Iowa Beef Center

Dr. Lee Schulz has just updated this study evaluating hedging opportunities for fed calves and yearlings. Twenty years of data from 1993-2012 were analyzed to determine the percent of trading days during calf and yearling feeding periods that live cattle futures (LCF) – adjusted for an expected basis – were above the cost of producing fed cattle. The analysis was extended to look at the percent of trading days that a return between a $4/cwt loss and a $4/cwt profit could be hedged.

In the calf market, on average there was a 35 percent chance of hedging to make a profit and in the yearling market, there was a 41 percent chance of hedging to make a profit.  Check out this report for more details.

Feedlot Operations, Risk Management, Uncategorized marketing, Risk Management

Recent rains remind us this is a good time for beef and dairy farmers with open lots and cow yards to evaluate if runoff from their cattle yards is affecting water quality. As part of the Water Quality Initiative for Small Iowa Beef and Dairy Feedlot Operations, a cooperative education and outreach program, the Iowa DNR has made water quality testing kits available through twenty Iowa State University Extension and Outreach County Offices. These kits help producers evaluate the impact of potential feedlot runoff from their livestock operation.

These kits are quick and simple to use, are free, and the program is confidential. The only person that knows the results of the ammonia test is the livestock producer. The test kits come with an instructional video and a fact sheet on water quality impacts.

The best time to inspect and test is during or shortly after a rainfall, when water is running off the cattle yard. The water quality testing kit is available from the County Extension offices in Allamakee, Buena Vista, Carroll, Cherokee, Clay, Clayton, Clinton, Crawford, Delaware, Dubuque, Floyd, Johnson, Lyon, Mitchell, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, East Pottawattamie and Story counties. Please contact the county nearest you to determine the availability of the kit for your use.

Additional resource materials for dairy and beef operations are available through the Small Feedlot and Dairy Operations Web page at Iowa State University. These materials, used in conjunction with the self-assessment worksheets and producer guides, can help a livestock producer determine if their manure control structures are operating correctly and can guide producers to cost-effective ways to change control structures or management practices to protect water quality.

Environmental Management, Feedlot Operations, Uncategorized environment, water qualilty

The Iowa Department of Nat­ural Resources (IDNR) will likely be conducting inspections on more Iowa livestock farms over the next five years under a draft agreement between federal and state environmental agencies.

The potential inspections stem from a proposed work plan between IDNR and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is designed to address questions about the Iowa agency’s permitting program for the state’s livestock feeding operations.

  Read the full article from Iowa Farm Bureau

Environmental Management, Feedlot Operations Environmental Management, manure management

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, suggests using grain to grow beef is not nearly as inefficient as once thought. If you’d like to hear more from Derrell, join us at the Driftless Region Beef Conference in Dubuque where he’ll be sharing his outlook for beef markets.

Feedlot Operations, Uncategorized feed efficiency, feeding

Lately we’ve had a number of producers who are interested in the alkali treatment of corn stover for feeding cows. Dan Loy explains the process and procedures of converting stalks to feed in this YouTube video.

Cow-Calf Operations, Feed/Corn Coproducts, Feedlot Operations, Uncategorized cattle feed, rations