Cow-Calf
If you’re out of grass and about to start feeding hay it’s time to take drastic action to maintain your cowherd and prevent further injury to pastures.
Weaning spring calves may be more of a challenge this year because of short pasture supplies and the questionable nutritional value of this year’s hay crop.
Timely baler maintenance is key to preventing dangerous round baler fires.
Amid continuing drought, the 2022 hay supply data illustrate why so much herd liquidation has occurred this year. It also speaks to the continuing challenges that cattle producers will face to get through the winter.
Weather events in the weeks, days and even hours leading up to harvest can trump our best efforts and transform a carefully raised feed resource into a nutritional time bomb.
Reducing your cow inventory may be the best option to reduce stress on your grazing system and help stretch your feed/forage resources as long as possible.
Cattle markets reversed a month-long lower trend with decent gains in all regions, a strong indication retail buying for the Labor Day holiday has begun.
Early weaning can help reduce the pressure on drought-stressed pastures, but ranchers should evaluate feeding, management, and marketing options prior to weaning.
Considering a replacement heifer is a 10+ year investment and requires 2 years of expenses without income from the day we wean her, is the survival model the best we can do?
Take steps now to determine your estimated winter feed resources and if you might be able to plant late summer and fall forages for grazing.
Drought impacts have accelerated sharply in the southern plains in July, with the volume of feeder cattle in Oklahoma auctions up 24% the last two weeks and the volume of cows and bulls up nearly 124%.
As Cattle on Feed and Cattle inventory reports release today, economist Kevin Coburn shares his expectations and how the numbers might affect the cattle cycle.
Worries about drought and how to make it through the winter with limited or no stored forage has monopolized our thoughts, energy, and time. There are critical steps that need to be made in order for us to make it.
Ranchers face the reality of a depleted forage base. One potential solution is early weaning calves which has the primary benefit of improving cow condition for rebreeding, especially when forage is limited.
The invasive tick can transmit the Theileria orientalis parasite, which attacks blood cells. The Ikeda genotype of this organism can be fatal to cattle.
Lower cattle inventories combined with a cattle on feed inventory about equal to last year, is expected to lead to a roughly three percent decrease year over year in estimated feeder supplies outside of feedlots.
Current data on beef cow slaughter, combined with historical price performance of cattle markets after reaching an inventory low point, provides some insight for cattle price trends for the second half of 2022 and 2023.
AHA webinar to provide details about ongoing research with Colorado State University to characterize the relationship between genetics associated with efficiency and those associated with cattle’s carbon footprint.
Growth promoting technologies for cattle provide even more impact on net returns when costs are high.
Increasing populations of ticks has led to an increase in ‘red meat allergy’ a condition that can result in some individuals having an allergic reaction to the consumption of red meat.
Exactly how continuing drought, reduced forage production and high feed prices will impact cattle and beef markets in the coming months remains uncertain.
Farmers are invited to submit nominations for the 2023 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, supported by Purina.
Gaining a greater understanding of how your cattle development decisions impact the next phase provides context around the market signals from bidders and buyers.
Grazing cattle generally benefit from a vitamin and mineral supplementation program, but achieving “balance” between animal requirements and vitamin or mineral supply can be a challenge.
Prussic acid toxicity led to the death of some cattle in northwest Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Oklahoma State veterinarians provide management tips for cattlemen during times of increased prussic acid danger.
Grasses and crop growth are stunted in Texas under abnormally dry conditions, and damages begin to show as moderate drought sets in. Extremely high temperatures are exacerbating the moisture deficit for pasture grasses.
Compared to other animals, cattle can’t dissipate their heat load very effectively. Cattle do not sweat effectively and rely on respiration to cool themselves.
With recent rains, humidity and warmer temperatures an ideal breeding ground for annoying pests that rob profit potential from beef operations.
Research has shown weaning weights can be increased by over 30 pounds and pregnancy rates by over 10% by deworming cows in the spring and again in mid-summer.
Through May, beef cow slaughter for the year-to-date is 15% higher. While some drought reduction has improved pasture conditions, range and pasture conditions remain at the worst level ever for this time of year.