Taiwan detects muscle-growth drug in imported U.S. beef

The following article suggests that Korean extremely vigilant of imported beef, both for economic and presumably health reasons.  This means that "sneaking" an accidentlly contaminated or treated carcass into the export stream could have far reaching consquenses all the way back to the producer....Chad Cheyney
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Focus Taiwan
January 14, 2011

Taipei (CNA) -- Taiwan has recently detected small residues of banned drugs promoting leanness in livestock in beef imported from the United States, Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang said Friday, adding that safety checks on imported meat products would be reinforced.

Strategies Developed for More Efficient Beef Cattle Production

By Sharon Durham
January 19, 2011

Reducing the amount of feed given to young female cows called heifers can result in more efficient use of nutrients for growth and reproduction, according to studies conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Andrew Roberts and his colleagues at the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Mont., found that the heifers they fed to lower target weights than those traditionally recommended consumed 27 percent less feed over the winter months, and gained weight more efficiently throughout the postweaning period and subsequent grazing season. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

Income and Self Employment Tax Information on Line

Utah State University Extension has a new sight to help farmers and ranchers with tax issues.  The contributors are from throught the cooperative extension system.  Members of this group are involved in Extension at their individual state’s land grant universities and/or are in private practice as CPAs or tax preparers. Many are members of The National Farm Income Tax Extension Committee that works with IRS each year to make the Farmer’s Tax Guide, Publication 225, more readable and understandable.

Check it out.

http://www.ruraltax.org/

Upcoming Beef Schools in Central Idaho

Reducing Winter Feed Costs

February 7th, 6:30 - 9 PM

You can save on winter feed costs while still provide adequate nutrition to your cow herd!  Learn nutrition basics, how to match nutritional requirements with cattle needs, and how to formulate simple rations to ensure you are not under-feeder or over-feeding you cows.

Buying Bulls by the Numbers

March 14, 6:30 - 9 PM

Its about bull buying season!  Learn basic techniques to select bulls for you operation and how to read and interpret Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs).

For more information, contact Sarah Baker at sdbaker@uidaho.edu

or 208-879-2344.

Bad news for grasshoppers

An ARS entomologist and his federal and university colleagues are testing the power of a variety of beneficial fungi as biological controls against grasshoppers and Mormon crickets, voracious pests that can eat the equivalent of their body weight daily in vegetation, leaving less grass for livestock, and also attack crops such as wheat and alfalfa. (1/6) See the whole story at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110106.htm

Reducing Scours with the "Sandhills Calving System"

From "Forage Minutes"
by Bruce Anderson
Extension Forage Specialist
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture
University of Nebraska


As calving season progresses, calving pastures start to get beat up and calves start getting scours. To prevent both problems, stay tuned for one simple solution.

What do you get when you have a full herd of cows in one calving pasture with baby calves ranging from one day to forty-one days old? For many folks, you get calf scours. Scours can be reduced, though, by subdividing calving pasture and properly moving cows through them.

With all the COLD Weather, Think about energy for the cows

Cow Camp Chatter
Energy
by Ron Torell, Long-Standing Educator and Advocate of Agriculture

Historically man was known to spend much of his summer preparing and storing food and firewood for the long winter ahead. Today many in the livestock industry essentially do the same thing. They spend a good deal of the summer harvesting hay and then pitching it off during the winter. The late Ferris Brough of Clover Valley, Nevada, once explained: "After the severe winters of 1889-1890 and 1948 – 49, many ranchers began putting up hay. We would count the hay stacks in late fall and divide them by the number of days we anticipated the winter feeding period being. This is how we balanced the ration for our cows. Our objectives were to keep animals alive." Now, due to a differing economic climate, we need more than survival of our livestock through the winter. We need production in the form of a live calf plus breed back the following spring.