as I am, let me point out that we are in the second week of November already. Wehave approximately 20 days until Thanksgiving, 45 days until Christmas and 51 days before we must start writing 2025on everything. It’s incredible how fast each year flies by and what seemed like only yesterday, I was celebrating the NewYear, getting ready for the San Antonio All Breed Sale and preparing my income taxes. I now realize that I’m going tohave to do it all again very soon. I would like to think that this year has been more interesting than most others in the past for two important reasons.Personally, I don’t recall a year when the cattle business had the best of both worlds…above normal rainfall and a strong cattle market. For you operators in Southwest Texas and West Texas, this ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Every four years comes around and I have a column where I encourage you to get out and vote. JUST VOTE! Now, I understand that not all of you wear maroon as I do. Some of you wear burnt orange. Vote anyway! We can all agree to disagree at times, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Mules: An appreciation Horses are quick to grab the lion’s share of history’s glamour and glory, but certain old-timers have always been partial to mules. “A lot of people never think about it, but mules made the United States,” says Clements W. “Speedy” Duncan in the book Harder Than Hardscrabble, an ...
Breed associations announce new leadership
| Breed News
Dr. Lance Bauer announced as BBU Executive Vice President Dr. Lance Bauer has been announced as the Beefmaster Breeder United (BBU) Executive Vice-President. Lance Bauer grew up in the Texas Hill Country, where his family raised commercial cattle and sheep. He attended Texas A&M University and obtained a bachelor’s degree ...
The 3 Ps of herd expansion: Profit, pasture and patience
| Cover Story
As I write this article in early October, beef cow inventory is at a 62-year low. Tight supplies have driven cattle markets and calf prices have increased by roughly $1 per lb. over the last two years. With limited heifer retention and beef cow slaughter on track to exceed 10% ...
Texas forage producers battling fall armyworms
| Crop and Weather
defend high value pastures and fields for hay and grazing, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension’s statewide integrated pest management coordinator and associate department head for the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, said he’s seen reports about spotty outbreaks of fall armyworms in parts of Texas ...
Cattle and beef markets
| Marketing
cattle futures and feeder cattle futures rallied to close to levels seen prior to the second price break in August. We are still some distance from the levels seen at the beginning of the year, but moves in September were strongly higher, and the discussions are markedly different from the ...
DC News
| DC News
NCBA releases findings from Cattle Producer Tax Survey WASHINGTON (October 8, 2024) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) released a report analyzing data collected in a nationwide tax survey of America’s cattle producers. With the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025, ...
Drought Update
| Weather Forecast
As we move deeper into fall, it is important to see where we stand with ongoing and developing drought. The current (as of October 15th) Drought Monitor looks like this: You can see that MUCH of the country is dealing with drought issues. Zooming in a bit closer, you can ...
The Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists, Uncategorized
Some of you may recall in my last column, I wrote about my son, Matt, getting married last month in Oregon. I amhappy to report that the wedding did take place and let me tell you something…it was gorgeous. Matt & Molly, my newdaughter-in-law, found a wedding venue outside of Sisters, Oregon which is situated about 153 miles southeast of Portland. If you’ve never been to Oregon, I highly recommend it because they have the most beautiful forest I’ve ever seen, picturesque waterfalls and towering mountain peaks from old volcanoes. Vicki and I flew ...
Texas Crop and Weather
| Crop and Weather, Uncategorized
While many areas of the state received badly needed rains weeks ago, most of the benefits to agricultural producers are evaporating due to less than adequate rain and higher-than-normal temperatures statewide. The previous rains were a boon for agricultural producers and helped with some crop plantings and establishment, but soil ...
Seasonality in feeder cattle prices
| Marketing
The fall months are when a majority of producers across the country are selling spring-born calves or yearlings from last fall. Due to the increase in supply of calves, prices typically decline during these months. A way to show this seasonality trend is to look at the seasonal price index. ...
Farmer sentiment reaches lowest levels since 2016
| Industry News
Declining income expectations pushed farmer sentiment down as the barometer fell 12 points to 88, and the Index of Future Expectations dropped 14 points to 94. The Index of Current Conditions also fell 7 points to 76, which nearly matched levels seen in April 2020, during the height of COVID-19 ...
Six ways beef on dairy cattle bring value to the beef supply chain
| Genetics & Performance
Over the last five years, Dale Woerner, Ph.D., professor and Cargill endowed professor at Texas Tech University, and his team have dedicated their research to learning more about beef-on-dairy crossbreds. From genetics to processing, they closely observed meat quality, carcass yield and consumer preferences. Their findings revealed that with genetic ...
Weighing the Market
| Columnists, Weighing the Market
Unwinding cattle futures prices and bearish sentiment weighed on cash prices until a mid-September bounce that offered a glimpse of underlying fundamental strength and higher prices on the horizon. Glynn Tonsor, agricultural economist at Kansas State University (K-State) provided perspective at the recent K-State Beef Stocker Field Day. He believes ...
Recognizing economic risk on the ranch
| Cover Story, Industry News
One of the primary overarching economic risks that many cattle ranchers face without realizing is that the economic production model that is currently in place for their operation will not consistently be profitable over the long term. It may be that since the ranch was put together the competitive advantage ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Great Western Mention the Great Western to some people and they might think you’re trying to start a discussion about Lonesome Doveor True Grit. Or maybe you’re referencing a railroad. Wrong, and wrong. The Great Western we’re talking about here would be a woman known by many names, the final one ...
Financial opportunities of cull cow marketing
| Marketing
We, as cow-calf producers, typically focus most of our marketing efforts on calves. Accordingly, little marketing effort is put into cull cows and bulls. While pregnancy and culling rates vary between operations; over time, the sale of cull breeding stock accounts for roughly 20 percent of gross revenue in a ...
53rd annual South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic set for Oct. 25 in Brenham
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Washington County will host the 53rd annual South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic on Oct. 25 in Brenham. The event will be held at the Washington County Expo Sales Facility, 1305 E. Blue Bell Road from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Online registration is available ...
Annual Beef Cattle and Forage Management Seminar set for Oct. 28 in Franklin
| Industry News, Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Robertson County is hosting the annual Beef Cattle and Forage Management Seminar on Oct. 28 in Franklin. The program will be held at the Pridgeon Community Center, 551 Cooks Lane, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $60 and preregistration and payment ...
When is an hour of operator labor, not just an hour of operator labor?
| Uncategorized
As an Extension Economist, I regularly have the opportunity to talk about cow-calf profitability. I usually start with revenues, talking about calf prices and making assumptions about weaning weight and weaning rate. Then I walk through costs like winter feed (hay), pasture maintenance, breeding, vet/medicine, trucking, sale expenses, etc. While ...
USDA launches online debt consolidation tool to increase farmer and rancher financial viability
| DC News
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing the launch of the Debt Consolidation Tool, an innovative online tool available through farmers.gov that allows agricultural producers to enter their farm operating debt and evaluate the potential savings that might be provided by obtaining a debt consolidation loan with USDA’s Farm Service Agency ...
Time to do a check up on your bulls
| Reproduction
STOCKTON, Missouri. – “It is time to begin preparing for the upcoming breeding season,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. In preparation for the upcoming breeding season, Davis offers management strategies to make sure bulls are ready for a successful breeding season. “Manage bulls to a ...
Beef-on-Dairy is a growing trend
| Cover Story
Beef-on-dairy refers to using beef semen on dairy cows to increase the value of calves that will not be retained as dairy replacement heifers. The increased calf value from beef-on-dairy comes from improved feedlot performance, meat yield, and quality, where quality refers to muscle size and shape. Growth in beef-on-dairy has ...
Are we nearing expansion? A look at cow slaughter and the inventory cycle
| Marketing, Production
The U.S. beef cow herd inventory has received significant attention recently, due to historically low levels driven by market prices and drought conditions that have incentivized producers to sell. Droughts impacted much of the U.S. in 2011-2014 and again in 2021-2023, coinciding with the contraction phase of the cow cycle. ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The day is Sept.24th, and one-fourth of the college football season is already over! My Texas A&M Aggies are 3-1 with an opening loss to Notre Dame and victories over mighty McNeese State, the floundering Florida Gators and the tougher than expected Bowling Green Falcons. As per usual, we are ...
2024 wine grape harvest comes early with good quality, quantity
| Industry News
Overall, Texas wine grape producers have enjoyed one of their best harvests of the past five years, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Grape growers in most areas did face increased pest and disease pressure, and vineyards in multiple regions reported heavy hail damage to fruit and vines. But most ...
Registration for David McKnight ’73 Ranch Management University open
| Industry News
The award-winning David McKnight ’73 Ranch Management University is scheduled for Oct. 21-25 at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Turf Facility, 3100 F&B Road, in Bryan-College Station. The workshop is a collaboration of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Department of Animal Science, Department of Agricultural Economics and the Department of Rangeland, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Dallas vice The first grand jury in Dallas County convened in 1846, five years after the town’s founding, and handed down 51 indictments for gambling. The offenses ranged from poker to betting on badger and rat fights at the local saloon. The number of grand jury indictments didn’t leave enough ...
Corn, soybean harvest estimates little changed over past month
| Feed & Nutrition
USDA-National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) made a few changes to its estimates of corn and soybean harvests in upcoming months that were released on Sept. 12. Corn production this year is pegged at 15.186 billion bushels, a 40-million-bushel increase from the projection made in August. This year’s production is down ...
Time to update the long range forecast
| Weather Forecast
It is time to revisit our seasonal weather outlook. First, let's check out what the sea surface temperature anomalies look like. 1) The sea surface temperature anomalies along the equator in the Pacific Ocean continue to cool. This is especially true near the South American coast and westward... This is ...
Weighing the market
| Columnists
Cattle futures were challenged in August by skittishness about the domestic economy as investors and traders tried to square prospects of declining interest rates and easing inflation with slower growth. Arguably, though, mostly of the pressure came from all of the non-fundamental reasons money pushes futures prices to and fro. ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I guess there are many things in life that we all look forward to experiencing. A few examples are the first day of elementary school or maybe the day you graduated from high school when you knew that a new world awaited but at thesame time you were leaving many friends that you might never see again. You may also remember your first day ofcollege or that glorious day when you graduated. Maybe you remember the day you turned 16 and could legally drive, orwhen you turned 21 and could legally drink alcohol. In my case, my 50th birthday was a wonderful occasion. I was convinced that I was supposed to work at a charity auction, and I was expected to wear a tuxedo, ...
Reports from around Texas
| Crop and Weather
Spotty rainfall throughout the district led to cooler temperatures, and good rain chances were in the forecast. Soil conditions remained dry, and some brush control was done. A few fields were tilled, and ranchers prepared for fall planting. Some wheat was planted. The pecan crop was heavy in irrigated orchards ...
Proper outside large round bale storage reduces hay losses
| Feed & Nutrition
STOCKTON, Missouri. – “As hay season continues, I see a lot of large round hay bales being stored outside,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist Patrick Davis. If hay is not stored properly outside, cattlemen can see significant dry matter and quality losses. Factors that contribute to these ...
Late breds, now what?
| Reproduction
The vast majority of cattle producers in the U.S. have never seen a national cow herd this small in numbers. Current cattle inventory is even lower than 2014. Fortunately, prices for all classes of cattle are similar to the most recent valley in the cattle cycle. Unlike 1951 (the last ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Dueling Texans Dueling— two men shooting pistols at each other from a predetermined distance— was a serious issue during the Republic of Texas years. The republic lost a fair number of officers to this form of unfriendly friendly fire. The editor of the Austin Sentinelnewspaper responded to an 1837 duel between ...
Beef prices soar to record highs, yet producers struggle to reap the benefits
| Industry News
USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) reported record retail beef prices for the month of July, with the all fresh value of beef estimated at $8.15 per pound (Figure 1). This marks the first time in history the national average price for all fresh beef moved above $8. Consumers across the country are asking, ...
Looking ahead at megatrends in the industry
| Cover Story
Lee Leachman, a renowned cattle breeder and CEO of Leachman Cattle Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado, recently shared his vision for the future of the beef industry. With decades of experience in multiple registered breeds and as a pioneer of industry innovations such as the beef-on-dairy movement, Leachman delivered the ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Since my last column, I have attended two different events of note. The first was the annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station on August 5th and 6th. Then on the 9th and 10th, we sponsored and attended the 75thAnniversary Celebration of the International Brangus Breeders Association in Fort ...
When should ranchers start tax planning?
| Uncategorized
Does it seem too early to start planning for taxes? Even though calves await weaning, and crops still stand in the fields, September and October are excellent times to meet with your tax accountant and start looking ahead for tax purposes. Pre-tax planning allows producers to plan for upcoming income ...
Texas ranchers optimistic amid slow beef herd rebuild
| Industry News
Forage conditions have improved for Texas cattle ranchers, but rebuilding the statewide herd has been slow, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Jason Cleere, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, Bryan-College Station, said soil moisture, grazing conditions and hay supplies this year improved optimism among ...
DC News
| DC News, Uncategorized
USDA releases Live Cattle Data Dashboard tool The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on Aug. 13th announced the Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) Live Cattle Data Dashboard tool is now available. It can be accessed at https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov/lmr_cattle_dashboard. In June 2024, USDA announced the pending launch of this new tool, which provides users the ...
Cotton crop faring better than past two drought years
| Crop and Weather
The Texas cotton crop can only be described as a mixed bag – with harvest wrapping up in the southern parts to bolls just setting in the northernmost parts – and sometimes the mixture depends on the moisture. Growers around much of the state expect better yields and quality than ...
International Brangus Breeders Association names Cozzitorto new executive vice president
| Breed News
SAN ANTONIO, TX. The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) has announced that Rick Cozzitorto has been hired as the new executive vice president. Cozzitorto replaces Dr. Darrell Wilkes, who is retiring following a 5-year stint as the Brangus executive. Shiloh Hall, a Brangus breeder from Oklahoma and the current president ...
Brangus celebrates 75th Anniversary with historic gathering in Fort Worth
| Breed News
Adkins, TX – The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) marked its 75th anniversary with a grand event in Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 9-10th, attracting 420 participants from 21 states and seven countries. This historic gathering provided a significant opportunity for members to reflect on the association’s rich history, connect with fellow ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Bible-powered flight The Wright Brothers were told more than once, “If God intended us to fly He would have given us wings.” Lacking wings, humans, including the Wright Brothers, turned to imagination and science. If we couldn’t physically fly, we would build things— airships— that would fly for us. A number ...
