Feed & Nutrition

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 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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...