Podcast

High Bull Prices? Why AI is the Cost-Effective Genetic Alternative

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:01:35 GMT

Short on bull power? Artificial insemination (AI) might be the better option for a variety of reasons.

“Bull prices are pretty high, especially high-quality bulls, versus semen prices have remained pretty steady,” explains Jaclyn Ketchum. “So you have access to genetics that you maybe wouldn’t have had access to if you don’t use AI, but then also at a more reasonable price.”

Ketchum ranches with her family in southeast Montana and has taken over the family’s custom AI business. However, prior to this endeavor, she studied reproductive physiology, obtaining a master’s degree at the University of Missouri and her doctorate at Texas A&M.

She reminds producers that the list of benefits from AI differs depending on the type of AI protocol used.

“There’s a list of benefits for AI in general and then there’s a whole list of other benefits for fixed-time artificial insemination with synchronization,” Ketchum says.

Three general benefits of AI include:

Access to bulls with more genetic potential at a lower cost than natural service sires.
Greater bull-to-cow ratio for cleanup.
Access to sexed semen. Sexed semen allows producers to be more consistent in producing high-quality replacement females and high-quality steers.

AI also reduces risks such as bull injuries or failed breeding soundness exams, which can cost producers thousands of additional dollars each year.

AI with synchronization, also known as fixed-time AI, takes the benefits of AI in general to a whole new level because calves have both genetic and age uniformity.

“They’re going to be more similar in age when it comes to weaning time,” Ketchum says. “And then you have a greater set of immunity because they’re getting vaccinated at similar ages.”

Overall uniformity is attractive to feedlots and bred-heifer buyers as well.

She says, “If you’re selling bred heifers, you can breed those heifers to a really popular sire, which will then increase demand for those when you go to sell them. So there’s a whole gamut of benefits from fixed-time AI.”

To fully reap the benefits of AI, producers must set themselves up for success.

“A lot of people would love to just show up on AI day and say, ‘It’s going to be a wonderful day. We’re going to get all these cows bred.’ But in reality, it’s everything leading up to that day and everything following that day that really dictates how successful that event is,” explains Ketchum.

Communication between the producer and AI technician, supply provider, semen provider and employees or day workers is all-important.

“The synchronization protocol typically is three days minimum, if not more,” explains Ketchum. “You might need a crew for all of those days, so communicate which days and times they are needed.”

Once all the supplies and extra supplies are taken care of, facilities also need to be in working order.

Ketchum explains, “If you don’t go through your facility and make sure that your chute’s working and that everything’s set up to work where everything flows really well and then something happens and your timing gets off, then that impacts your AI date as well.”

Managing expectations also matters when determining how successful an AI event was or wasn’t. Keep in mind experience levels of technicians, if timing was off for the protocol or if weather events occurred.

“Hot is really bad for conception rates,” says Ketchum.

However, there’s only so much producers can do if the weather shifts or a storm rolls in.

AI is a valuable tool for cattle producers across the world. Producers are sure to reap the benefits if effort is taken to prepare the cattle and crew prior to breeding day.
Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcas t.

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Cybersecurity: The Biggest Overlooked Threat to American Agriculture

Thu, 07 May 2026 13:23:52 GMT

On the surface, cybersecurity may simply look like spam texts and emails that have no impact on the day-to-day operations or even future of family farms and ranches. However, it’s this mindset that makes it even more of a threat to American agriculture.

Why Cybersecurity Matters to Family Operations

Understanding what cybercriminals are after is the first step of understanding this topic.

“If you go all the way back to any warfare or any sort of conflict, and the first thing that people go after in times of war is the enemy’s food supply,” says Chris Sherman. “In a peacetime, ag is a major target because of the money that’s going through it and information we are using.”

Sherman is the founder of TechSupport.Farm, an IT company built for agriculture businesses which specializes in protecting clients from cybersecurity breaches. Family operations, while often considered small, still have a large amount of liquidity compared to nonagricultrual small businesses.

“Normal mom and pop small businesses might have $50,000 in the bank and $100,000 tied up in equipment or assets,” explains Sherman. “But in the farm, we’re averaging about $500,000 in just the average checking account. Plus, we have well over a million dollars tied up in infrastructure, equipment and tools.”

The average age of producers also increases the risk of threats.

“You’ll see the senior generation having a role on the farm and they still control the spending. Unfortunately, the older demographic is far more susceptible to financial fraud than any other demographic,” Sherman says.

Money movements of significant quantities and age demographics are only two of three reasons agriculture is a target of cyber-criminals — technology infrastructure is the third.

Sherman says, “Essentially, we’re running multimillion-dollar operations on residential-grade hardware.”

Consumer-grade routers and cheap laptops don’t have the same quality cybersecurity practices as those designed for businesses handling large quantities of money and data.

Real Cybersecurity Breach Examples

Cybersecurity breaches in agriculture don’t often make national news, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happening on both small and large scales.

“We’ve seen where a father and sons are working on a land deal and right before they leave for a weekend trip, they get spoofed eSign documents,” says Sherman. “They all signed them, left and came back to find out they lost all the money and the land deal.”

A larger-scale example shared by Sherman happened near Mankato, Minn., and did catch the federal government’s attention.

“Essentially, an entire cooperative was held with ransomware during the beginning of harvest,” explains Sherman. “Hundreds of trucks couldn’t unload, scales weren’t working and employees couldn’t clock in or out.”

These attacks are well-timed and well-orchestrated to cause massive disruption to businesses.

Action Steps all Family Operations Can Take

The good news in all of this is there are simple steps individuals can take to protect themselves and their operations.

A simple first step is to buy a website domain and use it to set up a paid email account that uses encryption.

Sherman says, “People need to think about free emails like mailboxes. Someone can open the mail, read it, put it back in the envelope and move on without anyone knowing.”

Next, setting up good passwords on all devices and using multifactor authentication are necessities.

“Our recommendation is to have passwords that are a minimum of 12 characters long. Have a couple uppercase and lowercase letters in there and make sure you have some numbers in there and some special characters,” says Sherman.

Following these requirements has a large impact on how easily the password can be hacked.

He explains, “Your password will go from being hacked instantaneously to seven minutes or into the years if you add numbers, special characters and uppercase and lowercase letters.”

Segmenting Wi-Fi also prevents breaches.

“Have Wi-Fi specifically for your farm operation and have Wi-Fi for your kids and employees,” explains Sherman. “Just like kids coming home from school covered in germs all over their hands, kids are the same way digitally.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to cybersecurity, but these steps are a great start.

Learn more about what cybersecurity measures you need to take by listening to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.

Stop Haying to Improve Your Bottom Line

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:58:15 GMT

Haying season is a traditional summer activity for ranchers, but in today’s economy, doing the work yourself versus buying hay might be hurting your bottom line.

“When you look at the numbers honestly, you may find you’re better off not making hay at all,” says Carson Roberts, extension specialist for forage and agronomy at the University of Missouri.

Time, equipment, interest rates and inflation shift with each generation. With feed as a top cost for cow-calf producers, knowing the true cost of hay production is imperative to running the ranch like a business.

“It’s all about getting above the business and looking down at it — and numbers are a really good way to do that,” Roberts says. “Know your numbers, not someone else’s numbers.”

There’s a lot that goes into calculating hay production costs. The first place to start is by separating enterprises.

“You need to separate your haying operation from your cattle operation — those are two different enterprises,” Roberts says. “Even if you’re feeding it yourself, put a real dollar value on that hay.”

After that, take inventory.

“Brainstorm everything — walk around your farm and take a picture of anything that has to do with producing hay,” he says.

From fertilizing to spraying to harvesting, there are many pieces of equipment and tractors to account for.

“Usually, if hay isn’t profitable, it comes down to equipment costs,” Roberts says.

This is largely due to increased equipment and repair costs.

“Today it takes about 28 calves to buy a new baler — 50 years ago it took 14,” he says. “We’re looking at equipment inflation running about 10 times faster than cattle prices.”

Using loan-free, older equipment isn’t free, either.

“If you’re running older equipment and doing your own repairs, you’re subsidizing your hay enterprise with your mechanic skills,” Roberts says.

Those mechanic skills take time and labor, which are often overlooked costs for business owners.

“Your time is most valuable doing the thing that makes you the most money,” he says. “If you’re a good cattle producer, you’ll make your most money producing cattle — not producing hay.”

The profitability of hay production is also dependent on the scale of the operation. For larger operators, the numbers might pencil out.

“At a large enough scale, owning equipment might make sense — but most producers aren’t there,” Roberts says.

To accurately calculate the cost of hay production on your operation, lean on local extension services that already have budgets or spreadsheets built for producers.

Once the numbers are calculated, what’s next?

“If you’re going to get out of haying, sell the equipment — it frees up capital and keeps you from going back,” Roberts says.

Purchasing hay also creates more freedom to feed what you want, instead of feeding what you put up regardless of quality.

“You can inspect it, sample it and know exactly what you’re feeding,” he says. “If half the hay got rained on, you can go find the producer whose hay didn’t.”

Sampling hay is well worth the cost to understand exactly what you are feeding. Outside of buying hay, increasing days spent grazing can have the biggest impact on the bottom line.

“You can make almost twice as much money per acre grazing as you can haying,” Roberts says.

Grazing isn’t limited to summer pastures. It can include stockpiled forages, corn stalks or cover crops. Cattle are more efficient at harvesting forage than haying equipment — let them do the work.

Learn more about how to transition from producing hay to purchasing hay on the “Casual Cattle Conversations” podcast .

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Why Should Commercial Cattle Producers Track Birth and Weaning Weights?

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:28:15 GMT

Data is knowledge and knowledge is power, but are ranchers truly operating with the right pieces of data to make confident decisions in all areas of their operation?

“Most ranchers are making decisions without one of the most valuable pieces of data on their operation, which is actual weights,” says Dawn Anderson, CattleScales.com team member and Idaho rancher.

It’s easy to think actual weights are something only seedstock suppliers take throughout the year to report to breed associations; however knowing birth weights, weaning weights, yearling weights and mature cow weights is highly beneficial for commercial cattle producers as well.

She says, “Being able to track weights from birth through weaning and yearling gives you a much clearer picture of your herd.”

Dawn’s family tracks birth weight records to breed for ideal-sized calves for their environment.

“We look at birth weights closely — because too big or too small, both can cause problems,” she explains. “A small calf can lack the energy, and a big calf can struggle too — they’ve got to get up and get moving.”

As calves mature, knowing weaning weights or even pre-weaning weights eliminates marketing surprises on sale day and opens the door to more informed culling decisions.

“At weaning, we’re weighing both cows and calves so we can see if those cows are really pulling their weight,” says Anderson. “We use those weaning weights to help make culling decisions and evaluate cow performance.”

Cows that consistently produce low weaning-weight calves or calves with low average daily gain in backgrounding settings can easily be culled from the herd.

Average daily gains that are lower than in past years could indicate more than a genetic problem.

“If something’s off, it prompts you to ask questions — do we need to test feed, adjust the ration or change something?” Anderson says. “We’ll run cattle across the scale every 30 to 45 days just to see where we’re at.”

Another benefit of knowing weights on all classes of animals is reducing treatment costs and improving animal husbandry.