Cow-calf producers weigh options for herd replacements
| Cover Story
At the current time, economic and climate conditions forecast for the coming months and years cast some doubt on the proposition of expanding the cow herd rapidly, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Ranchers should expect volatility in the markets and weather as they make plans to expand their cow ...
2024 and 2025 beef production
| Production
The latest USDA WASDE report included estimates for beef production in 2024 and 2025. Beef production in 2024 has been significantly higher than many expected coming into the year. 2024 beef production is expected to be lower than 2023, but not as low as was expected. USDA releases forecasts for ...
Will the hot and dry weather continue?
| Weather Forecast
As I sit here and type this, temperatures are in the 100s all across Central and West Texas. Several consecutive days of this type of weather is really taking a toll. Rain chances have almost been non-existent this month too… The graphic below shows total % of normal rainfall for ...
AgriLife Extension hosts agriculture tour Sept. 9-10 out of Hemphill County
| Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a two-day, multi-state agriculture tour of ranches Sept. 9-10. The event is a cooperative effort by the AgriLife Extension offices in Moore, Hutchinson, Gray, Lipscomb, Hemphill, Ochiltree, Roberts and Wheeler counties. Participants will meet at the AgriLife Extension office in Hemphill County, 10965 Exhibition Center ...
Texas Trails
| Uncategorized
Texas salt Aside from the soldiers and supplies that Texas provided to the Confederacy, the state’s most important contribution to the Civil War might have been the salt processed at the Swenson Salines in Lampasas County, near Lometa. While the Confederacy lasted, the place was one of several across the ...
Women In Ag Conference set for Sept in Fort Worth
| Industry News
The second annual Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on Sept. 10th and 11th in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas. The two-day event is designed to assist farm and ranch women with problem solving, record keeping and decision-making skills. The conference will cover topics designed to help them ...
Rio Grande Valley agriculture faces water uncertainty
| Crop and Weather
By Paul Schattenberg, Texas AgriLife Today Recent rains in South Texas helped agricultural production in the short term but did little to address the long-term outlook for irrigation water supplies in a region critical to the U.S. food supply. “Having some rain locally has been helpful, but it would have ...
Weighing the market
| Columnists
Prices wobble at historic highs Despite the break in Cattle futures at the beginning of August, tied to recession worries and bearish outside markets, bullish supply fundamentals continue for cattle producers. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) increased expected feeder steer prices (750-800 lbs., Oklahoma City) for the remainder of this ...
Cashing in on your calf crop: Adding value at the auction block
| Cover Story, Marketing
As we near the feedlot fall run and cow/calf producers market their calves at the highest prices received to date, every additional pound of gain has greater profit potential. Profitability and feasibility vary from operation to operation, and producers should invest in management and nutritional strategies that will work for ...
The Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
I officially have returned from the Holy Land of Texas (College Station, Texas, of course) where I attended the 2024 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. For you who weren’t there, you missed another wonderful session oflearning about our passion…cattle production. I always enjoy attending the event because it’s held in Augustwhen it’s extremely hot and the information you can gather is second to none. The crowd of over 1,800attendees was in a great mood. Why shouldn’t they be? Green grass in the pastures, round bales in the fields andrecord cattle prices should make even the grumpiest cowman you know have at least a little smile. I attended the two key speakers on Monday afternoon that addressed the future cattle market and of course, the weather. Randy Blach, CEO of CattleFax gave an excellent presentation showing ...
East Texas Forage Conference set for Aug. 16 in Hallsville
| Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the East Texas Forage Conference on Aug. 16 in Hallsville. The event will be from 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. at Gold Hall, 101 Elm St. Cost is $20, and people interested in attending should call the AgriLife Extension office in Gregg County at 903-236-8429 by ...
AgriLife Extension disaster response teams respond to landowner requests following Hurricane Beryl
| Uncategorized
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery, DAR, agents and county agents have responded to more than 100 landowner requests for assistance from damage surveys that include a five-county area impacted by Hurricane Beryl. The storm entered the southeastern portion of Texas and eventually was downgraded to a tropical storm. ...
Growing on-feed inventory, lower placements and no sign of heifer retention
| Cover Story
USDA’s July Cattle on Feed report was released on Friday July 19th. These monthly reports estimate inventory in U.S. feedlots with one-time capacity exceeding 1,000 head, which represent more than 80% of total on-feed inventory in the United States. The July report is also a quarterly report that includes data ...
Texas A&M’s Agricultural and Food Policy Center key in farm bill development
| Uncategorized
For the past four decades, the Agricultural and Food Policy Center, AFPC, at Texas A&M University, part of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural Economics, has quietly but effectively worked behind the scenes to inform and advise legislative decision-makers on a bill that ultimately impacts every American. ...
Insect pressure remains intense, corn leafhopper reach expanding
| Crop and Weather
Insect pressure has been “extraordinarily heavy” for Texas crops, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service pest management expert David Kerns, Ph.D., professor and associate department head for the Department of Entomology. He said part of the increased pressure comes from unusual pests such as corn leafhoppers that Texas doesn’t typically have in great ...
Beef 706 courses offer hands-on training in beef quality
| Uncategorized
Beef 706, a two-day, hands-on educational activity aimed at consistent beef production, will be held Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 14-15 at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, Bryan-College Station. The goal of Beef 706, created over 30 years ago, is to teach cattle producers about the food side of ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Bane of the bunco men Anyone who has ever been ripped off can admire a diminutive and otherwise unassuming Texan named J. Frank Norfleet, who was born during the last year of the Civil War and died four years after the JFK assassination. If Norfleet hadn’t been gullible and trusting ...
Rest of summer and fall
| Weather Forecast
Last month we talked about how the development of La Niña had kind of halted, but would likely resume development at some point. It is interesting to note that the July run of the EURO seasonal model really doesn’t show La Niña being a factor at all, over the next ...
Weighing the Market
| Marketing
Bullish market fundamentals continue Cattle markets were seasonally sluggish in mid-July, but prices remained at or near record-high levels, bolstered by strong domestic consumer beef demand and supply fundamentals. Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist at Oklahoma State University provided perspective on prices through the first half of 2024, in ...
Texas Crop and Weather Report July 9, 2024
| Crop and Weather
AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries: Central The district reported hot conditions most of the week with scattered showers in some areas. Soil moisture levels were starting to decline, but pasture conditions remained good. Corn and sorghum crops were maturing rapidly, and the late corn crop may be planted soon depending on weather conditions. Corn silage harvest ...
How much water do cattle need and what water problems should cattle producers expect?
| Production
Water quantity and quality is critical to cattle health and performance. Hot weather and drought conditions can impact both water quality and quantity for cattle. How much water do cattle need? There is an easy answer, and there is a right answer. A general guideline is that lactating cows ...
Is it time to cull the mature female and replace her with a heifer?
| Marketing
I had a discussion recently concerning selling older cows and replacing them with bred heifers. This is an important decision for most cow-calf producers including myself as I have bred heifers for sale, and I have some older cows whose useful life in the breeding herd is extremely short. Thus, ...
Livestock, humans at risk of painful bites as horse fly populations increase
| Cover Story
Be on the lookout for an especially nasty and tenacious biting insect pest – the horse fly – as it hunts for its next blood meal. Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, Stephenville, said she expects reports of horse fly infestations to increase ...
Dealing with cattle herd anaplasmosis
| Herd Health
“Summertime brings factors that lead to anaplasmosis in cattle operations,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Anaplasmosis can affect cattle operation performance due to calf abortions, decreased weight gain, bull infertility and animal death. “Anaplasmosis is caused by red blood cells being infected by the blood ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A champion lost to history Everybody loved Bobby Morrow when he was perfect and fleet afoot, but that was a long time ago, in the early to mid-1950s, when he was a sports hero on the order of LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes or anybody else you want to mention ...
Acreage and stocks estimates push corn prices lower
| Crop and Weather, Pastures & Forages
The report suggests larger-than-expected corn acres. The annual acreage report released late June by USDA-NASS included larger-than-expected corn acres which put downward pressure on corn prices. The report listed corn acres at 91.5 million acres which is 1.4 million acres higher than the March Prospective Plantings report projected. After corn prices ...
Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
July 2024 is officially here and, in my opinion, it’s already been better than last year just because the dailytemperature isn’t hitting 105 degrees. Vicki and I just returned from the Rio Grande Valley area and it looks spectacular.From Corpus Christi all the way to Raymondville, the countryside looked like the Garden of Eden from the recent tropical storms that hit the area. We’ve all heard about the tremendous rainfall in the Houston area and East Texas so I’m assuming they have more water than they need. Meanwhile in the Texas Hill Country and West Texas, things are starting toturn brown. Although some areas received recent showers, apparently, they’ve been somewhat spotty. ...
Producers need to understand marketing and planning needs for direct beef sales
| Uncategorized
FORSYTH, Mo. – Selling beef directly from the farm to consumers gained significant popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Though adoption has slowed, selling direct to consumers remains a popular option for beef producers as an alternative to selling live animals, as it allows the producer to capture additional value otherwise ...
USDA Beef Quality Grades: What do they mean?
| Marketing
A large portion of beef sold at retail in the United States is accompanied by a USDA quality grade label, such as USDA Choice. However, the label can be confusing to consumers. This article will discuss how quality grades are determined, what they mean, and how they are used. Factors ...
Record keeping for a healthy herd
| Herd Health
Individual identification is critical for the success of a record keeping system. Keeping written farm records is like participating in a regular exercise program, easy to talk about but often hard to put into practice. Without good records, evaluating individual cow performance and the financial success of the beef cattle ...
Track your livestock’s trace mineral levels
| Herd Health
Trace minerals play an important role in livestock health. They aid in bodily functions, production of offspring and an animal’s overall wellbeing. A Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL, expert said despite their importance, trace mineral imbalances are easy to overlook — at least until a health issue occurs. As ...
Wearing Cowboy Ware
| Uncategorized
At the crossroads of fashion and function, Sarah McEntire has transformed her lifelong passion for horses into a thriving business venture, launching a unique line of western shirts designed for the working cowboy and the competing equestrian. Driven by a deep understanding of the demands of ranch work and performance ...
Expert says U.S. locked into ag trade deficit by static policies
| DC News
By Mary Hightower, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture RENO, Nevada — The rising cost of labor, the higher value of the dollar, competition from Brazil and the lack of new trade agreements are cementing the United States into a trade deficit for agricultural products, said Stephen Vaden, a ...
From the mound to the pasture: Former MLB pitcher returns home to raise cattle
| Producer Feature
After years of striking out batters under the big lights, former major league baseball (MLB) pitcher Homer Bailey has returned to his roots and is embracing the lifestyle he dreamed of while in the majors. He has traded the roar of the crowd and hustle of big cities for the ...
The 2024 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course reaches a milestone
| Cover Story
The upcoming Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course (TAMBSCS) will once again offer three days of comprehensive education, practical insights and management tools, plus cutting-edge industry knowledge. This year’s event will mark the 70th time for the conference and will continue to equip beef cattle producers with the latest information and ...
Corn and feeder cattle price connection
| Feed & Nutrition, Marketing
The ups and downs of summer weather are upon us affecting a host of agricultural markets. The focus of this note is looking at how feed costs can affect cattle markets, specifically corn prices. In general, if growing conditions are worse than expected (e.g., a drought), corn prices increase because ...
Wheat harvest struggling across the state
| Crop and Weather
Texas Crop and Weather Report June 25, 2024 By the time wheat harvest marched northward across Texas, conditions that initially led Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomists to predict a good wheat season had deteriorated in some areas, resulting in lower yields than expected. For some areas, the issue was heavy rains, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
When honey and water mix Some place names are easy to discern. You don't have to know that Stillhouse Hollow was once a favored site for moonshine stills to make an educated guess that the name has something to do with the brewing of illegal whiskey. Metheglin Creek rises in ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Okay, call me crazy but the is what I see right now. According to my trusty weather app, the forecast from today (July 1st) though July 10th, show the highs here in San Antonio to be as low as 92, and as high as 99. No matter how you cut ...
Managing heat stress of beef animals
| Production
We are accustomed to hearing the weatherman talk about the “actual” air temperature versus the “feels like” temperature. While we each have a “feels like” temperature where we are most comfortable, we can’t translate our comfort to the physiologic and welfare comfort of our ruminant livestock. Heat generated by the ...
Live demonstrations highlight Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course
| Cover Story
Whether it’s learning about virtual fencing or equipment to treat unwanted brush or proper cattle handling techniques, the 70th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 5-7 in Bryan-College Station has a demonstration of interest to livestock operators. Registration Register by July 27:$300 for in-person attendance.$160 for online.$150 for youth.$40 ...
La Niña update
| Weather Forecast
If you are a frequent reader, you know I’ve been talking about the transition from the El Niño to La Niña for months. So, it’s time to see where we are with that transition and where we are headed. Here is a look at the current sea surface temperature anomaly ...
Weighing the market
| Weighing the Market
Heavier carcasses weigh on prices Cash calf and feeder cattle prices returned to near-record levels in May as buyers scrambled for dwindling supplies. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) increased this year’s expected annual average feeder steer price (750-800 lbs., Oklahoma City) by $1, compared to the previous month’s forecast, to ...
Registration opens for 70th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course
| Cover Story
The 70th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course on Aug. 5-7 in Bryan-College Station is open for registration. The event is hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science. The event is the largest beef cattle educational event in the world, ...
Rangeland conditions vary across state based on moisture, precipitation outlook
| Crop and Weather
Rangeland conditions across the state vary as producers contend with an abundance of precipitation in the east and little, if any, in the west, according to experts with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Texas is home to roughly 100 million acres of grazing lands, which include native rangelands and non-native pastures. ...
Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Corpus Christi celebrates 50 years serving Coastal Bend
| Cover Story
From cotton boll weevil eradication to aquaculture genomics to advancing digital agriculture and artificial intelligence, the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi has spent the past 50 years working to benefit area agricultural producers and agribusinesses. The center celebrated its 50th anniversary and significant contributions to agricultural research ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Although the calendar claims that the first day of summer is officially June 20th, I personally feel like summer has already begun. Summertime…I remember it as a kid, so excited for the last day of school and finally hearing the bell ringing for the last time that year and releasing us to freedom. I remember wearing cutoff shorts ...
Two Farm Bill proposals boost reference prices
| DC News
LITTLE ROCK — Despite their differences, the Farm Bill proposals led by U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow both contain some first-in-a-decade updates to critical farm safety net programs. Thompson, of Pennsylvania, is chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Stabenow, of Michigan, chairs the ...
