1. Beyond the Spread: Is it Time to Update the USDA Beef Grading Matrix?
With Select supplies shrinking and consumer demand locked on higher-quality beef, the traditional Choice-Select spread no longer tells the real market story.
By Angie Stump Denton
Drovers.com
May 15, 2026
For decades, the Choice-Select spread was the "North Star" for beef demand. But with the U.S. cattle herd at a 70-year low and Select supplies shrinking to just 10% of graded carcasses, Don Close, Terrain senior animal protein analyst, says it's time to stop reading the old signals and start looking at what the modern consumer actually wants.
The recent inversion in the Choice-Select spread is sparking worry that consumers are "trading down" to cheaper, lower-quality beef. Close says in a recent Terrain Outlook the industry needs to quit overreacting to the old Choice-Select signal and start tracking more relevant indicators. For decades, the Choice-Select spread has been treated as a key gauge of beef demand and consumer preferences. An inverted spread - when Select trades higher than Choice - typically raised a red flag that buyers were shifting toward cheaper product. That narrative, he argues, simply doesn't fit the current structure of the beef supply.
A Different Market Than the 1990s
Close says the conditions that once made the spread meaningful have changed dramatically.
Full text: https://www.drovers.com/news/beyond-spread-it-time-update-usda-beef-grading-matrix
2. More potent bird flu strain emerging
H9N2 avian influenza demonstrates significantly greater ability to replicate, spread and infect chickens, with more spillover potential.
By The Pirbright Institute
Feedstuffs
May 15, 2026
A widely circulating strain of avian influenza (H9N2) demonstrates significantly greater ability to replicate, spread and infect chickens compared to another major lineage, research has shown.
Led by The Pirbright Institute, and published in the Journal of General Virology, the study evaluated H9N2 avian influenza viruses common in poultry worldwide, causing economic losses and occasional human infections.
Two dominant lineages currently circulate globally: G1 (common in the Middle East, Africa and Indian subcontinent) and the BJ/94-like lineage (including the G57 genotype), predominantly in East and Southeast Asia.
Scientists compared representative viruses from each lineage: a G57 genotype virus isolated in Vietnam (Vietnam/315) and a G1-B genotype virus isolated in Pakistan (Pakistan/UDL-01).
The researchers found the G57 virus (Vietnam/315) consistently outperformed the G1-B virus across multiple experiments.
Full text: https://www.feedstuffs.com/poultry/more-potent-bird-flu-strain-emerging
3. Survey: A third of US backyard flock owners don't know signs, symptoms of avian flu
By Mary Van Beusekom, MS
CIDRAP News
May 15, 2026
While most respondents to a survey of US backyard flock owners had heard of avian influenza, about one third didn't know the signs or symptoms of infection in birds or people, highlighting the need for risk messaging and educational resources.
The online survey was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with state and agricultural officials from July to December 2025. The aim was to learn more about flock owners and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding the H5 strain of avian flu that has affected millions of US poultry. Of 638 respondents, about half had an advanced degree.
Since 2024, three avian flu cases have been confirmed in people in the United States who own backyard birds, the authors noted.
The findings were published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
58% said someone in their home is high-risk
In total, 69% of respondents kept small flocks of mainly chickens, 71% indicated that they had no veterinarian to consult about their flock, and 54% said that wild birds could access their flock or its food or water. Respondents were generally experienced flock owners, with 29% having owned their flocks for at least 10 years, and 48% for three to 10 years.
4. Mineral Strategies During Heat Stress: What To Watch This Summer
As heat stress, drought and shifting forage quality reshape cattle nutrition, mineral programs should be adjusted before performance and health begin to slide.
By Andrea Bedford
Bovine Veterinarian
May 18,2026
Summer nutrition challenges are no longer limited to keeping cattle cool. As temperatures climb and forage conditions fluctuate, heat stress alters feed intake, grazing behavior, water consumption and, ultimately, mineral status across the herd.
In cow-calf production systems, those changes can show up in subtle ways first: inconsistent mineral intake, rough hair coats, reduced thriftiness, pica or cattle simply "looking off" long before overt disease appears.
Greg Eckerle, technical services manager with Novonesis, notes that successful summer mineral programs depend on understanding how environmental stress changes both animal behavior and nutrient availability.
"Maximizing the potential of what we're putting out there to meet that animal's needs is imperative," Eckerle says.
5. New Research Offers Practical Biosecurity Tools to Limit Poultry Disease Spread
Even imperfect, low-cost disinfectant practices help curb disease risk amid ongoing bird flu concerns
Texas A&M AgriLife
Newswise.com
May 18, 2026
Newswise - New research from a Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences doctoral graduate could help producers better protect poultry flocks from disease outbreaks while reducing costs.
Lindsey Wythe'26, Ph.D., who recently defended her doctoral thesis in the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science, published three studies this year examining how biosecurity practices perform under real-world farm conditions. The work was conducted in the laboratory of Morgan Farnell, Ph.D., professor, associate department head and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program leader for avian microbiology and immunology.
Wythe's research comes as the poultry industry continues to battle Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI, which has led to the loss of millions of birds nationwide and contributed to volatile egg and poultry prices.
Following graduation, Wythe will continue the work as a postdoctoral researcher in Farnell's lab, studying campylobacter isolates that cause spotty liver disease in layer hens and foodborne illness in humans.
6. Canada Swine Health Alert Update
Farms.com
May 18, 2026
The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network (CWSHIN) has released an update on swine disease activity across Canada. The report provides important information for farmers to help them manage risks and maintain herd health.
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) continue to be monitored across the country. Western Canada is managing these diseases fairly well, although some cases are still present.
Manitoba currently has active cases of both PED and PDCoV. Alberta reported only one isolated PED case earlier in the year, and no new cases have been detected since then.
However, Ontario is experiencing a higher level of disease activity for both PED and PDCoV. This increases the overall risk for nearby regions. Farmers and producers are advised to remain alert and take preventive steps to reduce the spread of infection.
Transport vehicles, especially those returning from high-risk areas such as the United States or Eastern Canada, should be handled with extra care. Proper cleaning and disinfection practices are essential.
In positive news, Senecavirus A (SVA), which had been reported in late 2025, has now been successfully controlled. There are currently no active SVA cases in Canada. This indicates effective disease management and monitoring efforts.
Full text: https://www.farms.com/ag-industry-news/canada-swine-health-alert-update-017.aspx