Stocker

When Stress Tips the Scale: A Look at Calf Immunity and BRD Prevention

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:13:53 GMT

The first months of a calf’s life are a critical window for respiratory disease risk. Its immune system is still developing, making them especially vulnerable during periods of stress. Management decisions can shape how well they respond to vaccination and how resilient they remain during disease challenges.

Building Immunity Is Not as Simple as Giving a Vaccine

Preventing disease is always better than waiting for calves to show signs of illness. While proper animal husbandry and care are key to supporting calf health, vaccination remains central to managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and preventing permanent damage. To get the most out of any vaccination program, it’s important to understand how immunity develops.

“Just because we administer a vaccine doesn’t mean that equals 100% immunity,” says Matt Washburn, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim.

Vaccination is a powerful disease prevention tool, but it does not override biology. The immune response depends on timing, energy and availability, and the overall stress load on the calf at the time of administration.

“I like to think of stress as a seesaw effect,” Washburn explains. “You’ve got immunity on one side and layers of stress on the other. Every time we add a layer of stress, that scale is going to start to tip. Things like transport, handling, commingling, nutrition and hydration are all going to affect how that calf responds to vaccination.”

While some stressors — like weather — can’t be controlled, other events, including processing, transportation and commingling, can be planned for. When multiple stressors are stacked together, even well-designed vaccination protocols can underperform if immune demand exceeds the calf’s ability to respond.

“Stressors are likely to decrease the immune response to any challenge that might be going on,” says Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Just because it’s convenient to vaccinate when you have your hands on a calf doesn’t mean it’s ideal timing for building immunity.”

To build immunity against a challenge like BRD, a calf’s immune system needs to have time to respond to a given vaccine. When possible, vaccination should be scheduled far enough ahead of a stress event to allow immunity to develop.

“In an ideal world, we’re administering vaccines several weeks before a stressful event,” Washburn says. “From a stocker standpoint, that’s not a luxury always available. But it’s still important to understand that those few weeks are what’s going to offer the biggest bang for your buck out of a vaccine.”

While timing plays a critical role, it’s only one piece of an effective prevention strategy.

Understanding the Vaccine You’re Using is Important

The foundational details for vaccination, like timing, are relevant to all calves, but building a protocol that’s unique to your business and herd starts with a conversation with your veterinarian.

“It’s important to ask questions like, What’s the risk of adding another vaccine or the risk of pulling one out? Do we have gaps in protection?” Vlietstra emphasizes. “Having these important discussions with a herd veterinarian, or a professional services veterinarian like Dr. Washburn and me, sets up an understanding of what can realistically be expected from different vaccines in different groups of calves.”

Those conversations ultimately come down to immune capacity and product choice. Every additional antigen introduced into a high-risk calf increases immune system demand, which may already be managing stress, nutrition changes and pathogen exposure.

“Each vaccine you administer places its own demand on the immune system,” Washburn says. “When you’re talking about high-risk calves that already have a lot of stress on them, stacking a lot of vaccines on top of one another means they may not respond as well as you’d like.”

Vlietstra adds that immune demand isn’t just about the number of administrations.

“Sometimes, we look at one bottle and one syringe, but it’s important to think about what’s in that bottle,” he says. “Is it a three-way, a five-way, a seven-way? It’s not just how many shots you’re giving, it’s what’s in them.”

That’s where vaccine formulation becomes important. Differences in design — including the adjuvant type — affect immune stimulation, particularly in young calves that may still carry maternal antibodies.

“Historically, it was accepted as a fact that maternal antibodies would block an injectable vaccine,” Vlietstra says. “Now we know that the vaccine adjuvant MetaStim works alongside the preexisting antibodies, not against them.”

For operations evaluating vaccine options, vaccine formulation can influence how effectively calves respond, especially when maternal antibodies are still present. Washburn and Vlietstra explain products formulated with the MetaStim adjuvant, like Pyramid vaccines , are designed to stimulate a balanced, robust immune response in calves as young as 30 days of age.

Vaccination Results Can Vary Based on Management

The best prevention against BRD doesn’t begin at vaccination — it begins long before that. Early-life management decisions influence how resilient calves remain as stress comes and goes.

Vlietstra notes those first couple hours and days matter in terms of colostrum, bedding, hygiene and feed.

In stocker and feedlot systems, groups of calves will arrive with varying health backgrounds. That history plays a significant role in how well a vaccination program performs.

“Many feedlots or stockers tend to have one protocol, and give it no matter what kind of cattle are coming in,” Washburn shares. “The history of those calves matters — preconditioning, travel history, weather, where they came from. The same vaccination protocol can perform very differently, depending on those factors.”

Disease risk is dynamic, regardless of cattle type or age group. Because stress load, immune demand and pathogen exposure are constantly shifting, prevention programs can’t remain static.

Both Washburn and Vlietstra recommend regularly reevaluating prevention strategies to keep protocols aligned with real-world conditions. Your herd veterinarian can help evaluate calf history, stress load and vaccination timing to ensure respiratory disease prevention programs evolve with the realities calves face.

What are Feed Additives?

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:13:24 GMT

Feed additives are specialized ingredients mixed into cattle rations to improve average daily gain, enhance feed efficiency and prevent metabolic diseases like acidosis and bloat. Whether managing a cow-calf herd, stockers on pasture or a finishing operation in the feedlot, understanding the regulatory landscape is essential for legal compliance and animal performance.

“Responsible feed additive use is important. Store medicated feeds properly. Observe product expiration dates,” says Brandi Karisch, University of Mississippi associate Extension and research professor. “Use feed additives only for their intended purposes. Follow label directions and pay attention to label warnings.”

In an episode of “ Doc Talk ,” Dr. Dan Thomson discusses various common feed additives used in cattle management. He says these are ingredients mixed into rations to:

Improve feed efficiency — more gain from the same feed
Reduce disease and digestive problems — acidosis, bloat and coccidiosis
Support overall animal health and performance
Help manage behavior and reproduction, such as estrus suppression in heifers

There are two classes of feed additives — nonmedicated and medicated.

Nonmedicated Feed Additives

Nonmedicated feed additives include probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, phytogenics and many other compounds.

According to the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) field guide , the following feed additives are available over the counter without a direct veterinary prescription — unless labeled for feeding in combination with a veterinary feed directive (VFD) medication such as ionophores, prebiotics, probiotics, fermentation products, enzymes and coccidiostats

Medicated Feed Additives

Medicated feed additives include antibiotics, antimicrobials, anticoccidials, antiparasitics, sulfonamidics, hormones, antibloat compounds and beta-agonists.

The federal veterinary feed directive stipulates medically important antibiotics are prohibited for use as growth promotants and cannot be fed without a veterinary prescription. The FDA requires a VFD for all feed-use antibiotics that could potentially impact human antibiotic resistance.

The BQA Manual (pages 116 to 119) explains the FDA regulations and the types of medicated feeds available. Page 118 has a table of approved feed additives including withdrawal and approved combinations.

What is a Veterinary Feed Directive?

If a cattle producer needs to use a VFD feed medication, they must obtain the VFD from the veterinarian with whom they have a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).

The veterinarian must be licensed to practice in the state in which the cattle are located. The only FDA-approved VFD feed medications are those used for treatment or control of specific diseases. The longest duration any VFD can have is 180 days unless specifically limited by the label.