American International Charolais Association names Brett Spader as executive vice president
| Breed News
Kansas City, Missouri – The American International Charolais Association (AICA) announced recently that the association’s board of directors has appointed Brett Spader as executive vice president, effective May 12th. Most recently, Spader served as co-founder and CEO of Livestock Launch, a digital and data agency serving the beef and ag industry. With ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Apocalypse on the San Saba Visitors to the Hill Country town of Menard might see the ruins of the old presidio, San Luis de las Amarillas, just outside of town, right next to the golf course and think that’s the site of the old San Cruz de Saba mission. They’re ...
Independent Cattlemen’s Association of Texas to Celebrate 50 Years
| Uncategorized
(LOCKHART) - The Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas (ICA) will host its Annual Convention & Tradeshow this July 1-3, 2024, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Marcos Hotel Conference Center. Established in 1974, ICA serves as the voice for independent Texas cattle producers in Austin and Washington, D.C. The ...
Just your standard bull
| Columnists
The date is May 21st, and it’s a great day! Why you ask? It’s because three major things have successfully culminated within the last 30 days. I’m happy! And if I’m happy, that means that those around me are happier too! First of all, as I currently reside as president ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
One of the first things buffalo hunters on the Texas plains did when they got to the Panhandle in the early 1870s was to create a hunter’s camp. The hunters were down from Kansas, where the buffalo and, by extension, buffalo hunters were a thing of the past. They called ...
Grilling season kicks off with high but stable meat prices
| Crop and Weather
A report by Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics experts indicated a mixed bag of slight price increases and decreases for beef, pork and poultry throughout grilling season. Consumer costs for primary beef and pork offerings like ground beef, chuck roasts, sirloin steaks and pork chops are expected to increase around 1% ...
Frustrated Fed not likely to cut interest rates in June
| DC News
LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. economy still hasn’t slowed to the Federal Reserve’s satisfaction, so don’t expect the Fed to cut interest rates at its June meeting, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. In a news conference at the beginning of ...
Agricultural losses from Texas Panhandle Wildfires top $123 million
| Cover Story
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economists project the Panhandle wildfires caused $123 million in preliminary agricultural losses, making it the costliest on record. More than 1.2 million acres burned beginning Feb. 26, making it the largest wildfire in Texas history. The losses include more than 12,000 cattle deaths, lost grazing values ...
Looking ahead
| Weather Forecast
Here is a look at the latest summer outlook from the various models and the Climate Prediction Center. EURO Seasonal Model Precipitation Anomaly Forecast June/July/August EURO Seasonal Model Temperature Anomaly Forecast June/July/August NMME Model Precipitation Anomaly Forecast June/July/August NMME Model Seasonal Model Precipitation Anomaly Forecast June/July/August For comparison, here is ...
2024 National Feeder and Stocker Receipts Down 6 percent from 2023
| Marketing
The number of feeder and stocker cattle sold during the first 19 weeks of 2024 was about 6 percent below the number sold during the same period in 2023 according to data from the USDA-AMS National Feeder and Stocker Cattle Summary. The combination of fewer cattle and better pricing opportunities have ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
If you will recall, in the March 15, 2024 issue of this paper, I wrote about how proud I was to be a part of the agriculture sector and explained all of the wonderful ways the agricultural family comes to the aid of those who need help. In this week’s issue, I want to acknowledge the teachers, especially the ag teachers, for what they do bypreparing the next generation for what’s to come. This is a picture of my college roommate, Glen Hughes, who has taught ag for 32 years. It was an honor for Vicki and me to attend the ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Wrong Way Corrigan There is a right way to do something and there is a wrong way, but sometimes the wrong way is the only way. Thes saga of Daniel “Wrong Way” Corrigan, who made a transatlantic flight from New York to Dublin in 1938 by flying the wrong way, is ...
Carcass weights add price pressure
| Weighing the Market
Heavier fed cattle carcass weights continue to weigh on cash fed cattle prices and wholesale beef values. March fed steer dressed weights were record large at 923 lbs., 9 lbs. heavier year over year, according to Josh Maples Extension livestock economist at Mississippi State University, in a recent issue of Cattle ...
USDA now accepting farm loan payments online
| DC News
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that most farm loan borrowers will now be able to make payments to their direct loans online through the Pay My Loan feature on farmers.gov. Pay My Loan is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, ...
Texas Crop and Weather Report April 30th
| Crop and Weather
CENTRAL A wide range of rainfall amounts were recorded over the past week and soil moisture was good. Two tornadoes were confirmed in Navarro County and hail scattered throughout the district. Pastures had improved, although weeds were prevalent. The winds caused lodging in wheat in some areas and caused significant ...
Use heifer pre-breeding exams as a culling tool and to prepare for breeding season
| Reproduction
STOCKTON, Mo. – “As cattle producers rebuild their cattle herds, the focus may be to retain heifers as replacements,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Breeding season will soon be upon us, and it is important to retain heifers that are good breeding prospects. Therefore, Davis ...
Corn crop conditions improve as acres and prices decline
| Crop and Weather
Corn prices are down, and acres in Texas and across the U.S. are expected to follow as improved overall growing conditions could deliver above average yields, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension grain marketing economist in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, Bryan-College Station, ...
Answering the cattle nutrition protein question
| Cover Story, Feed & Nutrition
Knowing exactly how beef cattle utilize protein is important to answering many nutrition questions producers and industry nutritionists pose to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists like Jason Smith, Ph.D., Amarillo. Smith, an AgriLife Extension beef cattle nutritionist and associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science, ...
Wheat leaf rust and stripe rust an emerging problem statewide
| Crop and Weather
While recent rains have been a boon to many crops in the state, they have also presented an unfortunate emerging issue with wheat rust development throughout the state, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists. After years of drought, the moisture from recent rains coupled with warm winter temperatures has created ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Arthur Stilwell and his brownies There was something contrary to ordinary about Arthur Edward Stilwell, the man who founded Port Arthur, Texas and for whom the city is named. People said he was “pixilated” but they only said that because Stilwell said it first. An old Funk and Wagnall’s dictionary ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
Tomorrow will be Tuesday, April 22. I will be boarding a plane to Kansas City at 9:30 am to attend meetings for the American International Charolais Association (AICA) on Wednesday and Thursday. I am currently serving as president and to say there is a lot going on there would be ...
King Ranch®, Inc. announces strategic investment into Cobalt Cattle
| Industry News
HOUSTON - April 9, 2024 - King Ranch, Inc. announced today that it has acquired a 50% stake in Cobalt Cattle, the nation's fourth-largest cattle feeding operation with six feedyards in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. "We are excited about this opportunity and what it means for King Ranch's long-term commitment ...
Where we stand with drought
| Weather Forecast
Fortunately as I sit here and type this, a lot of the region is in pretty good shape. However, as you can see below there are some areas that are still struggling with dryness and drought. The past several weeks have been the most kind to eastern areas. The map ...
Considerations for building cow inventories at current prices
| Cover Story
Calf prices are encouraging cow-calf producers to increase cow inventories to have more calves to sell. Consider the following points when evaluating growing the cowherd. Contribution margin Is the operation fully stocked on owned land or on land leased by the acre? What are the current overhead costs including labor ...
USDA, USAID deploy $1 billion for emergency food assistance
| DC News
WASHINGTON, April 18, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will deploy $1 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding to purchase U.S.-grown commodities to provide emergency food assistance to people in need throughout the world, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and USAID Administrator ...
South Texas Beef and Forage Field Day set for May 8 in Beeville
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the South Texas Beef and Forage Field Day on May 8 in Beeville. The field day will be held from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Twisted Ranch Events and Design, 3360 U.S. Highway 59, and at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Beeville, ...
Hotter-than-expected economy deflates chances for interest rate cuts
| Uncategorized
Don’t expect to see the Fed cut interest rates soon. Ryan Loy, extension economist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the April 5 jobs report and Consumer Price Index both showed a still-hot economy, despite the Federal Open Market Committee’s efforts to tame inflation with four ...
Texas fruit growers cautiously optimistic about yields
| Crop and Weather
Texas Crop and Weather Report - April 2, 2024 While it is too early to tell about the impact of chill hours for fruits grown in higher chill areas of the state, current conditions are good for the low-to-mid chill areas, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. The importance of chilling ...
Wheat crop shaping up better than past two years, but prices are low
| Cover Story, Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
Wheat production across Texas looks better than in years past, providing producers some optimism despite low wheat prices. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists said several opportunities could exist for cashing in on good forage. Mark Welch, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist-grain marketing in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, said while the U.S. ...
New guide helps beef producers maximize the value of cull cows
| Production
A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions. “Right Way. Right Time. – A Guide to Cull Cattle Management” is now available at www.ncba.org. “The purpose of this guide is to draw the producer’s attention to quality ...
Weighing The Market
| Columnists, Marketing
Avian Influenza adds market uncertainty Supply fundamentals remain bullish despite recent pressure on Cattle Futures tied to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle (see below). Cattle price expectations continued to rise in March as cattle numbers decline. Compared to the previous month, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) increased ...
McGregor Research Center Field Day set for May 1
| Uncategorized
Texas A&M AgriLife Research will host the McGregor Research Center Field Day on May 1 with topics to cover nutrition, rebuilding the cow herd and utilizing technology in production practices. The field day will be from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the center, located at 773 Ag Farm Road. There is no ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
As I have often claimed, “Castell, Texas is the Center of the Universe”, and once again, I am correct! This past Monday, a once-in-a-lifetime event happened when the total eclipse traveled over Central Texas around 1:32 p.m. and lasted for approximately four minutes. Locals in the Hill Country didn’t really know what ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Close call in Camp Wood An airplane landed in the middle of the little community of Camp Wood, in the Texas Hill Country, in 1924. This was one of the biggest events in the history of that little town, but the wider world didn’t pay a bit of attention until ...
CDC confirms bird flu in one person; poultry, ruminant experts warn of avian influenza outbreak
| Uncategorized
LITTLE ROCK — On April 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a human case in Texas of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as H5N1 bird flu. According to a release from the CDC, the “person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Saga of Doak Good Just after the demise of the great buffalo herds and the Comanches, but before towns or vestiges of civilization popped up on the Llano Estacado, a few hardy individuals claimed that vast and lonesome land as their own. Doak Good was one of those people. ...
Surging cull cow prices
| Marketing
Cull cow prices have surged in recent weeks, along with calf and feeder prices. Southern Plains auction prices for 85-90 percent lean cows jumped from $85 per cwt to $105 per cwt over the last two weeks. National average cutter quality cows hovered around $100 per cwt. Cull cow prices ...
Protecting farms and ranches from wildfires
| Industry News
Wildfires affect America’s farms and ranches, damaging and destroying homes, barns, agriculture production facilities, crops and livestock. Much of this damage can be avoided, or at least minimized, if a few precautions are taken to minimize the risk and spread of wildfires. Before Precautions should be taken long before a fire ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
March 25—I am writing to you today from unsunny North Central Arkansas at the beautiful Chimney Rock Cattle Co, Concord, Arkansas. My clean clothes are running low and my bracket is busted, but in a few more days, I’ll make it home for Easter weekend. If you missed the Texas ...
Managing feeder cattle price risk
| Marketing
Futures prices have rallied to around $265-270/cwt. However, weather, global conflict, or other factors could negatively impact the 2024 market. Prices were relatively high throughout 2014 in response to a drought-induced decline in cow numbers, but during the fall of 2015 prices declined rapidly. While market fundamentals may currently be stronger in 2024 ...
Atascosa County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent recognized by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
| Uncategorized
FORT WORTH, Texas (March 24, 2024) – Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association announced Dale Rankin, an Atascosa County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent, as the 2024 Outstanding County Extension Agent – Beef at the 2024 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo held in Fort Worth March 22 – 24. The ...
Safety Tips for watching solar eclipse in Texas
| Cover Story
The total solar eclipse is a large-scale natural phenomenon that Texans have not seen since 2017. Something so rare and intriguing is one that will certainly draw the attention of people far and wide within the coming weeks, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.As people begin to make plans to ...
Here’s the latest
| Weather Forecast
The latest sea surface temperature anomaly map. You can see the El Niño weakening, and the evidence of La Niña building. There is also quite a bit of cooling in the north Pacific and from the Baja to Hawaii. That "cold horseshoe" is likely going to mean a PDO (Pacific ...
Egg prices increase ahead of Easter holiday
| Crop and Weather
Egg prices are on the rise as Easter approaches, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert, but they are lower than what consumers may have paid at the grocery store earlier in the year. Consumers — and the Easter bunny — may have noticed the price of eggs increasing recently ...
Ranchers Helping Ranchers
| Cover Story
As we go to press, it’s been a little over two weeks since the Texas Panhandle became the heart-wrenching scene of fast moving and destructive fires. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which started in Hutchinson County, has burned upwards of 1,075,000 acres and has been declared as the largest in Texas ...
Weighing the Market
| Marketing
Cattle prices crawl higher Tightening cattle supplies continue to boost cash cattle and futures prices to their highest levels since last fall and the highest of this year. USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) increased the forecast weighted average five-area direct fed steer price for the remainder of this year, in ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
One of the first great aviation events in Texas was the arrival of a flying contraption known as the Vin Fiz Flyer, which landed in Fort Worth on Oct. 17, 1911, as part of what became the world’s first Atlantic-to Pacific airplane flight. A wealthy and rambunctious young adventurer named ...
Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
Back in the fall of 1976, I began classes at Texas A&M University. Now, when you talk about a country boycoming to town, I was the poster child of what they were talking about. One of my very first classes that I remember was called Ag 101 and it was taught by Dr. Curtis Lard, the assistant dean of agriculture. It was a simple one-hour class that all freshmen were required to take, introducing them into the college of agriculture. I remember in the very first class,Dr. Lard said, “Look around. You and the other students sitting around you will one day be responsible for feeding theworld.” At the time, I was fascinated ...
USDA announces next major step in promoting competition in agriculture under Packers and Stockyards Act
| DC News
WASHINGTON, March 5, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the finalization of Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and Stockyards Act. The final rule will be effective 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. The final rule Inclusive Competition and Market Integrity Under the Packers and ...
Chasing the elusive second calf
| Reproduction
Getting first time mother cows bred for the second time is probably one of the strongest challenges for most beef producers. It can be extremely frustrating at the time of pregnancy diagnosis to find a high percentage of those young cows, the future of the cowherd, to be open. More ...
