Animal health and production : article
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four participants in the University of Missouri Division of Animal Sciences 2021 Leadership Academy took home $500 scholarships to MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In May of 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called American Association of Universities leaders for help to assist Ukrainian universities during the war with Russia.
Missouri cattle producers can capture great value for their operations by attending grazing schools offered by University of Missouri Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, says Tim Schnakenberg, MU Extension agronomy field specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Extension 4-H State Meats Judging contest on Feb. 17 drew 48 competitors, said Don Nicholson, Missouri 4-H interim associate director.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – There’s a new guard dog in town. And it’s more likely to bray than bark.A growing number of sheep and goat farmers are using donkeys to keep predators at bay, says Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, small-ruminant specialist at Lincoln University Cooperative Extension in Jefferson…
ST. ELIZABETH, Mo. – Despite 26 surgeries, 47-year-old Blaine Kemna farms every day.He remains an independent farmer and works with the Missouri AgrAbility Project and its partners.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Widespread drought conditions during the 2018 growing season in most of Missouri resulted in hay and forage shortages, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Dhruba Dhakal.Dhakal offers some alternative/emergency forage options to feed beef cattle during fall, winter and…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farms constantly adapt to become more productive and successful. As you reflect on farm activities through this summer, consider these news and notes from University of Missouri Extension. They can help you keep your farm safe and plan a profitable, sustainable future.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – First-time buyers took charge in the Show-Me-Select replacement heifer sale at Kingsville, Nov 25.Average price for 241 bred heifers hit $1,968, a season high in the third of six fall sales. The heifers were from 13 consignors enrolled in the University of Missouri Extension heifer…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Growing supplies of meat and dairy products apply pressure on farm prices through 2017 into 2019. With big supplies, strong consumer demand brings good news for producers.The offsetting result can be prices near or above last year’s prices.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Boone County Commission recently recognized Boone County 4-H Senior Livestock Judging Team and Columbia FFA Livestock Judging Team. Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing the teams for placing first in state competitions in 2017.
FRUITLAND, Mo. – In the fourth of six Show-Me-Select fall sales, replacement heifers brought an average price of $2,010 on 76 head.The heifers bred to calve next spring came from herd owners enrolled in the University of Missouri heifer development program. The heifers have improved genetics and…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Rebuilding a beef cow herd to capture record-setting high prices is more than saving heifers to breed.Dave Patterson, University of Missouri Extension beef specialist, said heifers need management – and new breeding technology.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.– Sometimes visitors at the Kansas City Zoo warn Kelsey Goens that there are kangaroos on the loose. She reassures them that no marsupials have escaped. Two dozen or so kangaroos roam the zoo’s Australia section at will during the day.
“Calf processing prior to sale that reduces work for the buyer after sale potentially makes that calf more valuable at sale time,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Regional Livestock Field Specialist. The added value can lead to improved profitability of the cattle operation. Below, Davis provides…
ST. JAMES, Mo. – Cattle producers are invited to attend a field day at the Mingo Farm in St. James to learn how to use natural shade to improve their beef operation.
“Vitamins and minerals are a small portion of the diet, but important for normal cattle body function which results in optimum health, growth, and reproduction,” says Patrick Davis MU Extension Regional Livestock Field Specialist. Davis will discuss strategies to promote optimum cattle mineral and…
MONETT, Mo. – Fourth-generation farmer Mike Meier knows change will help his family’s Century Farm survive.The rotational grazing and breeding system he uses for his dairy herd works. Now he wants to apply those principles to beef cattle. “At 56, I wanted to go in a different direction,” he says.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Chicken wings helped poultry farm prices take off this year. Wing prices ran at least 30 percent above year-ago levels since late May, say University of Missouri Extension economists.Thighs and legs also sold well above a year ago. Dark meat leads demand, say Scott Brown and Daniel…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A winter cold snap arrives. Cow’s blood flow slows. Cows start limping. It’s time to check herds for fescue foot.The first report of the disabling disease has come to Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension fescue specialist.
MACOMB, Mo. – Happy, healthy cows give more milk.Southwestern Missouri dairy farmers find that cows housed in compost bedded pack barns are healthy, happy and produce more milk, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Ted Probert.
