Texas - Articles - Page 4

Stuff that lasts

The Lyssy family of south-central Texas has been an important force in improving and spreading the Beefmaster breed, but family legacy is what really keeps them going.

June 19, 2023

Tyrell Marchant

Driving down the county road past drought-stricken fields of sandy, caliche soil in south-central Texas’s Wilson County, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might not be the most fertile ground in the world. But for the Lyssy family, this is the perfect place to grow a cow herd, a family and a legacy.

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Development of heat-tolerant breeds in the U.S.

Many producers in warmer climates utilize Bos indicus-influenced cattle, but several African-sourced breeds also exist that offer the heat and pest tolerance sought by Southern producers.

June 19, 2023

Heather Smith Thomas

Almost all breeds in the U.S. today are of British and European descent, but many ranchers in Southern areas prefer cattle with some Zebu influence. In recent years, African types with less Zebu genetic influence and more Bos taurus have been introduced.

Texas dairy fire impacts April milk production report

Year-over-year U.S. milk production was up just 0.3% as growth in per-cow output remained slow.

May 22, 2023

Dave Natzke

Even with the fire loss, Texas cow numbers were up 5,000 head from a year ago.

March 2023 milk production up 0.5%

Stagnant growth in milk per cow offset growing cow numbers, which are now the highest since summer of 2021.

April 20, 2023

Dave Natzke

The March 2023 USDA data summarizes milk production prior to the fire the killed an estimated 18,000 cows at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt, Texas, on April 10.

Weather puts lid on February milk production growth

Cow numbers continue to rise, but a small increase in output per cow capped overall growth.

March 21, 2023

Dave Natzke

California milk output was down despite increase in cow numbers.

Southwest: An eye toward the sky (and the bottom line)

Despite shared challenges and concerns, the future is being driven by capital.

March 1, 2023

Dave Natzke

Dairy producers in Texas and New Mexico continue to be on different trajectories. Preliminary USDA data indicates Texas milk production grew by more than 925 million pounds (about 6%) in 2022, topping 16.5 billion pounds.

2022 Environmental Stewardship Award Program regional winners announced

February 6, 2023

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recognized seven of the nation’s top cattle operations as Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) regional winners for their environmental conservation efforts during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans on Feb. 1.

Matt Perrier, Brandon Cutrer and Keaton Dodd

B.R. Cutrer Inc. named BIF Seedstock Producer of Year

June 6, 2022

The Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) recognized B.R. Cutrer Inc. (BRC), Wharton, Texas, as the BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year Award on June 3 during the group’s annual research symposium in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Canola fills forage gaps

May 30, 2022

Martha Hoffman Kerestes

While canola is typically grown as an oilseed crop, there are emerging uses as an alternative forage crop that may prove useful for dairy producers in some situations.