The International Brangus Breeders Association (IBBA) is providing tools for commercial cattlemen to assist in comparing the expected performance of Brangus sired offspring to that of other breeds. These most advanced tools are Calving Ease EPDs, including Calving Ease Direct and Calving Ease Maternal, which take into consideration the weight and shape of the calf, gestation length and breed of the sire. “In the past we have only had birth weight EPDs which is extremely important when comparing two or more bulls’ calves within a herd or across herds from the stand point of expected birth weight,” said Joseph Massey, IBBA’s executive vice president.

The impacts of the 2012 drought continue to play out in a beef industry discouraged by high feed prices and large cattle feeding losses. In the latest Cattle On Feed report, the USDA confirmed that placements into feed lots dropped sharply in September following substantial declines in July and August. As a result, on-feed numbers are now down nearly three percent as the beef industry is doing its part to reduce corn and other feed usage. Drought has been particularly cruel to the beef cattle industry. A multiple year drought in the Southern Plains has been followed by a devastating Midwestern drought in 2012 that is now forecast to continue into 2013.

Bovine veterinarians who want to help the beef and dairy industries must be more than just caregivers, said Tom Noffsinger, an independent veterinarian and stockmanship consultant, to members of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in Montreal, Canada.

On Oct. 19, USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service released the monthly Cattle on Feed report. The report provided insight into some important trends. Overall, during the month of September, the marketings of cattle by feedlots and placements of new cattle into yards were below expectations. And those expectations called for large year-on-year drops.

Animal Profiling International (API) has announced the launch of EasyPreg, a milk-based pregnancy testing service intended to help cattlemen make reproductive programs as efficient as possible. The test is designed to provide quick and accurate results, detecting pregnancy in cattle as early as 35 days post-insemination without invasive palpation or ultrasound.

The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) will host its fifth national conference in Orlando, Florida, Dec. 9-12 at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Convention Center.  GLCI conference organizers expect more than 1,000 ranchers, professors, land managers, researchers, public officials, ecologists and students to participate in the exchange of information on cutting edge grazing management technologies.

During the three bull breeding soundness exam clinics in southwest Missouri in early October, 11.5 percent of the 96 bulls were found to be unsatisfactory for breeding purposes.

Producers explain which technologies are most critical to their ranch and operation.

Many producers rely on fecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs) to determine which parasites are affecting their herds or whether they might have resistant parasites on their property. However, knowing the facts about the tests can help you decide whether they are the right choice for your cattle — and your wallet.