AgNIC Beef Cattle

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Management

 

 

American Cowman
American Cowman is a web site created especially for family farms with up to 100 head of cattle. Their goal is to offer timely, practical production and management strategies that will add efficiency, value, and profitability to cattle herds with up to 100 head. The site features a production management “tip of the week,” industry news, new products and spotlights upcoming events, beef industry commentaries, and value added ideas for small family farms. Other special features include a library of informative articles on facilities, nutrition, animal health, pasture and range management and genetics. Profiles of real producers are also included. 
Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC)
The Beef Reproduction Task Force is a multi-state extension activity in cooperation with the North Central Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Leaders Committee and the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. Objectives of Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle are to improve the understanding of the physiological processes of the estrous cycle, the procedures available to synchronize estrus and ovulation and the proper application of these systems and to improve the understanding of methods to assess male fertility and how it affects the success of AI programs.  
Beef Cattle Clearing House
A clearing house of beef cattle information through the eXtension portal, provided by experts from the Cooperative Extension System throughout the United States. 
Beef Cattle Decision Support
This website, from the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, shows the effects of mating various bulls to your herd. 
Beef Cattle Reproductive Cycle, Estrous Synchronization Protocols
Learn more about the understanding and application of estrous synchronization protocols for beef cows and heifers. This is an audio recording. 
Beef Herd Management Calendar For late March Calving Cows
The beef production calendar is a management tool for producers to help them in scheduling practices pertaining to the cow herd over a 12 month period. The calendar is based on a late March calving beef herd. 
Beef Herd Management Calendar For late March Calving Cows
The beef production calendar is a management tool for producers to help them in scheduling practices pertaining to the cow herd over a 12 month period. The calendar is based on a late March calving beef herd. 
Beef Production Industry
A video overview, in English and Spanish, of the beef production industry from cow calf production, feedlot production, and processing to the consumer. Information about product safety and quality is also provided. 
Beef Quality Assurance
Beef Quality Assurance is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. The program raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. Navigate through this website to learn more about Beef Quality Assurance. 
Best Management Practices for Foodborne Pathogen Control in the Feedlot
This video, in English and Spanish, details good feedlot management practices that control pathogens and insure animal health in the feedlot. Information about feed bunks, water tanks, housing, transportation, and stress reduction is provided. 
Biosecurity Basics for Cattle Operations and Good Management Practices (GMP) for Controlling Infectious Diseases
This NebGuide from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln introduces cattle producers to the concept of biosecurity and provides practical management recommendations for preventing and/or containing infectious disease. Also available as a PDF.  
Buying vs. Raising Replacement Heifers
Should beef cattle producers raise replacement heifers, or buy them? There is no one answer for all producers. This article, from Texas A&M University, addresses economic and general management issues on this topic. 
Calving Management: Dealing with Calving Difficulty
This PowerPoint presentation considers issues surrounding calving management and dealing with cows suffering calving difficulty.  
Cattle Behavior During Handling and Corral Design for Ranches
This PDF, from Temple Grandin, presents principles of cattle behavior, techniques for working cattle, and detailed information about corral design which includes detailed drawings of corals. 
Cattle Care Guidelines
Sound animal husbandry practices, based on decades of practical experience and research, are known to impact the well-being of cattle, individual animal health and herd productivity. There is not one specific set of production practices that can be recommended for all cattle producers. These guidelines are just that — suggested guidelines. Personal experience, training and professional judgment can serve as a valuable resource for providing proper animal care. 
Cattle Feeding Return Risk Analyzer©
