Cattle Health Tops Agenda at CattleCon 2026

Experts discuss challenges of larger carcasses, fetal programming, and herd management strategies

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

At the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's CattleCon 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, industry experts highlighted the importance of protecting cattle health and operation sustainability amidst a 75-year low in the U.S. cow herd size. Presentations covered the impacts of increasing carcass weights, the critical role of fetal programming in reproductive success, and practical herd management tips to optimize cow longevity and productivity.

Why it matters

With the U.S. cow herd at historic lows, maintaining cattle health and operation viability is crucial for beef producers. The presentations at CattleCon 2026 addressed key challenges facing the industry, including the tradeoffs of larger carcass sizes, the long-term impacts of fetal nutrition, and strategies to build a more sustainable and profitable cow herd.

The details

Experts discussed the steady increase in carcass weights over the past decades, which has created engineering, retail, and animal health challenges that the industry must address. While larger carcasses have been economically rewarded, there are growing concerns about plant capacity, oversized retail cuts, and the toll on animal welfare. The presentations also highlighted the critical role of fetal programming in determining a calf's future reproductive capacity. Nutrition during gestation was shown to significantly impact embryo survival and the development of the ovarian reserve in replacement heifers. Producers were encouraged to provide consistent, high-quality nutrition to their pregnant cows, treating them like 'pregnant women receiving prenatal care'.

  • CattleCon 2026 took place in Nashville, Tennessee in February 2026.

The players

Warren Rusche

A professor at South Dakota State University who presented on the challenges of increasing carcass weights in the beef industry.

George Perry

A professor at Texas A&M University who discussed the importance of fetal programming and reproductive physiology in building a profitable cow herd.

Ron Scott

An expert from Purina who provided practical herd management strategies to optimize cow longevity and productivity.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA)

The organization that hosted the CattleCon 2026 event in Nashville, Tennessee.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“As we've made cattle larger and heavier, we haven't necessarily changed the heart-lung capacity at all. Those are some challenges we have to deal with.”

— Warren Rusche, Professor, South Dakota State University (agproud.com)

“If we dropped nutritional supply at A.I. for as short as six days, we impacted the stage of embryo development, we've impacted embryo quality.”

— George Perry, Professor, Texas A&M University (agproud.com)

“Compensation carries price, and the consequences cannot be reversed. Any day a pregnant cow is compensating for stress or poor nutrition, something happens for the developing fetus that is negative, and you don't get it back.”

— Ron Scott, Expert, Purina (agproud.com)

What’s next

Producers will be closely watching for updates from the NCBA on any new research or industry initiatives stemming from the CattleCon 2026 presentations to address cattle health and sustainability challenges.

The takeaway

The CattleCon 2026 event underscored the critical importance of prioritizing cattle health and herd management strategies to build a more profitable and resilient beef industry, even as producers grapple with the challenges of larger carcass sizes and the long-term impacts of fetal programming.