Beef Production
From ranching to feeding cattle to selling direct-to-consumer and owning a local beef locker, CJ and Calli Thorne view risks as opportunities for growth.
Total hay production in 2024 was up 3.3 percent year over year and combined with May 1 hay stocks up 46.6 percent over 2023 levels. Total hay supply by 7.9 percent compared to year earlier levels.
A new trend that helps ranchers market more carcass products and promotes beef as a whole is eating the whole animal, especially organ meats.
Be proactive to ease the impact of changing weather patterns and rising temps.
Using heart score and health records could help develop an EPD for the fatal, untreatable condition.
While rare in most cowherds, retained placentas jeopardize reproductive efficiency and can rob operations of profit potential.
Meteorologists say the active start to January is a sign of what’s ahead with concerns about drought, more cold and a sharp divide in areas of the country seeing too much moisture versus not enough.
In person and online educational events cover a variety of cow-calf and feedlot topics from University of Nebraska — Lincoln and Nebraska Extension.
Understanding the stages is critical in order to know when/if producers need to provide assistance during calving season to increase the likelihood a live calf is born alive and off to a good start.
Crossbreeding has shown increases in growth rate starting in utero, calf survival rate, immune function, average daily gain and longevity in cows.
Cow-calf returns vary significantly across producers due to widely variable costs of production, but strong market signals for cow-calf producers to expand the beef cow herd.
A full circle system isn’t for everyone, but it is for ranchers who want to learn from past decisions and get better each year.
Low cow inventories, little evidence of replacement heifer retention and record high prices for cattle during the close of 2024 are all positive signs for commercial cow-calf operations in 2025.
Veterinarian Kirk Ramsey discusses ways to to prepare first-calf heifers to breed back.
There are many differences between individuals in the development of these signs and certainly age is a factor.
Did you miss these stories in 2024? See these helpful topics for beef producers.
The performance of growing calves on wheat pasture can by increased by providing a small amount of a concentrate supplement carrying an ionophore and minerals that are deficient in wheat pasture.
“What are you hearing out there? Are employers still hiring?” These are common questions posed to AgCareers.com.
Proper nutrition during this period ensures cattle health, productivity and reproductive performance.
When it comes to grazing cattle, one size does not fit all operations, but experts agree having a plan is better than not.
Leather work gloves are often considered “consumables” due to the frequency with which they wear out or go missing on the farm. If you know how to match glove design and type of leather to the job, you can buy fewer gloves.
Both online and in-person sessions in January 2025 will provide information for farmers, ranchers and veterinary professionals involved in the calving process.
Prediction tool from UNL provides a starting point for evaluating whether to buy, sell or trade replacement cows.
Cattle are naturally adapted to cold weather, but their ability to stay warm depends on factors such as their winter coat, body condition score (BCS), nutrition, and staying dry.
If pastures are slightly overstocked or have less forage available due to poor wheat growing conditions, forage allowance of 3 lbs. can provide enough forage for about 2.5 lbs. of gain per day.
Cattle maintained on a hay diet through most of the winter could be susceptible to a Vitamin A deficiency.
Rather than focusing breeding goals on being heavily terminal or primarily maternal, sexed semen allows commercial herds of all sizes to “take both roads.”
As teenagers, Dave and Jean Gottenborg dreamed of owning a cattle ranch. After decades of delay, they finally achieved their dream. Today, they raise cattle and sell award-winning beef and hay at Eagle Rock Ranch.
Is year-round supplementation the answer for your operation? Calculate the cost, keep records and consult your nutritionist or veterinarian to see if the practice aligns with the end goal of more calves and more pounds at weaning.
We tapped the expertise of five cattle ranchers to find out what decisions have had the most impact on the success of their businesses.