Volume XVI Number 2 • March/April 2008
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 NCBA Winter meeting in Reno, Nev. February 5-9, 2008, was interesting and informative as usual. However, this year was a little different. What made it different was the price of corn, fuel and pasture or land.
Experts at the meeting predict the price of beef to be about the same in 2008 as in 2007, leaving little room to recover the higher costs of operating with a rise in beef prices....Read the Story...

The Future of Feedlots
For those old enough to remember watching the integration of the broiler industry, followed by the integration of the swine industry, you’ll also remember that the conventional wisdom was that “it can’t happen in cattle.” Perhaps the most compelling reason offered was the enormous land requirement to support the calf factory. .....Read the Story...

Beware of Lice in Early Spring
As spring approaches, many cattle have increasing numbers of lice on them according to Eldon Cole, livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension. . ...Read the Story...

Prepare Now for Pinkeye Season
Spring has sprung in many areas of the country, and although flies are likely not a problem yet in the northern part of the United States, the pesky critters are starting to flourish in the South. With that in mind, cattlemen should look forward to many fly-related problems and develop a plan to prevent or reduce their impact.. ...Read the Story...

Dealing with Inexperience
The business of agriculture has matured now to the point that many of the people entering our workforce have no experience whatsoever in agriculture, let alone livestock production. The modern cattle feed yard, regardless of size, has some unique challenges that warrant special attention when inexperienced new hires arrive for their first day of work. .....Read the Story...

Prevention Key to Avoid Grass Tetany
The change from winter to spring in the upcoming days will be a welcomed transition for livestock producers throughout the country. The warmer weather will bring about lush, green grass, but cattlemen must prepare in order to help avoid a potentially devastating disorder. Dubbed the “silent killer of spring,” grass tetany is a serious and often fatal metabolic disease that affects grazing cattle. ...Read the Story...

Early Nutrition Affects Marbling
At the Feeding Quality Forum, Dr. Ron Scott, Director of Research for Land O’Lakes-Purina Feeds, reminded the conference that marbling is a life time event. Early weaning and feeding young calves on high energy grain rations will improve marbling at slaughter compared to a normal weaning time. He also noted that creep feeding also helps improve marbling, but not as dramatically as early weaning. He proposed feeding grain to stockers on grass may improve marbling at slaughter as well as reduce time on feed......Read the Story...

Iowa Corn Growers, Cattle Feeders Go Hand in Hand
Iowa livestock feeder, Kent Pruismann, is feeding more cattle than ever since he started raising livestock in 1979. Over that time, he has seen cattle numbers continue to increase in the area surrounding his northwest Iowa farm. He believes that trend will continue because of the availability of corn and ethanol byproducts in his state.....Read the Story...

Read the Cattle First
Safety manuals aren’t the only reading that needs to be done in a feedlot setting. Cattle tell their own stories, and often, paying attention to them is the first step in keeping employees safe.. .....Read the Story...

Deworming Cattle -- Timing is Everything
Deworming at the most appropriate stage in the life cycle of the target parasite to eliminate egg-laying adults can keep reinfection to a low level. Thomas Craig, DVM, PhD, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Texas A&M, says the best time to deworm varies with climate. In Texas, worms thrive on pastures in winter because it’s not too cold, whereas in northern states the worms are dormant during winter. In the south, worms go dormant during summer heat. You can slow down transmission of worms if you hit them when they’re dormant, killing any that would otherwise start laying eggs when weather improves. Thus you can get a head start on keeping pastures more free of worms.  ...Read the Story...

Study Demonstrates Feed Additive Beneficial in Receiving Diets
Reducing stress on cattle is an industry-wide goal, utilizing good nutrition, sound health programs and low stress cattle handling techniques. Feedyard receiving diets are a critical piece of the reduced-stress puzzle. For an Alberta, Canada, feedyard, including Bio-Mos in their receiving ration has proven to help cattle get through the stressful arrival period.. ...Read the Story...

The Beef "How To" Guide
In this world of information overload where a Google search generates thousands of results, wouldn’t it be nice to have all the requested information in one place, neatly packaged together and professionally presented?. ....Read the Story...