An analysis of costs of BRD shows days on feed increase while slaughter weight, carcass weight and carcass quality decreased when steers required treatment once, twice, or three or more times during receiving.
All plants can contain some nitrate, but buildup of nitrates to toxic levels in forage plants can occur. Nitrate is not particularly toxic to cattle, at normal levels, but how much is ‘too much?’
Calves need to have a sound, balanced nutritional program and be free from internal parasites in order to have an immune system fit to withstand the marketing and transportation channels of our beef production system.
While livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions are relatively minor in the U. S., methane emissions can be reduced by improving forage quality with the use of cool-season forages and legumes and using rotational grazing.
There is considerable variation in the mineral composition of small grain forages, depending on management, growth conditions, and soil mineral content.
Nitrogen fertilizer prices have reached over $750/ton for urea (over 85¢/pound of N), with expectations that it could reach over $1,000/ton. Consider using legumes in our pastures to replace N fertilizers.
A significant drought in the wheat pasture regions on the High Plains has stocker operators feeding roughage and supplements. Higher priced grain has ranchers seeking alternative feedstuffs.
Setting stocking rates on wheat pasture in the fall and winter has large impacts on performance of growing calves and can have large influences on productivity of pastures during the spring.
With the average frost date upon us, prussic acid will be (or already is) an issue in certain forages. Prussic acid is found when susceptible plants are under drought conditions or after a light frost.
On average, six calves are necessary for the female to pay for her development and maintenance expenses. That is, a 7-year-old female weaning her sixth calf is at the breakeven point.
