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.
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…
STOCKTON, Mo. – “As spring and lush grass growth arrives cattle producers need to plan for prevention of grass tetany,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
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.
Explore strategies for summer forage, farm succession, employee safety, and value-added ventures to enhance farm productivity and sustainability.
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,…
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.
Many Missouri cattle producers are gearing up for the hay season. Spring can be hectic on the farm, but it’s also an important time to check on where you’re heading financially.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The average Missourian eats 63 pounds of pork each year.
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.
Compost-bedded pack barns improve cow comfort, boost milk production, and support herd health with better bedding management.
WINIGAN, Mo. – There is high demand for Missouri-raised heritage turkeys from Winigan Farms.
OSCEOLA, Mo. – A new guide developed by University of Missouri Extension and Lincoln University Extension offers insights into controlling gastrointestinal parasites in sheep and goats through forage-based management.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A new automated weather station in Greene County will help southwestern Missouri’s agriculture community make decisions to improve production.
The University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture has opened a third round of funding for fall cover crop planting in Missouri. About $3 million is available for Missouri producers interested in using cover crops on their cropland through the Missouri Conservation Crop and Livestock…
MU Extension specialists offer guidelines and tips for COVID-19 safety on the farm.
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship offers a paid, two-year training program for future dairy farmers, providing hands-on experience in managed grazing systems.
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.
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. – 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. – Strict biosecurity is urged in Missouri poultry operations to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which has been confirmed in five southwestern Missouri counties.
Federal officials have confirmed HPAI in commercial poultry flocks in Newton, Jasper,…
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.
Get the latest on tax tips, farm budgets, livestock planning, and agriculture trends to help farmers prepare for a successful year.
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. – 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.
It’s the time of year when flies and ticks start becoming a problem for cattle, and they can be more than just a nuisance. “These external parasites not only cause irritation and stress but also reduce production efficiency and serve as vectors for certain cattle diseases,” said Craig Payne,…
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.
LINNEUS, Mo. – Adding diversity to a pasture can make it more productive than growing tall fescue alone. Diversity can also aid in reducing or diluting the effects of fescue toxicity, improve nutritive value of forage, increase weight gain and enhance soil health, says University of Missouri…
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.
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.
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. – After years of record-breaking farmland prices in Missouri, is stabilization on the horizon? Data from the latest Missouri Farmland Values Opinion Survey hints at slower growth in Show-Me State farmland values.
July farm management tips include crop insurance deadlines, drought updates, market insights, and risk management strategies.
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.
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.
The Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference is set for Aug. 13-14 in St. Louis. Speakers from across the globe will tackle a variety of pertinent topics, said event organizer Tim Safranski, a University of Missouri Extension state swine breeding specialist.
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.
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.
MONTICELLO, Mo. – The federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), in place for nearly 10 years, requires elevator firms to develop and maintain documentation on their current good manufacturing practices for processing and selling animal feed.
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.…
A free webinar series will introduce graziers to technology that uses GPS collars on livestock to create invisible fences. Monthly sessions run June through October.
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.
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…
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.
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.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – National Animal Poison Prevention Week, March 17-23, 2024, is a time for pet owners to assess what plants and products can potentially poison their animals, identify signs they’ve been poisoned and learn how to prevent pet poisoning.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – There’s a new University of Missouri Extension guide to discuss one of summer’s old pests.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s new Food Processing and Safety Lab helps people who make and sell processed foods ensure they are safe.
Explore strategies for increasing farm income, managing leases, and diversifying livestock practices in this November 2022 farm management update.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Information in the digital age is like porridge in the tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” How do you know what is too much, too little, just right – or maybe not right at all?
PALMYRA, Mo. – The last sale set records for six fall sales of Show-Me-Select heifer replacements. The average price per head was $2,118 on 224 head of bred heifers at F&T Livestock Auction, Palmyra, Dec. 9.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Pork producers need to know what to do if a vesicular disease strikes their operation.The Seneca Valley virus (SVV) disease is on the upswing in the United States, says Corinne Bromfield, University of Missouri Extension veterinarian.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Pigs can’t cool themselves through sweating and need special attention during heat waves, says University of Missouri Extension swine nutrition specialist Marcia Shannon.Pigs take priority over any other animals on the farm when temperatures rise, Shannon says. Pigs have few…
STOCKTON, Mo. – Patience pays off for cattle producers who wait for fescue to grow some before turning cattle out for spring grazing, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Patrick Davis.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Cow-calf herd owners can send more pounds of beef to market by feeding calves after weaning. It’s called backgrounding to prepare calves for the feedlot.Speaking at the Missouri Livestock Symposium in Kirksville, Dec. 2, Eric Bailey asked producers to think bigger.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A written plan to respond to disease outbreaks for your livestock operation is like insurance. You hope you never need it. You may never need it. But if there is an outbreak, the economic survival of your livestock operation might depend on having that plan.
HUMANSVILLE, Mo. – Martin Prairie Farms near Humansville treats dairy cows like guests.The family-owned dairy farm north of Humansville in Hickory County dedicates itself to top-of-the-line herd nutrition and care, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.