There are no FDA-approved VFD medications for treatment, control or prevention of foot rot or pinkeye.

All VFD records must be kept and be available for inspection for two years by the issuing VCPR veterinarian, the cattle producer and the feed mill distributing the VFD medication.

There are several FDA-approved feed medications that do not require a VFD. However, if used in feed at the same time as a VFD drug, that concurrent use must be authorized and approved on the VFD. Notable among these are ionophores and parasite control medications. Visit with your veterinarian for more detailed information.

What is a VCPR?

A valid VCPR is required for producers to use all prescription medications, extra-label use of nonprescription medications and all FDA feed medications that require a VFD.

Veterinarians are trained to evaluate individual and groups of animals within a herd system and provide integrative management plans to prevent diseases or problems from occurring in the future. Working with a herd veterinarian to develop operation-specific protocols can improve management, record keeping and provide employee training opportunities. An established VCPR allows the veterinarian to diagnose animals, prescribe medications and drug therapy to treat, control or prevent disease and issue certificates of veterinary inspection (CVIs) or health certificates.

Residue avoidance in meat and milk products is a team effort that starts with the VCPR. Written and signed VCPRs are recommended for record keeping. VCPRs should be renewed annually, based on state or federal guidelines. Producers are encouraged to schedule yearly consultations with their veterinarian to review current practices and to develop and set goals for the next year and consider areas for improvement.

What are Ionophers?

According to Karisch, ionophores are antimicrobial compounds that modify microbial fermentation in the rumen, allowing cattle to get more energy from the feed consumed. Ionophores inhibit or depress the growth of certain rumen microorganisms. This alters the rumen fermentation process in several ways.

“The benefits of including ionophores in beef cattle diets are well documented,” she says. “Ionophores generally improve feed efficiency from 5% to 10% and improve rate of gain by 2% to 7%.”

What are Buffers, Yeast Cultures and Bloat Prevention Aids?

Karisch says buffers can be added to beef cattle diets to reduce fluctuations in rumen pH. This helps reduce the incidence of acidosis when adapting cattle to high-grain diets or when feeding cattle concentrate feedstuffs such as wheat at high levels.

Yeast cultures may improve feed efficiency, gain and health in cattle.

“Yeast-based products affect dry-matter intake, rumen pH and nutrient digestibility,” she explains. “But some studies show no benefits from adding yeast cultures to beef cattle diets. Yeast cultures can be used in receiving diets of both low- and high-stress cattle.”

Poloxalene can be fed to help prevent bloat on legume and other lush pasture. It can be mixed with feed or offered in block form.

“For product effectiveness, cattle must consume adequate quantities of poloxalene,” Karisch says. “It is still important to use other bloat-prevention measures, such as filling cattle up on hay before turning them out onto lush pasture, to be safe when dealing with high bloat risk.”

What are Beta-agonists?

Beta-agonists are a class of growth‑promoting feed additives used late in the feeding period to improve growth rate, feed efficiency and carcass leanness in cattle.

In feedlots, they are used as nonnutritive feed additives near the end of the finishing period to:

Increase average daily gain
Improve feed conversion
Shift nutrients toward more muscle and less fat, improving carcass yield

Fly and Parasite Control

Oral larvicides are fed to cattle through a feed ration or mineral to kill fly larvae as they hatch in the manure.

Karisch stresses they are effective only when animals consume the proper amount of the active ingredient. Oral larvicides do not control migrating adult flies. Adult flies can still be a problem if a producer is using an oral larvicide but a neighbor is not practicing any fly control. Other common fly control feed additives are insect growth regulators that disrupt fly life cycles.

She says many anthelmintics or dewormers are available as feed additives.

“Anthelmintics are advantageous when handling animals is difficult,” she explains. “As with other feed additives, effectiveness of anthelmintics delivered through feed depends on cattle consuming adequate quantities of the product.”

Both Karisch and Thomson stress feed additives can be great tools to use alongside good nutrition and management to keep animals healthier and more efficient. They encourage producers to work with their veterinarian and develop a plan that fits their program.

The Cost of Early Turnout: Why Waiting for Green Grass Pays Off

Tue, 27 May 2025 17:02:58 GMT

When pastures green up in the spring, producers start thinking about turnout. They do not want to keep feeding harvested feeds any longer than needed. Three extension specialists say the challenge is producers can turnout too soon, which can result in reducing the forage production potential for the entire grazing season.

What should producers consider before turnout? Aaron Berger, University of Nebraska beef systems education educator, says there are three things to consider ensuring a successful and safe pasture turnout:

Forage readiness. “The first and most crucial step is assessing grass conditions,” Berger says. “Producers should ensure there are at least three leaves present.”

This is important during drought conditions, when grass availability may be limited. Berger explains turning out cattle too early can exacerbate feed shortages and potentially damage pasture vegetation.
Water source evaluation. Water availability and quality are paramount. Berger reminds producers to carefully inspect water sources, especially during drought years. Stock ponds, dams and dugouts may not be recharged as usual, potentially leading to poor water quality. Water with high solid content can be unsuitable for livestock consumption, making thorough assessment critical.
Noxious plant identification. Berger says scouting the pasture for potentially harmful plants is essential. Drought conditions can make cattle more likely to consume plants they would normally avoid. Identifying and addressing these potential hazards can prevent livestock health issues.

Ron Lemenager, Purdue beef specialist, says forage height is important. He explains cool-season grasses should be at least 6 inches tall.

“Leaf material is critical for photosynthesis and plant recovery after grazing,” he says. “The early-season forages are typically high in water, potassium and soluble nitrogen content but low in energy. We used to refer to this as ‘washy grass.’”

The challenge here is that cattle cannot eat enough dry matter to meet their energy requirement. This is especially true for replacement heifers coming off a gaining diet to reach approximately 60% of their mature weight by the beginning of the breeding season. When turned out to lush early season pasture, they can crash on energy and go into negative energy balance.

“This results in a reduction in the number of heifers cycling and early embryo death,” Lemenager says. “If the breeding season coincides with this energy crash, fewer heifers will become pregnant until they adapt.”

AJ Tarpoff, DVM and Kansas State University extension veterinarian, agrees with the importance of scouting pastures and determining forage availability.

“Be sure to check forage availability and make any stocking rate adjustments, if necessary,” Tarpoff adds.

Lemenager says soil condition is another factor to consider.

“If it is cool and soils are water-logged, the roots system is compromised,” he explains. “Additionally, hoof action on wet soils will result in pugging (deep depressions). The challenge here is that weed seeds that have accumulated and laid dormant over the years but buried below the germination zone. When soils are pugged, these weed seeds are now closer to the surface and germinate.”

Be Sure to Communicate With Neighbors

Tarpoff encourages producers to have an open line of communication with neighbors. It’s a good idea to share when turning out, what types of cattle are going out (yearlings, pairs, bulls) and how the cattle are identified, for example, tags or brands.

“This open communication helps identify strays earlier,” he adds.

Your Next Read: Unlocking Success with Cow Herd Health Metrics: A Scorecard Approach

5 Ways to Improve Stocker Average Daily Gain

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:28:32 GMT

If you run a stocker or backgrounding operation, you already know how important cattle gain is to the profitability and long-term sustainability of your business.