“Pharmaceuticals are costly — they’re really costly if they’re not effective,” Anderson expresses. “If you’re guessing at weight, you may be overdosing or underdosing, and neither one is good.”

In summer pasture settings, it’s not practical to bring cattle home to weigh them before treating them. However, even the knowledge of a previous weight is helpful in improving accuracy for treatment dosage.

There are a variety of scale systems producers can invest in either themselves or share with a neighbor.

“There’s not a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to scale systems,” Anderson says. “We start by talking through what the producer’s goals are and what’s going to work best for them.”

Producers should know which animals they want the ability to weigh, when they want to do this and how they want to use the information to determine which system is the best fit for their operation.

She says, “A lot of operations are set up where that chute is where all the decisions are being made — that’s where the scale should be.”

However, there are alleyway or even portable options for producers weighing in multiple locations.

“There are options — that’s the biggest thing people don’t always realize,” Anderson says.

Regardless of the type of scale you invest in or how you decide to utilize weight data, remember it’s about more than just recording a weight to say you have it — it’s about confidence in your decision-making.

“Having accurate weights gives you confidence in your decisions,” Anderson summarizes.

Listen to the full conversation on the “Casual Cattle Conversations” podcast .

Losing a Dollar a Day? The True Cost of Horn Flies on Cattle Performance

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:29:19 GMT

Little things have a big impact — and in the case of horn flies, it’s a big economic one.

“When you think about fly control and specifically the horn fly, it is by far the No. 1 nuisance that beef cattle on pasture experience,” says Johnathan Wells, beef field representative for Cargill Animal Nutrition.

Horn flies transfer diseases such as anaplasmosis and mastitis, but treatment costs aren’t the only way they impact the bottom line. These tiny pests also chip away at average daily gain.

“You’re looking at average daily gain differences of about 15% — that’s roughly a third of a pound per day,” Wells says. “In this market, that’s over a dollar per day in lost performance.”

Cattle with heavy fly loads use more energy than those with minimal pressure.

“You have an animal that goes from about 76 beats per minute to over 100 beats per minute under a heavy fly load — that’s a 30% increase in heart rate,” Wells explains.

That increase in heart rate leads to higher water intake and greater urine output. As urine output rises, nitrogen retention decreases — and that’s where the loss in average daily gain shows up.

Targeting the Egg: Why Breaking the Life Cycle Beats Killing the Adult

Controlling flies isn’t new, but evolving methods are worth considering — especially as resistance to traditional products becomes more common.

“Most common products are targeting the adult fly after it’s already affecting the animal,” says Wells. “That’s where we’re running into resistance.”

Targeting the egg stage instead of the adult fly offers a different approach. Feed-through products, such as Altosid, work by interrupting the fly’s life cycle.

“Altosid works by breaking the life cycle of the fly — it prevents eggs from developing into adult flies,” Wells explains.

However, feed-through solutions require consistent intake to be effective.

“A lapse of even a couple weeks in a feed-through program can undo months of progress,” Wells says.

That inconsistency can come from variable mineral consumption or supply issues at the feed store — both real-world challenges for producers.

Consistency is Key: Comparing Feed-Through Mineral vs. Boluses

An alternative is the Altosid IGR XRB bolus, which delivers the same active ingredient without relying on daily intake.

“With the extended-release bolus, you apply it one time and get about 195 days of control,” Wells explains.

The bolus helps ensure consistent delivery while reducing the need for repeated applications.

“Once you put it in, you know it’s in the animal — that consistency matters,” he says.

No matter the method, it’s important to keep expectations realistic.

“The goal is reduction — you’re still going to see some flies, but you’re controlling the population,” Wells says.

And controlling that population directly impacts profitability.

Listen to the full conversation on the “Casual Cattle Conversations” podcast .

Cut Feed Costs by Improving Pastures: Weed Control and Soil Fertility Strategies for Ranchers

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:43 GMT

Feed, it’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, expense for many ranches. So what can ranchers do to reduce feed costs and still meet nutritional requirements of animals?

“The cheapest way to feed cattle is through grazing standing forage,” says Sam Ingram, field scientist for Corteva Range and Pasture. More specifically, ranchers should prioritize the forage resources they already have access to.

Ingram explains, “If we prioritize those forages… we can produce more pounds of beef on that given acre.”

In addition to practicing rotational grazing, implementing weed control and fertilization practices are key components of prioritizing forages.

Weed Control

A few weeds may seem harmless at first, but they have a significant economic impact when the difference in pounds of forage is measured after removal.

“If we remove weeds, we see an increase in forage production,” shares Ingram. “A rule of thumb is remove a pound of weeds and you can get a pound or more of grass.”

Two weed control options are mechanical and chemical. Mechanical options include tillage, hand pulling or clipping weeds, which can be time consuming and labor intensive.

Chemical options involve the use of herbicides to control weeds. A challenge with chemical control is finding a herbicide that controls weeds without harming other beneficial forages such as grasses and legumes.

“In the past, we’ve had producers tell us they won’t spray because they don’t want to sacrifice their clovers and annual lespedeza,” Ingram shares. “Fortunately, producers who had this reservation about herbicide application don’t have to have it now.”

The herbicide NovaGraz is a broadleaf weed control option that doesn’t kill off beneficial legumes such as white clover and annual lespedeza.
Ingram exlains, “It’s a really revolutionary herbicide that we haven’t had on the market to date.”

For those prioritizing hay forages, the nonresidual feature of NovaGraz is also favorable.

“The nice part of a non-residual herbicide … is that it gives producers flexibility,” Ingram says. “They can make a broadleaf application and still have the option to rotate that acre into another crop.”

It gives both the hay producer and buyer confidence.

Soil Fertility

Ingram says creating a plan to focus on fertility starts with soil testing.

“If you don’t have that test to show you what your nutrient levels are, you’re just guessing,” Ingram says. “Pick a time of the year to test and stick with that time because seasonally our nutrient levels can change.”

Next, producers should put those results to use.

“After you get the results, what are you going to do with them,” asks Ingram. “If it makes sense to add fertility, then let’s do that.”

One caveat of adding fertility is that you are not only providing nutrients for those forages and beneficial legumes, but also weeds. Weeds and grasses are in competition for the same nutrients to thrive.

“Some producers have to choose — am I going to do fertilizer this year or weed control,” Ingram says. “Now with UltiGraz, you have one pass with both fertility and weed control.”

UltiGraz combines both weed control and fertility, and it can be done in one pass to save time and input costs.

He says, “We’re controlling the weeds we don’t want, and the fertility is right there for the forages to take off.”

These are two solutions to maximizing forage production, regardless of the methods you use, remember the bigger picture.

Ingram says, “If we can improve forages through grazing management, weed control and fertility, that’s going to benefit producers.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast. Learn more about weed control at RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversation s.

Keeping the Family Farm and Rural Community Alive with an Innovative Mindset

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:24:11 GMT

Innovation doesn’t always look flashy in agriculture. Sometimes it’s simply a willingness to try something new if it makes the operation stronger for the next generation. For one Indiana cattle family, that mindset has been the key to keeping both the cattle operation and its rural community moving forward.

“My grandpa’s grandpa stepped off the boat the day Abraham Lincoln was killed,” says Andrew Bredeweg. “Our farm started as more of a self-sustaining farm with a little of everything until my dad turned it more into a business.”

Today, the Bredeweg family has its hands in the cow-calf sector, feeding cattle, farming and managing a seasonal sale barn. At the heart of all they do is ensuring the business remains generational while also supporting the rural community around them.

“Everybody in agriculture pretty much has goals to pass it on to the next generation. It’ll be multigenerational,” Bredeweg says.

The Bredewegs have been able to keep the operation in the family for generations because they’ve maintained a mindset of innovation. That willingness to adapt didn’t start with Andrew. It goes back several generations.

“My grandpa was big into Harvestore systems in the ’60s — he was one of the first guys around here to put that system in,” shares Bredeweg. “That allowed him to feed a lot more cattle in a lot shorter time, which freed him up to farm more or run more cattle.”

That same thinking continues today. The family was among the first in its area to feed cattle using a TMR mixer with drive-along bunks. More recently, they’ve adopted digital recordkeeping through Performance Beef to better track feed, performance and costs.

“Just knowing everything is there and everything is correct is worth its weight in gold,” says Bredeweg. “Our performance on the cattle really showed when we started using it because what we thought we were doing wasn’t actually what we were doing.”

Having accurate numbers has also improved decision-making. Instead of guessing at cost of gain or performance, Bredeweg now has real-time data to guide purchases and management decisions.

Innovation on the Bredeweg operation isn’t just about technology, though. It’s also about strengthening the broader agricultural community.

Bredeweg also manages the local White River Valley Cattlemen’s Association sale barn, a cooperative marketing facility started decades ago by local producers. The sale barn hosts a handful of sales each year and provides an important marketing outlet for cattle producers in the region.

For Bredeweg, involvement in multiple segments of the cattle industry reinforces something he appreciates about the business.

“There’s a little more of a team aspect in the cattle business,” he explains. “For us to prosper, somebody else doesn’t have to lose.”

That mindset extends beyond cattle markets and into investing in the next generation. Bredeweg has partnered with a local high school internship program that allows juniors and seniors to leave school early and gain real-world work experience with area businesses.

Students spend part of their day learning hands-on skills and exploring potential careers while still in high school. Bredeweg has hosted several students on the ranch and sees the program as a valuable tool for keeping young people connected to rural communities.

“You’re developing them on the school side and then they get plugged right back into the business side,” he says.

For Bredeweg, keeping family operations alive requires more than just maintaining a profitable business. It requires investing in people and community as well.

“I’d rather ask how we grow and keep these young people busy instead of how we contract,” he says.

Because at the end of the day, innovation in agriculture isn’t just about improving efficiency — it’s about ensuring there are still families, ranches and communities thriving for generations to come.

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Beyond the Sale Barn: How AtTheYards is Digitizing Cattle Marketing

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:05:57 GMT

Ranching shows just how delicate the balance between tradition and innovation is to keep businesses profitable without forgetting where they came from. But, what if tradition holds us back in an area that highly impacts profitability — cattle marketing?

“In 1884 the Omaha Stockyards opened. In 1908 the Model T was invented, and nobody’s driving a Model T anymore — but 65% of feeder cattle still trade through sale barns,” says Jacob Sebade, cofounder of AtTheYards. “Sale barns offer a lot of benefits, don’t get me wrong, but finding a way that puts more power in producers’ hands is really important.”

Sebade grew up involved in the family feedlot in eastern Nebraska. After earning a degree in business and working for an accounting firm post-graduation, he ultimately found his way back to the family operation with a desire to solve cattle marketing challenges for both ranchers and feedlots.

For ranchers, Sebade recognizes how lack of speed to market and commission are difficult challenges to overcome with current marketing avenues available.

He says, “Speed to market — being able to market cattle when you want and how you want — probably has the biggest impact on a producer’s bottom line.”

Speed to market is even more important to ranchers when market volatility is brought into consideration.

Sebade explains, “With the volatility we’ve seen in the market, prices can move significantly in a week or two.”

Commission also stings when the bigger picture is evaluated.

“Two to 3% commission can easily be north of $50 a head, and that’s very material money over time,” shares Sebade.