WINIGAN, Mo. – There is high demand for Missouri-raised heritage turkeys from Winigan Farms.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A new automated weather station in Greene County will help southwestern Missouri’s agriculture community make decisions to improve production.
MU Extension specialists offer guidelines and tips for COVID-19 safety on the farm.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Prolonged heat stress this year may bring a smaller calf crop next year. Herd owners are seeing cows known to be pregnant coming back into heat to be rebred.
RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. – Better genetics puts high-quality beef on the consumer’s plate. Also, better genetics brings more profits back to the producer’s pocketbook.“Today we have the ability to make quality product and get paid for it,” Mike Kasten told 70 beef producers in the meeting hall of St.…
MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. – Five to 10 percent of dairy farms close each year, in part because of a lack of skilled laborers, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Ted Probert.
EDITORS: June is Dairy Month. University of Missouri Extension offers a variety of news and feature stories on dairy operations in Missouri. These articles are free for you to use in any Dairy Month promotions or agriculture-related sections that you may have planned.
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In the prolonged summer drought, farmers noticed that grass stayed green longer in their hayfields than in their pastures.While hayfields kept growing, pastures turned brown. Cows ran out of grass to graze.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Ethanol plants are getting more efficient at extracting fuel from corn, and that can affect the quality of distillers grains, a byproduct of ethanol production often used as an economical feed alternative for hogs and poultry.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In dry weather with short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Extension agronomist talk was calm on the weekly teleconference. Few problems discussed on bugs, weeds, fungus or other pests. Then the weather hit the fan. Reports from across Missouri told of farmers’ concerns about lack of rain.
Most people don’t think of grass as poison, but dry weather and drought can turn a pasture dangerous.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Early wean calves to reduce cow herd nutrient needs to match drought-limited feed resources,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist. In addition, early weaning can improve calf performance because calves are put on a more nutritious diet…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Beef-cow herd owners will learn new ways to raise better calves at three University of Missouri meetings in March. The sessions lead producers from proven breeding to new uses of DNA.MU Extension animal scientists David Patterson and Jared Decker will lead the ReproGene Meetings.
PURDY, Mo. – Twenty years ago, Charles Fletcher of Edgewood Dairy and Creamery attended a University of Missouri Extension grazing school. It would change the future of the family dairy operation.
COLUMBIA, Mo.–With record prices for corn and soybean meal, many hog producers are looking at alternative feed sources. However, improving the efficiency of current feeds is where producers should look to cut costs, says a University of Missouri Extension swine nutritionist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – U.S. pork producers should be aware of an emerging swine disease, says University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Corinne Bromfield.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist Teng Lim advises poultry and livestock producers to be aware of an approaching deadline that could affect their operations.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain makes grass grow. That’s good for grazing livestock, but makes haying difficult.Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, sees unusual potential for cattle producers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Women livestock farmers can help build their business through Facebook in a few minutes each day, says Amber Henry of Henry Meat Co. of De Soto. She also serves on the Jefferson County University of Missouri Extension Council.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Winter is when work moves from the fields and pastures to the home office and kitchen table. University of Missouri Extension offers resources as farmers work on tax preparation, production decisions, setting financial goals and updating farm business plans.Taxation of crop insurance
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers face unique safety risks as COVID-19 continues to spread.The predicted peak of the COVID-19 outbreak likely will hit as spring planting season shifts into high gear, says Rusty Lee, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.
COLUMBIA. Mo. – Shortage of cattle forage forces some Ozark herd owners to chop trees to feed leaves. That method was used in big droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Newly made spring hay finally being baled in June may be toxic for cattle. Hold off on feeding new hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.The longer the hay can be stored after baling, the less toxic it becomes.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Farmers and ranchers have a new tool to find or list hay and co-product feedstuffs for sale: Feedstuff Finder, developed by University of Missouri Extension for individuals looking to buy or sell products.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fifth-generation rancher Eric Bailey joins University of Missouri Extension as state beef nutrition specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri livestock producers may be looking south for hay due to concerns over predicted hay shortages.
