6 to-dos for winter herd management

6 to-dos for winter herd management

Twig Marston

Progressive Cattle

Winter nutrition and management has many focal points, but there are a few management decisions all cattle producers should place on their to-do lists. Most spring-calving herds look at winter as a time to prepare cow herds for calving, early milk production and the breeding season.

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Cattle Poisoned by Acorns

Cattle Poisoned by Acorns

Dr. Ken McMillan

Progressive Farmer

Cattle foraging after trees are blown down, or large numbers of acorns are blown off those trees, may show signs of poisoning due to tannins in the acorns. Prompt action is vital.

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Slow Pace of U.S. Beef Exports a Concern, Says Market Analyst Katelyn McCullock

Slow Pace of U.S. Beef Exports a Concern, Says Market Analyst Katelyn McCullock

Oklahoma Farm Report

While pork exports will likely set record levels this year, the slow pace of beef exports is a concern, says Katelyn McCullock, director and senior agricultural economist for the Livestock Marketing Information Center, based in Denver, Colo. McCullock noted a lot of people like to talk about the importance of China, yet China is not a big beef market as the volume lost in Mexico is roughly the same size as the total Chinese imports. By the end of 2020 we are expecting a decline in total beef exports year over year but how much is hard to say, McCullock said.

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Facial Recognition Is Not Just For Your Phone. It Could Be Used To Prevent Livestock Disease.

Facial Recognition Is Not Just For Your Phone. It Could Be Used To Prevent Livestock Disease.

SETH BODINE

KOSU

When it comes to identifying cows, Jake Calvert, a rancher from Norman, OK, goes by the KISS Principle: keep it simple, stupid. “Green is for grade cattle. Pink is for our purebred cows, and that’s because all of them exhibit just a little bit more femininity than our grade cattle. Yellow is the bull,” Calvert says.

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CattleFax says: Market lows should be behind us

CattleFax says: Market lows should be behind us

Kindra Gordon

Cattle Business Weekly

Representing CattleFax, Lance Zimmerman projects the cattle market has seen the lows in 2020, and he says, “barring a catastrophic event, market prices should be moving forward.” And that’s not just through the end of the year. CattleFax data suggests the industry has reached the peak on expansion, and tighter supplies over the next three to four years will favor higher cattle prices.

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Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program

Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program

Colter Brown

Northeren AG Network

As farmers start signing up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) across the country, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has released its Farmers’ Guide to CSP. With interest growing nationwide in farming practices that can protect natural resources and reduce the impacts of climate change, the NSAC says this is a key time for producers to explore CSP.

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Mineral Match-up

Mineral Match-up

Kindra Gordon

Angus Journal

If your cow herd is struggling with poor pregnancy rates, weak newborn calves or lackluster growth in general, a mineral deficiency could be to blame. “Minerals matter because they support many of an animal’s biological pathways,” notes Stephanie Hansen, an Iowa State University beef feedlot nutrition specialist.

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Oxen on the farm

Oxen on the farm

Jodi Henke

Successful Farming

Oxen have been the beasts of burden for centuries. Their ability to work the land and plod their way across the countryside helped build our nation. Despite all the machinery and technology we have today, there are those who still choose to work their farms with oxen.

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Winter Cow Supplementation: Protein and Energy Explained

Winter Cow Supplementation: Protein and Energy Explained

Caitlin Hebbert

American Cattlemen

In the article “Nutrient Synchrony: Protein and Energy Working Together,” we discussed how protein and energy act synergistically in the rumen to booster animal performance: Each requires the other for peak function. We also mentioned how winter supplementation often consists of a protein supplement but that protein is not always the limiting nutrient. In this article, we will talk about both protein and energy supplementation and how to know which is the limiting nutrient and when to feed it.

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Weigh your product’s profitability

Weigh your product’s profitability

Doug Ferguson

Beef Producer

Value of gain continues to be a watch point as it varies greatly.

For years I thought the phrase “reputation cattle” was just something an auctioneer said to make a consignor feel good. I can now tell you it is a real thing. We all have a reputation that extends to our cattle. Question is, what is your reputation?

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