Beef cow longevity

Beef cow longevity

Jodi Henke

Successful Farming

Jane Parish is an extension beef cattle specialist at Mississippi State University. She says there are two definitions of cow longevity: the length of life and length of service. A cow that isn’t sound or productive may be culled from the herd even if it’s young. On the other hand, a breeding animal that produces healthy calves from year-to-year can live to its late-teens. Parish says she’s heard producers say they “have such a great cow she’s old enough to vote”.

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Help beef cattle thrive during winter

Help beef cattle thrive during winter

Amanda Young

Wisconsin Agriculturist

In Wisconsin, winter is a fact of life in which severe cold temperatures and windchills, and blowing and drifting snow are common occurrences. Cattle can adapt to cold temperatures and maintain body condition if provided the appropriate nutrition and environmental protections.

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Crop Residue Grazing Beef Cows

Crop Residue Grazing Beef Cows

Western Beef Development Centre

In this video, Western Beef’s Dr. Bart Lardner and Kathy Larson share results from a 3-year study that examined using pea and oat crop residues as a winter feeding source for beef cows in comparison with traditional drylot (pen) feeding hay bales.

 

Understanding Sustainability

Understanding Sustainability

Megan Silveira

Angus Journal

Sara Place, chief sustainability officer at Elanco, says sustainability is a broad term cattle producers and other agriculturists often find intimidating. A new understanding of the term can help producers promote it at their own operation.

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Svenningsen cows still out grazing cover crop

Svenningsen cows still out grazing cover crop

DALE HILDEBRANT

Farm and Ranch Guide

Thanks to “absolutely gorgeous” weather in late November, Jordan Svenningsen is delighted with the feed he is saving. “I have calves in the yard that I have been feeding, but I haven’t fed the main herd a thing – they are still grazing out on the cover crop,” Jordan said. “So far I have gotten about two weeks longer on it than I thought I was going to.

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Cow Fertility, Pregnancy Rate Important Economic Numbers

Cow Fertility, Pregnancy Rate Important Economic Numbers

Gerald Stokka

Feedlot Magazine

“Selling more calves as it relates to cows exposed and cow input costs is a greater indication of business success than any other production parameter,” says Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist.

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Value-Added Premiums $50 Per Head, Data Show

Value-Added Premiums $50 Per Head, Data Show

Greg Henderson

Bovine Veterinarian

Weaned calves are worth an average of about $50 per head more than their unweaned herd mates. That’s according to new data compiled from 393,600 calves sold through Superior Livestock Auction’s summer 2020 video sales.

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Calving and rebreeding tips

Calving and rebreeding tips

Chad Zender

Southern Livestock

bred. Speed of rebreeding will impact her ability to stay on a 365-day calving cycle. Because calving and rebreeding are so intrinsically linked and tied to herd success, this timeframe is vital for herd performance and profitability.

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Effect of Energy and Protein Supplementation on Body Condition Score and Reproduction

Effect of Energy and Protein Supplementation on Body Condition Score and Reproduction

Steve Boyles

Ohio Beef Cattle Letter

Feeding a balanced diet to beef females in the last trimester of pregnancy through the breeding season is critical. Nutritional demands increase from early gestation to lactation. Reproduction has low priority among partitioning of nutrients for the subsequent pregnancy.

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BCS: One of the Best Tools You Have

BCS: One of the Best Tools You Have

Katie Mason

University of Tennessee

I often get inquiries about how a producer should feed their cows. I go through a series of questions about stage of production, forage quality, feedstuff availability, and the like. To determine cattle needs, I use information from the beef cattle nutrient requirement tables published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), but often referred to as “NRC values” from the previous name, National Research Council.

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