Calf health following calving
| Reproduction
While calving season is oftentimes the most exciting time of the year for producers, it can have a dark side when sickness and death occur. Ensuring cows are in an adequate nutritional status (body condition score of 5 or 6) and not overfed can help reduce concerns of dystocia, as ...
Jim S. Williams to be inducted into the Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Gallery
| Cover Story
Jim S. Williams, Boling, Texas has been named the 2024 inductee of the prestigious Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Gallery. His portrait will be unveiled at an induction banquet, Nov. 17 during the North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. Williams will be the 379th member added to this historic gallery of ...
January Placements Above Expectations, but Total On-feed Inventory is Dropping
| Marketing
The feeder cattle market has been on a run since late 2023. For perspective, I am writing this on March 1st and the March CME© feeder cattle futures contract has increased in value by more than $25 per cwt since the first of the year. As has been the case a ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Uncategorized
March 1—and here begins the run of spring production sales. With the January-February rainfall, and the recent stretch of warm weather, optimism for a strong spring is very high. In this issue of the Southern Livestock Standard, you will see the results of the 33rd Annual San Antonio All Breed Bull ...
Largest wildfire in Texas history continues
| Cover Story
Texas A&M Forest Service encourages caution, prevention as wildfire potential increases over the weekend The largest wildfire in Texas history is actively burning today with additional threats going into the weekend. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that started in Hutchinson County has burned a total of 1,075,000 acres across Texas and ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Tales of Old Tascosa Tascosa was the kind of Old West town where a man could get killed over most anything, even a duck. This was true despite the fact that the town’s first sheriff, Cape Willingham, imposed an early form of gun control by making it illegal to carry ...
Rates are likely impacting producer interest in expansion
| Production
USDA’s cattle inventory report confirmed that the U.S. cowherd continued to get smaller during 2023. Higher input costs, regional weather challenges and hay supply issues, strong cull cow prices and several other factors have contributed to a prolonged liquidation phase of this cattle cycle. Despite the fact that calf prices ...
Minerals: Too much of a good thing
| Feed & Nutrition
Minerals are an essential nutrient for beef cattle which means, like protein and energy, minerals must be supplied in the diet. However, minerals make up a very small portion of the total diet. Many feedstuffs are deficient in one or more essential minerals which is why mineral supplementation is a ...
Managing and developing young beef bulls
| Reproduction
There are as many ways to feed and develop young beef bulls as there are seedstock producers. There are many and varied reasons that bulls are managed and fed the way they are. Whether bulls are developed on the ranch, in a commercial facility, or at a central bull test, ...
South Texas citrus poised for a comeback
| Crop and Weather
South Texas citrus poised for a comeback By Paul Schattenberg, Texas AgriLife Today The Texas citrus crop quality and quantity was better than expected following multiple seasons of weather-related setbacks, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Texas is the third largest citrus producer in the U.S., with the total ...
10 tips to bulletproof your beef operation
| Production
Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof. University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner says successful beef producers can make small changes in three areas to make their farm less vulnerable to risks: plants, animals and business. Being good in just ...
Bull selection criteria and cost
| Uncategorized
The spring bull sale season is underway. Producers are studying catalogs, comparing EPDs and individual animal performance numbers, and choosing which bulls will be the next herd sires. This article addresses some of the things producers should consider before heading to the sale. Hint: It's more than just the lunch ...
Active market and quality cattle offering combined for successful San Antonio All Breeds Bull and Commercial Female Sale
| Industry News
The 33rd Annual San Antonio All Breed Bull and Commercial Female Sale hosted another large crowd thatwitnessed a very active market as producers began to build back their herds with a quality offering of cattle. This year’s event was held on February 13th & 14th in conjunction with the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and sold 54 bulls and 493 females to gross $1,870,250 and average $3,419. The 54 bulls, representing 10 breeds, brought a gross of $327,000 for an average of $6,056, while 493 femalessold for a total of $1,543,250 for an average of $3,130. Of the females, 229 open heifers sold for an average of $2,634; 75 bred heifers sold for an average of ...
Drought worries again
| Weather Forecast
I know I have spent plenty of time dissecting El Niño and what will be the transition to La Niña. However, let’s do a little recap of who this El Niño has helped, and who it hasn’t helped. Here is a look at the last year, in terms of total ...
Hay, feed, fencing supplies needed to support Texas Panhandle wildfire victims
| Cover Story
Donations of hay, feed, fencing supplies, cow feed and milk replacer are needed to support livestock owners impacted by the devastating wildfires that have scorched ranchland across a large portion of the Texas Panhandle. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is establishing Animal Supply Points in several locations in the region to ...
Hay supplies remain tight for Texas cattle producers
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
Hay supplies may be better than last year, but they remain extremely tight as costs for winter feeding continue to mount for Texas ranchers, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. Jason Cleere, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide beef cattle specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, Bryan-College Station, ...
Texas A&M AgriLife research included in global drought study
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages, Production
A first-of-its-kind international study, which includes research from Texas A&M AgriLife, has found that the effects of extreme drought on grasslands and shrublands have been underestimated. Researchers simulated extreme short-term drought – commonly called “100-year drought” – at 100 sites across six continents. The results were recently published in the prestigious Proceedings ...
Founder of Buc-ee’s named Grand Marshal of Downtown Rodeo Parade
| Industry News
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is excited to announce that Buc-ee’s founder and CEO, Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, will help kick off the 2024 rodeo by serving as grand marshal of the Downtown Rodeo Parade. A tradition since 1938, the annual parade celebrates Western Heritage and marks the beginning ...
DC News
| DC News
11th circuit ruling on Florida’s foreign-owned law may spur similar lawsuits FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The successful appeal of an attempt to stop a Florida law restricting foreign ownership of real estate may be the vanguard of legal actions against similar laws in other states, said Micah Brown, staff attorney for ...
U.S. beef cattle herd smallest since 1951
| Crop and Weather
The Texas beef cattle herd could be on its way to a rebuild after hitting its lowest numbers in a decade, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. David Anderson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics, and Jason Cleere, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide beef cattle specialist in the Department ...
CattleFax forecasts continued producer profitability with herd expansion on the horizon
| Industry News
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2024) –The popular CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of the 2024 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, shared expert market and weather analysis today. The smallest beef cow inventory in the last 50 years, coupled with historically strong demand, led to the ...
RODEOHOUSTON® announces inaugural Hall of Fame honorees
| Industry News
The Houston Livestock Show and RodeoTM announced today the RODEOHOUSTON Hall of Fame and the inaugural class of 2024. A total of three individuals will be inducted during the RODEOHOUSTON finals on Sunday, March 17, 2024. The 2024 inductees are Mike Cervi, Charmayne James and Bob Tallman. “We are thrilled to ...
Reviewing the January Cattle-on-Feed Report
| Marketing
January has brought a steady stream of reports for livestock market analysts to digest. This began with hay stocks the second week of the year and culminated on January 31st, with USDA release of their inventory estimates for 2024. As I write this week’s article two days ahead of that ...
Texas A&M AgriLife research included in global drought study
| Crop and Weather
A first-of-its-kind international study, which includes research from Texas A&M AgriLife, has found that the effects of extreme drought on grasslands and shrublands have been underestimated. Researchers simulated extreme short-term drought – commonly called “100-year drought” – at 100 sites across six continents. The results were recently published in the prestigious Proceedings ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Uncle Dick’s Toll Road The Goodnight-Loving Trail wasn’t the longest, oldest, or most heavily traveled of all the old cattle trails, but it was as drenched in legend and lore as any of them. Named for pioneer Panhandle rancher Charles Goodnight and his best friend and partner in commerce, Oliver ...
Tips to stretch short hay supplies
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
Below are a few tips to consider stretching limited hay supplies. For additional information contact your local Extension agent. Inventory hay – know how much hay you have available; weigh a few bales to get an average weight or estimate the weights based on available information from Extension publications. Minimize ...
Weighing The Market
| Columnists
Cattle market poised to strengthen Negotiated cash fed cattle prices and cattle futures reached their highest levels in three months the second week of February, helped along by severe winter weather in January disrupting packer production and reducing carcass weights, as well as declining cattle numbers. USDA increased the forecast ...
Keys to a prosperous start for newborn calves
| Cover Story, Reproduction
A main economic driver of a cow-calf operation is the number of calves weaned per cow exposed. Two subsequent drivers are weight and phenotype. For these reasons, outstanding calf health is a directly correlated variable to calf growth and performance, and—ideally—profitability. Prenatal cow care for calf success Sound calf health ...
2024 marks 33rd year for San Antonio All Breeds Bull & Commercial Female Sale
| Cover Story
This year's San Antonio All Breeds Bull & Commercial Female Sale will be the 33rd annual event as even Covid didn't stop the sale with its three plus decade history from happening. The offering will include 58 bulls representing several breeds and over 500 high quality, hand picked commercial females. ...
Wagyu: The beef to beat
| Breed News
Dale Woerner, Ph.D., is a meat scientist with years of experience researching the composition of Wagyu beef. “I think it’s pretty fair to say we’ve accumulated some pretty good data in favor of Wagyu. We’re looking at a product that is, in fact, superior in terms of eating experience, not ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Aurora Incident In April of 1897, several people reported seeing a strange cigar-shaped airship gliding over Texas. There were dozens of sightings in mostly North and North Central Texas, including multiple sightings in Hill, Tarrant, Fannin, Ellis, Grayson, Bowie, Collin, Hunt and Johnson counties. Accounts varied somewhat from one ...
January USDA Cattle on Feed Report assessment
| Production
The USDA Cattle on Feed Report released on Jan. 19 with new information regarding what happened in the cattle feeding sector during December was decidedly neutral. All the main pieces of information were very much in line with pre-report expectations. Placements are the most important piece of information in the ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I recently had a lengthy discussion with a long-time friend and colleague in the cattle business about what we call legacy ranches. Our discussion centered around the seedstock industry. He and I, along with others we work with have now spent 40 plus years in this business. It has been ...
USDA to kick off the National Agricultural Classification Survey
| DC News
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2024 – Already preparing for the 2027 Census of Agriculture, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the National Agricultural Classification Survey (NACS) starting Jan. 24. The survey, an important step in determining who should receive a 2027 Census of Agriculture questionnaire, will go to approximately 250,000 ...
McClure named Santa Gertrudis Breeders International Executive Director
| Breed News
KINGSVILLE, Texas (Jan. 29, 2024) – Santa Gertrudis Breeders International (SGBI) announces Chris McClure as its executive director, effective immediately. “SGBI welcomes Chris McClure as our new executive director,” says SGBI President Adolfo Sanchez. “He brings tremendous beef industry knowledge to the Santa Gertrudis breed as well as strong business experiences.” As ...
Risk Management Strategies
| Feed & Nutrition, Marketing
We make important decisions about our cattle operations and don’t always immediately know the result of those decisions. The time it takes to observe the result of our decision is referred to as a time lag, and it is driven by the biology involved in raising livestock and growing forages. ...
What to feed when there’s not anything
| Feed & Nutrition, Pastures & Forages
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many beef producers found themselves trying to pull a rabbit out of the hat as they rang in 2024 with low hay supplies, says University of Missouri Extension beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. Bailey says post-drought feeding woes leave producers challenged with “what to feed when there ...
Agricultural economics report
| Industry News
Despite recession warnings and adverse precursors in 2022, the United States economy performed better than predicted in 2023. Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics experts annually provide insights into the national economy, trade, policy, and food prices for the year. These findings were recently published in the Purdue Agricultural Economics ...
Drought loosens grip on Texas agriculture
| Feed & Nutrition
Drought continues to linger in patches of the state, but Texas agricultural producers face much better cropping outlooks going into spring, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. AgriLife Extension agronomists Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., Amarillo; Reagan Noland, Ph.D., San Angelo; and Ronnie Schnell, Ph.D., Bryan-College Station, agreed that soil moisture conditions ...
Evaluating post-partum interval and calving rates
| Cover Story
Let’s talk about ways to positively impact post-partum interval (PPI) and pregnancy rates. Consider the following criteria for an efficient beef cow herd: Calving interval (number of days between calves) is 365 days or less. Females raise a calf to weaning. Cow mature weight and milk production fit the resources ...
What if cows could talk
| Uncategorized
You may not know it, but cows share information every time they burp, moo, and chew that speaks volumes about their health and welfare. Through the work of researchers in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, we may soon know more about what cows are “telling” us and be ...
Can we compete?
| Production
Do you know what it costs per pound of beef produced from your operation? How much does it cost to maintain a cow annually? How has the increase in inputs impacted your beef operations profitability? The old saying of you can only manage what you measure still holds. One cannot ...
Beef export forecast lowered slightly
| Marketing
October beef exports totaled nearly 242 million pounds, almost 21 percent lower year over year and 11 percent below the 5-year average. Monthly exports to nearly every major market were lower year over year with the exception of Taiwan and Mexico. October exports to Taiwan were nearly 11 percent higher ...
Texas ranchers urged to remove livestock from low-lying areas
| Cover Story
Flooding to impact Liberty, Victoria, Montgomery, Lavaca and Calhoun counties Emergency management officials are advising landowners in five Texas counties to remove livestock from flood-prone areas due to excessive rainfall upstream over the last three days. Counties impacted are Liberty, Victoria, Montgomery, Lavaca and Calhoun. “Runoff is occurring from heavy ...
Weighing the Market
| Columnists, Marketing
Cattle markets entered the new year with a sense of renewed optimism as wholesale beef prices and Cattle futures appeared to etch a bottom, moving beyond the year-end estimates of increased production and lower 2024 prices. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) lowered forecast feeder steer prices (750-800 pounds, Oklahoma City) ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
We could marvel at the life and times of Milt Hinkle even without references to Old West legends like Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Just accepting the fact that he was born on the XIT Ranch in Bovina, Texas in 1881, the son of George ...
Lower prices and higher volatility
| Marketing
Guiding principles for managing price risk are to act when prices are high or profitable, when volatility is low, and before it is too late. These will be addressed in reverse order based on recent conditions. Hedgers sometimes have little choice about when they ultimately market cattle. Pastures can run ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Happy New Year to all of you and I hope all your holiday events went well! What a way to start off 2024 with freezing temperatures covering pretty much all of Texas, the Midwest and beyond and not only cold winds but also some ice and snow in some areas. ...
Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch online course now registering
| Industry News
The Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch 12-week online course is open for registration. The program, offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, takes place Jan. 29-April 21. The course fee is $300, and online registration is required at https://tx.ag/GenNext. The course includes expert instruction on everything from starting a new ...
