As beef-on-dairy animals within the feedlot system continue to rise, feedlots are craving two key pieces of information to help ensure these crossbred cattle thrive.
Analytical testing of forages is occasionally viewed by cattle producers as an exercise with limited practical application that generates numbers only a nutritionist can discern.
Producers in central Oklahoma who do not have sufficient wheat pasture, annual ryegrass or fescue pastures may want to determine if spring-planted oats are an option.
While cattle convert feed less efficiently than pigs or chickens, their ability to gain weight on forage-based diets keeps beef production competitive and enhances long-term sustainability.
The upcoming Driftless Region Beef Conference will discuss possible mycotoxin issues in cattle feed, according to Denise Schwab, beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Calculating the amount of hay that is needed on both a short term and over the course of an entire winter are mathematical exercises that are required on any cow calf enterprise.
It’s hay feeding season and for many cow calf producers that means the more expensive time of the production cycle. Are there ways that we can cut feed cost while also improving forage digestibility?
As we progress into the fall and winter months, forage quality in dormant upland pastures will be low while nutrient requirements of spring-calving range cows will increase
Supervision of calving process is best accomplished during daylight hours but Mother Nature and mama cows are not always so inclined, meaning cow-calf operators need to stack the odds in their favor.
Save time and money on your cow herd this fall and winter, by doing one simple task—body condition score (BCS) your herd each month to monitor forage needs.
Stockpiled winter forages can provide four to six weeks of protein and energy for cows and calves and reduce the need for and cost of supplemental feed and hay.
If you are looking to background calves or grow replacement heifers this winter grazing corn residue and providing supplemental distillers may be a system to consider.
Focusing on pasture and grazing management is undoubtedly one of the most economical means of extending the grazing season and decreasing hay feeding requirements.
Assuming rainfall comes to the Southern Plains, wheat pasture will again be a key source of protein and some energy for many cow herds starting in late November or early December.