Small optimizations to pasture management and cattle health programs can work together to improve stocker weight gain this year. Sam Ingram, a range and pasture field scientist with Corteva Agriscience, and Dr. Jeffrey Sarchet, a beef technical services veterinarian with Zoetis, put their heads together to offer their five top suggestions for improving stocker average daily gain (ADG):

1. Prioritize valuable legumes by using effective pasture weed control strategies.

Every stocker operation is highly dependent on quality forage to maximize profit margins. If forage production is the goal, any plant that isn’t adding to the forage production in that pasture is competing with the other forage species that are. That’s why pasture weed control is one of the primary tactics to consider when trying to optimize pasture production and ultimately, ADG.

“When the quality of the legume is so high in total digestible nutrients and crude protein, you’re able to boost average daily gain in a really economical way,” Ingram says.

2. Prevent and control bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

BRD can significantly reduce gain in cattle and is a devastating disease for both cattle and producers, costing the industry up to $1 billion annually in lost production, increased labor, treatment costs and death.

“To help reduce losses from respiratory disease, it is important to implement control measures before it hits your operation,” Sarchet says. “A strategic on-arrival vaccination program can quickly provide protection from harmful BRD pathogens and give cattle a healthy start. When cattle are at increased risk of BRD, I also recommend using a broad-spectrum antimicrobial on arrival as part of an effective BRD control program.”

3. Implement a strategic deworming program.

If cattle are grazing, there is always a risk of exposure to internal parasites. A parasite control program is critical for stocker cattle to fully utilize nutrients in forage and achieve maximum weight gain.

“Parasites drain the immune system,” Sarchet says. “With the younger age of stocker cattle and the potential for higher risk of BRD, any boost to the immune system is beneficial. Parasites not only affect the immune system — they also suppress appetite and limit optimum gain.”

4. Consider implanting.

Typically, conventional growth implants increase cattle weight gain by 15 to 40 lb. during the grazing season. In current cattle markets, this can translate into an additional $53 to $143 per head for producers.

“Implants are an amazing technology because they essentially make the animal more efficient,” Sarchet says. “You can graze the same number of cattle on the same amount of nutritious pasture and produce even more beef.”

5. Consult local experts.

There are many variables and practices that can contribute to more forage and pounds of beef produced per acre, even in addition to those listed above. But Ingram and Sarchet emphasize that each operation is unique, with different management practices already in place.

“Corteva Agriscience and Zoetis offer robust portfolios of products that can help improve ADG, but both companies are invested in your operation’s success,” Ingram says. “Our teams of local experts are committed to sharing the latest and greatest knowledge in stocker cattle management and working with you to find the right mix of strategies and solutions to improve your margins.”

In addition to working with these in-field experts, it’s important to frequently consult your local veterinarian and nutritionist.

“I really admire stocker producers, because you have to wear two hats — you have to stay on your toes and keep a sharp pencil in both the forage production and cattle production aspects,” Sarchet says. “We deal more with the animal health side of it at Zoetis, but I spend a lot of time also talking with producers about growing good grass. It all goes together, and it really doesn’t work when it’s piecemealed. The benefits are proven to be additive.”

Who Is Who? Choosing the Right ID Strategy for Your Herd

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:13:29 GMT

Cattle identification is important at every sector of the industry, with many options and varying permanence. In new technological advancements, Electronic identification (EID) tags are becoming more popular with different management programs as well as freeze branding.

Freeze Branding

Rains Simmental located in western Kansas near Oakley uses freeze brands on their red and black Simmental cattle. They brand cattle with both their ranch/ownership brand and the animals’ individual tattoo number.

“We do their individual tattoo number brand on their left hip and then our ownership brand right under it on the left hip as well,” explains McKellen Rains. “We try to brand everything.”

The Rains family freeze brands the individual tattoo number and their ownership brand right under it on the left hip.

(Rains Simmental)

There are certain laws and protocols for branding in many western states where brand inspections are required for proof of ownership. Brands must be registered with the state and have different regulations in terms of locations and brand details. Other states, many in the Midwest and East, do not have brand inspection offices and do not require registration with the state.

“We’re looking to buy more spots on the left side,” Rains explains. “I’ve got three other brothers, so we’re looking to buy more spots on the left side and we can still use the same brand, but split up and have him on the shoulder, me on the ribs. That way, we don’t have to get another brand and stuff like that where we can just split it up and have the same ownership brand on the left side.”

(Wyatt Bechtel)

Hot branding is also an option, with the same regulations in brand states. There are pros and cons to both brand forms, but Rains prefers freeze branding because of the eye appeal and legibility.

“It just looks better. It comes in white if done correctly,” he adds. “We prefer the freeze brand just because it comes back in white, just easier to read. There’s nothing wrong with the hot brand. It’s just easier to read with a freeze brand over a hot brand.”

Overall, Rains likes that the freeze brand is a permanent form of identification. Cattle can often tear an ear and lose a visual tag. Rains also likes being able to see the animal’s tattoo number from farther away.

“It seems like you can’t have enough identification anymore,” he says. “It makes it easier for me, and for older guys and stuff like that, they like it because a lot of them guys struggle with reading tags. Just the ease of being able to identify an animal a lot quicker, and it’s permanent.”

(USDA)

EID Tags

Electronic identification tags contain a unique, scannable microchip that replaces the manual entry of ID numbers when processing cattle. Instant identification of an animal with a scan allows data to sync with management software immediately when compared to handwritten or typed record-keeping.

Lukassen Cattle Co. in Nebraska began incorporating EID tags as traceability and data management became increasingly important for internal decision-making and external market access.

Between their two locations, they calve out around 1,000 Limousin and Angus-based cows.

“We emphasize practical management and long-term sustainability, developing cattle that work in commercial settings while maintaining maternal strength and feed efficiency,” Elyse Lukassen says. “A key part of our operation is delivering all-natural beef directly to consumers, offering true ranch-to-table beef with no added hormones.”

With the size and scope of their operation, using EID tags provides a more efficient and accurate management process.

“The transition to EID tags has supported our participation in value-added programs,” Lukassen says. “Programs like Non-Hormone Treated Cattle (NHTC) and Global Animal Partnership require detailed record-keeping and traceability, and electronic identification helps ensure compliance is both accurate and auditable.”

Like any new technology, there is an upfront investment, both in tags and in the necessary readers and software, Lukassen adds.

“There’s also a learning curve in implementing systems effectively,” she says.

They still use plastic visual-only tags for identification pen-side. Their registered cattle also are tattooed.

Jara Settles, Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) general counsel and vice president of risk mitigation, says large-scale beef and many dairy producers can find benefits in using EID tags in conjunction with management software.

“Scanners in a milking parlor, at the feeding area or integrated with a chute-side system can help them track production traits such as weights, pregnancy status, treatments, vaccinations, etc. This application of the EIDs allows the farmer or rancher to get the most value for those devices as the investment can be spread out over the entire productive life of the animal,” Settles says.

The downside of EID tags is usually cost-related as they’re significantly more expensive than visual-only tags. Settles says many producers do not have the technology necessary to read them or integrate them into their management system.

“From an auction market perspective, the application of EID tags to livestock for sale as mandated by the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) program is an added cost to the consignor that does not realize any premium or added value,” she adds.