Finding a balance between biggest and best: Moving a cowherd toward optimum productivity
| Production
The use of genetic selection tools by cattle breeders has resulted in significant changes within the majority of major breeds over the last 30 years. With a few exceptions, the overwhelming genetic trend has been for more milk, higher weaning weight and bigger mature weight. Without question, the use of ...
Despite rising wage rate, agriculture dependent on H-2A program
| DC News
According to data analyzed in a recent Market Intel report, H-2A usage reached new highs in fiscal year 2023, despite an increase in the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which outpaced the hourly wage growth rate of all private employees. This increase in both demand for workers and wage rate ...
Answering the cattle nutrition protein question
| Cover Story, Feed & Nutrition
Knowing exactly how beef cattle utilize protein is important to answering many nutrition questions producers and industry nutritionists pose to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists like Jason Smith, Ph.D., Amarillo. Smith, an AgriLife Extension beef cattle nutritionist and associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science, ...
10 tips to bulletproof your beef operation
| Production
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Beef producers can use a window of profitability to make their farm business more bulletproof. University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist Joe Horner says successful beef producers can make small changes in three areas to make their farm less vulnerable to risks: plants, animals and business. Being ...
Was 2023 a reminder to be more aggressive pricing cattle in 2024?
| Marketing
As I traveled in November and December, a lot of discussion centered around what happened to the cattle market from mid-September to mid-December. Feeder cattle markets steadily climbed higher for about 9 months before dropping sharply in the fourth quarter. My Extension travel slowed for a couple weeks around Christmas ...
Prepare for winter weather
| Cover Story
Winter weather with sub-freezing temperatures is forecasted throughout much of the state over the next week. Here are some tips from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts on how to protect your plants, pipes and pets from the cold. The AgriLife Extension Disaster Education Network also has multiple resources for Texans to access and ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I survived another New Year’s Day and birthday. I have officially made it to 64 years of age! Yes, I’ll need to sign up for Medicare this year which will mean big savings on my health insurance. So, I have that to look forward to… Each year on my birthday, ...
USDA signs agreement with Agriculture Future of America to prepare young people for careers in agriculture
| DC News
WASHINGTON,-U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Agriculture Future of America (AFA), formalizing a partnership to promote the common goals of strengthening the future competitiveness and sustainability of the U.S. agriculture industry by preparing more young people for careers in agriculture. ...
Gene-edited calf may reduce reliance on antimicrobials against cattle disease
| Herd Health
Cattle worldwide face major health threats from a highly infectious viral disease that decades of vaccinations and other precautions have failed to contain. Federal, private-sector and Nebraska Husker scientists are collaborating on a new line of defense, by producing a gene-edited calf resistant to the virus. If follow-up research confirms its ...
Reviewing 2023 and looking ahead to 2024
| Cover Story
The U.S. cowherd reached a 60-year low in 2023. Some of this decline is driven by efficiency in the beef industry. We produce more with less. As such, it would be misleading to compare today to 60 years ago. It still does speak to how significant the recent declines in ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Phillip Nolan and all the pretty horses Not only could wild horses not keep Philip Nolan away from Texas in the 1790s, but they were also the reason he kept coming back here and the reason he died here. Some historians have suggested more nefarious motives as the real reasons for his ...
Beef cow slaughter and cow culling trends
| Production
Fall is the time of year when beef cow culling peaks as producers decide which cows to carry or not to carry through the winter months. The beef cow slaughter data can be used as an indicator of the level of cow culling. The backdrop of beef cow slaughter numbers ...
2024 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo registration now open
| Industry News
Fort Worth, Texas (Dec. 29, 2023) - Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association announced registration for the 2024 Cattle Raisers Convention & Expo taking place March 22-24, 2024 in downtown Fort Worth opened Jan. 1. The three-day event is expected to draw more than 4,000 cattle raisers from around the ...
2023 weather recap
| Weather Forecast
Hope you all have had a great holiday season! It’s always amazing how quickly the year goes by… Here is a look at the total precipitation anomaly measured in inches, that was observed for 2023. As you can see, there were some very dry areas across parts of Texas, the ...
Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic set for Jan. 11 in Cameron
| Cover Story
The annual Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic will be Jan. 11 in Cameron. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in Milam, Robertson, Bell, Burleson, Falls and Williamson counties will host the event. The Jan. 11 Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Cameron will feature topics such as cattle market updates, herd health and ...
Cattle market outlook featured at 62nd Annual Blackland Income Growth Conference
| Cover Story
Beef producers will learn more about the 2024 cattle market outlook at the 62nd Blackland Income Growth Conference Jan. 9-10 at the BASE Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd., in Waco. The event is sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Jason Johnson, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist, ...
Healthy Habits for Immune Support
| Uncategorized
Many factors play into keeping us free from sickness, it is no secret that eating a well-balanced diet helps keep us healthy by supporting our immune system. Keeping our immune system strong is especially important during cold and flu season. Eating a regular diet that includes the following nutrients can ...
Reminder: Agriculture tax exemption holders need to renew their numbers by Dec. 31
| Uncategorized
Renewal only rolls around once every four years, so the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is reminding all agriculture producers that the Agricultural and Timber Exemption numbers they currently hold will expire on Dec. 31. Agriculture operators are reminded to renew their Agricultural and Timber Exemption tax numbers prior to Dec. 31. ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
The Poet Ranchman of Texas One cold December night in either 1885 or 1887, a traveling salesman and freelance newspaper reporter from New Jersey named William Lawrence “Larry” Chittenden found himself in the tiny West Texas town of Anson. He was a guest at the Star Hotel where a Christmas ...
Weekly Livestock Comments for December 8, 2023
| Marketing
Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee FED CATTLEFed cattle traded $4 to $5 lower on a live basis compared to last week with live prices mainly between $169 and $171 while dressed prices were mainly $269 to $270. The 5-area weighted average ...
COWGIRL Magazine honors women of Texas A&M AgriLife
| Cover Story
Five “women to watch” in the western industry, as recognized by COWGIRL Magazine, have ties to Texas A&M AgriLife. The COWGIRL 30 Under 30 list recognizes women under the age of 30 who are rising stars and leaders in their industry. All the women will be formally honored the weekend of March 8 ...
Cattle markets treading water
| Weighing the Market
More fed cattle and beef production than previously expected continued to cap cattle prices in November. ERS increased forecast beef production for next year by 535 million pounds (+2.1%) compared to the previous month at 25.8 billion pounds. That was based on more expected steer and heifer placements — ultimate ...
Sales timing pushes cattle on feed inventory higher
| Marketing
The timing of feeder cattle sales led to higher year-over-year November 1st inventories of cattle on feed despite tighter overall cattle supplies this year. Total cattle on feed was reported at 11.9 million head on Nov. 1 which is 1.7 percent above a year ago. This increase might seem at odds ...
Weaning weight versus reproductive efficiency
| Cover Story, Production, Reproduction
Economic analysis of cow-calf operations shows a strong relationship between profitability and both percent calf crop weaned per exposed female and pounds weaned per exposed female. This “economic analysis” discussion often leads to a debate of what has more value to the profit potential of a commercial cow-calf operation that ...
USDA invests nearly $28M to support beginning farmers and ranchers
| DC News
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced an investment of $27.9 million across 45 organizations that teach and train beginning farmers and ranchers, including programs for U.S. veterans who are entering into agricultural careers and starting new farming businesses. “The next generation ...
Research looks to transform manure into protein
| Feed & Nutrition
Can you turn manure into a cow, chicken or fish? Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists are looking to do just that, in a roundabout, circular economy, kind of way. A three-year, $618,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food and Agriculture is funding a study by scientists in the Texas A&M ...
The Texas Side Of Things
| Columnists
As we come to the end of the year, I’m trying to think of the best song title I’ve ever known that is appropriate for how 2023 turned out. The best one I can think of, and hopefully you will agree, would be, “Looks Like We Made It,” to describe ...
BattleGround to Breaking Ground taking applications for Cohort 15
| Uncategorized
Applications are being accepted through Dec. 8 for Cohort 15 of the BattleGround to Breaking Ground program of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The BattleGround to Breaking Ground project is a four-phase educational program available to veterans, active-duty military and their families, as well as beginning farmers and ranchers. “This project provides online education, ...
Kicking off family Christmas with the perfect tree
| Cover Story
Texas Christmas tree production continues to hold strong despite impacts from extreme drought, according to a Texas A&M Forest Service expert. Fred Raley, Ph.D., Texas A&M Forest Service tree improvement coordinator, said he is expecting another year of high demand for Christmas trees. “Christmas trees are usually planted through November and March, ...
New CEW project exposes the realities of lab-grown meat
| Industry News
Washington, DC – The Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW) announced Dec. 4th, the launch of LabMeat.com, a new website to educate the public about the technology behind lab-grown meat. The website marks the beginning of a sustained education campaign to address consumer concerns surrounding this product, which was recently approved ...
Global supply, seasonal shift lead to lower cattle market prices
| Marketing
After an impressively bullish first half of the year, market prices for beef cattle have fallen in recent months, owing in part to reports reflecting an increased supply. Prices for the January 2024 CME© feeder cattle contract, for example, fell from a high of $268 per hundredweight in mid-September to ...
Mistletoe: Is the Christmas plant friend or foe?
| Uncategorized
Mistletoe may be a welcome holiday sight when hung over a doorway if a loved one is near, but, it can be an unwelcome intruder when found in your trees, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist. “Mistletoe is a hemiparasite – a semi-parasitic plant,” said Allison Watkins Schwarz, AgriLife Extension ...
NALC’s Rollins: WOTUS legal roller coaster may slow, but it’s not stopping
| DC News
The term waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, is crucial to understanding which water bodies are protected by the Clean Water Act, but defining the term has been an ongoing challenge. That trend doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon, according to Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
On this day, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, I hereby declare my candidacy for the head football coach position at Texas A&M University. Furthermore, I will be seeking fully guaranteed compensation for a period no less than 10 years in the amount of $5 million dollars per year. Yes—we’re talking about ...
Texas peanut production up this season
| Crop and Weather, Feed & Nutrition
Back-to-back seasons of drought continue to impact planted peanut acres making it another tough year for Texas peanut growers, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Emi Kimura, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension state peanut specialist, Vernon, said producers who were able to keep their crop under irrigation throughout the drought ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
No count Saligny and the pigs As a Republic, Texas was hard to get along with. The Mexican government learned this the hard way. The French government discovered the same thing when it sent Alphonse Dubois de Saligny to Austin in 1840 to help determine if France should recognize the ...
Mouthfeel of food determines whether people go back for seconds
| Uncategorized
Are you a sucker, cruncher or chewer … maybe even a smoosher? Think about it: how do you taste your food? Texture has been one of the trends in food product messaging for several years, said Rhonda Miller, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research Faculty Fellow and meat science professor in the Texas A&M College of ...
Cattle economics: cattle production cost
| Production
What does it cost to carry a cow? What is the cost of production in the cattle business? These are questions that arise on occasion, but few people actually take the time to calculate their cost of production. There are annual budgets available through the land grant universities that provide ...
Building a veterinarian recruitment toolbox for rural Texas
| Herd Health
In communities throughout Texas, the veterinarian serves as the cog of livestock and animal care, yet many rural areas are experiencing a historical lack of veterinary service. A collaborative pilot effort between the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases and the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is underway to enhance recruitment ...
More El Niño thoughts
| Cover Story, Weather Forecast
Here is a look at the latest model forecast strength and duration for this El Niño event. Focus on the mean forecast bar graph on the bottom of the charts, as it is the most responsible estimate of strength and duration: As you can see, the event peaks from December-February, ...
2023 USDA Land Values summary
| Uncategorized
Earlier this fall, the USDA released its annual Land Values Summary for 2023. Not surprisingly, the report indicates increasing values nationwide over the past year. For “farm real estate value,” which takes into account the value of all land and buildings on farms, the U.S. average value was $4,080, up ...
Texas A&M begins construction on Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center
| Cover Story, Reproduction
Texas A&M AgriLife Research hosted leaders from across The Texas A&M University System in a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center at Texas A&M-RELLIS, a 2,400-acre applied research campus in Bryan. The $13 million facility is a joint construction project of AgriLife Research and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life ...
Digital agriculture, genetics, forages featured at Beeville station field day
| Cover Story, Industry News
With a rich history of research and developing innovative, profitable practices for beef cattle producers in South Texas and abroad, the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Beeville showcased emerging technologies in cattle production systems during a field day Nov. 2. Researchers at the event also announced a $25,000 gift to the ...
Applications open for Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Collegiate Conference
| Uncategorized
FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 8, 2023) – Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association opened the application window for the inaugural 2024 Cattle Raisers Collegiate Conference Jan. 5-7 in Fort Worth. The three-day conference is geared towards college students interested in advancing career opportunities within the beef industry. Attendees will be provided ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
This past weekend, I, along with several hundred thousand other Texas deer hunters, headed to our blinds to either to kill a deer or just escape everyday life. I’m not sure about the rest of the state, but in the hill country the hunting was tough. There are so many live oak and post oak acorns lying on the ground that most of the deer I saw didn’t even ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Daniel Edwards: Hero and Hoax Alvin C. York had nothing on Daniel Edwards, other than, perhaps, an abiding sense of honesty. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor in recognition of their gallant actions in World War I, but York’s legacy has endured longer and stronger, partly due to ...
Arkansas 1st to take enforcement action on foreign-ownership law
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas became the first in the nation to enforce a state law banning certain foreign entities from owning agricultural land when its attorney general on Oct. 17th ordered a Chinese-owned company divest itself of farmland in Craighead County. “This is the first time that we’ve seen some ...
Still pulling cattle forward
| Columnists
Cattle markets began November, recovering from the October Cattle on Feed report. It surprised many with 6% more September placements than the previous year and significantly more than expected. Cattle futures took it on the chin, as did some cash prices, albeit at historically high levels. “It likely reflects producers ...
Livestock guardian dogs: Unsung heroes of the livestock protection business
| Uncategorized
Livestock guardian dogs are rockstars in the canine world, even if most people never see them perform live. These unique animals are so important to the ranching industry that the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in San Angelo created an entire program dedicated to these livestock protection professionals. Livestock guardian ...
Part 2-The BVD Virus in cow/calf operations-How do I test for BVD Virus?
| Herd Health
If a calf tests negative, then the dam can be assumed negative. “BVD” or “Bovine Viral Diarrhea” virus is one of the most common and costliest viruses affecting cow/calf herds and backgrounding operations. Control of the BVD virus is best accomplished through implementation of three equally important practices: 1) surveillance ...
