When major packers stopped purchasing fed dairy cattle, dairy farmers were encouraged to identify and breed their lower-end cows to beef bulls to produce a crossbred calf that better fit into the beef market. While some of those first crossbred steers failed to meet the industry expectations, times have changed and sire selection to fit this niche in the industry has improved significantly.

A foreign object is any noncarcass material found in a carcass or beef product. These materials can range from metal, plastic or rubber that may enter the product during fabrication at the packing plant, which is the packer's responsibility.

How are these inedible, black spots getting into the beef supply? That’s everyone’s first question after learning about birdshot as the leading contributor to foreign objects in packing plants and further processing facilities.

It’s no secret: Feed has always accounted for, by far, the biggest production expense of beef cattle production.

The long-term trend in the feedlot industry is that cattle are on feed more and more days every year. Feedlot data shows that the 12-month moving average of days on feed has increased approximately 30% just in the last two decades.

Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.

Genetics play a larger role in calf performance than whether calves are raised in a traditional beef system or within a dairy system.

In this podcast episode, Progressive Cattle Editor Carrie Veselka speaks with Kara Lee, director of producer engagement at Certified Angus Beef, to discuss direct-to-consumer marketing and the CBA Ranch to Table program. Editor Abby George meets up with Russ Daly, South Dakota State University Extension Veterinarian, at Range Beef Cow Symposium to talk about herd health planning and steps producers can take to protect their cow herd. 

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.