USDA-NASS released their January 1, 2023, cattle inventory estimates last week. To no one’s surprise, the report confirmed another year of contraction in the beef cattle industry. According to the report, cattle inventories totaled 89.27 million head, a 3% decline year over year. The table at the end of this article provides estimates for each […]

The climate and inflation have made hay scarcer and more expensive.

As you may be aware, there are more alternative pig farms in Minnesota than there are large commercial farms. These farms are important for sustainability and make the food supply chain more resilient by providing pork locally but not a lot is known about the production and marketing practices. It is important to characterize these

While the livestock sector is on the right track, there is potential to further reduce the use and dependency of antibiotics. Disinfection is one of the most effective and easy interventions to achieve this. The use of antibiotics has decreased and is now lower in food-producing animals than in humans, according to the 2021 report

From mullets in the 1980s to bowl cuts a decade later, bad haircuts have caused humans plenty of stress. But Iowa State University animal science researchers are trying to find out if trimming pigs’ hair can provide insight into how they respond to stressors they encounter through life, including disease. The researchers aim to use

Based on FDA’s most recent Summary Report on Use of Medically Important Antimicrobials, antimicrobial use in food-producing animals has declined by 28% during the 5-year period since Veterinary Feed Directive Guidelines were enacted in 2017.