Yesterday afternoon, USDA released their Cattle Inventory report based on January 1, 2017.

Overall, the report shows that the cattle inventory in the US has gone up 2 percent since January 1, 2016 which brings the current number to a grand total of 93.6 million head.

Using these figures, Oklahoma ranks fifth in the nation with 5 million total head of cattle and as the fourth largest beef state. Oklahoma is also number two in beef cows with 2.095 million head- up nine percent from a year ago.

Other leading states include Texas with 12.3 million, Nebraska with 6.45 million, Kansas with 6.4 million and California with 5.15 million.

After the report- we sat down in the Media Room at the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville and discussed the numbers with Don Close of Rabo AgriFinance- he was surprised at the increases reported by USDA- you can hear our complete look at the numbers and what they may mean for cattle markets in 2017 by clicking or tapping here. 

The 31.2 million head of beef cows reflect an increase of just over a million head of beef cows compared to January 1, 2016 after USDA revised the 2016 number down from 30.3 million to 30.165 million head today. The Beef Cow herd number stood at 29.3 million head back on January 1, 2015.

For more highlights from this report, or just to the view the report in its entirety, click here.

Allegations of animal abuse were made yesterday by animal rights group Mercy For Animals, at a news conference in Oklahoma City, accusing a Hinton, Oklahoma hog farm. During the conference, footage that was secretly filmed by an undercover investigator working for MFA, was shown to illustrate the alleged abuse. Our Associate Farm Director Carson Horn was there and spoke with MFA's Director of Investigations Lindsay Wolf about the accusations she presented regarding the Hormel supplier.


"What our investigator documented, is piglets having their testicles viciously ripped out, their sensitive tails cut off without the use of any pain relief, stressed animals who are repeatedly biting the bars of their cages," a sign of serious mental collapse says Wolf. "Mother pigs who are crammed in filthy barren crates with no room to turn around or even lie down comfortably."


Wolf referred to both gestation and farrowing crates, which provide protection to the animals in different ways. Gestation Crates can protect the sow during pregnancy from other adult female hogs who try to boss other animals in open housing, while farrowing crates which keep the sows from injuring their own piglets - helping prevent the unintentionally crushing of their baby pigs, a problem that happens quite frequently with hogs. And although Wolf paints a horrific picture of what was going on inside this hog production facility, she admits "Everything that we documented at this facility is considered standard practice in the pork industry." Wolf insists what the undercover employee recorded is unacceptable. "These are problems that need to be resolved by Hormel - to get them to adopt meaningful animal welfare requirements at their suppliers."

Apparently the hog producer targeted- the Maschoffs, based in Illinois, only learned about the abuse video just as it was being released in the News Conference and online. They quickly responded with a statement expressing their immediate attention to these allegations ensuring the matter would be internally investigated and properly addressed.

To get the full story and to read the Maschoffs' statement - or for your chance to listen to Carson's interview with Wolf, click here.

In response to the video footage released by Mercy For Animals described in the previous story - the Oklahoma Pork Council issued a statement regarding the activist group's claims.

Producers from across the country are gathering in Nashville this week, attending the Cattle Industry and National Cattlemen's Beef Association Convention. Several issues concerning the industry will be discussed during the event, but members from Oklahoma and surrounding states have one particular issue top of mind - Black Vultures, and their impact on our cattle herds. Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey spoke with me about this growing problem.


"We're seeing an increase in the number of these critter out in the countryside and especially during calving season right now," Kelsey said. "I've had several phone calls from members saying, 'Hey I'm losing calves to these Black Vultures - we need to do something."

As a migratory bird, the Black Vulture falls under federal jurisdiction which means the industry must appeal to the US Fish & Wildlife Service to address this issue. Kelsey says the issues extends beyond just Oklahoma, but into neighboring states like Arkansas, Texas and Kansas, too.


"It's a regional type problem, perhaps even national," Kelsey said. "But we need to address it from that standpoint and NCBA is a great forum in a way to do that."


Listen to our full conversation as we speak more about Black Vultures and other issues affecting cattlemen here at home, on yesterday's Beef Buzz - click here.

Conditions of Oklahoma's hard red winter wheat were rated mostly fair to good at the end of January, according to USDA's latest crop condition report. Winter wheat grazed reached 55 percent, up 6 points from the previous year. Rye grazed reached 60 percent, down 10 points from the previous year. Oats grazed reached 60 percent, up 35 points from the previous year."


The Ag Statistics Service also offered this observation on pasture conditions- "Pasture and range conditions were rated mostly fair to good with 40 percent rated poor to very poor. Livestock were rated at 45 percent in good condition and 44 percent in fair."


The wheat crop improved from 25% in good condition and no wheat in excellent condition at the start of the year- versus the latest report showing 3% excellent and 30% in good condition. Credit for the improvement has been attributed to the mid month rain and ice storm that provided valuable moisture.

To check out that report, plus additional information on the status of pastureland here in Oklahoma, click here.

While the cattle market fell from record highs in 2014 in a steep dive to last fall's low, the relative demand for quality and premium bids for Angus calves fared better.


"It pays to use Angus genetics in any market," said Steve Suther, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) director of industry information.


That's what the 2016 "Here's the Premium" (HTP) calf price tracking study found in the latest edition of a project started in 1999. Data has been analyzed by Iowa State University livestock economist Lee Schulz since the 2014 study.


"The difference in calf prices between those two years is very wide," he said, "but the rate of decrease in the Angus premium has been less than the overall feeder cattle price decrease."


Feeder cattle futures lost nearly half of their value in that time, with a 48.3% drop, Schulz said. The lighter, 5-weight calves targeted in HTP surveys fell more sharply, by nearly 56%. Angus steers held onto more value with a setback of just 32.2% in their premium over non-Angus steers in the same two years.

Click here to continue reading the full story explaining the advantage Angus genetics bring producers at the sale.

We caught up with Brett Morris of Ninnekah in the hall ways yesterday here in Nashville- Brett is serving as the Vice Chair of the Cattlemen's Beef Board this year- and interviewed yesterday for the job of Chairman of the Beef Board in the coming twelve months. It is expected he will be recommended for that job by the Nominating Committee and the full Beef Board will consider a slate of officers for the checkoff oversight group on Friday afternoon here in Nashville. 

Brett is featured in our morning farm news on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- click here to listen to that report the features Brett as well as comments from Colin Woodall. 

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Cattlemen's College is underway- starting yesterday afternoon and continuing today here in Nashville- keynoter this morning is Cameron Bruett, Head of Corporate Affairs at JBS USA. We have talked to Cameron several times in recent years- and his insight into the battle the beef industry is in the middle of with activists and others who want to tell consumers what to think about how we produce beef is legendary. 

We will be tweeting today from Cattlemen's College and other related events here in Nashville- follow us on Twitter by clicking or tapping here.

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The NCBA Trade Show kicks off at 4 pm central- it is a huge part of this meeting and one reason that over 7,700 are expected here at the 2017 convention- Nashville is an easy drive for many beef producers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia- and that also swells the numbers here at Opryland.