Sort young cows from mature cows

Dr. Glenn Selk, Extension Cattle Specialist, Oklahoma State University

      First calf heifers have historically been the toughest females on the ranch to get rebred.  They are being asked to continue to grow, produce milk, repair the reproductive tract, and have enough stored body energy (fat) to return to heat cycles in a short time frame.  Two-year old cows must fill all of these energy demands at a time when their mouth is going through the transition from baby teeth to adult teeth.

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Creep Feeding Beef Calves

Dan E. Eversole, Extension Animal Scientist; Virginia Tech

Creep feeding is the managerial practice of supplying supplemental feed (usually concentrates) to the nursing calf. Feed is provided in a creep feeder or some type of physical barrier, which prevents cows from having access to the supplemental feed (Figure 1). Milk from a lactating beef cow furnishes only about 50 percent of the nutrients that a 3-4 month-old calf needs for maximum growth. The remaining nutrients must come from elsewhere if the calf is to realize its genetic potential for growth.

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8 Guidelines to Economical Ingredient Selections

BEEF Magazine

With volatile feed costs, it is an increasing challenge for producers to manage their bottom line. Selecting the right ingredients has always been essential in providing animals with proper nutrition. Now, making the correct ingredient decisions is even more critical for operations to stay as efficient as possible. By making well-informed ingredient decisions, producers are able to keep their animals healthy and garner more dollars down the road.

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Q&A: Raising breeding bulls, what should their daily diet consist of as far as protein and what amounts as far as grain fed bulls?

Dr. Rick Rasby, Professor of Animal Science, Animal Science, University of Nebraska

A:   There are a number of different way to manage yearling bulls. Bulls will reach puberty when they are 12 to 14 months of age, which is determined by their ability to produce viable sperm. Depending on breed, bulls will weigh between 1150 to 1300 pounds at first breeding they will loose as much as 200 pounds during the first breeding season and will need to achieve about 75% of their mature weight by their second birth date.

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Feedlot Numbers Continue to Shrink

Hoosier AG Today

  The USDA’s new count on the number of cattle and calves in feedlots shows that the cattle industry may be shrinking more than thought.

Agriculture Department livestock analyst Joel Greene says that August feedlot numbers were down 4 percent from a year ago and a full 9 percent from two years ago and that the number of cattle placed in feedlots in July, about 1.6 million, was the second lowest July number on record

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Basic Requirements

Matt Hersom

Angus Journal

Meeting the basic nutrient requirements of beef cows is a key component of meeting cow herd production and profitability goals for the beef cattle enterprise. Adequate nutrition is vital for adequate cow reproduction, cow and calf health, and growth of all classes of cattle. Nutrient requirements of cattle change throughout the year based upon stage of the production cycle, age, sex, breed, level of activity, pest load and environment.

All of these factors have an additive effect on the nutrient requirements of cattle. In all cases, specific adjustments to the standard nutrient requirements may be warranted. Therefore, it is imperative that cattle producers have an adequate understanding of the basic nutrient requirements of the cow herd to make informed and effective nutrition-related decisions.

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Video Feature: Virginia Farm Bureau – Record Cattle in Va.

Many would be surprised to find out that Virginia’s beef cattle industry has increased significantly this year. Norm Hyde explains why this trend is going on in Virginia. More at www.vafb.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKk5xOfFiI4