The fall cattle run is in full swing across the country. With many producers considering selling their calves in the very near future, cattle markets are on the forefront of their minds. Before we look too far ahead, it is worth setting the stage by reviewing how we arrived where we are today.

A full two days of presentations, discussions and elections filled the agenda for the Red Angus Association of America’s (RAAA) National Red Angus Convention held in Oklahoma City.

Dairy feeder steers are the red-headed stepchild of the beef industry – at least that is what we like to call them. I learned that idiom from my dad. It is his favorite. You can use it to describe pretty much anything – a sore on your big toe, an ugly runt in a litter of puppies or, in our case, a few black and whites in a pasture of Angus genetics.

Body condition scoring (BCS) is an essential tool used to estimate the cow’s energy reserves at key points during the yearly production cycle.

August was a strong month for U.S. red meat exports as beef export volume was the largest in nearly two years and both beef and pork exports posted the highest monthly values of 2016, according to statistics released by the USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).

The 1998 movie The Horse Whisperer starring Robert Redford hit the movie screens with a story of a man who “whispers” to horses. I have often thought of this movie and the perception that people can talk to animals.

Most Progressive Cattleman readers believe the cattle market is still viable.

Every rancher or farmer works cattle a little differently depending on a variety of factors from herd size, type and age to equipment and facility layout and budget, yet too often standard equipment does not accommodate these needs.

John Steinbeck, in his first-person account, Travels with Charley: In Search of America, wrote this of discovering Montana: “I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it. 

These are challenging economic times for the beef industry – times that require ranchers to do everything they can to get the most out of their input investments. This is especially the case with purchased feed ingredients.