All Bets are Off

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

 

Cattle market fundamentals have not changed.  The industry faces ever tightening feeder cattle supplies that will eventually lead to decreased feedlot inventories and declining beef production.  The question of heifer retention and herd rebuilding remain very uncertain as both weather and external factors dim producer expectations.  Cattle prices peaked recently at record levels and will likely pull back, at least for some period of time. The remainder of the year is now very uncertain.

 

U.S. and global economies are being hit with a maelstrom of tariffs and political actions that will impact markets in innumerable ways, many of which will not be immediately apparent but will continue to grow in the coming weeks.  Supply chains in the U.S. are immensely complex and virtually every market will be negatively impacted directly or indirectly by tariffs and disruptions in flows of goods.  Trade disruptions are sucking value out of markets and the economy.  International trade, fundamentally no different than any trade in the economy, increases total value as a result of the basic economic principles of specialization and comparative advantage. Gains from trade are the fundamental engine of economic growth.  Massive trade disruption on the current scale will lead to increased product and input costs and sharply higher transactions costs in the short run.  In the long run, permanently altered trade flows will lead to resource misallocation and lower total economic potential in the U.S. and globally.

 

Because of the current domestic supply situation, the cattle industry is very resilient compared to many other markets.  However, the weight of macroeconomic chaos may overwhelm cattle and beef markets and may completely alter the industry trajectory in the coming years.  The record high cattle prices we have already experienced should go even higher…but they may not.   

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Management to Reduce Horn Flies

Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist

 

One of the realities of beef production in Oklahoma is dealing with significant fly populations.  The Oklahoma beef cattle industry loses millions of dollars each year due to external parasites.  Blood loss, irritation and annoyance lead to reduced levels of performance due to flies. Horn flies are considered the most important external parasite of cattle causing an estimated $1.8 billion impact on the cattle industry as a whole annually. Although this fly is small and feeds from the back down the side and onto the belly of cattle it is the sheer numbers of these flies on a per animal basis that cause stress to cattle. Considering that an individual Horn fly will feed on an animal 25 times per day, large numbers of flies will certainly cause significant stress. In a cow – calf system the horn flies on the cow or heifer impact weaning weights in calves due to the impact of that stress causes decreased milk production but when combined with direct fly numbers on the calf then the impact can be greater.  

 

Recent rains, humidity and warmer temperatures mean that Oklahoma now serves as an ideal breeding ground for these annoying -pests that rob profit potential. Horn flies are holometabolous, meaning they have complete life cycle (egg, larvae, pupae, adult). The females need a blood meal to reproduce. Horn flies are a greater problem in pastured cattle because the females need an intact fresh manure pad to complete the life cycle. The life cycle can be completed as quickly as two weeks.

 

Management to Control Horn Flies

For Horn flies, there are many different options to control this pest. Several measures can be taken immediately to control Horn flies this year. 

 

• Begin feeding an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) now. Typically used as an additive to a mineral supplement, an IGR passes through the digestive system and into the manure where horn flies lay eggs.
• Pull a drag harrow through pastures to break up manure piles. In areas where cows concentrate or at spots where hay has been fed through the winter, burning (if possible), harrowing or disking can help break up the spots where flies will lay eggs.
• As you observe larger populations of flies on cattle over the next few weeks (over 200 flies per animal), start using additional control strategies. Since Horn flies spend their life on the cattle, insecticides can be highly effective. This fly behavior can also lead to issues with resistance. Resistance to insecticides can develop because Horn flies reproduce multiple generations over the summer months. Use a rotation of insecticides to avoid resistance from year to year.
• Insecticides can be effective as an insecticide ear tag, administered as a pour on or spray on. Self-application devices such as oilers can be effective if you make it a force use system or put multiple oilers out to ensure the whole herd is treated properly. A typical force use system is setting it up where cattle have to go under the oiler to get to water or a feed area. 

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Pre-Finishing Nutrition’s Impact on Beef Quality

Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service Beef Cattle Nutrition Specialist

 

Last week we looked at how management of beef cows pre-calving can affect beef tenderness, marbling, and fat composition of their offspring. This week I will look at how nutritional management of calves pre-finishing impacts beef quality.

 

Post-weaning management significantly influences beef quality, particularly through compensatory gain. Compensatory gains is the accelerated growth following a period of nutrient restriction. This growth response varies, with the greatest gains occurring when feed restriction is moderate and short. Studies show that restricted growth during the stocker phase can impact carcass quality long-term, reducing marbling, hot carcass weight, and USDA quality grades when cattle are finished on a high-energy diet. However, some compensatory gain during unrestricted finishing can offset earlier growth restrictions, although this is usually transient and does not enhance carcass quality.

 

Creep feeding, or supplementing pre-weaned calves with additional feed, has been suggested to improve carcass traits by promoting early muscle and fat development. However, studies on its long-term impact have shown mixed results. Some suggest that it might increase fatness and carcass weight at weaning but does not consistently enhance marbling or USDA quality grade. Research by Gadberry and others also highlighted that pre-weaning supplements and starch content in the growing diet during preconditioning do not have a lasting effect on marbling or other measures of carcass quality following standard finishing.

 

The stocker phase itself, where calves are grown post-weaning, plays a crucial role in determining beef quality. Factors such as forage type, supplementation, rate of gain, and the use of growth promoting implants influence finishing performance and carcass traits. Intensive yearling finishing systems tend to be more profitable in terms of weight gain but may result in lower carcass quality compared to calf-fed systems. Additionally, while pre-finishing implants can improve growth rates, they may reduce marbling at slaughter after finishing especially in cattle with high marbling potential.

 

In conclusion, management during the post-weaning period, particularly stocker-phase nutrition and growth rate, has a lasting effect on beef quality, with trade-offs between growth performance and marbling, tenderness, and overall carcass grade.

 

Reference

Beck, P.A., Beck, M.R., Apple, J.K., 2024. Production systems and nutrition. In: Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences III, vol. 1. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85125-1.00029-6. ISBN: 9780323851251