On the flip side, feedlots also experience challenges acquiring cattle.

He says, “Finding cattle that you’re interested in is a constant search and find, search and find, search and find.”

Video auctions have made it easier to view and see cattle from across the country but still have challenges of their own.

“Everybody involved in the industry has a million things to do, so sitting there watching video auctions or constantly searching for cattle makes it difficult when you’ve got chores and a lot of other things going on,” says Sebade.

The crossroads of these challenges and two sectors of the beef industry is where AtTheYards comes to play.

AtTheYards is an online cattle marketing platform that provides speed to market, increased reach and more control for ranchers as well as a more efficient sourcing platform for buyers.

“AtTheYards uses custom templates where buyers set parameters for the cattle they want,” says Sebade. “When cattle are listed that match those parameters, buyers get a notification immediately.”

He offers the following as an example: “If 40 buyers are looking for 600- to 800-lb. steers in North Dakota, and a rancher posts this type of cattle, all 40 buyers get notified.”

The process itself is straightforward, once the account is set up, a rancher can consign their cattle through the app or web-based platform. Once the cattle go live on the marketplace at 8:30 a.m. CST the following business day with notifications sent out to buyers at 8 a.m. CST.

Transactions take place in two ways. The first is the buyer utilizing the “Buy Cattle” feature, which means the buyer is agreeing to the terms of the transaction set forth by the seller in their consignment. The second is a buyer placing a bid on the cattle that generates a text message notification to the seller. The seller can then choose to accept the bid.

Additionally, AtTheYards is a marketplace that offers delivery options beyond just forward contracting. While it does allow for Ranchers to set future delivery windows, Ranchers can also choose a delivery window of “ASAP,” which means the cattle ship as soon as Possible after a transaction is agreed to, but no later than 10 days after a transaction happens.

The commission structure of AtTheYards is $5 per head to consign cattle and $10 per head to clear the money, or $15 per head all-in. When asked about a rancher’s risk in trying AtTheYards, Sebade mentions the consignment fee as being the biggest risk.

He says, “Paying the consignment fee and the cattle not trading is the main risk. To offset this risk, AtTheYards is waiving the consignment fee on every rancher’s first consignment.”

As you think about your current cattle marketing strategies, don’t be afraid to explore something new and ask questions.

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Passing Down a Digital Map for the Next Generation

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:49:16 GMT

Transparency about ranch performance is a key factor in successfully transitioning a ranch from one generation to the next not only in the form of finances but also herd records.

“When records are passed down, you’re giving the next generation established trends they can learn from instead of starting from scratch,” says Jacqueline Lewis, CattleMax team member.

Lewis ranches with her husband and two daughters near Cheyenne, Wyo. Between her family’s operation and helping other ranchers maintain herd records, she knows firsthand how valuable an easy yet thorough record-keeping system is to family ranches across the country.

“You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Lewis says. “The more solid your ranch records are, the more informed your decision-making is going to be, which undoubtedly will lead to production success and longevity of your ranch.”

Passing along herd records to upcoming generations is like providing them with the information to follow the right path even when you aren’t there.

Lewis explains, “Any time records can be passed along, you have that foundational sense of tracking trends that have been established for the operation … Records can serve as a map in terms of directional ideas for the next generation.”

Establishing an easy and effective system starts by defining goals.

She explains, “Once you figure out the direction you want to go, you’re going to figure out what you need to record. That’s what leads to informed decision-making down the road.”

After this, be cognizant of common mistakes when tracking records and put systems in place to avoid them.

Lewis says, “Time is probably the first challenge. Ranchers are wearing many hats, and record keeping feels like one more thing on the plate.”

Invest in a system that prioritizes the information you need and makes sense to you.

“Consistency is the key. Whatever works for you is what you’re going to use on a consistent basis,” shares Lewis.

Additionally, take the time to learn a new software or ask for help to ensure you are entering data as efficiently as possible.

Fragmented systems are also a common mistake that can impact time management.

“A fragmented system is overwhelming — records tucked in the barn, in a drawer, lost in a phone. The biggest question becomes, where do I even start?” Lewis says.

Fragmented systems can be avoided by giving multiple people access to one record-keeping location and making that location accessible from the pasture, corral and office. Spreading out the record-keeping responsibility also makes the process less overwhelming.

She says, “When record keeping falls on just one person, that’s a lot of pressure that doesn’t need to be applied to a single individual.”

Animal ID systems also can’t be ignored. Reducing duplicates and ensuring ownership and age can easily be noted from the visual ID simplify the entire process. Learn more about ID systems .

Creating or switching systems can seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be.

“All you really need to focus on as you’re getting started is your active inventory — the animals walking around your pastures right now,” Lewis says. “Don’t worry about that historical stuff right away. There will always be rainy days to backfill it.”

The biggest piece of record-keeping advice — focus on the bigger picture.

Lewis says, “Record keeping shouldn’t be seen as a chore. It’s a means to confidence — confidence in your decisions and confidence in the direction of your ranch.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

The challenge of maintaining herd records is a familiar struggle for many cow-calf producers who grapple with balancing detailed documentation and practical, cost-efficient management. However, there are multiple solutions available to help transition from traditional paper to platforms that make data input and analysis more productive. During Smart Farming week, we shared information about about five record-keeping options available on the market today.
Voice-to-Record App Reinvents Cattle Management
Simplicity In Record-Keeping With an All-in-One Hub
Bridging Genetics, Management and Technology in Beef Production
Chute-Side and Simple: Breedr Delivers Cattle Management Integrated System
GEM: Precision in the Pasture

How to Conduct a Ranch Audit: 3 Steps to Improve Your Operation's Profitability

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:18:15 GMT

We’re a little over two months into 2026. Be honest with yourself — how are those goals and New Year’s resolutions holding up?

If you’re like most ranchers I talk to, you started the year with good intentions. Improve pregnancy rates. Tighten up expenses. Market calves more strategically. Maybe finally get a real handle on your breakeven.

And then calving season hit. Or weather shifted. Or markets moved. And those goals slowly drifted to the back burner.

That’s exactly why I want to talk about something simple but powerful: a ranch audit.

Why a ranch audit? Because I know profit matters on your family operation. It has to. But I also think we as ranchers make a common mistake when we work toward improving profitability.

We set goals blindly. The mistake isn’t a lack of ambition. It’s a lack of benchmarking.

Setting goals blindly and not benchmarking your ranch are closely related, but they aren’t the same thing. Not having a benchmark — not knowing exactly where you stand — leads to blind goal setting.

For example, let’s say you set a goal to improve pregnancy rates in your herd. That sounds great. But what was your average pregnancy rate last year? Was it 92%? 95%? 88%?

If you don’t know that number, two problems surface immediately. First, you won’t know whether your management changes moved you closer to your goal or further away from it.

Second, you may be pouring time, money and mental energy into an area that doesn’t actually need as much attention as something else on the ranch.
The same is true across every part of your business — finances, herd health, nutrition, genetics. Without a starting point, improvement becomes guesswork.

That’s where the audit process comes in.

Step No. 1: Define Success For Your Ranch

This sounds simple, but it’s where most people rush. Is success maximizing pounds weaned per exposed female? Is it lowering financial risk? Is it building a cow herd your kids want to come back to? You can’t measure progress if you haven’t clearly defined what winning looks like for your operation.

Step No. 2: Rank Your Confidence in Different Areas of Your Ranch

Be honest here. On a scale of one to 10, how confident are you in your bookkeeping system? Your reproductive program? Your herd health protocols? Your marketing plan? Your genetic direction?

This confidence ranking helps reveal where you feel strong and where you feel uncertainty — and uncertainty often points to opportunity.

Step No. 3: Put a Unit of Measurement to Those Areas

This is where benchmarking becomes real.

In finances and bookkeeping, that might mean knowing your breakeven cost of production, cost per cow or debt-to-asset ratio.

In reproduction, it’s pregnancy rate or calving interval.

In herd health, it could be death loss percentage or annual treatment cost per head.

For nutrition, you might look at weaning weights in combination with feed cost per cow and pregnancy rates.

For genetic selection, consider the cost of your bull investment compared to measurable returns in offspring performance or retained replacement value.

The reason we need a unit of measure is simple: feelings don’t drive profit — numbers do.

Once you assign both a confidence rating and a measurable number to each key area, you’ve completed your ranch audit. You now know where you stand today. From there, you can identify which areas matter most to your definition of success and which ones need the most improvement.

Instead of chasing random improvements, you’re making strategic decisions.

What I’ve outlined here is the simple version of this process. If you want a more in-depth framework — one that walks you through setting ranch goals you’ll actually stick to and building accountability without the January rush — that’s exactly why I created my online course, Profit Foundations for Ranchers.

It guides you step by step through this audit process and helps you turn clarity into action using a downloadable workbook and short training videos.
But whether you take that next step or not, I hope you’ll at least complete the audit. Even a basic one. Because clarity creates confidence, and confidence fuels better decisions.

And better decisions drive profitability.

If this conversation resonated with you, you can also find this discussion and more business-focused ranch content on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast and on YouTube .

Your ranch deserves more than resolutions. It deserves a plan.

Happy ranching, folks!

Leadership Is Costing You More Than You Think

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:19:08 GMT

When deciding how to make ranches more profitable, there is often one overlooked area of improvement — leadership. Strong leadership on ranches impacts profitability through improved employee retention, continued learning and more confident decision-making. Tom and Terryn Drieling are true examples of how investing in leadership builds a more profitable ranch and an enjoyable lifestyle.

“I think it’s our role as ranch managers to provide an opportunity for the next generation. It’s our responsibility for everybody to have an opportunity regardless of what their background is,” explains Tom.

He has managed a unit of a ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills for more than 10 years, and Terryn works as seasonal help in addition to operating her own business, which helps people in rural communities improve their own lifestyles and leadership skills.

“I think that having good leadership is so important because it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the crew,” says Terryn. “If you have somebody in the leadership role that can create a good work environment and bring everybody together, you’re going to have a more enjoyable workplace and improved production and efficiency.”

Tom has been very intentional about improving his own leadership skills, and the results are clear to both his crew and general manager.

He shares, “The work I was doing for myself was extravagant enough that my boss saw it. We saw that in profitability, the motivation of our guys, the production of our herds and the way we interacted with the other units.”

He is a big believer in utilizing continuing education opportunities to improve leadership, but making the decision to do introspective leadership work is what has made the biggest difference.

“When we first started here and Tom took over the unit manager position, there was definitely some communication hangups,” shares Terryn. “But over the years, Tom has really done a great job of being introspective and doing some inner work, and learning different ways to communicate with people.”

He spent time learning not only which communication styles work best for him but also those he works with on the ranch.

She says, “Watching that transformation has been really cool…the culture has shifted and now everyone else is starting to do the work too. It’s fun when we crew up.”

While impactful, this wasn’t an overnight shift. It took time and lots of effort.

Tom says, “Now I’m kind of working on my tone and my delivery when I communicate, and I’m not going to lie to you, it’s taken time, it’s taken a ton of work.”

Improving leadership on operations starts with you and doing a self-audit of sorts.

“In stockmanship, the first thing that we need to have to handle our cattle in a low-stress manner is self-awareness. We need to be aware of our energy and what that is conveying to our animals,” explains Terryn. “The second thing is social awareness. We need to be aware of what our animals are telling us. And animals are really good at reflecting things back to us…start there.”