The Cattle Feeding Return Risk Analyzer©, from NAIBER, was designed to provide a market-based, research-grounded estimate of the risk facing cattle feeders who are placing cattle on feed. The computer-based tool is intended to enhance cattle feeder ability to identify the sources of risk and to comprehend the nature of the financial risks associated with cattle feeding. In addition, the tool should be useful to other individuals with a stake in risk associated with fed cattle production, including lenders, management consultants, and input suppliers. 
Climate-Based Management Options for North Central Florida Beef Cattle Producers
This study discusses how El Nińo-Southern Oscillation seasonal change interacts with grass production and cow-calf production in north central Florida, and second, what management decisions ranchers could make to reduce risk and vulnerability, thus taking advantage of improved forecasts.  
Drinking Water Quality for Beef Cattle: An Environment Friendly & Production Management Enhancement Technique
An article about drinking water preference, water quality, shoreline vegetation, and cattle management and behavior. 
Effect of Feeding Frequency on Ruminal Function and Animal Performance
This full text source is a bibliography of articles about feeding frequency along with a brief discussion of the positive effects on cattle of feeding more frequently.  
Employee Hygiene in the Feedyard Setting
This video, in English and Spanish, is an overview of proper personal hygiene for workers in feedlots to prevent illness and contamination. An overview of feedlot signage, restrooms, and training to improve hygiene is also included. 
Evaluating the Breeding Soundness of Beef Bulls
Evaluating breeding soundness of bulls is an often neglected management practice. This guide, from New Mexico State University, discusses how and when to evaluate breeding soundness. 
Expected Progeny Difference (EPD)Part ll, Growth Trait EPDs
This fact sheet from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension provides an explanation of Growth Trait Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). 
Expected Progeny Difference: Part III, Maternal Trait EPDs
This fact sheet from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension provides an explanation of Maternal Trait Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). 
Expected Progeny Difference: Part IV, Use of EPDs
This fact sheet from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension provides an explanation ofhow to use Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs). 
Feed Sampling Procedure
A brief explainer of how take a sample of feed so that it can be analyzed. 
Feedyard Microbiology 101
This video, in English and Spanish, details disease causing organisms such as prions, viruses, bacteria, and fungi that can be found in cattle and how to control them. 
Fenceline Weaning for Beef Cattle
Weaning time can be stressful for cows and calves. This extension bulletins discusses the potential to reduce stress related to transport, changes in environment, and diet adaptation that can be obtained from fenceline weaning. 
Field Record Book-Kansas Beef Improvement Program
Field record book for cattle breeding programs, including calving ease,calf vigor, udder scoring, and gestation table.  
Graduate Certificate in the Management of Animal Health Related Organizations - K-State Division of Continuing Education
The purpose of the certificate is to improve the effectiveness of companies in the animal health industry by educating employees and preparing them to take on more responsibilities and expand their career opportunities. 
Guide to Evaluation of Slaughter Cattle
This is a visual guide to the evaluation of slaughter cattle and provides an explanation of yield and quality grading. 
Guide to Evaluation of Slaughter Cattle - Guia para la Evaluation del Ganado de Matanza
This is a visual guide (in Spanish) to the evaluation of slaughter cattle and provides an explanation of yield and quality grading. 
Guidelines for Use of Distiller’s By-Products
A brief explanation of distiller's by-products with factors to think about before using them for feed. Written by Dr. Chris Reinhardt from the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University.  
How Feeding-Site Mud and Temperature Affect Animal Performance
Livestock producers should make management decisions to minimize animal exposure to mud and provide protection from adverse weather to maximize animal performance.  
How Water Quality and Source Affect Animal Performance
Cattle producers should make sure water for livestock is protected from contamination by chemicals, excess nutrients (from soil erosion or manure) amd microorganisms (manure).  
Implanting beef calves and stocker cattle
Of all the management practices available to cow/calf and stocker cattle producers, implanting suckling calves and stocker cattle offers one of the highest benefit- to-cost ratios. Many implants are available, but selection of an implant is less critical than the decision on whether to implant or not. 
Livestock Outlook In The Great Plains
Professor of Livestock Marketing, James Mintert, discusses the importance of an economic education for livestock producers. 
Management of Horned Cattle upon arrival to Feed Yard
This fact sheet, from The Beef Cattle Institute, discusses the management of horned cattle upon arrival to the feed yard. Information about dehorning, including images, is provided. 
