Steelman: Fighting infectious cattle disease

Summer and fall often brings infectious ailments to beef cows. Common problems include respiratory conditions, eye
infections, and foot rot. Treatment of affected cows will often involve the use of antibiotics. On very rare occasions, volatile residues of pharmaceutical products have been found in carcass tissues of cull beef cows. Violations of drug residue regulations can result in expensive fines (or even worse, jail time) for the producer and a "black -eye" for the entire beef industry. It is vital that cow-calf producers have a close working relationship with a large animal veterinarian in

their area. If a cow has an infection or disease that must be treated, the producer should closely follow the veterinarian's directions, and also adhere to the label of the product used. Make sure the cow is a "keeper" before treating for an Infection.

Capture Value in
Marketing Feeder Calves
As the time for marketing feeder calves approaches there are several things to consider when getting ready to sell these calves to ensure the most value is received for them. Overall health of the animals is very important and documented health records are important to the buyer purchasing the feeder cattle. "Documented vaccination protocols deliver buyer confidence in the product they are buying." It is essential that feeder cattle are healthy,
perform well, and grade well. When marketing feeder cattle it is important that these things are emphasized and appealing to buyers. Once buyers learn how calves from a feeder cattle alliance perform, year after year, they will be more aggressive if calves performed well. By building a reputation in the marketplace and developing cattle that
consistently perform, buyers will be enticed to compete for these calves and push them to the top of the market or higher.

Research Shows Lamb on
the Rise
A quantitative research study by Datassential MenuTrends reveals that lamb is being utilized more and more in restaurants beyond fine dining. Based on data from 4800 restaurants, including national chains, regional chains, and independent restaurants, the study reports that "lamb has been on a steady rise in use among U.S. chains and
independents with an increasing menu penetration of 13 percent compared to 4 years ago." The study notes that lamb entrée penetration has shown growth in contrast to many of the top menu proteins which have shown declines in recent years.