Animals can tell you if you came into a situation with big energy, angry, anxious or calm.

Terryn says, “And then you can take it back to your human-to-human interactions and you can see how people respond to you and reflect back and see what’s going on inside of you and use that as information to improve your own leadership.”

During this process, it’s important to remember that nobody gets it right all the time. We are humans.

“You’re not going to have perfect communication all the time. What’s important is repair,” says Terryn. “If you come into a situation and it doesn’t go well, you can always go back and say, ‘Hey, I am really sorry. I came in really hot and I’m sure that did not feel good.’”

In situations where leadership from employers feels lacking, remember to lead up!

She shares, “You can kind of foster some of that leadership within yourself by asking the right questions, opening lines of communication and providing positivity in a slew of negativity. Because I really do believe in the stockmanship phrase, ‘good movement draws good movement,’ and good movement starts with us.”

As Tom reflects on the benefits he’s seen from improving his own leadership skills, he encourages others to invest in their employees and genuinely care about their well-being.

He says, “Always be continuing education. Invest in yourself, invest in your employees. I don’t think enough credit is given to the guys that are operational. I think they get taken for granted. Invest in those people.”

Employees have lives outside of work, and that can’t be forgotten.

He says, “I want my guys to come home at the end of the day, 100% healthy. They have their own lives… I want to do everything I can to leave those guys to do their job, but supply them with the ability and the tools to know I have their back. If you need something, call me. If you need a direction, call me. If you need a tool, call me.”

Transparency in communication also can’t be overlooked.

“Try to be transparent in as many things as you can, but attitude is everything and the tone that you come to work with and the tone that you interact with your employees sets the entire tone for your company as a culture,” Tom shares.

Remember, good ranch leadership doesn’t just impact today’s generation, it impacts the ones to come too.

Tom says, “I think it’s our duty as leaders and ranch managers or production agricultural people to help the next generation be more qualified for our roles than what we are. They’re going to have to provide more with less.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Non-Family Transition Plans: A Success Story to Take Notes From

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:50:34 GMT

For every senior rancher looking for an heir, there is an eager member of the rising generation trying to find ways to get started. The challenge? Getting the two parties to meet with their compatible counterparts.

Lydia Carpenter and her husband are an example of adapting your business and finding a member of the senior generation to build with instead of against.

How Did You Get Started in Production Agriculture?

“We started a farm business when we were in our 20s on leased acres. I grew up in the Red River Valley where land is quite expensive,” Carpenter says. “We decided that we were going to run a livestock operation, so we moved to the western part of Manitoba where agriculture is a bit more diverse and mixed. This is where we built our direct-to-consumer meat business.”

How Did You Find a Non-Family Member Looking for Heirs?

“We subsequently started buying heifers from an individual who was living in Alberta at the time,” Carpenter says. “He was originally from Scotland, had moved to Canada in 2000 and subsequently decided to sell the land in Alberta and move to Manitoba.”

She continues: “Before doing that, he had asked us if we were interested in working with him more closely. So when he moved here, he bought a farm not too far from where we were renting at the time. And then we started working together.”

How is the Business Structured?

“We run individual operations. We file our own taxes, and we’ve got separate businesses,” Carpenter says. “Both businesses are profitable, and we have similar structures in our business.”

Additionally, she explains: “We recognize that in order for us to be able to access land and build our security, we need some support from another generation. So, we started purchasing land to build our equity from him and his wife.”

Building trust is also a part of the business structure.

“Now we’re neighbors, and we are purchasing assets from him,” Carpenter explains. “Transitions take time, and it’s not the kind of thing that happens overnight, but a relationship builds over time along with trust and accountability.”

She says: “Over time we’ve recognized we are compatible and have similar philosophies around management.”

Q: What Else Goes Into Building Trust in These Types of Relationships?

“Trust is an interesting thing that ties into accountability,” Carpenter says. “Even business acumen can help build trust if you, as the rising generation, have the financial literacy, interest and good management practices to take on the business.”

She adds: “I think clarity of expectations is really important and then it builds over time. It’s not without risk to invest in somebody.”

She explains: “I think having open conversations about written agreements, business structure and general profitability of the business are important and trust is then built over time through general accountability.”

Q: How Can Other Members of the Rising Generation Find Opportunities Like This?

“If you are interested in a specific sector of production agriculture, go work in other areas of that industry and in those communities,” Carpenter says. “Additionally, be present at different events in agriculture and open about your goals as a young individual.”

She also says: “Don’t silo yourself in any specific production type unless you have really good reason to do so. Sometimes the opportunities around you are bigger than that.”

Q: What Are Some Red Flags to be Aware of in Any Farm Transition?

“Some red flags would be no desire to have written agreements,” Carpenter says. “Another one might be just general lack of financial literacy or poor money management — that can go for either generation.”

She also shares: “Another one can be people’s general health and well-being. Are you having compatibility issues because someone is really struggling with unresolved mental health or addiction issues? There’s going to be some interpersonal stuff that could be red flags as well.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Know Your Options for Tagging Cattle

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:25:05 GMT

In ranching, doing the little things right can make a big difference. That’s why picking the right ear tags and identification system for your cattle can’t be overlooked. The right tags and identification system improve organization, make data easier to utilize and save time.

“One of the biggest things that we see with our customers is you can’t manage an animal if you don’t have them identified … I think just that good ID system is really a foundation for a good record-keeping system all the way to the top,” says Brittany Kelsey, team leader for CattleTags.com.

Good ID systems will vary from ranch to ranch but at the core, they allow ranchers to easily identify an individual animal in the pasture, identify ownership and access data. All of these are easily attainable once ranchers know their options for tag types, numbering systems and EIDs.

Tag Types and Options

One tag. Two tags. Pink tags. Blue tags. Just how many options are available to ranchers?

Kelsey says, “A lot of ranchers don’t realize the possibilities that they can have with their tags.”

If the possibilities seem endless, where should ranchers start?

“The first thing that we usually visit with our customers about is the size of tag or the animal that they’re going to be putting them in,” explains Kelsey. “Whether you’re tagging calves that are then getting a new tag later on in life or if you’re just tagging mature animals, cows, bulls, that will determine the size of tag you’ll want.”

Other front-end considerations are if this animal is in the herd short-term or long-term. Tagging potential replacement heifers with a permanent-sized tag and unique ID eliminates the step of retagging them later on compared to steers that are on the ranch for less than a year in some cases.
Picking the color of tag is next. This can be a fun step for the younger generation receiving their first cow or calf, but it shouldn’t be a light decision.

“It’s important to pick a color that is easily readable in the field from a distance,” explains Kelsey. “It should also correspond with your operation. For example, we have a lot of producers that might pick blue tags for all their bull calves and pink for all their heifers.”

Different colors can also correspond to different owners or categories of cattle. It’s an easy visual to help differentiate cattle in the field.

Two other considerations are one-piece versus two-piece tags and engraved versus inked numbers.

Kelsey notes, “One unique thing about Allflex tags are that they are laser engraved and then inked over. Those tags are guaranteed to be readable for the life of the animal… blank tags with a marker is fine if it’s a short term use for calves that are getting a new tag when they’re mature or a short term feeder program, but the marker fades.”

And as if there weren’t enough options already, think through how much information you want on the tag. Sky’s the limit with ranchers doing anything from a single ID to adding the sire, dam, brands or even phone numbers to the tags.

Numbering systems

Deciding the type of identification system your operation will use may not sound like the fun part, but it is the most important part of this process if you want a smooth record keeping process year after year.

“Avoiding duplicates is the biggest thing,” says Kelsey. “The number 10 is the same to the computer whether it belongs to the cow, replacement heifer or calf.”

Common numbering systems to avoid duplicates include using an alpha-numeric approach where different letters correspond to different years. Or some ranchers put the last one to two digits of the year on the front of the tag.

For example, cattle born in 2026 would have IDs with the first two digits being 2-6 or 6. Using just a 6 will create duplicates for cows that last 10 plus years in the herd.

She shares, “When you first look at the tag, you want to be able to quickly say in your mind, she’s a five year old…So picking a system that isn’t really complicated matters.”

EIDs and readers

Of course, in 2026 we can’t leave electronic identification devices (EIDs) out of the cattle ID conversation.

“We get a lot of questions about EIDs,” says Kelsey. “It’s not a complicated technology or system. It’s just unfamiliar to a lot of producers.”

The main benefit is reducing risks error.

She explains, “When you’re processing several hundred head through a chute in a day and you’re just recording the visual, there’s room for error for punching in the wrong number.”

EIDs also save time and increase organization. All the data you want tied to your specific animals can be tied back to that individual number.

“One question we get from producers is if they buy cattle from someone else, can they scan the EID to see the animal’s lifetime data,” says Kelsey. “That’s not how that works. The tag doesn’t store the information, the computer system does.”

EIDs also open doors for cattle marketing depending on the value-added program or supply chain producers want to be a part of.

Before purchasing EIDs and a scanner, take into consideration the bigger picture of how you will use this technology.

“With Allflex we have three different readers that go from very basic to ones that are just a little bit more advanced,” says Kelsey. “Just thinking about, am I just wanting to record those numbers and match them with a visual ID as those cows go through the chute and create a list? And then when I go into my management software system, can quickly do a group update using that list of numbers?”

The functionality doesn’t stop there, though.

Kelsey explains, “Some of our EID readers have the capability to scan barcodes, which is a really cool feature for producers that are using the TSU DNA samples.”

Whether you have a current system that needs tweaking or are starting from scratch, remember these considerations before you give cattle their IDs.

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Tips for Creating Uniform Calf Crops

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:57:32 GMT

When evaluating factors that impact ranch profitability and efficiency, producing uniform calf crops can’t be overlooked.

“I think calf uniformity can be really important to the rancher,” says Emma Briggs, faculty supervisor for the research feedlot and the commercial cow herd for Kansas State University Ag Research Center in Hays, Kan.

What does a uniform calf crop look like? It can start with the basics of frame size, weight and other phenotype characteristics, but that’s not the full story in today’s beef industry.

“Uniformity goes beyond just looking at necessarily appearance,” Briggs explains. “It also reflects things like reproductive success for replacement heifers and staying within that 365-day calving interval to be as efficient and productive as possible.”

Tight or planned calving intervals improve phenotype uniformity, but bull selection can improve genotype uniformity for performance on and after the ranch.

“A key point is really looking at genetic consistency,” Briggs says. “So, using sires that have similar EPDs [expected progeny differences] and making sure that we’re not picking bulls that are in the first percentile for growth and then also picking bulls that are in the 50^th percentile.”

On the topic of genetics, understanding breed composition and purpose is critical.

“Other factors to keep in mind are breed composition and type. Make sure that they’re going to have similar purpose characteristics, so you’re not going to have anything too high on the spectrum, good or bad,” Briggs says.

Strategic crossbreeding is a tool ranchers can utilize to hone in on animal purpose and work toward uniformity, too.

“Crossbreeding can be a really beneficial tool, especially if you are having some animals that can lean towards that terminal side maybe,” Briggs explains. “A crossbreeding system gives us a lot of hybrid vigor and is essentially free pounds of lean calf sometimes, depending on the different production standpoint that you have.”