Timely rainfall helps cool-season crops establish before winter
| Uncategorized
Recent rainfall and cooler temperatures allowed producers across the state to plant cool-season crops and get root systems established before winter, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Outlook brighter coming out of drought Throughout the last week, different areas across the state other than the Far West and Panhandle regions, ...
Texas Trails
| Uncategorized
The chickens were the real heroes of the “war” named in their honor – the Chicken War. They came out of the fray with more dignity than the dignitaries, soldiers and empire builders who made the war, if not necessary, at least possible. They were also the only ones that ...
Part 1: The BVD Virus in Cow/Calf Operations-What does it look like and where did it come from?
| Herd Health
“BVD” or “Bovine Viral Diarrhea” virus is one of the most common and costliest viruses affecting cow/calf herds and backgrounding operations. Control of the BVD virus is best accomplished through implementation of three equally important practices: 1) surveillance testing to detect and remove infected cattle, 2) vaccination to increase herd ...
Recent rainfall could cause spike in the fall armyworm population
| Crop and Weather
Many producers throughout Texas are noticing an increasing fall armyworm population in their rangelands and forages in areas after receiving rainfall over the last few weeks. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts recommend producers be prepared to protect their valuable forages. Vanessa Corriher-Olson, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension forage specialist and professor in the Department ...
Right to farm and ranch set as Prop 1 on November ballot
| Industry News
(WACO, Texas)—The right to farm and ranch in Texas is set as Proposition 1 on the Nov. 7 General Election ballot. The proposition is supported by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB). “It’s great to have a proposition number for the right to farm and ranch constitutional amendment. There are 14 propositions ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
I apologize for the brevity of this column because of being behind. In fact, the column is mainly about being behind! Running out of time, money and options seem to be the theme of this fall. First, as I write this column, I am sitting in a KOA RV site ...
Federal budget woes delay new Farm Bill progress
| DC News
The 2018 Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2023, as government officials focused on passing 45-day continuation of the federal budget. Amy Hagerman, an associate professor of agricultural economics and Oklahoma State University Extension agricultural policy specialist, said the expiration will have limited impact in the short term but could have long-term ...
Balance of trade has shifted as beef production has decreased
| Marketing
While the vast majority of beef produced in the U.S. is consumed domestically, international markets are a significant piece of the U.S. beef system. For perspective, the U.S. exported the equivalent of about 12.5% of its beef production during 2022, while importing roughly 12%. This was a fairly typical balance ...
Agricultural irrigation workshop set for Nov. 10 in Caldwell
| Crop and Weather
Agricultural producers in Milam and Burleson counties are invited to an agricultural irrigation workshop Nov. 10 in Caldwell, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District. Participants in the Nov. 10 agricultural irrigation workshop in Caldwell will learn about the latest irrigation technologies and ways ...
Weather Wise
| Weather Forecast
Winter thoughts My thinking is that the upcoming winter could be pretty rough for parts of the Plains. The closest analog I can find, which I have shared with you many times, is 1972-73. This is the last time we had a strong east-based El Niño with a negative PDO. ...
Ensuring a safe and memorable hunting season
| Uncategorized
From the Coastal Bend to the Panhandle, hunters across private and public lands will take to the field as general white-tailed deer hunting season opens Nov. 4 in Texas. While the thrill of the hunt and anticipation of a successful harvest sits at the forefront of every hunter’s mind, Jacob ...
Beneficial rainfall leads to above-average fall planted wheat
| Crop and Weather
Timely rainfall in some areas has been highly beneficial for the fall wheat crop, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Jourdan Bell, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension agronomist, Amarillo, said she expects to see above average acres planted in the northern High Plains region as a result of improved soil moisture conditions, ...
AgriLife Research field day to cover new tech in cattle systems Nov. 2 in Beeville
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Station at Beeville will host a field day Nov. 2 featuring a broad overview of new technology used in beef cattle production systems. Cow herd sustainability will be one of the presentations by faculty in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Department of ...
Reviewing cow-calf share and cash lease agreements
| Pastures & Forages
The trend in cattle prices over the last year has been dramatically toward the upside. Prices have risen higher and faster than many market analysts thought possible for 2023. These changes in market value are having an impact on beef cow share and cash lease agreements in determining what is ...
Foreign-owned acres of U.S. farmland may be underreported
| DC News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hampered by an antiquated paper-based and loophole-riddled reporting system, the number of foreign-owned acres of agricultural land in the United States may be undercounted, witnesses told the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. While the issue of foreign ownership of farm- and forestland in the United ...
Advancing sustainable land management and resilience across the Great Plains
| Cover Story
Texas A&M AgriLife researchers are looking at a one-two punch to restore rangeland health and support sustainable livestock production today. Historically, human-made and naturally occurring fires shaped the prairie landscapes and the movement and habits of grazing animals such as bison and pronghorn across the Great Plains. In turn, the successional patchwork ...
Demand for CHOICE beef strengthens
| Uncategorized
Could PRIME become the standard grade of beef in the future? The Choice Select spread has received little attention in this column, but it deserves a few comments as production of Choice grade beef dominates the production side and demand for Choice beef has strengthened over the past decade. From ...
USDA’s insurance option offers first of its kind risk management tool for cow-calf producers
| Industry News
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Weaned Calf Risk Protection, a new insurance option for livestock producers in several states. This policy, offered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), offers Actual Production History (APH) coverage for beef cow-calf producers to insure revenue from their spring calving ...
Texas pumpkin yields hurt by heat and drought
| Crop and Weather
Texas Crop and Weather Report – Oct. 3, 2023 Texas pumpkin producers experienced another season of yields well below average, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Mark Carroll, AgriLife Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Floyd County, said this year’s pumpkin production yields are down 20%-40% due to ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Some enterprising Chinese alchemists invented gunpowder in the 9th century. The formula is simple: saltpetre, sulfur and charcoal. It helps if you have millions of bats because guano (dried bat feces) breaks down into saltpetre— or potassium nitrate to you chemists. Texas has millions and millions of bats and hundreds of bat caves. ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I know there comes a time in life when we all have to say goodbye, but it is never easy. Last Saturday, my familyhad to say goodbye to the matriarch of the Banner family. My mother, Drucilla Faye Banner, was very special to me because she was my inspiration and up to the day she passed, she still called me her little boy. She had the prettiest,authentic smile and a huge warm heart and if you look at the picture in her obituary, you will see what I mean. I have thanked God many times for giving me someone so special to be my mother ...
Best practices for vaccinating cattle, handling vaccines and caring for animal health equipment
| Cover Story, Herd Health
Fall weaning and transportation can be a high-stress period for calves that may be transitioning from one operation to another. As animal care providers, it’s our job to take that into consideration and do all we can to reduce the stress load on these animals. First, let’s think of the ...
Multi-county Southwest Texas Soil Testing Campaign set for Oct. 16-Nov. 2
| Pastures & Forages
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is hosting the Southwest Texas Soil Testing Campaign event Oct. 16-Nov. 2 at agency offices in Uvalde, Dimmit, Frio, Kinney, Medina and Zavala counties. The event will allow landowners to send soil samples to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory to be analyzed ...
High cattle prices face varied pressure
| Columnists, Crop and Weather, Marketing
Cattle futures softened in recent weeks encumbered by seasonal weakness and negative outside markets tied to worries about higher interest rates and the potential impact on consumer beef demand. For instance, Feeder Cattle futures lost an average of $10/cwt. across all contracts over the course of two weeks ending Oct. ...
Five reasons you need your veterinarian more than ever during a drought
| Herd Health
During drought, beef producers might find a best friend in their local veterinarian, says University of Missouri Extension veterinary toxicologist Tim Evans. “Although veterinarians always provide a valuable service to animal owners, their value to livestock producers becomes increasingly important during drought, high heat and limited forage availability,” says Evans. ...
Safety and preparedness tips for the solar eclipse
| Cover Story
With six years since the last solar eclipse, state officials are warning Texans to prepare for the Oct. 14 event as it is expected to draw thousands to the Lone Star State. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Disaster Assessment Recovery, DAR, unit, along with state emergency preparedness officials, urge individuals to ...
Ranch Management University set for Oct. 23-27 in College Station
| Cover Story
The award-winning Ranch Management University, scheduled Oct. 23-27 at Texas A&M University in Bryan-College Station, is open for registration with seating limited to the first 50 enrolled. The workshop is a collaboration of the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Department of Animal Science and Department of Agricultural ...
Management of bull preputial injuries
| Herd Health
Preputial injuries in bulls can cause considerable economic loss and significantly impact a producer's breeding plans. Understanding the severity of a prepuce injury is critical to the outcome of the condition. Bulls with pendulous sheaths and polled breeds have a high incidence of preputial injuries. A significant relationship appears to ...
Sporadic rainfall brings relief to parts of Texas
| Crop and Weather
Recent rainfall helped relieve some areas across Texas, but more is needed to escape drought conditions, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. After receiving above-average rainfall in May and June, the state was hit with extremely hot and dry conditions throughout July and August. Over the past week, the Panhandle, ...
Just your Standard Bull
| Columnists
In my last column in the Sept. 1 issue, I had stated that as of Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, the temperature reached 100 degrees or hotter in San Antonio for the 60th time in 2023. This had surpassed all previous records. Well, according to the Houston Chronicle, as of Sept. 10th, ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A couple of alleged incidents Two of the most famous incidents from America’s gunfighter era might or might not have taken place and involved (or didn’t involve) some of the most iconic names of the Old West: Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, notorious Texas gunslingers John Wesley Hardin and Clay ...
Wildfires wipe out income for Louisiana forest landowners
| Uncategorized
WESTPORT, Louisiana -- In west-central Louisiana, where wildfires have ravaged thousands of acres of drought-stricken forests in recent weeks, more has been lost than just trees. For many people, the towering pines that define the landscape of this rural region represent family inheritances, years of investment and hopes for the ...
Cornstalks can fill forage gaps during drought
| Feed & Nutrition
COLUMBIA, Missouri – Grazing cornstalks or drought-stricken corn can fill feed gaps during drought, says University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey. There are some nutritional concerns, and producers must commit to moving cattle to new pastures to successfully use cornstalks as feedstuff, but there are benefits. Cows are ...
Cattle reproduction: effect of calving difficulty on reproductive performance
| Herd Health
Fall calving season is upon us and what happens during this time can affect our breeding season results. Dystocia is the proper name given to when there are any problems during birth, i.e., calving. It can be associated with a plethora of reasons such as a calf that is larger ...
History repeats in weather
| Weather Forecast
What is an analog year? Years in the past with weather patterns similar to the current weather pattern and those projected by the weather models for the next several months. Basically, using history to help forecast the future… I always like to share with you some analog years for the ...
Effects of government shutdown would ripple through agriculture to consumers
| Industry News
Editors Note: Congress did pass a six week extension to current federal government funding on Sept. 30th. LITTLE ROCK — A government shutdown could remove price and revenue safety nets for farmers and mean higher food prices for consumers, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division ...
Safety and preparedness tips for the solar eclipse
| Uncategorized
With six years since the last solar eclipse, state officials are warning Texans to prepare for the Oct. 14 event as it is expected to draw thousands to the Lone Star State. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Disaster Assessment Recovery, DAR, unit, along with state emergency preparedness officials, urge individuals to ...
Drought and fewer water sources not adversely affecting Texas wildlife
| Uncategorized
Texas wildlife received the right amount of rain at the perfect time for the crucial growing stages of 2023. In spite of worsening drought conditions, wildlife populations have prevailed, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. White-tailed deer and other wildlife were not adversely affected by the drought as the ...
Will you capitalize on increasing cow value?
| Cover Story
What a difference a year makes when it comes to cow prices! Whether it is weigh up cows at $1.10 per pound or young bred heifers and cows pushing $2,500 - $3,000 per head, the recent rise in prices has been dramatic. Many cow-calf producers will sell calves this fall ...
Beef exports face continuing challenges; export forecast lowered
| Industry News, Marketing
U.S. beef exports continue to face a multitude of economic headwinds and have fallen significantly from last year’s record levels. On top of fewer exportable supplies due to lower domestic production, U.S. beef is more expensive on the global market due to the combination of higher domestic beef prices and ...
Webinar on white-tailed deer management set for Oct. 5
| Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present the webinar “White-tailed Deer Management” on Oct. 5 from noon to 1 p.m. White-tailed deer will be the focus of an Oct. 5 webinar talking about population, habitat and diet. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Michael Miller) The webinar is part of the ongoing Texas ...
Private pesticide applicator training course set Sept. 26 in Waco
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in McLennan County will be holding a private pesticide applicator training course on Sept. 26 in Waco. The course is from 8 a.m.-noon at the AgriLife Extension office in McLennan County, 4224 Cobbs Drive. Cost is $70 and is payable by check or cash only. To ...
USDA grant supports study of melatonin use in pregnant cows grazing toxic fescue on calf growth
| Reproduction
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With support from a $300,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is continuing research on the use of a common sleep aid for humans to improve weight gains of calves whose mothers grazed toxic fescue while pregnant. Tall fescue is the most common ...
Drought across Texas worsens
| Crop and Weather
High temperatures and drought conditions have persisted throughout the summer months in Texas, with little rain to provide relief. While tropical storm Harold brought some relief along the coast of Texas, according to the Texas state climatologist, much of the state has witnessed above average temperatures — 4 to 8 ...
Seasonal price weakness likely muted
| Uncategorized
Cattle price increases slowed or stalled last month, pressured by extreme heat limiting cattle movement and packers reducing production in an effort to boost wholesale beef values. Heading into fall, prices typically come under seasonal pressure, although dwindling cattle numbers will likely lessen the impact. “Cattle prices are trending higher ...
Weighing the Market
| Columnists
Seasonal price weakness likely muted Cattle price increases slowed or stalled last month, pressured by extreme heat limiting cattle movement and packers reducing production in an effort to boost wholesale beef values. Heading into fall, prices typically come under seasonal pressure, although dwindling cattle numbers will likely lessen the impact. ...
The sleep tight policy
| Cover Story
Being a seedstock producer often requires making a big investment in new genetics – a new herd bull or top-notch donor cow can run into the tens of thousands, easily. And because your investment is a living, breathing animal that will be walking around on four legs out in the ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
Indianola: Gone with the wind Indianola already had a great future behind it when a hurricane blew it away in 1886, 40 years after its founding as Indian Point on Matagorda Bay. The U.S. Army established a base there because it was the nearest port to San Antonio, where the ...