Management of Replacement Heifers for a High Reproductive and Calving Rate
This extension bulletin presents a plan for management of replacement heifers. 
Management Software Tools
These software tools, from The Beef Cattle Institute, are in a variety of formats and include calculators for cow/calf producers, feed lots, marketing, and nutrition. 
Medical Sharps Disposal from Livestock Operations
This PDF discusses medical sharps disposal from livestock operations. It provides information for operators to protect employee safety and conform to EPA and OSHA federal regulations. 
Partial Budget for Beef Cattle Management
This is a PDF from Texas A&M is a simple budget worksheet for beef producers. 
Pre-Harvest Cattle Management Practices for Enhancing Beef Tenderness
Pre-harvest management of beef tenderness has become an important topic in today’s cattle industry due to the fact that tenderness is the primary determinant of eating satisfaction among beef consumers and because structural changes in the beef industry have resulted in greater vertical coordination of production, processing, and marketing activities, making it feasible to manage product attributes along the entire beef chain. 
Producing and Marketing High-Value Calves
Cow-calf producers are searching for ways to add value to calves and make their operations more profitable. While individual producers can not influence average market prices, they can control some of the price variation at auctions and other market outlets by following sound market-management practices. 
Proper Cattle Health Product Handling and Administration
Guidelines for proper handling and administration of animal health products.  
Redefining Feedlot Efficiency
This slide presentation from Chris Reinhardt of the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University discusses feedlot efficiency in times of rising prices for things like corn and oil and alternatives to current management practices. 
Review of the causes, prevention, and welfare of nonambulatory cattle
This article, from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, is a survey of current research about nonambulatory cattle and includes information about welfare, regulations, food safety, and management. 
Social behavior of grazing beef cattle: Implications for management
This paper, from the Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Science, reviews current knowledge of the social behavior of grazing beef cattle and discusses how that knowledge can be applied to rangeland cattle management.  
Synchronizing Estrus and Ovulation in Cows and Heifers
This publication offers latest techniques for synchronizing estrus and ovulation in cows and heifers.  
Synchronizing Estrus In Beef Cattle
Synchronization of estrus (heat) involves manipulating the estrous cycle of beef females so they can be bred at approximately the same time. There are several protocols available for synchronizing estrus among beef females. Traditional protocols are designed to mimic or control the corpus luteum on the ovary. New protocols have been designed to control ovulation and/or the follicular waves that occur on the ovary during the 21-day estrous cycle. 
Understanding Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs)
A discussion of expected progeny differences (EPDs) provide estimates of the genetic value of an animal as a parent. This page explains what EPDs are and how they can be used. 
Utilization of Corn Co-Products in the Beef Industry
Corn milling co-products are expected to increase dramatically in supply. Forage fed situations will be covered with dried co-products as this will be the most common application for both energy and protein supplementation in many forage feeding situations. 

 

Associations and Organizations

Beef Improvement Federation (BIF)
The federation represents over 40 state and national beef cattle associations. It was formed as a means to standardize programs and methodology and to create greater awareness, acceptance and useage of beef cattle performance concepts. Selection based on objective measures has withstood the test of time and continues to undergo scrutiny by researchers, organizations and the ultimate judge, beef cattle producers. The site includes links to breed associations, pages with information regarding the upcoming convention and access to the proceedings of the organization's meetings from 1969 to date. The older proceedings are downloaded as a single file while the most current proceedings are available as separate downloads for individual papers.
BEEF.ORG - National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Beef.org is the homepage of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), the site contains information on Cattle Industry Conventions and Meetings, NCBA government affairs efforts, cattle industry news, addresses and links to members of the Federation of State Beef Councils and other informaion. It also provides access to web sites funded by the Cattlemen's Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils.

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