Uniform calf crops impact ranch management past marketing calves in the fall and winter each year.

“Reducing differences in these calves helps develop a good replacement heifer strategy,” Briggs says. “It also helps on the back end with cow nutrition management and maintaining good body condition score, because a 1,200-lb. cow is likely going to have different needs than an 1,800-lb. cow.”

Efficiency of time when working cattle is also an important outcome of calf uniformity.

“There’s nothing more frustrating than having a 90-day-old calf with a 1-day-old calf and you need to give them all vaccine, but then the 1-day-old calf can’t really have it quite yet,” Briggs says. “So, trying to make those calving windows a little bit tighter makes it easier to ensure we give these calves the vaccines they need.”

Outside of planned calving windows and planned genetic selection, what else can producers do to improve calf uniformity?

“Have a goal and have traits that you look at to create uniformity,” Briggs says. “Stick with those and stay away from single-trait selection.”

Additionally, remember these kinds of changes happen over the long run.

“Uniformity doesn’t happen overnight,” Briggs summarizes. “If you are looking to start by shrinking your calving window, don’t overlook the variety of synchronization tools available to you. Even a simple one-shot PG can really push your cows to come into cyclicity sooner and at the same time.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the “Casual Cattle Conversations” podcast.

Why Producers Should Consider Price Risk Management

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:42:43 GMT

Risk management takes form in a variety of ways on agriculture operations, but price risk management is specifically an opportunity to pay attention to.

“You don’t absolutely have to do price risk management, but you need to consider it and think about what it would do for your operation,” says Josh Maples, associate professor of agriculture economics at Mississippi State University.

Maples explains: “Cattle producers typically want to be in business for a while. Price risk management should be a key consideration for any producer who has these long-term goals.”

Knowing whether or not price risk management is the right option for you comes down to knowing your own tolerance for risk and the true financial position of your operation.

“How much risk can you tolerate?” Maples asks. “If you have very little debt, you can tolerate more risk than someone with lots of debt who will feel a greater impact of one bad year.”

He adds: “Ask yourself: can your operation sustain a 20% drop in prices this year?”

Don’t downplay the importance of knowing your own risk tolerance.

“Are you going to worry about cattle markets every single day? Risk management could generally improve your overall quality of life,” Maples explains.

Depending on the type of cattle being sold, cattle producers have several price risk management opportunities.

“There really are good tools, and they’re going to fit producers differently depending on what their risk preferences are,” Maples says. “The two main opportunities are futures and options and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP).

Futures and options have been around the longest and are most commonly used on feeder cattle, but they can also be used on calves.

“The reason you would use a contract like this is let’s say that you’re planning on selling a load of feeder cattle in March 2026. You would go out now and sell a feeder cattle contract. Then you would be short on your position in the futures market and long in your position with the cattle you physically have,” Maples explains. “If prices go up between now and then, that’s going to be great for the cattle you have sitting in your pasture. It’s going to be bad for your position in the futures market, but those two should offset. That’s the whole idea of hedging.”

He adds: “This is great in that you’re not paying a premium, however, you do pay a commission to a broker. The biggest downside is really the margin calls.”

LRP is the newer tool more and more ranchers are taking advantage of.

“LRP behaves pretty similar to a put option. You pay a premium, and if a bad thing happens, you get paid to offset that bad thing happening,” Maples says.

LRP is also friendlier for producers of all sizes.

“LRP is fantastic for producers with smaller numbers that don’t have 50,000 lb. of feeder cattle they’re planning on selling,” Maples says.

If you are worried about making a mistake with the strategy you choose, remember the biggest mistake is doing nothing at all.

“The most common mistake is just not having a plan. A risk management plan really should be something you think about every year,” Maples says. “We’re way too reactive on risk management when it really makes more sense to have a scheduled time to make a plan each year.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.

How Does the Ceres Tag Help Producers Find the Most Profitable Cows?

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:35:52 GMT

The upcoming technology hitting the beef industry is about more than tracking cattle and measuring performance metrics, it’s about continuing the American ranching legacy.

“Technology does allow the bridge for past generations and future generations to all exist on the ranch … our job as Ceres Tag is to help future generations continue to increase profit so they can return to the ranch,” says Shane White, national sales manager for Ceres Tag.

Bridging that gap looks a lot like combining cowboy logic and data to eliminate guess work and allow for confident decision-making at the ranch level.

“We are a direct-to-satellite animal behavior automation platform,” White says. “We automate phenotypes including pasture feed intake, grazing behavior, eating behavior and drinking behavior.”

Measuring these phenotypes and providing the data to ranchers by integrating with a number of platforms they already use greatly impacts profitability.

“Understanding the efficiency of turning grass into that calf is really important,” White says. “The number of ways they can use that information to maximize their profit is really as endless as their imagination. We get to show them the efficiency of their cows in their environment … and that’s where the profit really starts to show up.”

While initial measurements of pasture feed intake and animal behavior are initially what set Ceres Tag apart, the company and tag offer much more than that.

“We are launching the Ceres Generation 6 device that will have a suite of advanced reproductive capabilities — estrous alerts, calving alerts and mounting scores,” White says.

What does this mean for ranchers? Less guessing on which cows are more fertile and which bulls are most active. Daily estrous alerts provide ranchers with information that can be applied in both natural service and artificial insemination scenarios.

“We’re now automating the return-to-cyclicity metrics … selecting females that return to heat in 20 to 25 days rather than 40 to 45 days allows us to shrink calving windows even further,” White says. “I’m not predicting an exact standing heat moment … but definitively this percentage of your herd has had estrous activity on this day with a very high confidence interval.”

In artificial insemination (AI) scenarios, ranchers can better know which cows are best suited to synchronize versus not.

“When we’re doing our preparation for synchronization, we always know there’s a percentage of animals that are in that seven-to-10-day window on either side of their estrus cycle that may or may not react,” White explains. “So when we know which animals are either three days past their cycle or three days from their cycle, we know that if we put a CIDR in and start a synchronization cycle in those females, we’re actually just going to throw them off because they were about to ovulate on their own as is.”

The result? Fewer wasted dollars and a better investment of genetics.

“We can stop wasting semen we would have otherwise wasted,” White says. “Those genetics are too important and too powerful to go to waste.”

The mounting scores for bulls also can’t be overlooked as a profit tool.

“Mounting scores tell us which bulls are getting out and working … and also which females are very dominant and riding each other,” White says. “It allows us to see which bulls are working and which ones aren’t … when we spend as much money as we spend on bulls in this country every year, that’s important information.”

Calving alerts are the third feature being rolled out with the new generation of the Ceres Tag.

“Calving alerts are going to be behavior-based metrics that definitively predict a calving activity going on,” White explains. “Those will be triggered based upon the last data packet that the tag sends. It won’t be an immediate notification but it still allows us to know which animal was calving within the last three to four hours at this point, and it gives us the GPS location of that.”

For those calving out on the range, this can eliminate some guess work and save time.

Why invest in this type of technology as opposed to doing what’s worked for years?

“Understanding reproductive behaviors paired with the energetic cost of making them occur gives us the ability to be far more profitable than we ever have been,” White says.

From feed intake in pasture and dry lot settings to which females consistently cycle, ranchers can sort out the females that truly work in their environment and business model.

Learn more about Ceres Tag and how these algorithms work on the “ Casual Cattle Conversations ” podcast.

Tips for Profitably Managing Stockers

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:48:52 GMT

Stocker cattle can undoubtedly be a profitable enterprise, however, there are several considerations that must be accounted for before buying a set of calves. Doug Ferguson, a Nebraska cattle producer, uses sell-buy marketing strategies in his business to maximize profit.

“Sell-buy is the marketing method a lot of the old timers talk about where you capture your profit on the buy,” Ferguson says. “The short definition is it’s a real-time cash flow reckoning. We see those relationships as they exist in the present, so there isn’t going to be any projected break-evens. We’re dealing with real-time real numbers.”

In the case of stocker cattle, there are a variety of ways to capture that profit.

“You can buy a three weight and sell him at five, take him to eight or finish him out,” Ferguson says. “Most of the time, the value of gain is good, so it’s a weight gain business.”

However, adding weight is only one method of adding value to stockers.

“I have a list of probably 20 ways to add monetary gain to stocker cattle that I share in my sell-buy marketing school,” Ferguson explains. “You want to look for value, and that can look like a lot of different things from weight gain to value-added lots to picking up high-risk calves or feeder bulls if you know how to handle them.”

Breeding open heifers and selling them as breds is also an opportunity to consider.

Ferguson also places high emphasis on his own health program after buying any set of cattle.

He explains: “Being a stocker operator, I know that other stocker operations or feedyards are my customer. So, my reputation is built on that health program.”

Reputation of the rancher also must be considered.

“As a buyer, reputation matters. Does the rancher have a good or poor reputation in the sale barn?” Ferguson asks. “If seasoned buyers show no interest in a group of cattle, that’s a red flag.”

For first timers running stockers using a sell-buy approach, Ferguson offers a few additional tips.

He says: “Don’t sell an animal unless you have a replacement animal identified. For example, if I have eight weights but see undervalued four weights, I can make a prosperous trade.”

Understand the value of gain too.

“The first thing to learn is value of gain,” Ferguson says. “Value of gain tells us two things. One, will it pay me to put weight on these cattle? Two, what cattle can I add the most value to the quickest?”

After that, you need to know what resources you have available in your own skillset with running different groups of cattle.

“You’ve got to buy something you can handle. Animals from different geographical regions have different health needs,” Ferguson says. “Additionally, if you are buying bawling three weights, you need the facilities to hold them.”

Getting comfortable in the barn setting is also important if you don’t plan to buy privately.

“Know how to calculate a return on gain and build a barn card so you know exactly how much to spend on your replacement animals and still hit your profit target,” Ferguson says.

Finally, know how to leverage volatile markets.

“When markets crash, keep trading because stocker cattle don’t go up and down at the same rate. Those relationships will widen and narrow,” Ferguson says. “When everyone else is panicking and sitting on their hands, you can make some good trades.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

Organized Herd Records: A New Year’s Resolutions Ranchers Should Consider

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:26:24 GMT

New Year’s resolutions might feel cliché, but that doesn’t mean ranchers should overlook them.

“The new year is a really fun time. It’s a good time to reflect on what happened in the previous year, celebrate wins, look at what didn’t go as intended and ask, ‘Knowing what I know today, how would I have done that differently?’” says Terrell Miller, founder and CEO of CattleMax.

Why take the time to reflect and reset? Ultimately, it comes down to profitability and establishing direction because ranching is a complex business.

Miller says: “Profitability is critical — because managing ranch profitably is what ensures future generations can continue the operation. Ranching isn’t a hobby or just a job; it’s a way of life that transcends generations.”

Establishing these resolutions is unique to the individual, however, ranchers should remember to be specific about their desires and what will truly impact profitability.

“People often set goals without specifics — ‘I want to do X’ — but they don’t know what it looks like or the milestones along the way. Visualization helps create that clarity,” Miller explains.

Outside of the bigger picture, it’s important to set smaller goals or milestones along the way, too.

