Beef cattle : article
Record prices set at the SW Missouri Show-Me-Select heifer sale with high averages and strong buyer demand.
“With lush grass growth coming in the spring, it is time to manage cattle and implement mineral supplementation strategies to reduce the incidence of grass tetany in your cattle operation,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Cattle grass tetany symptoms…
Learn effective strategies to reduce hay waste during times of low supplies, ensuring better livestock management and cost efficiency.
LINN, Mo. – Livestock producers and horse owners can learn how to make “Hay That Pays” at the University of Missouri Extension regional hay school Oct. 14 in Linn.The event runs 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Community Christian Church, 1598 U.S. Highway 50, Linn.
CUBA, Mo. – Beef herd owners profit from fewer calf death losses, steers grading USDA prime and cows staying in the herd longer. Improved herd performance comes from adding genetics to management.
“Calf production is perhaps the most important metric that supports the existence of the cattle industry, making bull health and productivity incredibly important” says Ian McGregor, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
Show-Me-Select heifers averaged $1,555 in Farmington’s first spring sale, offering calving-ease and quality genetics to buyers.
Show-Me-Select heifers averaged $1,787 at Fruitland's second spring sale, with top-quality Tier II heifers fetching up to $2,400.
Show-Me-Select heifers averaged over $2,600 per head in Fruitland fall sales, with strong demand for top genetics.
Show-Me-Select heifers averaged $1,872 at Kirksville Livestock, highlighting strong demand and top-quality breeding.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – U.S.
Top-quality replacement heifers sold at Joplin Regional Stockyards, averaging $1,867 per head, with some fetching up to $2,200.
Some record high prices marked the spring sales of Show-Me-Select bred heifers. The combined gross amount from the five regional sales was $2,321,900 for 602 bred heifers.
NEW LONDON, Mo.– Spring is here, but parts of Missouri still aren’t through with winter weather.A University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist notes that snow makes it harder for animals to find available forage, and cold weather increases their nutrient needs.
The Southwest Missouri Beef Cattle Improvement Association has put out an invitation for bulls for its upcoming All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale on March 30 at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center near Springfield.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Bull breeding soundness exams (BSEs) are important to make sure bulls are ready for the upcoming breeding season,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
STOCKTON, Mo. – As the year ends, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis urges cattle producers to evaluate their record-keeping system to determine if it was successful.
Springfield's bull sale achieved strong prices, with 26 bulls averaging $5,458 each, highlighting a robust cattle market.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – New forage research gives reason to not graze toxic fescue grass too short. The bottom 2 inches of infected grass holds highest levels of the alkaloid causing problems for grazing livestock.
The findings guide ways to manage fescue’s toxic impact, says Craig Roberts, University of…
STOCKTON, Mo. – The Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference is Feb. 17, 2026, at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield.
The Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield.
Cattle rid their bodies of heat in three ways: radiation, convection and evaporation. “If your cattle can’t use all three methods, they’ll overheat fast,” says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. Summer heat knocks weight off calves and pounds off milk,…
Test alfalfa hay to know its true nutritional value, boost livestock performance, and make informed feeding and supplement decisions.
Hay bale weight varies with moisture and density. Learn how to estimate actual weight for better feeding and management decisions.
Beef producers who have lost cattle to Theileria orientalis may qualify for financial assistance through USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program, says Craig Payne, MU Extension director of veterinary medicine. The program provides payments to livestock owners when deaths exceed normal mortality due to…
“Cattle producers are dealing with varying degrees of drought and forage resources,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension livestock field specialist. Some cattle producers have received adequate rain and are recovering from the 2022 drought through rebuilding forage and cattle resources.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Markets as well as limited feed resources may lead to early weaning fall calves,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Cattle producers may be limited on feed resources, and early weaning will help reduce cow herd nutrient need.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As winter feeding season continues with a forecast of Arctic weather in February, cow herd owners face dwindling hay supplies.Eric Bailey, University of Missouri beef nutritionist, gives the short answer: “Feed less, need less.”In practice, that takes management decisions and…
Truxton farmer Harry Cope will discuss skip-row planting and cover crops for grazing at the Missouri Livestock Symposium Dec. 7-8.
HARTVILLE, Mo. – Denis Turner keeps his southwestern Missouri heifer replacement operation simple.
For the most part, it is one man for 500-1,000 heifers at Turner’s Heifer Haven, a pasture-based operation where Turner raises heifers for others.
FORSYTH, Mo. — University of Missouri Extension recently released updated Missouri Beef Cattle Enterprise Budgets, which provide new estimates of income and expenses for 2026.
Livestock producers now have more flexibility under recent updates to USDA’s Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program, which helps safeguard against unexpected price declines in feeder cattle, fed cattle and swine markets. MU Extension has updated its publication on LRP to reflect the most recent…
Compared to other parts of the agricultural community, graziers of cattle depend less on fossil fuel and more on solar energy to turn a natural resource like grass into a sellable commodity, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Graziers can save on operating expenses…
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Postweaning calf performance is important to cow-calf operators and future calf owners,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. Optimum performance is achieved by reducing weaning stress.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Summer annuals are a good way to add diversity and build pasture stands for the upcoming grazing season,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
In this video news story, University of Missouri researchers use GPS technology to understand the complexities of a cow's appetite. This knowledge may help livestock producers graze cattle more efficiently.
Learn strategies to stretch hay, use supplements, and manage cattle efficiently during a winter hay shortage.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – So far, it’s a bad hay year. Cool weather, lack of sun and dry soil slowed grass growth.Dry matter per acre is about one-third of what we expect this time of year, says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri Extension forage agronomist.He spoke to regional extension specialists in a…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – At the right price, wheat middlings are a good source of protein, fiber and phosphorus for livestock, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Kendra Graham.
Researchers developed a method to remove defective sperm from artificial insemination samples, improving fertility rates and reducing costs in cattle breeding.