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The Midwest Cattleman %u00b7 October 24, 2024 %u00b7 P12ed their conspiracy through one or more anticompetitive means,\its Oct. 4, 2024, lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.\ and their co-conspirators implemented their conspiracy by collusively reducing the slaughter-ready cattle and beef supply, which over time artificially elevated the price of beef that they sold to plaintiff and others.\The food companies already face similar lawsuits from U.S. consumers and cattle producers as part of an ongoing antitrust case playing out in Minnesota.\ specifically, defendants began to coordinate on the prices they would pay for fed cattle,\\ also coordinated on their respective cattle slaughter volumes. Industry data shows operating defendants' transition from competition to collusion by managing the price of fed cattle and the industry slaughter volumes.\The lawsuit includes a graphic showing slaughter volumes of four of the companies \starting in 2015 and continuing through 2019.In addition, the lawsuit shows average annual slaughter volumes of independent packers rising to about 4.5 million head annually from 2015 to 2019, compared to about 3.1 million head annually from 2007 to 2014.This occurred, the lawsuit said, all while four companies named in the complaint saw those annual average slaughter volumes fall compared to the 2007 to 2014 timeframe.\ a consequence of operating defendants' reduced supply, the beef market experienced a change of price behavior,\its lawsuit.\ 2015, prices of cattle and beef predictably moved in tandem. That correlation was the result of a natural economic relationship in a competitive market because beef is simply processed cattle. But, beginning in approximately 2015, this fundamental economic relationship between cattle and beef prices changed. The degree of correlation of cattle and beef prices diverged (to operating defendants' benefit) without any credible, non-collusive explanation.\McDonald's said it has evidence that Tyson, JBS USA/Swift/Packerland, CMS and National Beef conducted daily meetings from 2015 to 2019 \head offices.\Those meetings, the lawsuit said, were attended by representatives of the companies' cattle procurement, plant operations, scheduling and risk management personnel.\ attendees of these meetings will discuss, among other matters, the number of cattle their fed cattle business will procure, the terms on which they would be bought, plant scheduling (including slaughter volume) across each of their slaughter facilities and beef sales strategy,\\ the cost of beef production is predominately made up of the cost of fed cattle, defendants' profitability is driven by the 'meat margin,' which is the spread between the price that packers pay for fed cattle and the price they charge for beef. The meat margin is sensitive to changes in industry aggregate slaughter levels, and Tyson Fresh, Swift/Packerland, CMS and National Beef can (and have through collusions) increased it.\Tyson, JBS, Cargill and National Beef did not respond to DTN's request for comment.dtnpf.comHow can we reduce potential prussic acid poisoning?GrazingTo reduce prussic acid poisoning in a grazing system, take steps to reduce the grazing of frost-damaged and the new growth of the forage species described above. Common precautions include:%u2022Remove livestock from pasture on nights when frost is forecasted, prussic acid can form quickly and with a light frost.%u2022After a killing frost, do not graze until the forage is dry, usually 5-7 days.%u2022After a non-killing frost, do not graze for two weeks, if the non-killing frost results in new growth do not graze until 10 to 14 days after there is a killing frost. The time after a killing frost will allow the forage to field cure and dissipate the prussic acid.%u2022If the forage has a high potential for prussic acid poisoning, do not graze new growth.%u2022To reduce selective grazing of forages with new growth utilize heavy stocking rates and rotational grazing.Green chopGreen-chopping forages will not significantly reduce the level of prussic acid in forages. Green-chopping has the benefit of making it less likely that livestock can selectively consume frost-damaged tissue, but if the forage is frost-damaged it can still be toxic, so feed with caution.Silage and HayMaking hay or silage out of forage with prussic acid concerns can be safe with a few precautions. Forage can be mowed for dry hay any time after a frost due to a decrease in prussic acid content throughout the drying process. If the hay is not properly cured and dried prior to baling, it should be tested before feeding. For silage, it is best to wait 5-7 days after a frost to chop and to wait to feed that silage 8 weeks after ensiling. The ensiling process allows a significant amount of the prussic acid to escape as a gas during the fermentation process. Be cautious of this gas though if you are storing forage in a silo and need to enter it for any reason. Be sure to make sure fresh air is blown into the silo for your safety.Other Forage ConcernsNitrate AccumulationPrussic acid poisoning is not the only concern for feeding forages after frost. Frost can slow the growth of many actively growing plants, not allowing the conversion of the nitrates absorbed into proteins, leading to a toxic accumulation of nitrates in the plant tissue. This same risk is present in drought conditions where drought in the stressor that limits nitrate conversion. It is important to note that making hay does not reduce nitrate concentration, so if you have hay made during the drought or after a frost send a sample to be tested and dilute it with supplemental feed to ensure animal safety. Nitrate toxicity can present symptoms similar to prussic acid poisoning in lethal cases and symptoms like weight loss and reduced production in chronic cases.BloatFrost damage can also affect the grazing of our forage legumes like alfalfa and clovers. To reduce instances of bloat, allow primarily legume pasture to dry for a few days after a killing frost. Other mediation methods include; supplementing a fiber source like dry hay or grazing cornstalks post-harvest, making sure livestock are not excessively hungry going to fresh pasture by feeding them other forage before turning out on pasture each morning, and utilizing a bloat protectant.Testing Forages for ToxicityIf there is a forage where prussic acid or nitrates are a concern, sending a sample to a lab is the best way to confirm if a forage is safe to feed. It is very important to call the lab if you plan to send a sample to get guidelines on how to collect, handle, and ship the sample to ensure that the test performed is standardized and accurate. This is particularly important for samples with prussic acid since it is a gas and if handled incorrectly can be lost from the sample, resulting in a sample that appears safe to feed when it is not.continued from page 3continued from page 9 MCDONALDSDROUGHT TO FROST