Neogen has made field semen collection even easier with extensive improvements to its battery-powered ElectroJac® collection unit, including a new wireless remote control. Neogen’s new ElectroJac 6 combines the proven features from previous versions with customer-requested improvements.

Novus International, Inc., announces the release of NEXT ENHANCE®, a source of plant extracts that affects the rumen environment to consistently boost both efficiency and weight gain in beef cattle.NEXT ENHANCE is a source of cinnamaldehyde and garlic oil (containing the active ingredient diallyl disulfide), which have been shown to favorably modify rumen fermentation. This allows dietary carbohydrates and proteins to be more efficiently used by the animal.

You can’t afford to leave dollars on the table, especially in today’s competitive market. Progressive producers know healthy animals cost less to maintain and can be more productive in the long run. Why? Because history has proved how powerful disease prevention can be. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. believes helping to prevent disease is a more effective way to maintain animal health than simply treating diseases as they arise.

As a follow-up to his popular article, "Individual cow care to lower lameness in your herd," we asked author Jamie Sullivan the following question: Q. Have lameness incidents continued to decline or have they remained about the same? What's the next step in hoof health beyond a focus on individual cow care? In this herd and my other clients' herds that have adopted the “individual cow care and 150-day trim protocol," we have seen continued improvement in hoof health. Does that mean we don’t have some months where there is an increase in lameness? No.

Spring can be one of the busiest and most important seasons in terms of determining this year’s plans for sustainable and profitable production. Following are important tips for spring forage management for both hay and pasture.

JANUARY 1 CATTLE NUMBERS The USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service on January 27 reported estimates for numbers of cattle as of January 1. U.S. beef cow numbers were estimated at 29.9 million head, down 3 percent from a year ago. Dairy cows, at 9.2 million, are up 1 percent. Total inventory of all classes is 92.7 million head, lowest since 1952. Biggest declines in beef cows were in Texas (660,000, 13 percent), Oklahoma (288,000 head, 14 percent), and New Mexico (53,000 head, 11 percent). Those three states lost 1,001,000 cows. The remainder of the U.S. gained 34,000 cows.

According to the Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), President Barack Obama’s proposed budget includes elements such as an effective increase in the public lands grazing fee assessment, which would force family-owned ranches to shell out more cash to Uncle Sam. Dustin Van Liew, PLC executive director and NCBA director of federal lands, said increasing the grazing fee through an arbitrary tax is unwarranted and is further evidence that the president and his administration are out of touch with production agriculture.