What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
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Every year cattle producers will go through and cull part of the cow herd. Cows are culled for a variety of reasons and marketed. The sale of these animals can equate to 20 percent of the annual income for the operation. To get the most value out of these market cows, producers need to keep a few things in mind before heading to the sale. Cull cows purposely. Making a culling plan can help producers determine which cows need to be marketed. The top reasons for culling and marketing cows are being open at the end of the breeding season,...
Parasites can have a significant impact on cattle. During summer, flies can directly affect the growth of younger cattle as well as cows nursing calves. Thus, revenues are affected by flies as well due to decreased gains in young cattle and decreased recovery of cows. Controlling flies is relatively easy and has a positive return on the expense. The impact of flies on beef cattle has been studied multiple times over the past 50 years. As fly numbers increase on individual animals, weight gains become reduced compared to animals treated with...
The pictures, video and news reports coming out of western Nebraska and the Texas Panhandle this week are another eye opener of the destructive power of wildfire. Homes, farms, ranches, pastures, fences, crops and livestock all lost in a matter of minutes. Communities surrounded without evacuation routes, cut off by fire. A nightmare for those who live through it. Now is the time to make sure your family, home and facilities are wildfire ready. Start by making and emergency plan. There are many resources to help you develop an emergency plan,...
Cattle prices have been on the rise this year. With a decline in the United States cow herd but no change in beef demand, prices for feeder and fed cattle have risen to levels not seen since 2014. Bred heifers and young bred cows are also up. Some early spring (January) calving commercial bred heifers are being offered for $3,000 or more per head. This has also created a price increase on weigh cows. As of the date of this article in eastern Colorado, open cows are bringing anywhere from $75 cwt for thin cows, to $119 cwt for high yield cows. T...
Like all animals, beef cattle need an appropriate amount of minerals to allow for proper body function, lactation and growth. Grazing cattle intake most of their minerals through the forages they eat, but grass and forbs can provide different levels of minerals depending on their growth stage and the soil they grow in. Cattle too have differing levels of mineral requirements depending on their stage of production. There are 17 minerals cattle require. They are divided into macrominerals: calcium (C), chlorine (Cl), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus...
As the temperatures begin to slowly warm, it is time to start thinking about warm weather parasite control. Controlling external parasites on beef cattle can provide a benefit not only to cattle comfort but also benefit the bottom line. Controlling flies can help prevent decreased gains, added expenses, and prevent disease. Of external parasites, flies are the most prevalent. Horn flies, stable flies, face flies and heel flies can be extremely harassing and annoying to cattle. When flies become bad, we see cattle bunch up and use group swatting...
Over the spring, summer and fall, there will be several times cows, bulls and calves will need to be handled for animal health processing. If you need a simple upgrade to facilities or a portable option for temporary facilities, consider a Bud Box. The Bud Box was originally designed by stockmanship author and clinician Bud Williams. It works using a few basic cattle stockmanship principles. Stress causes cattle to react. Handling stress is created by the pressure of the handler entering or exiting the cattle’s flight zone. The increase and r...
The time to begin preconditioning calves is here. The fall sale run will begin in a few short weeks. Still many producers do not prepare their cattle for sale time or at least do not prepare early enough. At our recent Pasture to Profit program in Burlington, Jim Santomaso, owner and auctioneer of Sterling Livestock Commission, spoke and testified on the value of properly preconditioned calves versus those that were not. In his observations at his sale facility, calves who were 45 to 50 days weaned and vaccinated received the best possible...
As fall begins, winter is not too far behind. Cattle producers are starting to decide how much hay will be needed to make it through the winter. Some basic calculations can be used to help determine an appropriate amount to have on hand. First calculate the basic needs. According to research at the Iowa Beef Center, a basic calculation of daily dry matter (DM) intake is 2.25-2.5 percent of body weight per animal. In a herd with an average cow size of 1,200 pounds, the daily need calculates to approximately 30 pounds DM per day per cow (1,200...
As calving season ends, producers roll into preparing for breeding season of the cow herd. A few things to keep in mind can help make breeding season more successful. Choose your breeding program There are multiple options for breeding season. Producers should consider which one fits their operation both financially and with time available. Many producers prefer using natural service. It is the least use of labor and handling of cattle through the chute. Estrus synchronization gives producers the opportunity to use natural service, artificial...
