Some Cows’ Infertility Linked
to
Y Chromosome
One reason why some cows cannot get pregnant may be because they have male (Y) chromosome fragments in their DNA, according to a USDA study.
Reproductive efficiency is the most economically important trait in cow-calf production. When a cow does not produce a calf, the producer does not make a profit, but still has to pay for feed, labor and other expenses.
With the help of beef producers, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) geneticist Tara McDaneld and her colleagues at the agency’s Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Neb., examined reproduction data on about 6,400 females from cattle herds in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska and at USMARC. Read more.
Bryce Schumann
Association Perspective
The business breed.
The Angus breed is the business breed, but it’s also a “people” breed — people with varying backgrounds, varying herd sizes, varying opinions. Like our nation, the American Angus Association is made up of people who sometimes see eye to eye, and sometimes do not when it comes to setting the course for the nation’s largest beef breed association. Read more.
Cattle and Beef Markets So Far in 2014
Extension livestock marketing specialists analyzes price performance for all classes of beef and cattle in the first quarter of 2014.
The first quarter of 2014 saw unprecedented prices for all classes of cattle and beef. Retail beef prices moved sharply higher in March for both Choice and All Fresh beef. The March retail Choice price was up 6.7% compared to December levels, while the All Fresh retail price was up 6.5% compared to December. The Choice retail beef price was up 8.7% year over year, and the All Fresh retail beef price was up 9% from one year ago. Retail beef prices did not advance as much as wholesale values in the first quarter of 2014. The Choice boxed-beef price was up 19.6% compared to December 2013 levels, while Select boxed beef was up 23.7%. Read more.Angus Expands Communications Efforts
New venture will create unified platform for expanded breed communications, marketing
The American Angus Association (AAA) announced in late February a historic move that unifies the organization’s communications efforts and expands the marketing platform for the nation’s Angus cattlemen.
The Association’s public relations department, producers of Angus TV, and Angus Productions Inc. (API), publisher of Angus Journal® and Angus Beef Bulletin®, will unify to form one cohesive communications center. Read more.
What’s Inside …
In this April edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month's entire offering by category. A few select features include:
- Shorten Breeding, Calving Seasons
- Understanding Beef Cattle Lameness Takes Knowing Where to Look
- 10 Ways to Prevent Heat Stress
- Changing Pastures? Beware of Last Season’s Parasite Infestation
- ‘Dressing’ for Success
- Market Scenarios and Dynamics
- The Source: What are all the popular cows wearing these days?
News Briefs …
The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive recently made available in the API Virtual Library.
USDA Takes Action to Combat Spread of Disease
Required reporting of cases is latest measure to slow disease spread.
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 18 that in an effort to further enhance the biosecurity and health of the U.S. swine herd while maintaining movement of pigs in the United States, the USDA will require reporting of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) and Swine Delta Coronavirus in order to slow the spread of this disease across the United States. USDA is taking this latest action due to the devastating effect on swine health since it was first confirmed in the country last year, even though PEDv is not a reportable disease under international standards.
In addition to requiring reporting of PEDv, USDA will also require tracking movements of pigs, vehicles and other equipment leaving affected premises. Read more.
Physical Activity Brings Lasting Bone Benefits
Study shows that building bone during youth can last a lifetime. Physical activity helps maintain bone strength as we age.
Bone is a living tissue that responds to physical activity by becoming heavier, bigger and stronger. It does this best during youth. Bone mass usually peaks during the third decade of life. After that, we often begin to lose bone.
A team led by Stuart Warden of Indiana University explored whether any bone benefits of physical activity during youth persist with aging. Previous work found that mechanical loading during a period of rapid growth conferred lifelong benefits in bone size and strength in rodent models. Read more.
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