MT. VERNON, Mo. -- Fall breeding soundness exams done on 95 bulls in Cassville, Miller, Billings and Aurora revealed that 10 (or 10.5 percent), would not do well at getting cows or heifers bred if turned out on that day.

The 2010 Northern International Livestock Exposition held Oct. 12 to 18 in Billings, Montana, lived up to its motto, "Preserving and Embracing the Western Lifestyle," perhaps more than any previous year in spite of some obstacles presented by Mother Nature months prior to the conference.

BRYAN, Texas – A Texas AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist has forecasted continued strength in cattle prices heading into 2011, but has warned to keep a watchful eye on the corn supply.

Do you know a deserving student who is passionate about the dairy industry? Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is now accepting applications for the DFA Scholarship Program. Eligible applicants must be enrolled in a two- or four-year accredited college, university or trade school and pursuing a career in the dairy industry. High school seniors planning to enroll at an eligible institution may also apply.

Members of Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), the dairy farmer-funded self-help program, voted Tuesday to focus the seven year-old program exclusively on building export markets after 2010. At the annual meeting in Nevada of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) – which manages CWT – CWT’s management committee determined that an export-centered program was the most appropriate course to follow in the future. This means that CWT will no longer fund any herd retirement rounds, through which CWT member farms are paid to reduce their herds. CWT conducted its 10th and final herd retirement this past summer.

In the many years writing this column, now just a year short of two full decades, I have written of expeditionary work. By my last count, the effort and energy spent in a dozen countries along with situational analysis are described here. As a young farm boy, FFA member and college student in the late ’60s and early ’70s, I fully expected to farm the rest of my life.

There was a horse sold this summer down in Missouri. Probably the most famous horse in the world…Trigger. RFD-TV paid a lot of money to own the mounted figure of this celebrity equine, Roy Rogers’ Paramount Palomino. They also purchased his dog Bullet. They did it for the sentimental value, but also to recognize an era when kids had good heroes to look up to.

While cleaning up around the farm, it is a good time to take a look for possible chemical contaminants that could impact the health of your animals or the safety of the products they produce. Dairy farmers are aware and diligent about avoiding antibiotic residues, but a multitude of other chemicals exists that also could end up in animals and contaminate milk and meat. Environmental hazards, pesticides and herbicides as well as feed contamination issues should be kept on your chemical residue awareness radar screen. Recent accidental exposure of cattle to chemical hazards include accidental exposure to high doses of Rumensin®, anhydrous ammonia, benzene from gasoline, organophosphate insecticides and feed-grade antibiotics. In each of these cases, quick action prevented any food safety issues and limited animal health consequences. If a chemical contamination event on farm is discovered or suspected, immediately notify your veterinarian or the Department of Agriculture in your state.