He says: “If your big goal is a certain income level or herd size, ask: ‘Where do I need to be by mid-summer? What’s my next 30-day plan?’ Otherwise you get to December 31^st and realize you’re short.”

While this basic goal-setting ideal is useful, it can’t truly be carried out unless producers have a benchmark for where they stand today. This benchmark can’t be recognized without organized herd and financial records.

“Organization is such a key. If you’re not organized and don’t have all your information together, it’s really hard to set goals or measure progress,” Miller says. “Successfully managing a ranch or any business starts with good organization and good information. Otherwise, you’re really in the dark.”

For ranchers who feel disorganized or even overwhelmed by the thought of organizing their herd records, the starting point is simpler than they may realize.

Miller explains: “Start with your active inventory: what animals are on your place today. Then add historical data as you have time. A common mistake is trying to enter complete histories cow by cow and never getting usable records started.”

Additionally, he encourages producers to know what their unique operation needs are for record keeping.

“Record keeping is not one size fits all. A thousand-head commercial operation out west has different needs than a 20-head registered herd along the Gulf Coast. Producers have to find the ‘just right’ amount of information to track,” Miller says. “Keeping too little information means you can’t make informed decisions. Keeping too much means you bog yourself down. Record keeping has a Goldilocks zone.”

Keeping records is only half the story. Turning records into reports that make data useful is the other half.

He shares: “One of my favorite sayings is: without reporting and analysis, you’re simply creating an electronic file cabinet. It’s not just about getting data in — it’s about getting useful information out.”

CattleMax has several features that help with this, but the end-of-year organizer is a customer favorite.

“The end-of-year organizer gathers all your information — purchased animals, sold animals, death loss, raised versus purchased — and puts it into a packet that’s easy to share with your accountant and ranch team,” Miller explains.

Whether ranchers have a goal of improving specific performance metrics or organizing records so they have the benchmark they need, remember the time it takes to establish goals is worth it for present and future generations.

“Ranching is labor-intensive, financially intensive and there are no days off — but it’s an incredible way of life. Managing the business side well ensures long-term sustainability and our domestic food supply.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.

2 Veterinarians Share Their Tips for Keeping Calves Healthy

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:29:41 GMT

Health issues during calving season are high on the list of nightmares for ranchers. Veterinarians Troy Dutton and Joe Hochhalter from the Steele Vet Clinic in Steele, N.D., share several of their tips and strategies to help ranchers stay ahead of illness and health challenges this calving season.

Prevention is Key

Calves might get an official ID in the spring, but other factors throughout gestation impact the health of that calf before they hit the ground. This starts by focusing on challenges or risks your unique operation may experience throughout the year.

Dutton says: “It’s a lot easier and more rewarding to help people prevent problems than help them work through problems like scours and pneumonia in baby calves.”

Be honest with your veterinarian so you get the most accurate and timely advice.

“If you’re dealing with a specific problem, discussing that issue with your veterinarian before we get to calving season gives us a chance to intervene early,” Hochhalter says.

Year-round nutrition also plays a role in keeping calves healthy.

“We start all the way back prebreeding to make sure nutrition-wise they’re set up properly,” Dutton explains. “Work with a nutritionist to make sure your herd’s energy and protein needs are being met as well as provide mineral year-round.”

Additionally, monitor body condition scores throughout the year.

Hochhalter adds: “Those cows that are in good body condition at the time of calving are more likely to birth a healthier calf, have better quality colostrum for that calf and be in a better condition to breed back.”

Keep in mind the unique needs of your operation.

“Every rancher is different. You really have to work with your local veterinarian to help address those issues that the ranch is having,” Hochhalter says.

Get Them Off to a Good Start

Once calves hit the ground, a good start sets them up for the rest of their lives.

Hochhalter explains: “Calves that have some kind of calfhood disease never do catch up to their herd mates that have been healthy their whole life.”

Colostrum is a key component to this good start.

“Growing up, I was always told that calf needs colostrum within 24 hours. However, recent research shows us calves need colostrum sooner than that,” Dutton says. “Calves need colostrum within 6 to 12 hours of birth to get the most out of the antibodies it provides.”

Adequate colostrum impacts more than just health, too.

“Calves with adequate colostrum have better rate of gain and feed efficiency all the way through to the end,” Dutton says.

Dutton and Hochhalter encourage producers to know the difference between colostrum replacement and colostrum supplement in situations where the dam cannot provide colostrum.

Dutton says: “There are colostrum supplement products and colostrum replacement products. Colostrum replacement products have greater than 150 immunoglobulins.”

Sanitation and Calving Barns

Sanitation and calving areas look different depending on the time of year, herd size and geographical area of the ranch.

Regardless, keeping cattle clean and dry is non-negotiable.
For those using calving barns, know when to change out the bedding.

“In a perfect world, we’d like to see each new pair get fresh bedding, but that’s not realistic,” Hochhalter says. “The next best option is to change that bedding once it becomes damp and spoiled to reduce the exposure of pathogens to calves with naïve immune systems.”

Clean pens between pairs reduces the risk of disease spread along with proper ventilation.

“One overlooked factor that plays a role in the spread of disease is ventilation in calving barns,” Dutton says. “Ventilation issues present a real challenge even in the beef industry — especially for those early calvers.”

Sanitary equipment also can’t be forgotten in the calving frenzy.

Dutton says: “Equipment sanitation is also important — especially if you’re running around giving a bolus to a calf or using needles and syringes.”

For producers not using a barn, be aware of how mud impacts calf health.

“Weather plays a huge role. If those calves are really muddy, it increases the risk for navel infection or scours,” Hochhalter says.

Try to change bedding around shelters and find dry areas for cattle. Spreading cattle out also helps reduce disease transmission.

“We have some clients who sort pairs by age or keep pairs separate from cows left to calve, and we know reducing that calving density reduces the spread of illness,” Dutton explains. “However, this can be challenging depending on labor and resource availability.”

Remember the basics this calving season and don’t forget to ask your veterinarian for help when you need it. You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

For more tips, check out Drover’s Calving Preparation articles.

A Hidden Pasture Hazard: Determining What Caused 6 Calves to Die

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 16:57:53 GMT

A producer finds six dead calves among their 38-pair herd on pasture. These cattle have not been checked frequently, making the exact timelines of death unsure.

“A case of sudden death but we don’t actually know how sudden,” says Kansas State University Veterinarian Brad White.

In a December episode of Tox Talk , White and Scott Fritz, K-State clinical assistant professor of toxicology, discuss this unique case, unclear at first if it is a disease or toxin issue.

Diagnostic Timelines

Timelines are important to these aspects in an operation as Fritz explains there being a difference in, “they were alive and then dead suddenly or I suddenly found them and they’re all dead.”

Using decomposition rates to determine causes of death can be difficult, especially when they depend on season and temperature. In this case, the oldest dead calf is assumed to be 4 to 5 days old.

Depending on tests done, the decomposition rate may not affect results. However, 24 hours is typically the cut off for these kinds of tests on a corpse according to White. He explains it as “if you’re not going to gain much, it doesn’t make much sense to open them [corpses].”

Case Analysis

With calves aged 2 to 3 months, Fritz’s initial thoughts on the case are respiratory disease. White counters, saying that no clinical signs were shown, and it is odd that with this large a group of calves, there weren’t more affected. No cows were affected so, the case can be focused on issues that affect younger cattle.

Given this situation of acute death, clostridial diseases could be considered. But Fritz says it truly depends on vaccine history.

White brings up that Black Leg or overeating concerns are unlikely, especially with this many dying all at once.

A necropsy was performed with some of the fresher dead calves where veterinarians described the lungs as dark red, or purple and firm. It was noted that there were traces of tracheitis and bronchitis, and feces in the backside of the GI [gastrointestinal] tract were dry and firm.

Cranial ventral lung consolidation was described, and that is not typical of chronic respiratory disease. This does coincide better with tracheitis and acute death, which Fritz says he would then consider something more viral like IBR [Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis].

When looking at the lungs, test results showed an environmental contamination, which is not something typically seen with pneumonia.

Simply explained, the Histopath done showed dead cells, inflammation, no bugs and nothing on DNA diagnostics, as Fritz describes.

History of the herd is also a concern to look in to. There were no other clinical signs in the remaining 32 calves, nor any new introductions to the closed herd in this pasture from August to November.

All tests were negative, so Fritz takes this case a different direction to discuss toxins. Given these results, this is a Bronchopneumonia (BP) and not an Interstitial Pneumonia (IP).

This point limits a lot of inhalant factors.

The rumen content from the Histopath is where the case takes a turn. The contents in the sample bag smelled of petroleum, which is the diagnostic. This determines that it is an Inhalant Pneumonitis that the calves succumbed to, Fritz explains.

What Caused the Deaths?

The pasture contained a pump jack that moved mined product into storage tanks, which were fenced to contain spills. Calf hoof prints showed the calves accessed this fenced area and ingested contaminated soil or material. Although the contamination would have affected cows similarly, they were not impacted because they could not physically enter the contaminated area.

These products are classified by viscosity and volatility. More viscous substances, such as crude or mineral oil, pass through the GI tract with minimal symptoms, while more volatile products, like acetone, evaporate quickly, deeply penetrating lung tissue, and cause damage that is seen in this case. Fritz emphasizes that a product’s physical characteristics are critical to understand.

When testing for toxins like this, a fingerprinting test can be done where different spikes containing the source material are tested and matched to the rumen contents. But this is often expensive and challenging.

Fritz explains that the easiest way to test is to take the rumen content or feces, put it in a bucket with water and then the oil or petroleum contents will float to the top. Fritz notes that there are no diagnostic tests to show “this animal ate that,” so you must stack things together.

Key Take Away for Future Prevention

With an environment like this one, focus is often put more towards fencing and restricting the area. But Fritz explains it is also important to protect and isolate water sources from contamination like this to avoid further toxin issues in herds. It is important producers are aware of all the environmental factors their cattle face.

Fixing Ranch Labor Challenges: Kane Wellnitz’s Advice on Hiring and Retention

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:03:21 GMT

If you ask ranchers what their biggest challenges are, finding and retaining employees often lands at the top of the list. But that doesn’t mean finding the right people for a ranch or any ag business is impossible — it just requires looking at what works for others and understanding what makes ag people tick a little differently.

Kane Wellnitz is a Nebraska rancher and owner of Land Bridge Consulting. His family has taught him how to retain key employees on the ranch, and his consulting business has taught him even more about how to communicate with them.

“Ag people are great, but we’re really good at suffering,” Wellnitz says. “We’ll work all day and not complain — and that can be an issue as an employer. You have to tell people up front: if something’s wrong, call me and let me know before it becomes a bigger problem.”

Wellnitz says proper communication saves a business time and money in the long run.

“It’s really expensive to hire people,” he says. “I’d much rather keep good people than have to find new ones.”

Communicating may seem like an obvious answer, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

“You never really get communication right — you just have to keep working at it,” Wellnitz says. “The biggest thing we’ve learned is to constantly let everyone know what’s going on. I’m not a micromanager. I like my people to manage themselves, but I’ve also learned that good employees still want communication and input.”

Outside of communication, Wellnitz has found creating a sense of ownership to be one of the most effective retention strategies.