On May 9, 2024, USDA APHIS published into the Federal Register the Final Animal Disease Traceability Rule “ Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison ” making visually and electronically readable tags the only form of official identification for sexually intact cattle and bison 18 months of age and older, all rodeo, exhibition cattle and dairy cattle moving interstate. That rule became effective Nov. 5, 2024.

“The visual-only tags that were previously allowed under the Animal Disease Traceability program were very inexpensive to purchase and were usually provided free of cost to producers and auction markets by USDA. The transition from visual-only identification for animals currently covered by the ADT program to EID tags increased the cost per tag by as much as nine times,” Settles adds.

Since the transition to EID tags, LMA in coordination with several industry partners has sought funding for these EID tags so that this transition is not an unfunded mandate by the government.

“We have been appreciative of the hard work of livestock champions in D.C. who have ensured farmers, ranchers and livestock auction markets are not unfairly burdened by yet another expense they are unlikely to see benefit from in production. We hope to see continued appropriations of funds to pay for the EID tags for currently covered animals,” Settles says. “LMA would adamantly oppose any expansion of the ADT program to include cattle not currently covered by the program, commonly referred to as feeder cattle.”

Respiratory Disease Treatment Options: Match the Drug to the Bug

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:58:31 GMT

“When it comes to any disease treatment, it’s imperative to match the drug to the bug — or in other words, use the correct class of antibiotic to control the disease-causing bacteria at hand,” says Dr. Shawn Blood, Zoetis beef technical services veterinarian. “The same holds for anti-infectives used to treat bovine respiratory disease (BRD).”

Currently, the four most common classes of anti-infectives used in cattle treatments are macrolides, beta-lactams, phenicols and fluoroquinolones. When it comes to controlling bacteria, each of these major classes of anti-infectives has a slightly different mode of action (MOA).

Four major classes of anti-infectives used for BRD treatment include:

1. Macrolides interfere with protein synthesis by reversibly binding to the 50S subunit of the ribosome and appear to bind at the donor site, which prevents the translocation necessary to keep the peptide chain growing.

Common active ingredients: Tilmicosin, gamithromycin, tildipirosin and tulathromycin
Works well against: BRD-causing bacteria such as Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni. In some cases, this class also may be effective against Mycoplasma bovis.

2. Beta-lactams impair the development of bacterial cell walls by interfering with transpeptidase enzymes. These enzymes are associated with a group of proteins in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria called penicillin-binding proteins, also called PBPs.

Common active ingredients: Penicillin, cephalosporin
Works well against: BRD caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni

3. Phenicols work similar to the macrolide class and affect protein synthesis at the 50s ribosomal subunit of the bacteria cell.

Common active ingredient: Florfenicol
Works well against: BRD caused by Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni

4. Fluoroquinolones interfere with DNA synthesis within the bacteria cell, which prevents cell replication.

Common active ingredients: Danofloxacin , enrofloxacin
Works well against: BRD associated with Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Histophilus somni

Image has been modified and was sourced from: https://openstax.org/books/microbiology/pages/14-3-mechanisms-of-antibacterial-drugs

(Zoetis)

What Does This Mean for BRD Treatment?

All the major BRD-causing pathogens can be controlled with one or more of the four major classes of anti-infectives listed above. However, there are a few key instances in which choosing the right antibiotic class can make or break respiratory disease treatment outcomes. These include:

Re-treating cattle. The current paradigm in BRD therapy is to switch classes of anti-infective if an animal needs to be re-treated after metaphylaxis or initial treatment. This makes it important to know which anti-infectives are in which class and their MOA — because you don’t want to use the same MOA in both treatments.
Treating BRD caused by M. bovis. Because M. bovis bacteria lack a cell wall, and beta-lactams work by attacking the cell wall, this class of anti-infective will be ineffective against BRD caused by M. bovis.

“With the complex nature of BRD, choosing an anti-infective with the right MOA can be a contributor to better treatment results. However, this information sometimes is not available immediately when an animal, or set of animals, becomes ill,” Blood says. “Your veterinarian can help you diagnose and execute a treatment plan of action based on MOA, evidence-based medicine and clinical response.”

This can mean more successful first treatments of BRD, fewer doses of antibiotics, more responsible use of antibiotics and economically significant savings on your operation in both money and time.

“It’s also important to remember that respiratory disease is a complex disease system — and there are many outside variables that can negatively affect treatment outcomes,” Blood says. “Work closely with your herd veterinarian to establish sound prevention practices that limit the risk of BRD in the first place.”

The Beef Industry Cannot Afford to Treat AI as a Side Project

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:42:45 GMT

The U.S. cattle industry is operating under intense pressure. Supplies are tight, feedlots face rising costs and declining placements, and the national herd remains near multi-decade lows after years of drought, liquidation, and high input prices . Recent reports point to shrinking cattle-on-feed inventories and increasing strain on large feeding operations as they compete for a smaller pool of animals . Yet domestic and export demand for beef remains strong, meaning each animal now carries more economic value than at any point in decades.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape how producers manage that reality. Sensors, cameras and predictive software are moving from pilot projects into everyday use across cow-calf operations, stocker systems, feedlots and packers. Wearables can flag illness through changes in activity or temperature. Computer vision systems estimate weight gain and body condition without handling cattle. Feedlot analytics track intake patterns to identify problems before they appear in closeout data.

Similar pattern-recognition systems are already helping operations detect changes in cattle health, management, and economics earlier across the production cycle. These tools matter because they protect value. When herd size is constrained, losses from disease, poor feed efficiency, or reproductive failure become more expensive. AI allows earlier intervention, reducing both biological and financial risk.

Labor pressures reinforce the shift. Skilled workers are difficult to recruit and retain, particularly in rural areas. Remote monitoring allows managers to oversee cattle across large distances while focusing physical effort where it is most needed. This does not replace stockmanship, but it changes how time is used. However, technology alone does not improve performance. Operations gaining real advantage are not simply installing systems. They are rethinking how decisions are made, how information flows, and how risk is managed across the entire business.

From Data Collection to Decision Power

The beef supply chain is long and biologically complex. Decisions made at breeding or weaning influence outcomes months or years later. Feed costs, weather, forage conditions, genetics, health protocols and market signals interact continuously. AI is valuable in this environment because it can integrate diverse data streams and identify patterns humans might miss.

In cow-calf systems, predictive tools can support heifer selection, breeding management and pasture allocation. Stocker operations can match cattle to forage conditions and growth targets. Feedlots can optimize ration strategies, placement weights, and marketing timing. Packers increasingly use similar tools to forecast demand and coordinate procurement.

When information flows across these segments, the system becomes more responsive. Early signals about feed grain prices, export demand or weather conditions can influence decisions long before cattle reach the packing plant. Health issues detected in one stage can trigger preventive action in another.

Yet many operations accumulate data without changing behavior . Dashboards multiply, reports become more detailed, but daily practices remain largely unchanged. Without a clear plan, AI becomes an expensive reporting system rather than a performance driver.

