Vaccinating Cattle Safely
Heather Smith Thomas
Hereford World
Most beef herds are vaccinated at least once a year, and many go through the chute twice or more annually. It is important to make sure these cattle-working tasks are accomplished smoothly and safely, for safety of the crew doing the job and optimum health of the cattle being worked.
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More Money, More Water, More Grass, More Decisions
Kristin Hawkins
The Cattleman
Cattle continue to claim record sale prices and rain gauges in the Southwest are overflowing. For ranchers able to take advantage of these windfalls, 2015 may be the year to play catch-up in a number of areas.
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Feeder-calf Basics
Kindra Gordon
Angus Journal
Sending weaned calves to the feedlot, whether for backgrounding or developing breeding stock, can be a stressful experience — for both calves and producers. That annual calf crop is a producer’s paycheck and investment in the future.
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Body Condition Score Your Pastures
Bethany Johnston
University of Nebraska
How easy is it to body condition score your cows? You look at the fat deposits covering the cow’s body. A “fleshy” cow is considered good, while a thin cow may need special attention.
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Read the Label on Fly Controls
Dr. Ken McMillan
DTN/The Progressive Farmer
As a point of clarification, there are two types of feed-through fly-control products. Some contain an IGR, which stops the normal development of the immature stages of the fly in manure. The other option, the Rabon you mentioned, is an insecticide that kills larvae in manure.
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Rain Damaged Hay can be Costly for Farmers
Beef Today
Rain is a needed ingredient for growing crops. However, the frequent rains in Iowa this summer have become a challenge for hay producers planning to mow, bale and store hay. Denise Schwab, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said it’s important to recognize the impact that rain can have on hay.
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New website provides one stop for genetic improvement in beef
Midwest Producer
For beef producers, one of the best ways to improve profitability is to improve herd genetics. A new website called eBEEF.org (http://ebeef.org/) was developed by beef cattle scientists to help producers access one location for the latest beef cattle genetics and genomics information.
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Watch for cyanobacterial poisoning in livestock
AG Week
Livestock producers need to watch for blue-green algae because it is toxic to animals, North Dakota State University Extension Service livestock experts warn.
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Four reasons preconditioning makes ‘cents’
Tri State Livestock News
n times of high cattle prices, it’s not uncommon for producers to want to capitalize on prices as quickly as possible. And, it’s no different for this year’s valuable calf crop.
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Misconceptions Held by Purebreed Breeders
Tommy Perkins
A Steak in Genomics
Breeders must report 100% of weaning weight records and calving ease scores. Do you know when a calf was born unassisted? Do you know when a calf needed assistance? Of course you do, either there was a calf on the ground or you had to help it. These two sources of data are valuable and easy to record.
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The Beef Blog 