“Ownership has been our best retention strategy,” he says. “Andrea, our ranch manager, runs cows with our cows. She’s built her own herd alongside ours — and that makes her truly invested in what we’re doing. When employees have ownership, it’s less like talking to an employee and more like talking to a partner.”

Ownership also includes listening to employees’ ideas.

“Listen to your people’s ideas,” he says. “The folks doing the work often see inefficiencies you can’t. Giving them ownership in the process helps them grow and helps the business improve.”

Offering flexibility is another key strategy.

“Flexibility is key. People have lives, families and goals outside of work,” Wellnitz says. “If I can help them make a living and still have time for life, that’s a win. On the ranch, flexibility looks like small breaks — maybe an afternoon to do something you actually enjoy, like moving cows. Little resets go a long way.”

Housing, providing beef or covering utilities are also benefits ranchers can consider offering. But those extras can’t always make up for direct compensation.

“You’ve got to pay good help,” Wellnitz says. “A lot of the ag industry is still stuck paying what they did 20 years ago. You can’t afford not to pay people well anymore.”

Proper compensation with the right employees will pay off in the long run, he adds.

“If you don’t pay competitively, you’ll pay in other ways — with turnover, stress or lost cattle,” he says. “Those costs can equal the cost of keeping a good employee.”

When it comes to finding good employees, Wellnitz encourages ranchers to think beyond the typical candidate pool.

“Don’t overlook people from outside your exact niche,” he says. “A good hand from the farm side or even the oil field might be exactly who you need on your ranch.”

Keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses your team already has, and consider which skills can be taught. Someone who isn’t as handy horseback might make up for it with strong mechanical skills.

The biggest thing to remember: as a rancher, you are an employer and a leader. Think outside the box, listen to others, and be willing to provide opportunities and compensation that help your employees pursue their own goals.

You can listen to the full conversation with Kane Wellnitz on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast.

What Ranchers Need to Know About Vitamin A

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:14:50 GMT

Cattle aren’t cheap, which makes it more important than ever to make sure ranchers are managing in ways that tap into the full genetic potential of their cattle. Proper nutrition and ensuring nutrient deficiencies aren’t present is one way to do this, especially keeping Vitamin A in mind.

“Vitamin A is a very critical nutrient, as are all vitamins, and first of all vitamins are what we call mainly trace elements,” says Blane Lowe, DVM. “It’s involved with the gene expressions, so vitamin A can help make sure cattle reach optimal performance.”

Signs of vitamin A deficiency can vary but all impact cattle well-being and performance.

“Blindness and specifically night blindness is a large component of that we see things with dull and rougher hair coats,” Lowe says. “With younger animals, you can certainly see stunted growth or slower growth rate, lower weight gains and reproductive efficiency.”

Part of the lower and slower growth rates are caused by reduced Vitamin A in colostrum.

“If there’s not some winter supplementation, it’s not uncommon to see the cows have low vitamin A levels,” Lowe says. “The consequences to those cows are really kind of minimal compared to those of the calves they are carrying … Those get their first 90 days of vitamin A through colostrum.”

Lowe also notes that retained placentas, pink eye and footrot are connected too.

“We see pink eyes, foot rots, they’re all associated with them,” he says.

Nature does a good job providing adequate vitamin A during specific times throughout the year.

“Mother Nature’s provided us with vitamin A in green, lush forages,” Lowe says. “Cattle also store anywhere from a 2-to-4-month’s supply of vitamin A in the liver.”

However, it’s the winter months or even drought years that create need for vitamin A supplementation.

Drought is probably one of the biggest factors there,” Lowe says. “Certainly higher nitrates in the feedstuffs can contribute to a poorer absorption and conversion of vitamin A in the body.”

Ranchers can take steps to ensure adequate vitamin A levels in their herds through proper nutrition, mineral programs and even supplementation if levels are already undesirable.

One solution for herds who need supplementation is Optade which is a water-soluble vitamin A.

It’s called Optade because in addition to the vitamin A, it also has 300,000 international units of vitamin D and 1,260 of vitamin E,” Lowe says.

This solution is administered through the primary water supply of cattle.

“We will recommend that people, if they’re able to, put it in their water supply; put that in at roughly a pound per hundred gallons of water,” Lowe says.

Something to note about vitamin A is its low stability.

“Vitamin A is not really stable, so it degrades fairly rapidly,” Lowe says. “If you bought your mineral several months ago with a specific amount of vitamin A in it, it’s likely that level is no longer the same.”

However you choose to ensure proper nutrient levels in your cattle, keep in mind the big picture of profit and cattle health and performance.

“We’ve done an excellent job as an industry of looking at genomically enhanced EPDs; we’ve selected a very good set of genetics in our herds for the most part,” Lowe says. “Ensuring proper vitamin A levels allows ranchers to take advantage of what they’ve purchased through our breeding selections and give genes the opportunity to be expressed.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

4 Tax Tips That Ranchers Should Know

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:05:03 GMT

The end of the year is here, but so is all the end-of-year bookwork and tax prep that comes with it.

Hannah Mann, founder of Pioneer Accounting LLC, shares several tips and strategies to help ranchers simplify tax season.

1. Bookkeeping Strategies That Work

Reducing indecision and the feeling of being overwhelmed starts with creating a benchmark.

“Having clean, real-time books lets us see multiyear trends, determine what’s making money and create better strategies,” Mann says.

Yet, she knows how challenging it is to keep books updated for the majority of ag operations.

“Most operators don’t have time for bookkeeping. That’s why having a system that’s easy and in real time is huge,” Mann says. “When you’re three or four months behind on reconciling and tax strategy time comes, it’s overwhelming.”

Mann encourages producers to find systems that work for them and not just for their CPA.

“One day I asked my clients to shoot me straight about the current program we used. They only used it because they thought it was the only way to work with me,” she says.

This personal experience shifted Mann’s approach to how she works with her exclusively ag clientele. One of her first choices for bookkeeping software is Ambrook.

“Ambrook automations can allocate expenses across enterprises for you; it’s doing the bookkeeping instead of doubling your work,” explains Mann. “In Ambrook you can see profit and loss by enterprise at your fingertips. It’s profound for understanding what’s actually making money.”

Additionally, Ambrook offers flexibility to catch up on bookwork while you wait in the school pickup line or in the other gaps of time within your day via its app. You can send an invoice from the cab of the tractor for the custom hire job as you leave the field.

No more adding things to the to-do list. That is that much sooner you get paid and have the working capital back into your operation.

2. Updating Equipment Purchases, Loans and Raised Livestock

Whether you do all of your bookwork or hire it out, having updated equipment purchases is a crucial component of tax preparation.

“A huge part of prepping for tax season is making sure every purchase order gets saved, uploaded or sent to your accountant,” Mann says. “If you buy a tractor and no one enters the asset or liability, the books don’t know it ever existed.”

Tracking interest deductions is also commonly forgotten during the end of year rush.

“Oftentimes people make loan payments but miss the interest deduction; sometimes tens of thousands of dollars left off their books,” she says.

Finally, knowing how to categorize raised versus purchased livestock can save you big time.

“Raised versus purchased livestock has to be tracked correctly. It can cost you 15 cents on the dollar if it’s thrown on the wrong line,” Mann explains .

She encourages producers to ensure their CPA and CPA’s team understand agriculture.

“You have to be sure the person doing your tax return truly understands ag so they’re not throwing steers on depreciation,” she explains.

3. Know Your Options

Every operation and business is different, which means asking your CPA about different opportunities and being flexible year to year is important.

“Keeping a good pulse on multiyear strategy matters. Ag is volatile and these tools exist because of that volatility,” Mann says.

One such tool is a Schedule J, which allows farmers and ranchers to average their income over several years.

“The IRS has said Schedule J is underutilized, but they’re not going to send you a letter saying, ‘You could have income averaged — try again,’” Mann explains. “Farmers and ranchers have so many crazy good tax benefits the rest of us can’t take. There’s just so much opportunity to keep working capital in the operation.”

Understanding effective versus marginal tax rate is also important.

“Your effective tax rate is essentially the average tax you’re paying on every dollar, where marginal tax rate is for every extra dollar you take in, what will that be taxed at,” Mann says.

“People could have a 22% marginal tax rate, but their effective rate is only 14%,” she says. “That’s the biggest thing people don’t understand.”

4. Shift Your Mindset

While taxes might not be fun to pay, they may be the better financial decision in the long run.

“I really hate to see when people try to buy their way out of tax because it hurts them on working capital and on equity,” Mann says. “Those with cash and working capital are the ones who get opportunities when land unexpectedly comes up for sale, not those buying their way out of taxes.”

Decisions about write-offs should be made clearly and with a plan.

“Before you buy that thing this year versus next year or prepay all that feed, make sure the decision comes from a place of confidence,” she says.

Depending on the scenario, Roth IRAs are worth looking into.

“If someone is effectively paying 7% tax, they’re often better off putting money into a Roth and letting it grow tax-free,” she explains.

Mann also warns people to be cognizant of other retirement funds.

“With solo 401Ks and IRAs, people don’t realize they still owe self-employment tax on that Schedule F income even if they’re contributing to retirement,” she says.

Now What?

Take these questions to your accountant and make sure there aren’t better options for you. Know your operation is unique and be open to new concepts that help build generational wealth.

Listen to the full conversation on the “Casual Cattle Conversations” podcast .

Learn more about Ambrook: ambrook.com/casualcattle

Cattle Market Q&A With Tim Petry

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 17:26:51 GMT

Cattle markets are always an important topic, but between recent political events and some hot fall sales, they are creating more conversation than usual in and outside of the industry.

Volatility is a primary concern for many cow-calf producers, and it has created extra stress and head-scratching about what to do with their 2025 calf crop.

“Volatile times are not a time to change your marketing plan. Stick with what you usually do,” says Tim Petry, livestock economist at North Dakota State University.

As ranchers, it can be hard to watch markets fluctuate and wonder if you’ll get the price you want next week, next month or even 60 days from now.

“Don’t get worried about the futures market being up the limit today or down the limit tomorrow,” Petry says. “Concentrate on the cash market and the fundamentals.”

The fundamentals being the first things you learn in any economics or business course: supply and demand.

“There are two things that affect prices, and that’s supply and demand. We are short on supply because of six straight years of a declining cow herd, and beef demand has been very, very strong,” Petry explains.

The fundamentals of supply and demand combined with tax challenges that come from selling two calf crops in one year and resource management are the primary reasons Petry encourages ranchers not to panic sell.

“Most producers are locked into selling at a certain time because of their resources,” he says. “Stick with that plan and do the best you can.”

Additionally, he encourages producers to look at other methods to increase profits and capitalize on good years.

“The old days of hauling calves to the sale barn, dropping them off, and forgetting about them are over,” Petry says. “If you want to be on top of the market, provide more information. We’re in the information age now, and buyers want to know everything they can.”

Backgrounding also matters to buyers.

“January is our biggest marketing month because calves are weaned and bunk-trained, and that alone adds value,” Petry explains.

Outside of how long will bull markets last, herd rebuilding is the next big cattle market topic.

“We’re in the early stages of modest herd rebuilding. Moisture will determine how fast that happens,” Petry says. “Moisture conditions throughout cattle country bode well for bred heifer prices.”

Heifer marketing opportunities are also something to consider as a cow-calf producer.