Our recent white paper on AI in agri-food argues that meaningful impact occurs only when technology is embedded in strategy rather than applied piecemeal. One practical approach is the DRIVE framework, which focuses on five priorities for turning digital tools into operational advantage:

Data first. Reliable, integrated records across genetics, health, feed, performance and marketing are essential. Poor data quality limits predictive accuracy.
Run purposeful pilots. Focus on high-value problems such as reducing death loss, improving feed conversion, or optimizing marketing windows, with clear metrics and a path to scale.
Internal capability matters. Managers and staff must understand how systems work and when human judgment should override model outputs.
VIPs are not exempt. Owner and executive engagement signal that AI is central to strategy, not a technical experiment delegated to vendors.
Execute now. Advantage comes from implementation and learning over time, not waiting for perfect solutions.

Operations that follow this disciplined approach move from experimentation to measurable improvement much faster than those pursuing scattered projects.

Leadership Will Determine Who Wins

Technology tends to amplify existing management quality. Producers with clear goals and disciplined processes extract far more value from AI than those hoping technology will compensate for weak planning. The central challenge is leadership, not software. The transition resembles the arrival of major infrastructure such as high-speed rail. The biggest gains accrue to those who reorganize activities around the new capability. Others see only marginal benefits because they continue operating as before. AI increases the speed of analysis and coordination, but speed without direction can create confusion rather than progress.

I have described AI as agriculture’s “bullet train”: fast, transformative, but requiring careful navigation. AI may be overhyped today, but it is likely to become as essential to food production as electricity and the internet. The question is not whether it will arrive, but how prepared operations will be when it does.

For the beef industry, timing is critical. Herd rebuilding will be slow, capital costs are high and volatility remains constant. At the same time, global demand for high-quality protein continues to grow.

Producers who can improve efficiency, consistency and responsiveness will be better positioned to capture that demand. AI will not replace experience or judgment. Successful cattle production remains rooted in understanding animals, land and markets. What AI changes is how that expertise is applied. Routine monitoring may decline, while interpretation, planning and risk management become more central.

In the coming decade, the divide in the beef sector will not be between those who use AI and those who do not. It will be between those who treat it as a tool and those who treat it as part of a long-term operating plan. The technology is already spreading across the industry. Competitive advantage will depend less on access and more on intent. Producers who start building capability now will shape the future of the beef business rather than reacting to it.

Aidan Connolly, president, AgriTech Capital , is described by Forbes as ‘a food/feed/farm futurologist. He is the author of the book ‘The Future of Agriculture’, now in four languages, and a recent white paper on AI in Agri-Food systems.

Dakota Ranchers: New Program Available To Promote Data-Backed Grazing Management

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:36:10 GMT

Ducks Unlimited and AgriWebb are joining forces and taking aim at addressing the challenges of grazing on public lands in North and South Dakota.

Supported by a grant through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the program provides livestock producers in cow-calf or stocker operations with digital tools and infrastructure to manage their public land, livestock and profitability more effectively. Ranchers enrolled in the program benefit from AgriWebb software combined with temporary and virtual fencing to holistically manage their livestock and land.

“Keeping grasslands intact is essential to the long-term sustainability of waterfowl and other wildlife,” notes Billy Gascoigne, DU senior director of agriculture & strategic partnerships. “Ranchers are the primary stewards of these landscapes, and it’s imperative that we develop solutions that help them implement adaptive, profitable grazing practices while ensuring the next generation can continue this important work.”

According to the organizations, the partnership will provide a streamlined way to report livestock numbers and managed acreage to NFWF. By capturing this data, the partnership is tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including:

● Enhance grassland health: Promoting vibrant nesting cover for waterfowl through ample rest and rotation.
● Empower producers: Providing the “productivity-driving” insights needed to manage herds more effectively on complex public lands.
● Strengthen the food chain: Ensuring long-term land fertility to support a growing global population.

“Producers wear many hats, but none are more critical than feeding the world while stewarding the land,” says Campbell Mauchan, AgriWebb vice president of partnerships. “By combining DU’s conservation expertise with AgriWebb’s ability to turn simple data collection into actionable insights, we are helping ranchers nurture the ecosystems we all rely on. When a rancher is equipped to not just record their data, but use it, they are able to make decisions that help them nurture the ecosystems that support their legacies.”

According to the organizations, the initial roll out focused on Dakotas state trust lands is being considered a pilot for a scalable model in how technology and conservation can work to support ranchers across North America.

For more information, ranchers can visit ag.ducks.org .

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 .

How are Producers Finding Success with Stockers?

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:03:05 GMT

Stocker operations are grass-based production systems fitting between the cow-calf producer and feedyards. These operations are transitional, often buying calves from local sale barns or directly from cow-calf operations and selling them to feeder cattle buyers.

A sector of the beef industry that can be found across the U.S., experts share what makes a good stocker operation.

Forage Factors

Jeff Lehmkuhler, University of Kentucky Extension professor in beef cattle nutrition and management, says there are three things that add value to stocker calves:

Added management such as castrating/dehorning, pregnancy checking and vaccine programs
Improved nutrition
Sorting calves into larger, more uniform packages for the feedlot

(Farm Journal file photo)

Beyond these, management practices can change considerably depending on where the calves are from, forage availability and location.

“In the Southeast it is common to see a blended stocker/backgrounding system,” Lehmkuhler says. “Calves are on pasture grazing tall fescue/cool season mixed pastures while also getting supplemental feed. This supplemental feed aids in diluting the impact of the ergot alkaloids found in Kentucky 31 tall fescue, evens the plane of nutrition to support desired levels of performance and allows for slightly increased stocking rates.”

He says there will be some future investment into pasture renovation away from Kentucky 31 tall fescue to novel endophyte tall fescue in operations that are willing and able to improve their forage.

In the Kansas Flint Hills burning pastures in the spring is a common practice to allow for fresh regrowth before the grazing season.

“The Flint Hills grass is adapted to burning from centuries of wildfires on the prairie, and if this practice is not done, we see a reduction in cattle performance,” says Bill Hollenbeck, Kansas State University beef systems manager. “This also allows for the control of non-native forage species and can reduce tick populations.”

The K-State Stocker Unit practices early intensive grazing. They turn cattle out on native prairie grasses such as big bluestem, Indiangrass and little bluestem around May 1 and allow a 90-day grazing period that ends about Aug. 1.

“This practice allows the cattle to consume fresh regrowth in May after our April burn and get the cattle off grass before our driest time of the year in August and September,” explains Cole Ellis, K-State Beef Stocker Unit research assistant.

Stockers

(File)

Full Circle Data

Hutson Angus in Elk City, Okla., manages its cattle from conception to carcass, creating progeny predictability through their data. Breeding decisions are made based on phenotype and data through an individual feed efficiency test called Vytelle Sense.

“We test all of our bulls and as many of our replacement heifers as we can,” says Zach Long of Hutson Angus. “That is a huge part of our breeding decision-making. I’m going to use some historical information to make some breeding decisions as well.”

While expected progeny differences (EPDs) play some role in Long’s decision-making, they initially base their decisions on actual measured data.

Long makes an initial cull at weaning based on weaning weight ratios and phenotype. Here he identifies early the cattle that will go to the feedyard and what will remain as seedstock cattle.

“From that point we generally put our bulls on the feed efficiency test first and our ration is a very high roughage, low concentrate ration,” Long says. “We want to simulate as close as we can a forage-based diet in a feed bunk.”