Saddle & Sirloin honors Jarold Callahan
| Breed News
What do purple banners, board room gavels and steno pads have in common? They’re all items that epitomize Jarold Callahan’s significant influence on the beef industry. Aptly, the Edmond Oklahoma cattleman has been chosen as 2023 inductee into the Saddle & Sirloin Portrait Gallery. Largely considered one of the highest ...
DC News
| Columnists
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The highly anticipated new waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule released by the Environmental Protection Agency will remove scores of water bodies from regulation under the Clean Water Act. Absent from the new rule is the “significant nexus” test which had been part of WOTUS since the ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Hopefully, it looks like we have finally made it through the summer of 2023. This past week, a cool front, not acold front, made it into Texas and dropped the temperatures down from 108 into the high 90’s which is a welcome relief for most of us. In fact, we received anywhere from a half inch to over an inch of rainin the Hill Country but it’s still not the measurable rainfall we desperately need before our first killing freeze, which hopefully won’t occur until the end of November. I’m 65-years-old and I can honestly say, I’ve never seen a year likethis! In Llano and Mason counties, we were green and lush at the beginning of July and in 60 days without anyrainfall, no cloudy days whatsoever and over 100 degrees every day…it dried out faster than I’ve ever seen it. The Llano ...
Fall pasture management program Sept. 19 in San Antonio
| Pastures & Forages
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bexar County will present the Fall Pasture Management program Sept. 19 in San Antonio. The program will be held from 9 a.m.-noon in Suite 208 of the AgriLife Extension office in Bexar County, 3355 Cherry Ridge. Registration is $20 both at the door or in ...
2023 update on Texas pecan production, prices and pests
| Uncategorized
Although prices remain steady, consumers should pay extra attention to early pecan harvest production, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Drought may affect pecan production this year, but prices should remain steady. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie) Larry Stein, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Uvalde, said pecan production ...
CAB launching new direct marketing program
| Breed News
Could your freezer beef carry the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB) brand logo? Perhaps. With the launch of a new program, Angus farmers and ranchers have the option to market their beef directly to consumers as CAB product. Ranch to Table, a direct partnership program between CAB and cattle operations using Angus genetics, ...
East Texas Wildlife Expo set for Oct. 6 in Jasper
| Uncategorized
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the East Texas Wildlife Expo on Oct. 6 in Jasper. White-tailed deer will be one of the topics discussed at the Oct. 6 East Texas Wildlife Expo in Jasper. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Michael Miller) The expo will begin with registration at 8 ...
Spring 2024 Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association internships now open
| Uncategorized
FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 5, 2023) – Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association today opened the application window for 2024 spring internship programs. These exceptional internship programs offer students the chance to broaden their network and collaborate with Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association personnel and leading industry figures. Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association ...
| Industry News
Nuisance wildlife management program set Sept. 19 in Georgetown Topics: Removal techniques, safety concerns, laws and regulations SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will hold a Nuisance Wildlife Management Program on Sept. 19 from 4-6 p.m. in Georgetown. Bee swarming behavior and wasp issues are an increasing nuisance in ...
CenTex Cattle Symposium set for Sept. 22nd in Riesel, Tx
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in McLennan County will host the 2023 CenTex Beef Cattle Symposium in Riesel on Sept. 22. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Moreno Ranches, 948 Farm-to-Market Road 2037. The fee is $25 and payable at the door by either check ...
Texas citrus continues to bounce back from freeze
| Crop and Weather
Texas citrus growers appear to be back on track after Winter Storm Uri caused significant setbacks to many growers two seasons ago, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Before Winter Storm Uri delivered week-long ice and sub-freezing temperatures to much of the state in February 2021, Texas citrus growers ...
Not your standard bull
| Columnists
On Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, the temperature reached 100 degrees or hotter in San Antonio for the 60th time in 2023. This surpasses all the previous years recorded in history. AND IT’S JUST AUG. 27! This is not the kind of record you want to break. A popular record people seem ...
Pinkeye in cattle: Combating an expanded list of viruses and bacteria
| Herd Health
Pinkeye is a well-known bacterial infection that cattle producers watch for each year. The number of cases often increase during the summer and into the fall. The bacterium Moraxella bovis is most associated with pinkeye infections. However, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System veterinarian said there are other viruses and bacteria that labs ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
J.O. Langford’s Hot Springs J.O. Langford was sickly and despairing when he made his way from Midland to Alpine in 1909. He had forsaken his native Mississippi for Texas because he suffered frequent bouts of malaria in his home state and he thought the arid West Texas air might be ...
A No. 2 pencil is a beef producer’s best tool
| Uncategorized
COLUMBIA, Missouri – One of the most important tools for livestock producers is a sharp No. 2 pencil. The pencil and some basic arithmetic can help take the emotion out of desperate measures to find feed. When you do the math, buying grain or other alternative feeds may be the ...
Fewer Cattle on Feed and lower placements
| Marketing
The latest Cattle on Feed Report was released on Aug. 17 and delivered a bit of surprise in the number of cattle placed on feedlots during July. The broader takeaway from the report is tighter feedlot supplies and plenty of support for cattle prices. However, there were some interesting details under the ...
Biden administration announces funding for high-speed internet in rural areas
| DC News
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced nearly $700 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers and business owners in 22 states and the Marshall Islands to reliable, affordable high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan ...
Consumer demand and high prices prompt cattle producer optimism
| Cover Story, Industry News
Optimism greeted beef cattle producers from around the country attending the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course recently for two primary reasons — high cattle prices and continued consumer demand, despite the higher beef prices. Unlike in previous decades, Americans today eat higher-grade beef and pay a premium for it. Beef cattle ...
A&M Board of Regents approve Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center construction
| Reproduction
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved construction of the new $13 million Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Center at their meeting on Aug. 16. Construction is expected to begin in September with substantial completion scheduled for January 2025. This initiative is a joint effort among the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life ...
Long range model update
| Weather Forecast
Last month, I showed you what was up with the developing El Niño. This month, we’ll look at the various long range models and what they are projecting for the next few months. First, let’s look at the EURO Seasonal Model… September - November Precipitation Forecast While the three month ...
Corn basis following Mississippi River levels downward
| Crop and Weather
LITTLE ROCK — Corn basis is sinking along with the levels of the Mississippi River as drought grips the upper reaches of the river and many of its tributaries. At Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday, the river was at minus 4.1 feet and was expected to drop to minus 5 feet by Sept. ...
Landowners’ conference set for Sept. 12 in Bastrop
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Bastrop County will host a Managing Your Piece of Texas landowners’ conference on Sept. 12 in Bastrop. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the American Legion Post 533, 3003 Loop 150. Registration is $10 before the Sept. 5 deadline and $20 ...
Texas A&M Forest Service opens emergency grant applications for wildfire disaster declaration
| Uncategorized
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Emergency grant applications are now open for volunteer fire departments included in Governor Abbott's wildfire disaster declaration. “Volunteer firefighters are our first line of defense against wildfires in Texas,” said Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief. “During this active summer season, these firefighters are ...
More than just mortgages: Interest rate hikes affect farming too
| Industry News
LITTLE ROCK — Expect one more interest rate hike before the end of the year, says Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. In his newly released fact sheet “How are Interest Rates Influenced?” Loy discusses the rationale behind this year’s interest rate increases, ...
Northeast Texas Panhandle Beef Conference set for Sept. 7 in Lipscomb
| Industry News, Production
The Northeast Texas Panhandle Beef Conference will be hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service on Sept. 7 at the Wolf Creek Heritage Museum in Lipscomb. The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. Registration is $10 and payable at the door. “After several years of drought and selling off some or ...
Women In Ag Conference set for Sept. 12-13 in Fort Worth
| Cover Story, Industry News
The inaugural Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on Sept. 12th and 13th in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas. The two-day event is designed to assist farm and ranch women with problem solving, record keeping and decision-making skills. The conference will cover topics designed to help them with ...
QuickBooks Online Training for farmers and ranchers goes live
| Industry News, Production
Producers needing to learn better record-keeping practices no longer have to wait for a training in their area, as the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is now offering a Beginning QuickBooks Online Training for Farmers and Ranchers. The primary goal of the online version of this training course is to help farmers and ranchers ...
Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
Last week I attended my favorite annual cattle event, the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course (BCSC). It’s always good to go back to College Station and see all the new facilities under construction and to see and learn about the most up-to-date information concerning the cattle industry. Once again, my ...
Texas timber finding added value in new markets
| Crop and Weather
The Texas timber sector has experienced ebbs and flows of supply and demand and other market forces, but new products and opportunities are adding value to trees, said a Texas A&M Forest Service expert. Fiber grown, managed, harvested, processed and manufactured around the state continues to play a big role in Texas’ ...
What will you do with profits?
| Industry News
Cow-calf producers are looking at the potential for significant profits for 2023 due to high calf prices. This income may give cow-calf producers the rare opportunity to invest capital back into the ranch. The following are options, in no particular order, to consider when thinking about and planning for investments ...
Drugstore cowboys
| Columnists
A lot of what we can say about Clark Stanley or Charlie Bigelow would come off today as a left-handed compliment or even a downright insult. Where’s the glory in being history’s best-known snake oil salesman, or even the original Drug Store Cowboy? Stanley and Bigelow have been called both ...
NCBA slams presidential overreach in latest Antiquities Act Designation
| DC News
WASHINGTON (Aug. 8, 2023) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) slammed President Biden’s use of the Antiquities Act to put sweeping federal designations on over a million additional acres of land in Arizona, amounting to yet another presidential land grab. “This kind of use of the Antiquities Act is one ...
Cattle plus extreme heat equals a bad combination
| Herd Health
This summer’s extreme heat has been and continues to be brutal on cattle. When the temperature at night remains above 80 degrees, it’s really hard for cattle to cool down. During an average year, August is the worst month for heat stress in cattle. But this year, high temperatures arrived ...
Mathis selected to lead Texas A&M Department of Animal Science
| Cover Story
Clay Mathis, Ph.D., has been named the new head of the Department of Animal Science, making a return to the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, beginning Oct. 1. Mathis, a native of New Braunfels, Texas, is no stranger to the department as he earned both his bachelor’s in animal ...
OSU researchers awarded NSF funds to study rural resilience
| Industry News
In so-called flyover states across the U.S., rural communities face issues that most people never see. One major issue is water. The water resources on which these rural communities depend are often threatened by changing land management and climate. While these ongoing changes may disproportionally impact rural communities, the majority ...
Herd expansion on hold
| Columnists, Marketing
Notwithstanding the weekly push and pull of grain market wonderments and beef packers reining in production to boost boxed beef prices, cattle prices continued beyond the expectations of many last month. The already bullish outlook grew even brighter. USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) increased projected feeder steer prices (750-800 lbs. ...
McLennan County Small Landowner Educational Series starts Aug. 21 in Waco
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in McLennan County is kicking off its McLennan County Extension Small Landowner Educational Series on Aug. 21 in Waco. The series will be held from Aug. 21-Sept. 25 from 6-8 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension office in McLennan County, 4224 Cobbs Drive. Registration cost is ...
Texas Hunting, Fishing Licenses on sale Aug. 15
| Industry News
AUSTIN— It’s August, which means kids are back in school and the fall hunting and fishing seasons are quickly approaching. Before packing your favorite tackle and camo for trips, be sure to purchase an annual fishing and hunting license for 2023-24. Current-year Texas hunting and fishing licenses (except the Year-from-Purchase ...
Big Country Beef Cattle Conference set Aug. 24 in Abilene
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Big Country Beef Conference on Aug. 24 at the Taylor County Expo Center in the Big Country Hall, 1700 Texas Highway 36, Abilene. The event will run from 8:15 a.m.-4:15 p.m., with registration and coffee starting at 7:45 a.m. Call the AgriLife Extension office of Taylor ...
New Hereford magazines champions heterosis
| Breed News
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The American Hereford Association (AHA) launched a new publication in August — Baldy Advantage — highlighting the experiences and insights of commercial cow-calf producers using Hereford-sired baldy cattle to their benefit. “Heterosis is tough to beat and harder to ignore in commercial cow-calf production,” says Bill Goehring, AHA president. ...
Fire danger high across parts of state this week
| Cover Story, Industry News
The Texas A&M Forest Service has raised the State Wildfire Preparedness Level to Level 4 due to the recent increase in wildfire activity statewide and growing potential for wildfires to become more severe and harder to control.“The decision to move to a Preparedness Level 4 indicates that the complexity of wildfires across ...
Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch online course now registering
| Industry News
The Generation Next: Our Turn to Ranch 12-week online course is open for registration. The program, offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, takes place Aug. 21-Nov. 12. The course fee is $300, and online registration is required at https://tx.ag/GenerationNext2023. Because enrollment is limited to 100 registrants, those interested in participating ...
Just Your Standard Bull
| Columnists
The last time I wrote to you was during our family trip to Maine. For those of you who didn’t read it, I will remind you that we have a motor coach and drove there and back. Google Maps says that from our storage facility near Boerne, to Freeport Maine ...
War in Ukraine continues to cause havoc in wheat market
| Crop and Weather
Recent aggression in the war between Ukraine and Russia propelled roller-coaster wheat prices last week. Mark Welch, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service grain economist, Bryan-College Station, said continued conflict and/or escalation is likely to further contribute to volatile global wheat prices and influence U.S. production in 2024. Russian and Ukrainian farmers ...
CDP Brangus announces a new fall production sale date and location for Nov. 15–16, 2023
| Breed News
El Dorado, Arkansas – CDP Brangus is excited to announce the move of their fall cattle production sale to El Dorado, Arkansas. The new sale location marks a significant milestone for the livestock industry in the region, providing ranchers, cattlemen, cattlewomen, buyers and sellers with a cutting-edge marketplace to conduct ...
Reduce loss when storing bales outside
| Feed & Nutrition
How we store hay makes a difference in the potential for winter forage losses. It is estimated that unprotected round bales of hay stored outside can experience four to eight inches or more of spoilage loss on the outside of the bale over the course of the winter. A weathered ...
Cattle producers praise congressional resolution supporting Beef Checkoff
| DC News
WASHINGTON (July 13, 2023) - Cattle industry leaders praised the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the importance of commodity checkoff programs, including the Beef Checkoff. "As a cattle producer who invests in the Beef Checkoff, I know how important this program is to the continued success of America’s cattlemen ...
Cattle inventory updates from July’s Cattle, and Cattle on Feed Reports
| Industry News
Two key reports were released on July 21st that give the latest insights on cattle herd dynamics. USDA-NASS released the mid-year Cattle report and the monthly Cattle on Feed report. While there is plenty to digest in each report, we note a few key points in this article. For the 2014-present cattle cycle, July cattle ...
