Drovers

Replacement cows had been quarantined. They tested negative for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV). They joined the herd without incident. Months later, pregnancy rates fell. For a research herd with well-established vaccination protocols, extensive record keeping and routine testing, the results didn’t make sense. At first glance, the obvious suspects were vaccination, biosecurity or a missed persistently infected (PI) animal.

Cattle futures were lower early Friday, with hogs mixed and grains higher pre-WASDE. Cattle See Melt Down With Lower Cash The cattle futures ended lower on Thursday seeing pressure from fund selling and lower cash. Early Friday futures tried to stage an early recovery but it was short lived as funds have been selling every rally.

In the high-stakes world of beef cattle production, an operation’s most valuable asset isn’t the herd or the machinery — it’s the people. Yet, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture remains the most dangerous industry in the country. Within the feedlot, where nearly 45% of injuries involve cattle handling, a split-second of complacency can change a life forever.

If you’ve been around cattle for a long time, it’s likely you have been run out of a pen once or twice by a high-strung cow or bull. Poor disposition and docility in cattle can be both hereditary and caused by the surrounding environment. For some producers, docility expected progeny differences (EPDs) are especially important to buying seedstock cattle. Holton Red Angus runs about 600 commercial and 300 registered Red Angus cows in Cisco, Texas.

Despite drought, labor unrest and health threats at the border, cattle prices are holding in record territory. In his Q3 2026 outlook, “Drought: Likely Dashing Hopes for Expansion,” Terrain Senior Animal Protein Aanalyst Dave Weaber forecasts fed cattle averaging $252–$258 per cwt in Q3 and Oklahoma City 450‑lb. steer calves climbing from about $500 to $555 cwt.

If you ask Dr. Paige Schmidt-Rios about bovine respiratory disease, she doesn’t start by talking about antibiotics or vaccines. She starts by talking about complexity. “BRD, bovine respiratory disease, is kind of a blanket term for any type of pneumonia we’re seeing in cattle, primarily in feedlot or confined feeding settings,” Schmidt-Rios says. “It’s a really challenging disease because it incorporates so many different bacteria and viruses.

Learning which technologies to adopt or pass by is crucial to cow-calf operations. These advancements open countless doors, but they don’t have a place on every operation. “Some companies think they have a great solution for animal agriculture, but they’re not necessarily from the industry,” explains Chelsea Good.

An often-overlooked position at the feedlot are pen riders, though they are essential to any successful feeding operation. Pen riders wear many hats and day-to-day can vary, but their main focus is animal health. A typical day begins around 6:30 a.m. when they saddle horses and start riding through pens. The first thing Bruce Miller, head cowboy at Sellers Feedlot in Lyons, Kan., looks at is their water. “That’s the first thing I do is ride in and make sure they got water,” Miller says.

Live cattle were lower again Wednesday, with feeders and hogs higher. Grains all ended lower. Live Cattle Down....Again Live cattle futures were lower again on Wednesday and have spent several consecutive days under the 100-day moving average. Is this starting to look like more than a healthy correction? Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says, “I think that we put in seasonal highs. It wouldn’t be the first time that the market broke a little bit this time of year.

For nearly 70 years, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) has been one of animal agriculture’s greatest success stories, protecting livestock across North and Central America by releasing millions of sterile screwworm flies. That proven strategy is once again being put to the test.