While the bulls are on the feed efficiency test, the heifers will go on an end of a growing season, Sorghum type product late in maturity. They graze heifers on that pasture until there is room to start heifers on the feed efficiency test.

“The feed efficiency test is a 59-day warm up period and then a 49-day actual test of data being collected,” Long explains.

Cattle are sorted again based on their feed efficiency test performance, and those that were selected as feeder calves will go on green pasture as quick as possible, generally wheat or triticale. They are on pasture until mid- to end of March, when they are then sent to the feedyard.

“I’m going to collect the last weight that I can collect on the ranch, so I’ll know individually how they performed in comparison to their contemporaries on green pasture,” Long says.

Their fall-born cattle go through a similar process after weaning in early spring. Those selected as feeder cattle will go to green pasture, typically wheat or triticale that is at a more mature stage than what the spring born cattle graze. After planting the sorghum-type forage in the spring, they will move cattle to those pastures in early summer or onto grass if it is available. Stockers will graze through the summer and ship to the feedyard in the fall.

“Cattle who did not perform well in the feed efficiency test are going to be stockers,” Long explains. “Even the cattle that perform under our performance standards will still go to the feedyard and have excellent feed efficiency because there’s been so many years of selecting against that. When I say feed efficiency, I’m not saying low intake cattle. What I use for feed efficiency is: ‘Did he eat less than he needed for his body weight but still gain at or above his contemporaries average daily gain?’ Those are the cattle that we’re selecting for.”

Your Next Reads:
Thriving Amid Uncertainty: Essential Tips for Stocker Operators
Transforming High-Risk Cattle into Economic Success

Second Screwworm Detection 120 Miles from U.S. Border

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 20:54:05 GMT

There was a new detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, approximately 120 miles south of the Texas border.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the case in a 22-month-old bovine transported from Veracruz to a feedlot in Nuevo León.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a press release emphasized that Texas remains free from detection, but that state officials and agriculture leaders cannot be complacent.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today issued the following statement after being notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of a new detection of the New World screwworm (NWS) in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, approximately 120 miles south of the Texas… pic.twitter.com/Wb3uIwW3gf
— Texas Agriculture (@TexasDeptofAg) December 3, 2025

“We will keep working shoulder to shoulder with USDA, Mexican animal health authorities, and our own state agency partners to defend our border and Texans from this dangerous threat. We will protect our livestock, safeguard our economy, and do everything possible to keep the New World screwworm at bay,” Miller says.

He also encourages Texas producers to remain watchful for suspicious wounds, unhealed tissue, or maggot activity in livestock, wildlife, and pets, particularly in locations near the border.

Producers who suspect NWS should immediately contact their local veterinarian and state authorities. Early detection, strict livestock movement controls, screwworm fly suppression and rapid response are the best tools to combat this serious threat.

This detection marks the northernmost active case currently found in Mexico. It is also the second detection at the same Nuevo León feedlot since October. No additional cases were linked to the October detection, and both events appear tied to livestock movements from southern Mexico.

For more on NWS, including a current list of NWS detections within 400 miles of the U.S. visit Screwworm.gov .

Your Next Reads:
Next Step in the Screwworm Fight: USDA Announces Opening of Sterile Fly Dispersal Facility in Tampico, Mexico
The Smell You’ll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Nightly Battles and Big Losses: Ranchers Demand Reform as Wolves Continue to Wreak Havoc

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:42:51 GMT

It’s hard to fathom: 92 confirmed or probable kills of cattle by three wolves during one season (April to October 2025) in the Sierra Valley. For ranchers, it’s more than economical loss — the emotional toll of dealing with wolves targeting their livestock and livelihoods is real.

Reintroduction and management of wolves in Sierra County, Calif., has led to significant challenges. The community, led by officials such as Paul Roen, has been actively pushing for updated management protocols, enhanced deterrence measures and better support from state and federal agencies to address the escalating wolf-livestock conflict.

Roen, a Sierra County supervisor (similar to a county commissioner) and rancher, explains it’s more than a livestock issue; it is a human safety issue.

“These wolves were not bothered by humans whatsoever. I mean, they were not acting like wild animals at all,” he says in reference to the wolves killing cattle earlier this year.

Rick Roberti, California Cattlemen’s Association president and a cattle rancher in Sierra Valley, adds: “For every confirmed kill you find, there’s probably four to six others. The wolves had gotten so used to eating cattle they didn’t hardly even look at a deer if they could find one.”

Roen and Roberti both stress the wolves have no fear of humans, with frequent sightings near homes and barns.

The severity of the attacks led Roen and other local officials to declare a state of emergency, drawing statewide and media attention. Despite the efforts of ranchers and local authorities — including constant night patrols, protective measures and deployment of technology like drones — wolf predation persisted. The community also engaged with state and federal resources, including a Strike Force sent by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to document the losses and explore possible intervention .

The program, designed to prevent livestock attacks on ranching properties in the heavily impacted Sierra Valley, deployed more than 18,000 staff hours across 114 days, engaging in 95 hazing events that helped to prevent an even greater loss in cattle deaths.

Eighteen Sierra Valley ranches enrolled in the program. CDFW staff also assisted ranches in evaluating the use of wolf-deterring fladry and ensuring livestock carcasses are correctly disposed to avoid attracting scavenging wolves. Additionally, the program helped facilitate depredation investigations, enabling ranchers to access compensation through CDFW’s Wolf-Livestock Compensation Program .

Following the unprecedented level of livestock attacks across the Sierra Valley, CDFW, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), took the step of lethally removing four gray wolves from the Beyem Seyo pack.

“This action follows months of intensive non-lethal management efforts to reduce livestock loss and is grounded in the best available science and understanding of wolf biology,” according to the press release.

Roen says progress dealing with the wolf issue came with federal involvement and local law enforcement support. He says when the sheriff got involved , people woke up in Sacramento.

Read more about how sheriff departments from seven California counties united to oppose environmental polices they believe threaten ranchers and farmers.

Not Just California

The gray wolf is on the federal endangered species list except in the Northern Rocky Mountain region of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Oregon, Washington and north-central Utah. In Minnesota, the gray wolf is considered threatened. Because of these protections, killing a wolf in the states where it’s protected is illegal, even if it’s seen killing livestock.

Luke Morgan, Lightning Bolt Cattle Company general manager, has been dealing with wolves since 2011 when they first came to Oregon. Morgan manages 2,500 mother cows on multiple locations in Oregon and Washington using both public and private lands.

A pack of wolves that live on one of the Lightning Bolt ranches in western Oregon have been causing havoc the past couple years. According to Morgan, the wolves killed more than 25 head of livestock from mid-October to mid-November.

He says the wolves prey the weak-minded: “Whatever can’t take the pressure … the ones that will break and run.”

(CDFW)

Cattle producer Amy Anderson Fitzpatrick says her family has also been dealing with wolves since 2011. They raise cattle in southern Oregon during the grazing season (May to December), then move the herd to winter in Northern California. The base ranch, called Rancheria Ranch, is in the mountains of Oregon and is a mix of owned land and permitted grazing. The operation includes commercial cow herd plus some yearlings.

Since 2019, Fitzpatrick says at least 24 cattle deaths have been attributed to wolves, though actual losses are likely higher due to unconfirmed cases in the rugged terrain.

