Animal Welfare

Since 1991, the Beef Checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Audit has delivered a set of guideposts and measurements for cattle producers and other stakeholders to help determine quality conformance of the U.S. beef supply.

A fire and explosion at a dairy farm in the Texas Panhandle that injured one person and killed an estimated 18,000 head of cattle was an accident that started with an engine fire in a manure vacuum truck cleaning part of the massive barn.

An animal rights group said that a Virginia farm that raised chickens for Tyson Foods mistreated the animals, allowing some of them to go without feed and water at times.

The number in the headline was practically unbelievable: “About 18,000 cattle are killed in fire at dairy farm in Texas,” reported the New York Times on April 13.

Aiming to make the most of spring processing efforts this year? “Low-stress handling presents a domino effect. By minimizing handling stress, you will see improvements in immune response, eating and producing,” said Julia Herman, veterinarian.

Artificial insemination gives producers access to high-powered genetics for their operation’s goals. Let’s look at the supplies you’ll need and best practices for the most success.

Increasing productivity and profitability of AGCO customers is important for the company to meet the needs of a growing population.

Dairymen can take steps to minimize diseases during the transition phase of their cows. “Research shows space and rest are huge,” said Mark Fox, veterinarian at Thumb Veterinary Services in Sandusky, Michigan.

All farmers have the opportunity to participate in conversations about food production.

Hello from Graze-N-Grow. The beautiful weather the second week in April saw a lot of field activity, not only planting and working ground for planting, but harvesting all the debris from the three storms preceding.

Calving season started on our farm in the middle of February with the arrival of three babies. For roughly two months, our beef cows and their newborn babies will be the center of all our attention.

When asked what concerns me most for our industry’s future, one of the first things that comes to mind is the threat of a foreign animal disease outbreak on U.S. soil.

NutraMaize received a $650,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to scale research on orange corn that improves poultry health and egg yolk pigmentation.

Antibodies provided through colostrum boost the immune system of calves to prevent disease. “Calves that have a scour event as babies are two and a half times more likely to have a respiratory event,” said Erika Nagorske, a practicing veterinarian.

Farmer Clay Trainum whistled at a group of young boars from a distance, urging them to greet him on a recent afternoon at Autumn Olive Farms on the outskirts of Waynesboro.