The high-points: * Grass-feeding cattle is a common management style in many parts of the US, including producers selling to specialty food markets. * The higher growth potential animals, entirely grass-fed, had larger ribeye areas but less marbling. * Corn-supplemented cattle had brighter and redder meat but, conversely, yellow fat, likely because they

What you need to know: You may have heard the term "smart" used to describe things like cars (i.e., smart cars like Tesla) or devices like Amazon Alexa, and Siri on the iPhone. Although not new in 2021, these smart products have already impacted industries like consumer

What you need to know: A TMR, or total mixed ration, is a term used to describe various feed ingredients mixed into a singular and consistent product. Nearly all feedlots and dairies utilize this method of feeding. But why do we do this? What is the purpose of mixing the

TL;DR: * Nearly 20 years of commercial sexed-semen use. * The "beef-on-dairy" matings, dairy cows bred with beef semen, have increased in popularity. * The beef industry has an opportunity to simultaneously select for improvements in female fertility and male feedlot performance. What you need to know: We are nearing

TL;DR: * The goal to decrease inputs has driven the cow/calf industry towards selecting more moderate-framed females. * Selecting for lower body weight could result in selecting for thinner cows instead of smaller cows. * The combination of a thinner cow with a fast-growing calf could have detrimental effects on the

TL;DR: * Mycotoxins are byproducts of fungi, which can show up in feeds * Mycotoxins were fed to beef steers for 21 days at levels that were realistic for a feedlot ration * The treatment had upregulated pathways associated with oxidative stress and inflammation What you need to know: Mycotoxins are byproducts

TL;DR: * Ionophores are vital to the efficiency that we see in feedlots. * Using these direct-fed antimicrobials can decrease the quantity of methane produced. * Cattle producers outside the feedlot system may also derive value from ionophores. What you need to know: Rumensin has many other "siblings" that are

TL;DR: * A simple answer to increasing feed conversion rate may be using different corn varieties in cattle rations. * Animals consuming the Enogen corn had better feed efficiency, which improves the environmental impact measures significantly. * Both universities had decreased estimated land use from Enogen corn as a feedstuff. What you

TL;DR: * Fescue toxicity has symptoms of restricted blood flow and reduced performance, like feed intake. * Pregnant Charolais and Hereford grazed toxic fescue and had different levels of symptoms. * Charolais appear to be more resilient to the effects of toxic fescue. What you need to know: Fescue is a grass

TL;DR: * Digital dermatitis is the infection and inflammation of the hooves of cattle. * The timing of the infection was compared to the animal's rumination and activity levels at that time. * Heifers with digital dermatitis spent 3% less time per day ruminating and 3% more time inactive. What