“I have learned far more about wolves and their behavior than I could ever imagine. Wolves kill for food, yes, but they also kill to hone their skills, teach their young and for fun. We have witnessed wolves literally bumping livestock bedded down to get them up and running to chase them,” Fitzpatrick says. “We’ve been dealing with it for about 14 years. … The earlier pack, the Rogue Pack, would hit Fort Klamath hard in the summer months when there was an abundance of yearling cattle, then in the fall they’d come over the hill to Rancheria and hit us. Now we deal with what is known as this Grouse Ridge Pack, which seems to just like to hang out at the ranch and hit our permit country in the summertime.”

Fitzpatrick says they previously anticipated up to five losses per year from cattle turned out on the range as a cost of doing business. With the increase in wolf population, the ranch tallied between 35 and 40 mostly weaned calves during the 2024 season.

The Rogue Pack would kill livestock as sport and not consume the animals. However, the current, larger pack tends to consume more carcasses, further complicating verification.

In Wisconsin over the past 12 months, wolf attacks on livestock have increased. According to the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there have been 62 livestock depredation incidents in 2025 — 45 killed and 17 confirmed harassments — all of which are either livestock or pets. That’s nearly double the number of incidents reported just three years ago.

According to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau : “Wisconsin’s wolf population has rebounded from extinction to an undeniable conservation success. But lately, it feels more like a horror story than a success story.”

Read more about how ranchers say they are willing to deal with wolves if they will return to their natural habitat:
Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools

(Paul Roen)

Financial Loss is Real

Herd-level effects beyond death loss include lower conception rates, 50 lb. to 75 lb. weaning weight declines and cow herd fear. Wolves have changed cattle behavior significantly.

Fitzpatrick says the presence of wolves has caused observable stress and aggression in the cattle, leading to behavioral changes, abortions and decreased weaning weights.

“Wolves actively harass resting cattle, preventing them from relaxing or thriving,” she says.

Morgan says herd experience more vulnerability during calving season. He points out calves and protective dams are high-risk with wolf attacks leading to increasing accidental calf deaths and stress-related herd disruptions.

Research by Tina Saitone, a University of California-Davis professor and cooperative Extension specialist in livestock and rangeland economics, found one wolf can cause up to $162,000 in annual financial loss .

Compensation is Available But Falls Short

Compensation frameworks exist but often lack speed and scope and require confirmations that are often unfeasible. Morgan says there’s not even close to enough funds in the pool to cover all the losses.

“There is money appropriated in California, but we’re just having a hard time getting it,” Roberti adds. “Most have been waiting since April.”

All four producers say depredations are significantly undercounted compared with real losses due to terrain, investigation lags and evidence requirements. A shared frustration is the fact if an animal is nearly completely consumed, the investigators can’t find the evidence it was a wolf attack and thus, it does not count as a wolf depredation.

Emotional Toll is Substantial

For cattle producers impacted by wolves, it’s more than the financial toll; it’s the human factor, the stress incurred.

“Financial-wise, it’s huge. It’s astronomical, if you really dig into it, but the mental capacity it takes from us and the people who work for us is huge,” Morgan says. “The emotional toll we have to go through just watching and observing cattle, and we spend every day we possibly can trying to keep these animals alive.

“There’s nothing pretty about the way [wolves] kill animals,” he continues. “For us to go out and find them or have to deal with that, it’s huge emotionally.”

Fitzpatrick explains the losses due to wolves have deeply affected her dad.

“My dad is 81 years old, and I have never seen him so depressed,” she explains. “He’s not the same; he’s lost the fight. It’s like we’ve lost. How do you put a price tag on that?”

Dealing with wolves it is a safety issue as well, Roberti adds. As producers stay up all night checking on and protecting their cattle. Fitzpatrick agrees, summarizing the stressful steps she takes to check cattle, noting she now avoids certain tasks due to the increased risks to herself and her dogs.

Documenting the events in Sierra County, Roen says he hopes their experiences can be used as a road map for others. He plans to share plans, forms and training materials with ranchers facing similar threats.

“We created different plans and trainings we will allow everybody to plagiarize,” he says.

Your Next Read:
Wolves Are Not Going Away: Ranchers Push for Practical Management Tools

The Cost of Coexistence With Wolves

I'm a Drover: An Innovator Redefining Ranching

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 13:13:18 GMT

Calling the Nebraska Sandhills home, Logan Pribbeno is not your typical rancher. He’s a fifth-generation beef producer who blends Silicon Valley precision with generational agricultural wisdom.

He represents a new breed of rancher — one who seamlessly blends technological insight, financial expertise and deep ecological understanding.

Today, he serves as president of Wine Glass Ranch with headquarters in Imperial, Neb. His approach is holistic. He views himself not just as a cattle producer, but as an ecosystem manager.

Read more about Wine Glass Ranch:
Profit Meets Purpose: A Rancher’s Guide to Sustainable Success

He doesn’t view sustainability as a trendy concept but as a fundamental business strategy. He sees sustainability not as a buzzword, but as a holistic approach to land management. With his leadership, the Wine Glass Ranch serves as a laboratory for regenerative agricultural practices.

“I view myself as a grass farmer,” Pribbeno notes, emphasizing the importance of grass management.

The ranch has a complex rotational grazing system with 90 paddocks and 200 miles of fencing, ensuring 95% of the land rests at any given time. This strategy maximizes grass regeneration and cattle health while minimizing environmental impact.

ESAP Photography

(Photos: NCBA/Environmental Stewardship Award Program)

Not the Typical Path to Ranching

Pribbeno recalls he initially did not want to ranch. However, he experienced a pivotal moment when he turned 18.

“The switch just went off,” he recalls.

After high school, his father, Jeff, required Pribbeno to leave the state and the agriculture industry for 10 years before he could come back to the ranch.

Jeff explains the experience helped Pribbeno “mature, gain independent work experience and develop critical management skills.”

He says working outside the family operation, Pribbeno gained a broader perspective and became more prepared to manage the ranch effectively upon his return.

Ending up in California, Pribbeno graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in business economics and then immersed himself in the tech world of Silicon Valley.

While there, he navigated the high-pressure consulting and finance landscape, experiencing the 2008 financial crisis firsthand and developing a strategic mindset that would later help him leading the family’s ranch.

While he was in California, he also met and married his wife, Brianna. A native Californian, she made the move with Logan back to the ranch in 2012. The couple has two daughters — Pearl and Prairie.

Jeff says he’s proud of Pribbeno’s development as a ranch manager.

“He’s learned how to be a boss, so I’m really proud of that. That’s very important... to manage people is really hard,” he explains. “He also has all the financial skills that he needs. The business side of the ranch is the most important part.”

(Wine Glass Ranch)

A CFO Approach

Unlike many producers who rely solely on generational knowledge, Pribbeno manages ranching like a corporate CFO. With his background in financial consulting, he approaches his current role using a corporate strategy — analyzing every aspect of the ranch through a lens of strategic profitability and data-driven decision-making.

“I’ve made more money reading and relaxing on my back patio than I have sitting in a cab of a tractor,” Pribbeno jokes, revealing the analytical approach that sets him apart.

This financial acumen extends to his cattle management and long-term perspective. Instead of following and chasing short-term market trends, his vision extends beyond immediate profitability.

