What Can You Afford to Pay for a Bred Heifer?

What Can You Afford to Pay for a Bred Heifer?

Shannon Sand, Warren Rusche.

iGrow

When it comes to the price of bred cattle, how high is too high? In the last few years cow-calf producers have seen an increase in returns. However, expansion has been slow due to droughts, high feed costs, storms, and high prices of replacement heifers.

Full Story

Sampling forage and feed

Sampling forage and feed

Rory Lewandowski

Drovers

Winter weather results in higher energy requirements for livestock. In the case of ruminant livestock a major portion of the diet is typically composed of forages. Forage nutrient content is affected by a number of factors, the major one being maturity at harvest, but also species composition, moisture content at harvest, and handling of the forage during the harvest and storage period.

Full Story

Iowa State Names New Chairman Of Animal Science Department

Iowa State Names New Chairman Of Animal Science Department

Indiana Prairie Farmer

Donald Beermann has been named the chair of the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. ISU officials made the announcement earlier this week. Beermann, a former animal science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will begin his new duties January 5.

Full Story

Montana Hereford Feeder Calf Sale Success Continues

Montana Hereford Feeder Calf Sale Success Continues

Beef Today

Buyers paid up for Hereford-influenced feeder calves at the 6th Annual Montana Hereford Influenced Feeder Calf Sale Nov. 19 at the Headwaters Livestock Auction Yard in There Forks, Mont. More than 1,000 head sold in the sale for a total revenue of $1.54 million, making the average price per head $1,536.

Full Story

Make Time to Body Condition Score Cows

Make Time to Body Condition Score Cows

Oklahoma Farm Report

"It’s often when you are closest to things that you don’t see some of the changes that are occurring and the changes typically will be rather slow and if we make a concerted effort to just take a few moments score those cows when we are checking them," Johnson said.

Full Story

Now is time to check cattle rations, test feeds

Now is time to check cattle rations, test feeds

Farm and Ranch Guide

"The nutritional quality of mature standing forage diminishes the further we get into winter through deterioration and selective grazing," says John Dhuyvetter, area Extension livestock specialist at the North Central Research Extension Center near Minot.

Full Story

Challenges Feeding Weather-damaged Hay

Challenges Feeding Weather-damaged Hay

Bruce Anderson

University of Nebraska

Damaged, rained-on hay. Nearly everyone has to feed it sometime. How should your feeding practices be adjusted, though, to account for any damage caused by the rain?

Full Story

Cattle industry opposes beef check-off change

Cattle industry opposes beef check-off change

Iowa Farmer Today

Cattle industry groups can’t seem to agree on a proposal to expand the beef checkoff program. Currently, a checkoff fee of $1 per head is charged when cattle are sold to provide money to promote the industry and increase beef demand.

Full Story

Not a typical tax year for beef producers

Not a typical tax year for beef producers

Scott Clawson

FarmTalk

Without question, the grass has been pretty green for cow-calf producers in 2014. Most notably due to unprecedented cattle prices and forage loss payments that have been received.

Full Story

Feed Analysis Keeps Profit on Track

Feed Analysis Keeps Profit on Track

Katy Kemp

Angus Journal

If you’ve ever tried to fit a square peg in a round hole, you know frustration. If peg shape were a random variable, you’d find some tool to sort out the right ones.

Full Story