“There’s flexibility in heifers. Many are backgrounded through winter, and in spring the decision gets made: breed them or send them to the feedlot,” Petry says.

Like the rest of us, Petry doesn’t have a crystal ball to predict exactly when markets will shift. However, he does offer his prediction to cow-calf producers.

“We think prices will stabilize. They aren’t going to go up as much as they did last year, but we expect another very good year,” Petry says. “Beef demand has been very, very strong — stronger than many expected given the economy.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the ”Casual Cattle Conversations“ podcast .

Tips For Improving Cattle Performance During Winter

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:52:06 GMT

Cattle are resilient animals, but northern climates can still challenge their performance in the winter months.

Understanding how to manage cattle during freezing temps, snow, ice and wind is critical in setting the ranch up for success for subsequent years.

So what is too cold for cattle?

“We would consider that their threshold would be about 20 degrees Fahrenheit for a cold, critical temp — but that’s affected by body condition, wind, whether she got wet, and if there’s a windbreak,” says Karla Wilke, cow-calf and stocker management specialist for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Being proactive with monitoring body condition scores (BCS) across the herd and individual groups is the first step in setting cows up for success during the winter.

“What we would like to see in our cows going into winter is that they maintain between a five and a six on a one to nine scale so they’re right in that moderate range,” Wilke says. “A thinner cow is going to have a lot more trouble maintaining her body heat and her nutrient requirements are higher because she’s needing to put some condition back on.”

As cattle producers evaluate BCS in the fall in winter, it’s important to be mindful of factors that impact what is seen at first glance.

Wilke says, “Hair coat can mask some of that cover over the ribs— you might assume a cow looks fine when she’s actually thinner than you realize.”

The same can be true about gut fill.

“A cow that has a lot of gut fill can look like she’s big and fat, but if it’s just gut fill and it’s not that fat cover over her ribs and her tail head and in her brisket, then it’s not body condition score,” Wilke says.

Protecting cattle from wind and freezing rain is also important in helping cattle perform optimally throughout the winter.

Wilke says, “If you can get them out of the wind, they can handle some pretty low temps, especially if they’re in decent body condition and have feed in front of them.”

Shelter belts, permanent wind breaks or even temporary wind breaks built from bales are all options to consider in winter pastures. Lack of protection from the elements can set cattle backward.

“A cow that doesn’t have much for a winter coat or body condition can see her nutrient requirements double when she gets wet and cold,” Wilke says.

Not accounting for this change in nutrient requirements impacts not only the cow but also her calf.

“Sometimes those cows are out there foraging for themselves on a cornstalk field and…they’re thinner than you realize because they’ve got a winter coat on,” says Wilke. “Come spring, she gives birth to a calf while thin and she didn’t put a lot of nutrients into the colostrum for that calf. Then the calf doesn’t do that great and because she’s behind nutritionally she won’t breed back.”

Trying to save money by not feeding or supplementing, can create a larger issue.

“Sometimes trying to save a few bucks in the winter by making cows do it on their own sets things in motion that will hit us down the road,” Wilke explains.

Fall-calving herds have other factors to consider.

Wilke says, “One thing producers know but sometimes forget is that lactation pulls about twice the nutrient requirement that just gestating does.”

Calves are also smaller and more susceptible to the elements.
If cattle are going into winter in the appropriate BCS, adjusting rations is still something to consider with weather changes.

“It doesn’t hurt to provide a little extra feed, maybe 20% more, when you know a storm is coming — because the heat of fermentation helps cows maintain body temperature,” says Wilke. “If you feed a TMR, maybe you add a pound or two of corn per head per day to increase energy.”

The best option for each ranch will vary on the weather, age of cattle and availability of resources. Regardless, being proactive with nutrition, genetic selections and wind breaks can help set cattle up for optimal performance this winter.

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

North Dakota Family Shares Profitable Strategies for Marketing Heifers

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:35:49 GMT

For many cow-calf producers, marketing heifers is a second thought to marketing steers. But placing equal emphasis on reputation and strategies for females can be highly beneficial to operations around the country.

Jon and Patty Tebelius of Bowdon, N.D., are an example of how to trial different sale avenues, build reputation and more importantly create a herd that works for your customers.

“Our replacement heifers are equal to the heifers we sell through our seedstock supplier — and probably some of them are better. You have to pick and choose, and that’s how we do it,” Patty says.

The Tebeliuses currently sell open heifers during their seedstock supplier’s bull sale each March. However, they’ve tried other avenues such as the sale barn, online auctions and private treaty.

“The biggest challenge starting out was having a mixed herd. Seeing our hard year’s work get split into five groups at the sale barn was disappointing,” Patty explains. “But, we didn’t feel we had a group of quality replacement heifers to offer until we worked on getting them even and more uniform color-wise and size-wise.”

To work toward that uniform herd, Jon and Patty started by focusing on their genetic selections for both their replacement heifers and herd bulls.

Jon says: “I want buyers to know these aren’t just sale barn heifers that look cute — these ones have been looked at on the inside as well.”

Genomic testing helps the Tebeliuses have a more accurate understanding of how their herd has improved year over year and where they still need to make changes.

“The most value we can create is testing our females, tracking gains, and seeing what direction we’re moving. That’s what helps us build a better herd,” Jon says. “If you’ve never done DNA sampling, maybe now’s the time. It gives you a benchmark on your heifers and helps you understand why a buyer might not have come back.”

One lesson they learned on their journey is that sometimes buying females instead of using your own replacements is a faster way to make progress.

Patty says: “Getting an even group of cattle to market took time — DNA testing, culling hard and buying cows from registered breeders that fit our herd better helped us improve the most.”

Bull selection is also a factor they pay close attention too.

Patty says: “When you buy a bull, it’s not a purchase — it’s an investment in your future.”

Second to selecting replacement heifers, bull selection is the next decision that moves the needle forward on a cow-calf operation.

“We don’t have any terminal sires. Staying moderate and evening out your cow herd seems to work the best — it does the most for you, the fastest,” Jon says.

As ranchers work toward improving their cow factory, equal importance should also be placed on relationships.

“Every day, strive to build trust with people. It takes time,” Jon says. “When you can connect with buyers and get feedback from them, it’s uplifting. That’s what I enjoy about marketing our heifers the most.”

Like anything, keeping an open mind to new opportunities and change is key.

Patty says: “Believe in the new ways. Don’t be afraid to change. Some of it’s good, some of it’s bad, but most of the time that little bit of change works out.”

You can listen to the full conversation on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast .

The Hidden Thief Reducing Profit and Performance in Cattle

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:52:04 GMT

Investing in genetics that move the needle in a cattle operation is a key component to making progress in both performance and profitability. However, there are factors both controllable and uncontrollable that are limiting ranchers’ ability to tap into the full genetic potential of the bulls they purchase and females they retain.

These factors went unnoticed for many years until more research was done on epigenetics, specifically fetal programming and how gestational experiences impact progeny performance on the ranch and through the remainder of the beef supply chain.

What are epigenetics?

“Epigenetics or fetal programming isn’t a change in the genes themselves; it’s a change in how those genes are expressed. A nutritional or environmental insult can upregulate or downregulate gene expression, turning some on and others off,” says Kelly Sanders, director of research and development at Westway Feed Products.

This upregulation or downregulation of genes can show up in a variety of areas related to performance and profit, but the biggest is in lost calf value.

“Producers can lose calf value simply by how cows are handled during key stages of gestation,” Sanders adds. “Those management choices can limit genetic potential and profit.

“The most genetically valuable cattle in the world can’t perform if we mismanage them. We’re still leaving performance and profit on the table. Even though a bull may have all the genetic merit in the world, if he experienced a nutritional insult during gestation, he might never express that potential — that $10,000 bull could effectively become a $5,000 bull.”

For commercial cow-calf producers, it also shows up in calf performance on and after the ranch.

“Cattle that experience epigenetic events can show reduced growth, lower weaning weights, poorer feedyard performance and even higher mortality rates,” Sanders explains. “During the 2010/11 drought, I watched producers go into survival mode. Those calves were some of the sickest and least efficient I’d ever seen — proof that undernutrition in the cow shows up in the next generation.”

Female fertility also can’t be ignored in the fetal programming conversation.

“Research shows that heifers from nutritionally stressed dams can have fewer lifetime eggs and up to 20% lower pregnancy rates,” Sanders says. “That’s a long-term hit to ranch profitability.”

These epigenetic events or insults are commonly caused by weather events and inadequate nutrition.

“We can’t control droughts or heat stress, but we can control nutrition,” he says. “Paying attention to body condition and supplementation is where producers can protect profit.”

This means paying close attention to heifers and cows throughout the year so they maintain an adequate body condition score during prebreeding and all the way through gestation.

“We’ve always said cows can take care of themselves early in pregnancy, but that mindset has cost the industry performance and dollars. Every stage of gestation matters,” Sanders stresses. “Each trimester of gestation impacts a different part of the calf’s development — from organ formation early on to muscle and fat development later. Missing the mark nutritionally in any one of those phases has lasting effects.”

Sanders says meeting the nutritional needs of cows 365 days a year matters, but the last trimester of gestation is especially important for both cow and calf performance.

“That last 90 days is critical; protein requirements nearly double and energy needs rise by 50%,” he says. “It’s not the time to let cows fall behind.”

Practically speaking, the simplest way to avoid instances of epigenetic events is watching body condition scores year-round.

“Keeping cows in a body condition score of 5 to 6 is one of the most practical and profitable management decisions a rancher can make,” Sanders says. “Once cows are in good condition, they’re actually more efficient with nutrients. It takes less feed to maintain them than it does to play catch-up after they’ve slipped.”

This increased efficiency with nutrients is why Sanders has seen many ranches be more profitable even when they supplement liquid feed year-round.

“Having feed available 24/7 lets cows self-adjust as grass quality changes; it’s a simple way to reduce the risk of hidden nutritional insults,” he says.

For producers who don’t want to supplement year-round, knowing your resources and needs of your cattle is even more critical.

“Know your forage quality. There’s a point where declining grass limits intake, not just nutrients. That’s your cue to supplement before you start losing condition,” Sanders says. “Most ranchers wait until they can see cows losing condition, but by then they’ve already lost a half score. You’re chasing performance that’s already gone.”

It’s critical to not leave out mineral programs in this discussion.

“A good mineral program year-round is just as important as energy and protein,” he adds. “Those cows have mineral needs 365 days a year, not just before breeding.”

Sanders notes the industry has made immense progress over the past 15 years but still has work to do.

“The droughts of 2010 to 2012 forced us to be better cattlemen, but we still have room to grow,” he adds. “We’re getting closer to capturing full genetic value, but we’re not there yet.”

While reducing epigenetic events is nothing short of imperative, producers shouldn’t overcomplicate the matter either.

“It’s about a balanced approach; nutrition, health and management all work together to protect your herd’s genetic investment,” Sanders says. “Reaching out for help, from nutritionists, vets or Extension agents, is one of the best things a producer can do to make smarter, more profitable management decisions.”

Make a note or three to analyze body condition scores throughout the year and reach out to your team for guidance. These small efforts can result in reaping big rewards in increased performance and profitability.

Listen to the full conversation on the “ Casual Cattle Conversations ” podcast.