Buyer beware of red imported fire ants hitching a ride on hay from south of Missouri’s border, says University of Missouri Extension field crops entomologist Kevin Rice.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As summer temperatures rise, dairy animals benefit from heat abatement, says Joe Zulovich, a University of Missouri Extension specialist in livestock housing systems.Lactating cows face the most risk from heat, says Zulovich. Dry cows and pre-weaned calves also fare better with heat…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A wet fall harvest and a cold winter might make conditions especially dangerous for grain producers emptying grain bins to fulfill commodity contracts and prepare for wheat harvest.
MT. VERNON, Mo. –Rural landowners in southwest Missouri have begun cleanup after the severe tornadoes and thunderstorms on May 22. Many agricultural producers are left to also deal with the remains of livestock that were killed during the series of storms that passed through the area.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Reports of “fescue foot” causing loss of cows are coming in, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
STOCKTON, Mo. – Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cow performance, soil health and forage production, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Cedar County.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – High nitrogen prices make it especially important to consider frost seeding legumes this winter, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Goat producer John Kirchhoff of Moberly likened goats to a covey of scattering quail at the Missouri Livestock Symposium, Dec. 7-8 in Kirksville. University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Livestock Symposium Committee organize the annual event.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Goats are natural brush control agents, according to Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, assistant professor and state extension small ruminant specialist with Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and Research.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Goats are curious animals and their gregarious social skills and healthy appetites know no boundaries, or fences.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri beef producers have it good when it comes to feed resources, says Eric Bailey, University of Missouri Extension nutritionist.
STOCKTON, Mo. – St. Clair County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Missouri Extension, and Missouri Forage and Grassland Council will hold a school on management-intensive grazing May 9-10 in Osceola.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Members of the Greene County Commission hosted the fifth annual Greene County Commission Ag Tour on Friday, Sept. 13.The tour was made possible through a partnership with the University of Missouri Extension.
CONWAY, Mo. – Like many dairy farmers, Lloyd and Jane Gunter are retirement-age. Jane is a retired home economics teacher and her husband has run Gunter Farms since 1963.Yet they are modernizing and expanding their dairy farm for the future.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Temperatures drop, sunshine dims and pastures stop growing. That’s when cow nutrition becomes critical, says Justin Sexten, University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist.More hay was baled in 2013 than in the drought of 2012. But quantity doesn’t equal quality. Much of the hay…
FARMINGTON, Mo. – The Farmington Show-Me-Select replacement heifer sale is the newest of six fall sales statewide. Consignors are building reputations with their fourth sale, Dec. 8.The 120 bred heifers averaged $1,790, with a sale top of $2,450. Other long-standing sales topped that.
POTOSI, Mo. – Beginning farmer and 25-year Army veteran Eric Work’s calendar is full of educational programs offered by University of Missouri Extension.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Making quality beef for more farm profits becomes predictable by using genetic testing.Meetings across Missouri will review current breeding technology and explain new genomic tools.University of Missouri Extension specialists plan meetings in Maryville, Kingsville, Macon,…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – This year, hog farmers dodged lower prices when they expanded sow herds and grew the second-largest pork supply since 2008.Prices stayed above expectation, say University of Missouri Extension economists. Growing exports and consumers’ love for bacon helped demand for growing supply.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drones are higher in quality and lower in price than they were just a few years ago when farmers began using them, says University of Missouri Extension natural resources engineer Kent Shannon.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture has announced that about $2 million in initial funding will be available for Missouri producers interested in using cover crops or silvopasture approaches on their farmland.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — The greening of pastures and the rising of temperatures have led ruminant-livestock owners to start thinking about the upcoming haying season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – During the summer, farm management involves a lot of day-to-day decisions. Use these news and notes from University of Missouri Extension as you and your team keep farm work on course.Review crop insurance policies before replanting
When Ron Brown was approached to check out University of Missouri Extension’s Master Gardener program, he thought the opportunity to expand his already extensive gardening knowledge would only help as he worked in his home garden and a community garden in Ferguson, Mo.
Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cattle performance and forage production, says University of Missouri Extension Regional Livestock Field Specialist Patrick Davis. Frost-seed clovers and lespedeza now. They grow well with cool season grasses in Missouri and improve spring and summer…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
COLUMBIA, Mo.–While crop insurance has been popular for a long time, producers have largely overlooked similar safety nets for livestock. But that may be changing, says a University of Missouri Extension agriculture economist.
