Putting a rancher in the hospital is like trying to bag an angry tomcat to haul him to the vet.

The 10-ounce ribeye steak on your plate looks quite a bit different than what your grandparents ate. Through the years, the cattle industry has taken large strides when it comes to genetics and feeding, and these innovations have led to a different class of carcass.

You give me $1, and I’ll give you $20. Wait, where are you going? You probably assume it’s a Ponzi scheme, but I’m talking about utilizing all available technologies to improve growing calves’ performance.

Smartphones are on the rise both for business and personal use. Two new technologies are now available for producers that can be used with the swipe of a finger, each developed with the goal of making management just a little bit simpler.

Veterinary Feed Directives (VFD) regulation will only allow veterinarians to write VFD “orders” (See ‘Prescription vs. Order’ below) to use feed-grade antibiotics for disease prevention, disease treatment and disease control. From a regulatory standpoint:

Grant Vassberg doesn’t let age impede his ability to lead the family seedstock operation. A steady youth movement is largely what defines his entire approach at Kallion Farms – a 1,300-head operation in College Station, Texas.

Bottom line, beef producers are getting more for their money when it comes to genomics. Industry pioneers who have used data from DNA tests to pick bulls and replacement heifers have fully installed genomic selection into their management and production systems and are seeing the benefits.

Mycotoxin contamination is usually not the first thought of most producers. However, mycotoxins may be an underlying contributor to poor performance. Crops are subject to mycotoxin contamination both during growth in the field as well as in storage.

Some areas of the country are more difficult than others in which to raise cattle. Southwestern New Mexico is one of these regions, although for a couple of reasons that may be unexpected.

The time period leading up to Christmas is my favorite time of year, but as for the big day itself, Santa Claus seems to have lost our address. There are fewer packages under the tree with each passing year, and my wife has taken to wrapping boxes and placing them under the tree so there is something to unwrap Christmas morning.