Even though fall calf sales seem a long way down the road, now is the time to plan for marketing. Being prepared with a marketing plan will allow you to take fullest advantage of prices and maximize the value received for your calves.
Cattle prices peaked at unprecedented levels in 2014, fell off a cliff in 2015, and have taken a another steep nosedive in 2016. When you look at the chart above you can see that prices for weaned steers have fallen sh
The last thing producers want to hear at pregnancy check time, is the call of “Open!” from their veterinarian. It is often assumed that open females failed to conceive; however, fertilization rates in beef cattle typically range between 90-100%. Nonetheless, only around 70% of fertilizations result in conception.
Ranchers, no longer riding the crest of a supply-starved market, cinched up early this year for the inevitable ride lower. Few, however, expected the steep price decline for all classes of cattle and the volatility that
Even though fall calf sales seem a long way down the road, now is the time to plan for marketing. Being prepared with a marketing plan will allow you to take fullest advantage of prices and maximize the value received f
Performance record keeping for beef cattle production is essential for informed selection, culling and management decisions, which all have an economic impact on your operation. Weaning weight of a calf is an indication
A variety of production and marketing practices are available to help cow-calf producers enhance calf values. Though these practices are not new, many are still adopted by only a small percentage of producers. The following summarizes several surveys and feeder cattle pricing studies.
A variety of production and marketing practices are available to help cow-calf producers enhance calf values. Though these practices are not new, many are still adopted by only a small percentage of producers. The foll
Value of gain increases during preconditioning. Boost calf health and get them bunk-broke. Preconditioning calves prior to marketing can not only help deliver that flexibility you might be looking for, but also added pr
Memorial Day weekend is an important test of beef sales and beef demand. The success of the first big grilling holiday will be assessed over the coming days.
Here are some practical tips from special ranger Bart Perrier for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association on protecting your operation from theft.
As calving moves into full swing, many producers are thinking about vaccination programs they want to implement at branding. However, only a few are also considering how growth implants could be used as a management tool for the nursing calf.
As calving moves into full swing, many producers are thinking about vaccination programs they want to implement at branding. However, only a few are also considering how growth implants could be used as a management too
As producers continue to make both short-term and longer-term decisions in managing their operations it is useful to periodically step back and take stock of characteristics depicting the industry more broadly. The recently updated estimates from USDA ERS of production costs and returns offer an opportunity to increase our understanding of regional variation in the U.S. cow-calf sector.
If someone was offering a deal promising that for every $1 invested there would be a $25 payoff four to six months later, how many takers would there be? Sounds too good to be true, but that is exactly the payoff from using implants on nursing calves this year.
If you wait too long, perhaps until this fall, time will have mellowed most of the events and one soon has difficulty matching a calving season with particular problems.
Feed conversions of calves fed creep feeds have been quite variable to say the least. Conversions of 5:1 or 5 pounds of grain consumed to 1 extra pound of calf weight are very rare and the optimum that can be expected w
One of our best tools for increasing beef production is steroid implants. They’re also one of the most misunderstood technologies by consumers.
In a high or low cattle market environment, capturing the most pounds per calf affects a producer's bottom line, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.
Branding day is often an anticipated neighborhood event for beef producers. As pastures green and turnout approaches, many producers enlist the help of neighbors and friends for branding day.
The USDA’s Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) regularly conducts major studies of livestock-production segments to track animal-health related trends and practices.
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.
