The Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event is underway and will most likely continue over the coming months. A negative IOD typically increases the chance of winter and spring rainfall over much of southern and eastern Australia, along with warmer days than usual in northern Australia. The IOD […]

With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows. However, University of Missouri Extension Beef Nutritionist Eric Bailey says give careful thought to which grass eaters go first. Under drought stress, identifying those cows becomes urgent. The first cut is simple, Bailey […]

Cattle producers may be surprised when their calves show signs of respiratory distress during the summer before they are weaned, said the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “Signs of pneumonia in calves include rapid breathing, laying down and being reluctant to rise, and having a […]

Drought advanced rapidly across Oklahoma in July.  At the end of June, the Drought Monitor showed that 30.76 percent of the state was in some stage of drought (D1-D4) with another 15.15 percent abnormally dry (D0). Four weeks later, the July 26 Drought Monitor map showed that 100 percent of the state was dry with 99.81 […]

Ranches across the American West could make their grazing practices more sustainable through a virtual fence system being developed through a joint University of Idaho project. Newly awarded federal funding last month kickstarted a four-year field project for researchers at U of I and Washington State University to test the safety and efficacy of a […]

DROUGHTMASTER cattle breeders from across Australia will pause to reflect on six decades of progress and achievement this week. It was during a low-key meeting convened during Townsville show in July 1962 that 14 foundation Droughtmaster breeders came together under a gum tree to form a new breed organisation, later to grow into one of […]

  FARM profitability is determined by multiple factors. In a beef breeding business, factors such as survival and growth of calves through to sale weight are considered among the major influences. Critical to these two areas is cow weaning rate (CWR) which is defined as number of calves weaned per cow joined annually. Research conducted […]

  THERE have been many adjectives used in recent weeks to describe the results of the 2022 spring bull sales so far – “outstanding”, “exceptional”, “exciting” and “amazing” among them. However you choose to describe the results, there can be little doubt the bull sales across NSW and southern Queensland during July and early August […]