Mississippi Stocker Cattle
Beef production is a significant component of Mississippi agriculture. The total value of production of cattle and calves in Mississippi exceeded $216 million in 2006, ranking sixth among the state’s agricultural commodities. Total cattle inventory in Mississippi on January 1, 2008 was 990,000 head including 519,000 head of beef cows and 87,000 head of beef cow replacements representing approximately 21,000 operations. Stocker cattle production is also very prominent. |
| National Stocker Survey |
BEEF magazine teams with 12 universities on National Stocker Survey A majority of fed cattle spend some portion of their lives putting on pounds beyond the ranch of origin and before the feedlot. Yet, there’s never been a national effort to benchmark and characterize the management practices and challenges of stocker operators and backgrounding operations. That’s why 12 Land Grant Universities are collaborating with Penton Media’s BEEF magazine to conduct the nation’s first National Beef Stocker Survey. “The stocker and backgrounding segments have always been critical to the overall success of the beef industry. And the structural changes brought about by higher grain prices and input costs make these segments even more critical. Thus, the information provided by this survey is essential to characterize management practices and identify opportunity on a national basis,” says BEEF magazine’s Wes Ishmael. Dale Blasi, beef stocker specialist at Kansas State University (KSU), a participating institution, adds that the survey will help benchmark this segment of the industry for individual operations, collective regions and the industry as a whole. “The survey results will also identify critical needs and areas of management that can enhance profitability within the stocker segment,” he adds, “and help all of us charged with serving the stocker and backgrounding industries serve them more effectively.” BEEF magazine mailed the National Beef Cattle Stocker Survey Oct. 23 to an extensive list of stocker and backgrounding operations representative of the segment’s size and geography. However, producers who don’t receive a survey in the mail are encouraged to participate online at: http://www.snap-surveys.com/prismb2b/grau/NSSAlt/ntlstkrs07alt.htm The participating institutions include: Auburn University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, South Dakota State University, Texas A&M University, University of Florida, University of Missouri, University of Nevada, and Western Kentucky University. Mississippi State University stocker survey contact: Dr. Justin Rhinehart, (662) 325-7465
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| Stocker Cattle Publications |
Cattle Business in Mississippi - Stocker Cents articles October 2007 - Stocker Cattle Budget (Excel spreadsheet) October 2007 - Stocker Cattle Cost of Gain August 2005 - Mississippi - Louisiana Stocker Cattle/ Heifer Development Short Course Proceedings Research Report 23, No. 3 - Systems to Reduce the Cost of Preconditioning Purchased Calves Publication 2259 - Nutritional Management of Newly Arrived Stocker Calves Publication 1554 - Health Programs and Health Management for Beef Calves Publication 2328 - Evaluating Contract Grazing Alternatives in the Southeast Publication 2400 - Mississippi Beef Quality Assurance Program Certification Manual |
| Mississippi Disease and Disaster Preparedness Program |
Do your part to protect the health of Mississippi’s livestock herds. It is very important that Mississippi livestock producers move forward as an industry to safeguard the health of our herds. The danger of a contagious disease outbreak in the national cow herd, whether by natural occurrence or terrorist attack, makes it imperative that the location of producers and their herds be readily available to animal health officials. Producer cooperation is essential for rapid disease response in the instance of a contagious disease outbreak. In the event of an animal health emergency, basic producer contact information will be used to rapidly respond to the emergency to protect your animals and Mississippi’s livestock industries through the Mississippi Board of Animal Health.
Mississippi Animal Disease and Disaster Preparedness Beef Cattle Brochure |
| Stocker Cattle Links |