Animal Agriculture Alliance and National Institute for Animal Agriculture announce working partnership
| Uncategorized
July 26, 2023 – The Animal Agriculture Alliance (Alliance) and National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) announced a working partnership between the two organizations to maximize areas of expertise to ensure sound scientific information about animal agriculture is being communicated effectively to key audiences. As part of the working relationship, ...
A fiddler’s redemption
| Uncategorized
Very few guitar players came to Texas in the early days of Anglo settlement. Guitars were too big to carry. Pianos were out of the question. Fiddles, however, didn’t take up much space, nor did banjos, and those were the instruments – along with harmonicas, of course – that early ...
Eating tendencies of Brahman steers can affect meat tenderness
| Cover Story, Industry News
The dependence of residual feed intake on growth and tenderness of Brahman cattle, a common breed chosen for crossbreeding cattle along the southern U.S., including Texas, was the focus of a cattle feeding study published in Applied Animal Science journal. The study, “Relationships of residual feed intake and residual average daily gain ...
El Niño update
| Weather Forecast
Time to check in on our old friend, and see what he is up to… The graphic below shows current sea surface temperature anomalies. A couple of things to note, before I show you what it looked like earlier this year: 1) The warmest water in the ENSO region is ...
Women In Ag Conference set for Sept. 12-13 in Fort Worth
| Industry News
The inaugural Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on Sept. 12th and 13th in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas. The two-day event is designed to assist farm and ranch women with problem solving, record keeping and decision-making skills. The conference will cover topics designed to help them with ...
Texas rice crop conditions mixed amid volatile global market
| Crop and Weather
Weather conditions delivered a mixed bag of yield and quality results for Texas rice producers, but volatility in the global rice market could help growers, according to Texas A&M AgriLife experts. Texas rice acres were down compared to last year, and yield numbers and quality have not lived up to the spring-time ...
2023 Honorary Angus Foundation inductees announced
| Breed News
Whether it is the glaring passion of the Jenkinses or the subtle smile of the Pollards, there is an indisputable dedication to supporting the future of Angus in this year’s inductees of the Honorary Angus Foundation. Milford and Peggy Jenkins of Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Dr. Barry and Roxanne Pollard of Waukomis, Oklahoma, were ...
Cattle producers direct NCBA action on cell-cultured products
| Industry News
WASHINGTON (July 26, 2023) - Today, the members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) passed a directive at the NCBA Summer Business Meeting to continue the association’s advocacy efforts on transparent labeling and inspection of cell-cultured protein products. “Cattle producers are not afraid of a little competition, and I know ...
How to manage drought-stressed ponds
| Crop and Weather
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought combined with high temperatures can have devastating effects on fish ponds, but pond owners can take steps to alleviate these effects. During a drought, pond waters can drop to dangerous levels, increasing aquatic plant growth, decreasing water quality and stressing fish, making them more vulnerable to ...
Opportunities and challenges ahead in the cattle business
| Cover Story, Industry News
Looking back at 40 years of advances in the beef industry and toward the next 40 years of opportunities and challenges will be the highlight of the general session during the 69th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in Bryan-College Station set for Aug. 7-9. The largest event of its kind, ...
Native rangelands recovering, but drought remains
| Crop and Weather
Early summer and subsequent rains helped Texas’ native rangelands bounce back from drought. However, Texas A&M AgriLife experts warn ranchers that the more than 100 million acres of statewide grazing land they rely on may still be recovering. Bill Fox, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Center for Natural Resource Information Technology and Texas ...
Producer-minded research, outreach drives new face of Texas A&M McGregor Research Center
| Cover Story
The Texas A&M McGregor Research Center, one of the largest cow-calf facilities tied to a land-grant university, is on its way to becoming the go-to research facility for area livestock producers to look for answers under the direction of Ryon Walker, Ph.D. Walker was hired in late 2021 as the first onsite ...
Pork exports highest in two years; beef exports below record large, year-ago totals
| Industry News
Led by another outstanding month in Mexico and robust demand for variety meat, exports of U.S. pork continued to gain momentum in May, according to data released by USDA and compiled by USMEF. While well below the record-large volume and value posted in May 2022, beef exports improved from April ...
Texas Trails
| Columnists
A timeless tune A.P. Carter, patriarch of the first family of country music, the Carter family, spent much of his adult life combing the hills and hollers of the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond for songs. Many of the songs he found are among the classics that took the music ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to fly commercially as much as I used to. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, I flew often on my way to cattle sales in the southeastern states. But then things changed and eventually I had enough auctions in Texas that I ...
Finding the cause for abortions and stillbirths in cattle- Why is it still so difficult?
| Herd Health
Determining the cause of abortions and stillbirths in cattle remains a significant challenge for veterinary diagnostic laboratories, despite vast improvements in the tests used to detect infectious organisms. Most studies find that only 20-50% of abortion cases submitted are “solved”, meaning the first initiating event resulting in the death of ...
Drought in the Corn Belt is concerning
| Crop and Weather, Feed & Nutrition
The June Acreage report released the end of June by USDA-NASS brought some good news for livestock producers. The report places the total U.S. planted corn acreage at 94.1 million acres. USDAs latest estimate for 2023 corn acreage is 2.3% higher than their previous estimate and 6.2% percent higher than the last year’s ...
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension expands statewide disaster network
| Industry News
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Disaster Assessment and Recovery (DAR), unit is expanding its statewide disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts following the appropriations to support the “Keeping Texas Prepared” initiative in the 88th legislative session. “The expansion of AgriLife Extension Service’s Disaster Assessment and Recovery unit will benefit the entire state,” ...
EPA to issue new WOTUS rule by September
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers plan to issue a revised definition of waters of the United States, or WOTUS, by Sept. 1, the EPA said in a court filing on Monday. The action follows the May 25 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court ...
Cattle prices continue record pace
| Marketing, Weighing the Market
Although higher cattle prices were expected by many to increase as supplies contract, the pace through mid-July continued hotter than many originally anticipated. Feeder steer prices (600-700 lbs.) at the start of July were $61-$71/cwt. higher year over year on a regional basis — up 30-40% — according to USDA’s ...
United States cattle inventory down 3%
| Industry News
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2023 – There were 95.9 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms as of July 1, 2023, according to the Cattle report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).Other key findings in the report were:Of the 95.9 million head inventory, ...
Ranch technology to be spotlighted at Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 7-9
| Industry News
The 69th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in Bryan-College Station will offer some cutting-edge ranch technology, along with basic beef cattle production information. The annual event is set for Aug. 7-9, with more than 1,900 cattle producers expected to come to the Texas A&M University campus, making it the largest event of ...
Beef 706 set for Aug. 14-15 on Texas A&M campus
| Cover Story
Beef producers considering marketing directly to consumers or just wanting to know where the value is in their beef can attend Beef 706 on Aug. 14-15 at the Rosenthal Meat Science and Technology Center, 488 Olsen Blvd., College Station. The goal of Beef 706, hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension ...
Cutouts jump higher
| Cover Story, Genetics & Performance, Production
Not to be outdone by record fed cattle prices, cutout values have jumped higher. While the cutout out is dramatically higher, it is not at record highs. The Choice cutout hit $337.43 per cwt on June 12th, up $23 over the last week and up $30.99 since June 1st. It ...
House committee votes to restrict foreign land purchases
| DC News, Industry News
Recently, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to adopt an amendment restricting the purchasing of U.S. agricultural land by the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. The vote tallied 34-26. The amendment to the Agriculture and Rural Development Appropriations bill was introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and comes ...
Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course set for Aug. 7-9
| Industry News
The Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course Aug. 7-9 is expected to bring almost 2,000 cattle producers to the Texas A&M University campus. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie) The 69th annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, the largest event of its kind in the nation, dates are set ...
Beefenomics: Cattle market update, resilient beef demand
| Genetics & Performance, Herd Health, Industry News, Production
Grilling season has begun in earnest. Beef price data suggests beef demand is strong during this important sales period. Retail prices for the month of May jumped by three percent compared to last month, are five percent above last year, and well above the previous 5-year average. Recent weekly beef ...
A new era for Cavender Ranches
| Industry News
Joe Cavender, Cavender Ranches, Tyler, Texas recently announced the decision to become an independent Brangus and Charolais cattle producer. “I have made a lot of close friends and have enjoyed working with and respect our partners in both Genetrust and Cavender-Draggin’ M and Partners. However, I feel like the time ...
Acclaimed Oklahoma rancher Terry Stuart Forst headlines September Women in Agriculture Symposium
| Industry News
Terry Stuart Forst will be a featured speaker at Women in Agriculture in Fort Worth, Sept. 12-13. Photo by Clay Forst. Waurika, Oklahoma rancher and National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree Terry Stuart Forst will be a featured speaker for Women in Agriculture, an educational symposium hosted by Tarrant County ...
The Branch Ranch Purchases Williams Brangus Herd
| Industry News
Tommie Rogers, owner of The Branch Ranch, with locations in Mansfield and Natchitoches, Louisiana has announced the purchase of the Williams Brangus Cowherd in its entirety. The herd has been moved to Giddings, Texas where Branch Ranch will maintain a Texas division. “We have been purchasing Williams’ genetics since the ...
The rubbing doctors of West Texas
| Industry News
The Milling Brothers—Roscoe and George— billed themselves as rubbing doctors and utilized elements of massage therapy, magnetic healing and hypnosis in their respective practices. They eventually added mineral water to their list of treatments at a number of popular West Texas sanitariums in the early 1900s. Both brothers were profoundly ...
Sympathies extended to Hodde and Verstuyft families
| Industry News
Betty Linda Hammond Verstuyft of Von Ormy, Texas, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2023 in her home surrounded by loved ones at the age of 77. Verstuyft faced a sudden and brief battle with pancreatic cancer. She was born Nov. 20, 1945, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Richard Hammond ...
Texas cotton crop outlook uncertain
| Crop and Weather, Feed & Nutrition
Texas cotton production has taken a hit from the weather and losses could impact U.S. cotton production. The uncertainty surrounding Texas cotton could influence cotton prices throughout the season. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Sam Craft) Texas Crop and Weather Report – June 27, 2023 Texas cotton growers whose crops ...
Rainfall… How are we doing?
| Crop and Weather, Weather Forecast
Time to take a little stock in regard to how much rain we’ve had over the past 60 days. The map below shows totals since late April… Here is that represented in terms of above or below average… You can see that most of Texas is doing ok. There are ...
Rocket mail
| Industry News
One sweltering summer afternoon in July of 1936, patrons of the U.S. Bar in Reynosa, Mexico were nursing their beers and tequila, hiding from the afternoon heat, when a rocket fired from the American side of the Rio Grande River plowed into the bar under a sign that read: “The ...
Pasture conditions and market update
| Feed & Nutrition, Industry News, Pastures & Forages
USDA-NASS begins releasing pasture and range conditions in May each year and the charts below show conditions in the Southeast and Southern Plains regions as compared to a year ago and the five-year average from 2017-2021. These charts show the percentage of range and pasture that is classified as “poor” ...
The Texas Side of Things
| Columnists, Industry News
Isn’t it a great time to be in the cattle business? The grass is green, wildflowers are brilliant and pretty, the cows are all fat and lazy and the calf market is going crazy. Speaking of wildflowers, in the Hill Country when it rains like it has been doing ...
UTIA investigates beef price spread relationship with processing capacity utilization
| Industry News, Production
USDA grant funds a closer look at price spread concerns Source: University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Researchers from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Mississippi State University teamed up to investigate the interaction of national slaughter and price spread — the difference between the ...
Meat prices up, down as grilling season kicks off
| Weighing the Market
Consumers are likely to see a mixed bag when it comes prices on beef, port and poultry cuts this grilling season. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Laura McKenzie) Texas Crop and Weather Report – May 31, 2023 Grilling season has begun, and consumers should expect a mixed bag when it ...
Do heifers have more potential value than steers?
| Genetics & Performance, Industry News
When going out to tag calves, most cow-calf producers would prefer to find a new bull calf rather than a heifer. This is logical given that the bull calf, which in most cases will become a steer, will weigh more, and bring more money per pound when selling at weaning ...
Women In Ag Conference set for September in Fort Worth
| Industry News
The inaugural Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on Sept. 12 th and 13 th in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas.The two-day event is designed to assist farm and ranch women with problem solving, record keeping and decision-making skills. The conference will cover topics designed to ...
Nancy Pruitt passes
| Industry News
Nancy Pruitt, nationally recognized cattle photographer, passed away on May 13, 2023, in Fort Worth, Texas, following emergency brain aneurysm surgery. Pruitt lived in Springtown, Texas at the time of her death.She was a 1976 graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural journalism. In 1977, she joined ...
Anthrax quick facts: Bacterial infection, bovine anthrax or just anthrax: A concern for herbivores
| Feed & Nutrition, Industry News
As we enter summer months, livestock producers and outdoor enthusiasts across the state, especially those in South Texas, have more to think about than rising temperatures. Anthrax, sometimes incorrectly referred to as bovine anthrax, is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, which occurs naturally in soil. The Texas A&M Veterinary ...
Supreme Court WOTUS ruling narrows definition of wetlands, but what about levees?
| DC News
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on May 25th narrowed the definition of what is considered “waters of the United States” in the Clean Water Act. But there remains room for discussion on wetlands separated by levees for flood control and dry creek beds, said the National Agricultural Law Center’s ...
Does beef supply impact consumer demand?
| Industry News, Weighing the Market
A question was asked recently concerning beef supply and demand. From an economics perspective, supply and demand are calculated based on quantity and price. The general public uses these terms a little more loosely and sometimes confuses demand with quantity demanded and the same on the supply side. However, the ...
Fed cattle prices surge higher
| Breed News, Weighing the Market
Supply and demand fundamentals, and good old-fashioned leverage, were on glaring display the last week of May as negotiated cash fed cattle prices jumped $3-$9/cwt. week to week on a live basis, from $175-$180/cwt. in the Southern Plains to $183-$188 in the North. For broader perspective, the weekly weighted average ...
Genetics can improve livestock grazing in South Texas
| Genetics & Performance, Industry News
Milt Thomas, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research beef cattle systems leader at Beeville, looks over the herd with a student, Ambree Sandell. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Carlos Serna) Improving beef cattle systems is priority at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Beeville Using new fitness traits like heat tolerance ...
NEW ISSUE DROPS EVERY TWO WEEKS
