Ozarks Farm & Neighbor Newspaper – written for, by & about farmers

Retaining ownership of cattle through the finishing stage can be a financial risk for a lot of producers, but gathering knowledge about how cattle will perform in the feedlot and on the rail will help when it comes time to take feeder cattle to the sale barn or send them to the feedlot.

Cattle producers can improve their returns at the sale barn by maximizing their advantages, minimizing their disadvantages… and, maybe, by doing the unexpected.

It's not a stretch to say many farmers and farm families can benefit from investing in IRAs and getting their estate plans in order. Many Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have been hard hit by the fall in asset values. However, even bad markets can create estate planning opportunities.

In the last issue we discussed pinkeye as a major cause of disease in cattle during the summer months. Another problem that frequently presents itself in my chute during the summer is foot rot. I have seen numerous cases of foot rot in cattle this summer already. The disease is caused primarily by a bacterium called Fusobacterium necrophorum and is a significant cause of lameness in cattle – beef and dairy alike. Like pinkeye, mortality from the disease is generally absent but morbidity can get high with up to 25 percent of the herd affected in severe outbreaks. Foot rot can be a significant source of lost production. Cows that are lame from foot rot tend to lie around, eat less and produce less milk. Whether that milk is going into the bulk tank or into the calf, less milk means less money to the producer. Additionally, treatment costs and the occasional animal with unresolving lameness represent further economic loss due to the disease.

Name:  Jacob Pierce
High School:  2009 Graduate of McDonald County High School
Family:  Parents, Dewey and Kitty Pierce; brothers, Jonathan and Christopher; sister, Brittany

Name:  Mike and Leslie Keeth
Family:  Daughter, Hannah, 18, and son, Kory, 16.