Nutrition

Corn Crop Planting Nears Completion

Tue, 22 May 2012 14:22:00 +0000

USDA’s Crop Progress report released Monday indicates that corn planting is virtually complete with 96% of intended acres finished as of Sunday. That compares to 79% as of this date last year and a five-year average of 81%, says Steve Meyer and Len Steiner of CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report (DLR).

That completion date ties the record for this date set in 2000 and exceeds the 93% level of 2010.

Facts Don’t Support Concerns Over Antibiotic Residues in DDGS

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:03:00 +0000

The National Pork Board says facts don't support fretting over food-safety concerns regarding antibiotic residues in distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) that are being fed to pigs.

Corn Planting Progress Reaches 53% Completed

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:58:00 +0000

U.S. farmers have completed planting 53% of the nation’s corn crop as of April 29, according to a report in the Daily Livestock Report by Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.

That figure compares to 27% at the same time last year and an average of 27% over the last five years.

This week’s national figure of 53% corn acres planted is the second highest on record, second only to the 68% of corn acres planted in 2010. It is 1% higher than the 52% planting paces of 2005 and 2006.

AMI Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Domestic Fuels Act

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:54:00 +0000

The American Meat Institute (AMI) joined a diverse group of organizations in calling on Congress to oppose the Domestic Fuels Act of 2012. The Domestic Fuels Act would provide liability protection for retailers, engine manufacturers and fuel producers for any problems that occur as a result of using 15% ethanol in engine fuel (E15), a blend recently approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Corn Plantings Off to a Strong Start

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:08:00 +0000

The early warm weather has helped boost corn plantings off to a strong start, but early plantings are still tracking near the levels seen back in 2010, reports Steve Meyer and Len Steiner of the CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported for the week ending April 15 that U.S. farmers had planted about 17% of the corn crop. That compares to 5% planted for the same period last year and 5% for the five-year average for 2007-2011.

Minnesota, USDA Research Leads to Development of DDGS Tool

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Wet and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) have become a popular, economical partial replacement for corn and soybean meal in animal feeds, according to Jerry Shurson, an animal nutritionist with the University of Minnesota Extension. A total of 207 ethanol production facilities in the United States produce more than 36 million metric tons (39.6 million tons).

Whey Co-Products a Viable Ingredient in Weanling Pig Diets

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:29:00 +0000

University of Illinois research indicates the nutritional value of whey co-products – whey powder, whey permeate, low-ash whey permeate – can be utilized in weanling pigs diets when formulated on the basis of metabolizable energy and the standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus.

Warm Winter May Mean Moldy Corn

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:38:00 +0000

Farmers should inspect what's left of their 2011 corn crop for signs of mold, says a Purdue University agricultural engineer.

USDA Expects 75-Year-High Corn Acreage in 2012

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Driven by favorable prices, U.S. farmers intend to plant 95.9 million acres of corn in 2012, up 4% from 2011, according to the Prospective Plantings report released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). If realized, this will be the largest corn acreage in the United States since 1937, when producers planted 97.2 acres of corn.

March 27 Webinar Focuses on Feeding and Barn Management Tips to Maximize Feed Efficiency

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:46:00 +0000