Cattle Farmers

Extension to offer two sessions on artificial insemination in cattle

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

HOPE, Ark. — Charles Looney, professor of cattle improvement for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, and his staff will conduct a pair of two-day workshops in cattle artificial insemination. The workshops are scheduled for Oct. 12-13 and Nov. 9-10.

FALL WORKSHOPS — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host workshops in cattle artificial insemination on Oct. 12-13 and Nov. 9-10, 2023. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

Each workshop will cover basic reproductive anatomy and physiology, estrous synchronization and semen handling, as well as pregnancy determination methods and reproductive health. Participants will also receive training in artificial insemination on live cattle.

“Participants will have three sessions over the two-day course to practice on live cattle to learn the procedure entirely,” Looney said. “This workshop is one of the best opportunities to learn more about beef cattle reproduction.”

The courses will both be held at the Southwest Research and Extension Center, located at 362 Hwy. 174 N., Hope, Arkansas. The registration fee for each workshop is $450, which includes lunch. Payments must be made prior to the workshops. Registration fees are non-refundable and will not be accepted on-site. Fees are all due by Oct. 9 for the October session and by Nov. 6 for the November session. 

To register, visit https://uada.formstack.com/forms/beef_cattle_ai.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

High input prices, drought, disease cause Arkansas cattle farmers to struggle

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Cattle farmer John Kunkel spent much of his professional career as a buyer for Walmart. He decided in 2014 to return to his childhood home in Evening Shade, a small town in Sharp County. He wanted to raise cattle.

He returned home to run his family farm, Peaceful River Farm, located along the Strawberry River. It’s been in their family for more than a century.

He began with a herd of 14 head and has been able to grow it to about 50 head. An input cost explosion at the beginning of 2022 coupled with a drought that impacted hay production means many small cattle operations are struggling to survive, Kunkel told Talk Business & Politics.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/02/high-input-prices-drought-disease-cause-arkansas-cattle-farmers-to-struggle/