Volume XV Number 5 • Sept/Oct 2007
Table of Contents

To read any of these articles in their entirety,
download the complete issue of Feed•Lot Magazine by clicking on this link.
File size: 7 MB -- Please be patient...
Broadband download time: approx. 2 minutes; Dailup: 17 minutes

Editor's Desk
The cost of medical, hospital or veterinary services may seem out of line, that is until we are on the receiving end. A friend of mine in New Mexico was telling me about the high cost of treating calves for BRD. He said “It’s very expensive, but you can’t afford to not use it. I haven’t made a dime on a dead calf yet.”. ...Read the Story...

Fall Doesn't Signal End of Fly Season
IStable flies, which used to be found only in confined animal areas such as feedlots and barns, are now being found on cattle in pastures, according to a Kansas State University Research and Extension livestock entomologist......Read the Story...

Does Sex Classification Affect Beef Tenderness
Tenderness, the gold standard for beef products, is a complex trait influenced by a variety of factors, many of which can be managed to reduce the incidence of tenderness problems in the final product. One inherent tenderness variation often overlooked in pre-harvest management plans, however, is sex classification, according to a new beef checkoff-funded report. ...Read the Story...

Distillers Solubles for "Opportunity Operators"
One of the opportunities of being close to an alcohol distillery is sometimes the “thin stillage” needs to be moved out. Cattle people who are “opportunity operators” may be able to capture this with little cost, explains Chris Richard, Beef Cattle Nutritionist at Oklahoma State University. “When I worked in Tennessee, we observed and heard about cattle people taking these very dilute ingredients and even spraying them on hay or windrows of forage for pasture cattle,” explained Richards. ...Read the Story...

Sorting Fact from Opinion
Employees, Managers and Owners often argue about how to solve a problem, decide on the best way to fix a piece of equipment, determine the best treatment for sick cattle, etc. These differences of opinion can create dissention and a lack of confidence if there is no basis for how to make these decisions.. ......Read the Story...

Increasing Ethanol Production and Cattle Feeding Geography
Increasing production of ethanol, and the resulting increase in distiller’s grains availability, has the potential to change the cattle feeding landscape. One area of interest is whether the heavy concentration of ethanol production in the Upper Midwest will have an impact on where cattle are fed in the future.   . ...Read the Story...

Feeding Wheat -- Suggestions
A spring freeze, a late snow storm and lodged wheat plants resulted in low test weight wheat at harvest in central Kansas in 2007. Flour millers are discounting the price as much as $1.20 per bushel, plus more deductions for foreign material. This off grade product will be offered as “feed wheat” and will have to compete with corn. Feed yards and cattle operations may attempt to use the wheat in their rations. Here are several things to consider: . ....Read the Story...

Historical Perspectives and the Corn Market
There is an economic rule that states a change in the supply of a product will create a short-term change in price, while a change in demand for a product will create a long-term change in price expectations. The question the corn market faces as the 2006-2007 marketing year comes to a close and the 2007-2008 marketing year is set to begin is: Has this market changed from a supply-driven market to a demand-driven market, and if so, what will this mean for long-term price expectations? ...Read the Story...

Market Notes
IThe sub prime debacle has overflowed into the agriculture commodities as this article is being prepared. The financial market has unraveled because of low-ball home loans in a housing market that is losing value. The melt down in the grains and livestock markets do not appear to be the result of any fundamental changes. .....Read the Story...

BQA Takes Another Step Forward
At one point on its 25-year journey to a standardized Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, the beef checkoff made a key philosophical shift from correcting violations to improving product quality. Since then, that proactive stance has evolved into a program of sound, science-based production practices aimed at improving consumer satisfaction and increasing market opportunities for beef producers.  ...Read the Story...

Vet Suggestion Points Feeder in Profitable Direction
Misfortune with a group of feeder calves sent Barry Dowell of Stronghurst, Ill., to his veterinarian for advice. The trip turned his luck around. “ I used to buy cattle from out of state and I didn’t know anything about how they were managed,” Dowell says. “One year, I had almost a six percent death loss — in one load, six head died in the first 24 hours.” ...Read the Story...

Keep Cattle Healthy During Heavy Rains
Recent flooding in some areas of the country has been hard on livestock, but producers can help them weather the storm....Read the Story...

Improving Weaning Efficiences
Improving calf crop numbers takes a comprehensive approach instead of working on just one or two areas. Good breeding is a factor of genetics, health, nutrition and management, said Dr. Stephen Blezinger, a nutritional and management consultant in Sulfur Springs, Texas.....Read the Story...

Delaying Vaccination Improves Efficacy
No doubt about it, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is one of the most economically significant illnesses of stocker and feeder cattle. Stress associated with weaning and shipping stocker cattle is known to compromise immune function, and therefore, reducing the effective response to vaccination. Considering that, researchers in Arkansas and Missouri looked at on-arrival versus delayed vaccination with a modified live product, and its impact on health and performance... ...Read the Story...

Reducing Energy Waste -- Feed Mill Processes
IInsulation. All steam lines, condensate return lines, and steam chests should be insulated. If you are heating the make-up water, the feed water tank should be insulated.....Read the Story...

High Caliber Program Aims To Please
“Cattle have been in our family forever,” says Randy Browning, Appleton City, Mo. Before he began calling the shots in 1996, there were crosses with Simmental and Braunvieh. He credits them for increasing ribeyes, but the second thing he did as manager was to buy registered Angus bulls.....Read the Story...

Alternatives to Culling in Times of Drought
Many parts of our great country are firmly in the grasp of a severe drought. Due to these weather conditions and low hay supplies, producers may be faced with the decision of whether to reduce animal numbers in an attempt to stretch feed resources. In a drought situation, the challenge is in maintaining animals that have greater nutrient requirements than what our pastures can provide. This leads to two main points to consider, increasing overall efficiency and reducing nutrient requirements. Consider these strategies, applicable to stocker operators and cow/calf producers:....Read the Story...