Opportunities hide within every challenge, but beef producers can find them through analysis and planning. That was part of the take-home message at the Feeding Quality Forums, Nov. 10 in South Sioux City, Neb., and Nov. 12 in Garden City, Kan.
Beef reigns supreme in consumers’ protein choices, according to research released earlier this year from West Texas A&M University. Nearly half of consumers surveyed put beef as their No. 1 protein choice, and 97% indicated they ate beef between one and 12 times each week.
Your cowherd checklist might look pretty sparse after the calves are weaned and rebreeding is confirmed. Maybe the cows regained some condition and they’re coasting now on crop residue. Next item would be, what, calving?
When times are lean, sales of luxury items are typically the first to fall off. However, when it comes to beef, it appears that consumer demand for the higher quality and pricier Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand held up better than that for USDA Choice or lower grade beef.
Cattlemen tell stories in a lot of ways – across a fence gate, over coffee at the feed store, through the pickup window or atop a good horse in the back of the ropin’ pen. Now, producers focused on quality can also tell their stories at www.certifiedangusbeef.com.
When you get a bonus on grid cattle, sometimes it’s easier to count your blessings than to ask why. But Tom Brink, senior vice president for Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, says taking a look at discounts and premiums can help you get more of the latter.
Three years ago, a 30-year decline in beef quality grades was apparent, with only half of fed cattle grading USDA Choice. The Choice/Select spread hit record highs in 2006, but today the picture is much different (see chart). July figures show 60.1% of the harvest mix graded Choice the first half of this year, but why?
When it comes to beef quality, the stocker industry is sometimes considered oblivious, or driven only by pounds. But market dynamics have continued to build the case that quality matters to these entrepreneurs, and of course, they matter in any discussion of beef quality.
Marbling can be fickle. Everything, from genetics to growth technologies and production systems, affects the way and how much intramuscular fat cattle will express. This summer an American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) symposium focused on getting the most meat quality with maximum efficiency. Daryl Tatum, Colorado State University (CSU), began by citing advantages and disadvantages of implants and beta-agonists.
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