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Shifting calving from March to May didn’t change the cow herd’s reproductive performance.

The average retail price of choice beef during February was $5.986 per pound. 

A K-State agricultural economist explains some of the reasons for current market trends.

Late winter and early spring is the most challenging time of the year for the nutrition of the spring-calving beef cows.  

Producers can be forgiven if they seem to be experiencing a case of déjà vu, as feeder and fed cattle prices are currently at about the same levels as in late 2013 after a 26-month rollercoaster ride in the markets.

Year to date, the Choice/Select spread has averaged $5.53, compared to $5.92 for the same time period in 2015.

A change in the composition of distillers grains could affect the percent inclusion in the feedlot diet and the resulting cattle performance. 

Calving season is one of the most exciting, frustrating and tiring seasons of the year for many cattlemen. This is a time when the only thing that compares to watching a newborn calf struggle to its feet for the first time is the sound of it nursing its dam for the first time.

There does seem to be some indication that the unseasonably warm weather has jumpstarted the grills a little earlier than normal. 

Changing your calving date is worth pondering. 

It is all too easy for producers and even more so for consumers to underestimate the value of the market data that helps ensure efficient agricultural markets and a steady supply of affordable food.  

Through Thursday, the 5-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a dressed weight basis was $218.09/cwt, up $6.09 from last week's average, but down $41.00 from a year ago.

Cattle make fewer trips to the feedbunk during muddy conditions which results in lower feed intake.  

Beef producers take pride in their cattle. When replacing toxic-fescue pastures, they can take pride in grass, says an extension forage specialist.

Beef cattle research faculty from Kansas State University and Texas Tech University will embark on a feedlot cattle production and health research program to provide beef industry outreach.

Cornstalk residue utilization is a great way for producers to integrate crops and livestock.  

Main concerns about alfalfa production during this time of the year are the potential for winter injury and winter kill.

Cattle temperament is a focus area for research with the aim of reducing the potential for injury to producers and to preserve the longevity of facilities. One of the main objectives of cattle temperament studies is to determine if selecting sires based on temperament is effective for reaching these goals. 

With 5 million heifers added to U.S. beef cow herd, Missourians must raise quality beef to compete, says a University of Missouri Extension specialist.

Progestin – based estrus synchronization protocols that utilize melengestrol acetate (MGA) or controlled internal drug release (CIDR) devices can be effectively used for synchronizing estrus in heifers. A study conducted by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln compared these two protocols to one another utilizing artificial insemination (AI) along with natural service.

Cattlemen can increase the breeding capacity of bulls through proper care prior to the breeding season. 

We are now two years into herd expansion and that leads to questions of how much more herd expansion is ahead and, to a lesser degree, questions about how fast remaining herd expansion will occur.  

With grass turnout comes exposure to parasites that have overwintered either in the pasture or in the cattle themselves.

For some cattle enthusiasts, opening the pages of a bull sale catalog brings the same joy going through toy catalogs did as kids. For others it’s an overwhelming task, with a growing list of genetic indices and options. And for some there is no selection process; a bull is just a bull. Here are a few considerations on why and how to start sorting through your bull selection process for your next herdsire.

Calf prices got a boost again this week as grass cattle demand continues to heat up.

Information to help protect the cow herd and mitigate monetary loss this calving season.  

USDA has announced that they will not be conducting the July cattle inventory survey this year because of budgetary constraints. 

Calving dates are more than calendar dates on the barn wall.

The body condition score of a cow and the herd overall is the best indicator of past nutritional status or success of the overall nutritional program, and the best indicator of near-term nutritional needs.

The latest USDA cattle report shows a rapid expansion is underway with cattle and calf numbers up 3 percent and beef cow numbers up 4 percent in the past year. According to Purdue University Extension economist Chris Hurt, record-high cattle prices in the last half of 2014 and first half of 2015 raised excitement among beef cow producers.

Producers can potentially decease time spent in certain areas of the ranch with the use of modern video technology thus allowing them to multitask. 

While homes, structures and livestock can be lost, landowners who rely on grasslands, shrublands and forests as an enterprise are left trying to figure out how to recover the vegetation and habitat.

Due to the large body of evidence clearly pointing to the benefits of colostrum for baby calves, much attention has been given to the calf side of the equation: ensuring a calf consumes an adequate amount of high-quality colostrum.

Feeder and fed cattle prices are currently at roughly the same levels as in late 2013.  

Beef calves born early in the calving season are worth more. Ranch records show those economics.

Although the spring calving season may still be ongoing, the next breeding season is only a few weeks away.  Now is the time to schedule the old and new bulls for their pre-breeding soundness examination. 

Finished cattle markets were a little firmer this week, but packers were hesitant to lay very many dollars on the table.

The use of beta-agonists in beef cattle production has been highly scrutinized following concerns of animal welfare, which has led to the removal of Zilmax from the market by the manufacturer. 

The February live cattle futures contract settled at $137.55/cwt today, up $2.18 for the week. 

Have we forgotten the need for breeding systems and the benefits that a good breeding system will bring?  

With spring bull sales in full swing, cow calf operators are assessing their bull batteries and making needed purchases.

According to the USDA-NASS Cattle Inventory Report that was recently released, beef producers across the country are expected to calve 106% more beef heifers than last year. With this in mind, producers will also be breeding more 2-year old females this year.

Grass tetany, also known as grass staggers, magnesium tetany, hypomagnesemia, and wheat pasture poisoning, is a nutritional disorder caused by either 1) an inadequate amount of dietary Mg, or, 2) other mineral related factor that is preventing (antagonizing) dietary Mg from being properly absorbed or utilized. 

Replacement heifers that have just reached puberty and started cycling may be vulnerable to any drastic change in feed intake. A small trial conducted at Oklahoma State University illustrates the impact that sudden severe reduction in energy intake can have on cycling activity in replacement heifers.

Producers need to review their anticipated calving dates, cow body condition scores and cows' diet.

Mapping the long-term reaction of woody plants to brush-control techniques can help landowners prioritize management practices to maximize the effectiveness of costly brush reduction, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

The market is not falling off and disappearing, but rather the market is telling the industry that beef continues to be a highly desirable meat protein. 

The U.S. and Mexican cattle and beef industries continue to integrate, building on a long history of trade between the two countries. 

When it comes to nutritional management of growing and finishing cattle, the scientific aspects tend to get the most attention. Hours are spent getting the formulations right and debating the merits of different ingredients and additives.

The dilemma is that traditional producers face a countercultural role.