One of the objectives of the wolf-livestock interaction study is to quantify the influence of wolf presence on cattle performance and grazing behavior across herds of cattle grazing on rangelands. In order to accomplish this, cattle will be randomly selected from wolf-affected and control herds to be fitted with a GPS collar that will track their movement during the summer grazing season. In this post, we discuss the GPS units we chose for this project as well as the configuration changes that were required in order to extend battery life in order to capture data for the duration of the …

State legislators have established a pilot Wolf Conflict Program (WCP) with an initial $3 million allocation in the 2021/22 California State Budget to provide compensation to livestock producers for wolf depredation events and losses in productivity due to wolf presence. Clear research needs have arisen as a stakeholder working group has attempted to make the WCP science-based, efficient, and transparent. We will tackle these questions as part of our recently funded research projects.

Predators are a major economic threat to sheep production operations in the U.S. Non-lethal depredation tools are often used to mitigate these pressures. Livestock guardian dogs are one of the most popular non-lethal tools employed by sheep operations. However, there has been little research on whether or not these "tools" are worth their cost. In this blog post, I summarize some research conducted using data from California to answer this question. 

In late 2016, Tyson Foods, Inc. announced that it would no longer purchase Holstein cattle at its Joslin, IL harvest facility. This alteration to Tyson’s procurement policy provides a unique opportunity to estimate how producers in the beef supply chain were affected. Results from this study, orginally published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, indicate that Tyson’s decision resulted in a 5.5% reduction in live Holstein prices and a 3.5% reduction in dressed prices. Price impacts were more significant for Holstein feeder cattlel; prices for feeder cattle were reduced by 22% immediately after the decision and eventually stabilized 4.8% …

Much has changed since my last blog (April 7, 2020), which focused on how COVID-19 had impacted cattle producers in California. At that time, widespread processing plant slowdowns and closures hadn't even been conceived and consumer purchasing patterns, driven by shelter-in-place orders, were the primary driver of wholesale and retail price increases for beef. In the intervening period, processing plant slowdowns and temporary shutdowns created a substantial bottleneck and market-wide impacts that reverberated throughout the supply chain. 

Among the myriad of concerns surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic is unease about the performance of the U.S. food supply chain. The recent pricing patterns and market dynamics observed in the beef industry have stimulated a lot of concern and discussion about what the future holds. In this blog I discuss the short-term demand impacts and how these changes have influenced beef prices, as well as a variety of factors that are likely to impact the supply side of the beef market. Many researchers and analysts have been considering these topics from a variety of angles. I endeavor here to …

Since I have started analyzing Western Video Market data, ranchers have significantly changed and enhanced their vaccination programs. In the 1997 data, only 20% of ranchers marketed cattle with respiratory vaccinations. The most recent data (2018) indicate that virtually all producers market lots with respiratory vaccines given prior to delivery. The flexibility of the video auction format and the detailed sales catalog allows ranchers to provide extensive vaccination descriptions including brands of vaccination, date administered, and frequency. This blog considers the question: do ranchers that market their cattle with branded vaccination programs (e.g., Zoetis or Western Video Market) earn more …

The value-added management and marketing programs available to cattle ranchers creates substantial ranch-level complexity and often considerable uncertanity. While all of the programs are likely to add costs, the additional income generated is uncertain and likely variable. Given that lots of cattle sold typically participate in many programs and management decisions must be made months or even years prior to sale, it is nearly impossible for ranchers to forecast the premium associated with implementing any one program. This post focuses on the premiums/discounts for the most common value-added management and marketing programs for lots marketed in 2018. 

Cattlemen today are faced with the challenge of determining which programs will differentiate their cattle on sale day while maximizing the profitability of their operations. With the help of detailed lot-level auction data and modern statistical methods we can gain considerable insights into the value associated with particular programs and management practices. This is the first in a series of blogs designed to provide ranchers more information about the premiums for value-added management, marketing, and vaccination programs with the most up to date data (2018).

The ever-expanding suite of value-added management and marketing programs available to cattle ranchers creates substantial ranch-level complexity. While all of the programs are likely to add costs, the additional income generated is uncertain. Given that lots of cattle sold typically participate in many programs and management decisions must be made months or even years prior to sale, it is nearly impossible for ranchers to forecast the premium associated with implementing any one program. This second blog in the WVM series focuses on the premiums/discounts for the most common value-added management and marketing programs for lots marketed in 2017.