MEXICO, Mo. - Older farmers and young farmers strapped for capital are teaming up in increasing numbers to form livestock lease alliances.“Leasing land is common. Why not cattle?” said University of Missouri Extension agribusiness specialist Mary Sobba.
FAYETTE, Mo. – Left on their own, cows make a mess of grass they should eat. When managed by the farmer, pasture carrying capacity goes up by 25 percent. More cattle are fed on fewer acres.The why and how of management-intensive grazing will be taught at the University of Missouri Extension Center…
Drought has led to historic declines in cattle numbers in Missouri. As weather and cattle price become favorable for cattle herds to rebuild, add value to a cattle operation through heifer development. This article will discuss cattle management strategies of the Missouri Show-Me-Select (SMS)…
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri 4-H had its best finish since 1998 in the 2017 National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest on Oct. 2 at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation inducted six members Feb. 2 during an awards ceremony at the University of Missouri Animal Science Research Center.Joe Horner, MU Extension dairy economist and executive secretary of the foundation, announced this year’s honorees:
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension, Missouri Dairy Association and Multimin USA will hold the 2018 Missouri Dairy Profit Seminar at five locations throughout the state Feb. 19-23, said MU Extension veterinarian Scott Poock.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Beef herd owners serious about improving fescue pastures—and their beef herds—can learn how in a March 6 meeting at the University of Missouri Southwest Research Center, Mount Vernon.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri Holstein Dezi is a moo-ver and a milker.The Lawrence County cow outperforms most of her regional counterparts, producing just short of three times as much milk per day, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
Are you a cattle producer that has a small number of cattle but wants to experience feeding cattle in the feedyard, evaluate your cattle’s feedyard performance, and determine whether your cattle meet certain targets at slaughter that influence their profitability? Then consider enrolling steers in…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Scott Poock and MU’s Foremost Dairy Research Center recently became the first Missouri veterinarian and dairy to be accredited by the Food Armor Foundation.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialist Teng Lim advises poultry and livestock producers to be aware of a Nov. 15 deadline that could affect their operations.
HERMITAGE, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension offers cattlemen a bus tour of cattle operations in Kansas and Oklahoma Aug. 6-9.MU Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis said the tour offers an opportunity to learn to manage herds better to make them healthier and more profitable.…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “It’s not a good situation” for agriculture in the southern two-thirds of Missouri, where scant rainfall and high temperatures have led to worsening drought, said Pat Guinan, associate extension professor of climatology with University of Missouri Extension.
BUFFALO, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offer an evening workshop on warm-season grasses and cost-share programs on July 31.The pasture tour begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Ron Locke farm near Buffalo.
WELLSVILLE, Mo. – Matthew Spiers wants to convert cropland to pastureland for grazing.Through a joint effort by University of Missouri Extension and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Spiers plans to build a rotational grazing system so he won’t have to rent more pastureland to…
FAIRFAX, Mo. – The Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center Field Day, Tuesday, Aug. 22, will include a ribbon-cutting for the new facility at the center in northwestern Missouri.
New exhibition rules issued by the Missouri Department of Agriculture late last year for showing cattle and swine at county fairs and exhibitions go into effect this year. University of Missouri Extension specialists say the changes encourage healthy animals.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A recent Associated Press report revealing the presence of drugs in many municipal water supplies has raised questions about the risks to humans of long-term exposure to small amounts of pharmaceutical compounds.
University of Missouri Extension’s Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Program had a successful year in 2023 for both buyers and sellers, even with some impact on fall sales from drought.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Breanne Brammer’s summer vacation was different from that of most college students. Brammer, a senior in the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, was an agricultural development intern in Mozambique.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Missouri’s dairy product manufacturing and production industry revenues translated into annual statewide economic output worth $7.7 billion, contributing more than $2 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, and directly and indirectly supporting more than 23,000 jobs,…
SPICKARD, Mo. Bred beef heifers, replacements at the University of Missouri Thompson Farm cow herd, lined up at feeding looking like peas in a pod. They came from 20 years research on fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI).
COLUMBIA, Mo.–Is pasture insurance right for your farm? The answer could be yes, no or maybe.University of Missouri Extension recently launched an online tool that can help farmers decide if purchasing pasture, range and forage (PRF) insurance makes sense for their operation.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri veterinary students take campus research to parlors and pastures to help dairy farms improve.