He’s currently transitioning from a cow-calf operation to more stocker cattle, driven by market conditions and financial considerations.

“We try to look at the cattle cycle to see when we should be mainly stockers versus mainly cow calf,” he explains.

Jeff and Connie Pribbeno and their son and daughter-in-law, Logan and Brianna, own and operate Wine Glass Ranch near Imperial, Neb. The ranch is an example of how innovative agricultural practices can simultaneously improve ecological health, animal welfare and financial sustainability.

(NCBA Environmental Stewardship Program)

Family and Future

Another characteristic that defines Pribbeno is his generational thinking. He plans in decades, not in years, and is deeply committed to generational land stewardship.

“We want to leave the place a little bit better for our kids, just like my parents did.” he summarizes hoping one day Pearl or Prairie will continue the family’s ranching legacy.

Pribbeno is not just a rancher, but an ecosystem manager, financial strategist and environmental steward. By integrating technology, financial insight and ecological understanding, he’s demonstrating that modern beef production can be simultaneously profitable, sustainable and regenerative.

ESAP Photography

(NCBA Environmental Stewardship Award Program)

Pribbeno’s 5 Sustainability Tips

For producers seeking to improve sustainability, Pribbeno offers these strategies:

Read extensively. He suggests Allan Nation’s books, including “Knowledge Rich Ranching.” He tries to read at least a dozen books per year.
“Keep an open mind. Reading is a strategic advantage for me,” Pribbeno says.
Visit other operations. “I’ve probably put my boots on 100 different farms and ranches,” he explains. “And that’s really been a strategic advantage for me see what other people are doing. My farm and ranch network is not other producers from Chase County or southwest Nebraska. It’s the greater Plains area, and with tools like Twitter and Facebook, your peer group can be far and wide.”
Profitability and sustainability are the same path. “It doesn’t seem that way, but if you run the numbers, you’ll find it to be true,” Pribbeno stresses.
Plan in decades, not years. “Adopt a decade or generation scale of ecosystem management,” he suggests.
He suggests thinking strategically.
“We try to look at the cattle cycle to see when we should be mainly stockers versus mainly cow-calf,” he explains.
Wine Glass is currently transitioning from mostly cow-calf pairs to more stocker cattle, driven by market conditions and financial considerations.
Keep an open mind and continue learning.

Your Next Read: Profit Meets Purpose: A Rancher’s Guide to Sustainable Success

Beef Industry Chaos: Tight Supplies, Strong Consumer Demand and Political Interference

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:04:16 GMT

The current state of the cattle market and beef industry has been described as chaotic. “There’s chaos in cattle,” as Chip Flory, AgriTalk host, put it.

The industry turmoil follows recent statements made by President Donald Trump regarding the need to lower beef prices as well as his request for the Department of Justice to immediately begin an investigation into meatpackers for driving up the price of beef.

Derrell Peel, Extension livestock marketing specialist from Oklahoma State University, affirms these are unique times, emphasizing while political factors have always indirectly influenced agriculture, it’s unprecedented for the cattle and beef markets to be at the center of direct political debate.

On a recent AgriTalk segment, Peel points out the inherent biological and production constraints of the cattle industry — particularly the fixed timeline to raise cattle — make quick fixes impossible. Both Flory and Peel stress that no political policy can shorten the cattle production process; any effective supply response requires patience and long-term adjustment.

Packers Under Fire

The concept of industry consolidation and foreign packer ownership has long drawn scrutiny with frequent government investigations. Peel says highly concentrated industries such as beef packing have been targets for skepticism and regulatory attention for over a century, to the point suspicion of packers is almost “a cultural thing” within segments of the industry.

He characterizes the latest call as another attempt to target convenient scapegoats rather than addressing deeper systemic realities of supply and demand.

“The reason we have the industry structure we do is because the economies of size and cost efficiencies are such a powerful economic force,” Peels explains.

He confirms researchers have long studied market power, and while concentration does have a small negative price impact for producers, the efficiency and cost-savings from large-scale firms more than compensate. These benefits, he says, keep cattle prices higher for producers and beef prices lower for consumers than they would be with a less efficient structure.

Dissecting the economics of margin markets Peels explains why price changes in different parts of the beef supply chain — cow-calf, feeders, packers and retailers — don’t move in lockstep. He uses a “bungee cord” analogy to illustrate the complex, dynamic and time-lagged interactions linking cattle prices at the farm with retail beef prices.

“All cattle prices and beef prices are ultimately connected, but they’re not connected with a stick or a chain,” Peel summarizes.” They’re connected with a bungee cord. There’s just an enormous amount of dynamics in this thing.”

Regarding the foreign ownership debate, Peel says there is no evidence foreign ownership alters packer behavior within the U.S. marketplace. He emphasizes foreign firms have made large investments in U.S. facilities and continue to operate them by the same market logic that would govern domestic ownership.

He also points out it is unclear who else would be in a position to make such significant investments if these foreign companies were not involved. This pragmatic view suggests the ownership issue might be less important than is commonly believed, at least concerning everyday operations and market outcomes.

A Lot Hinges on Rebuilding the Cow Herd

In his latest article, “ All Bets are Off ,” Peel says: “The latest edition in the torrent of recent political attentions directed at the cattle and beef industry includes allegations of market manipulation against the beef packing industry. Beef packers are the one segment that has been most negatively impacted in the current market, incurring huge losses due to poor margins and limited cattle supplies.”

(Meat Institute)

Peel reports packers have been losing enormous amounts of money for about the past 18 to 24 months. According to the Meat Institute, packer margins slipped into the red in September 2024. Through the week ending Oct. 4, 2025, packer margins were a negative $126.50 per head, up slightly from a year earlier at a negative $125.65 per head, according to Sterling Profit Tracker. The outlook for the year is a negative $165.96 per head packer margin.

“There’s just simply not enough cattle for them to operate at cost efficient capacities,” Peel explains.

This negative trend was anticipated — the reduced supply of cattle has made it difficult for packing plants to function at cost-efficient capacities, leading to the accumulation of operating losses. Peel points out the combination of low unit margins and insufficient cattle supplies challenges the economic viability of packers, further illustrating the complexity of the current environment.

This decline in inventory is not the result of a single factor but is driven by several years of drought and other market pressures. It is clear high beef and cattle prices are a result of these tight supplies and, according to Peel, these high prices are likely to persist for several years. The industry simply cannot turn around production levels quickly, and it will take time — a matter of years, not months — for conditions to normalize.

“Using logic that only works in the office of a politician, packers are supposedly wielding unacceptable market power while paying record high cattle prices and artificially raising beef prices … but not enough to avoid losing a couple hundred dollars on every animal they process — certainly many millions of dollars,” Peel says. “If beef packers had any significant ability to exercise market power, I am certain that we would not have record high cattle prices and packers would not be losing money.”

Peel suggests the federal government attacks on beef packers are aided and supported by a vocal minority of the cattle industry and a few sympathetic politicians who view packers as a perennial villain and always worthy of attack anytime the opportunity is presented.

“The timing of such attacks this time is particularly puzzling as dismantling the packing industry would certainly jeopardize current record high cattle prices and the best economic returns most producers have ever enjoyed,” Peels says. “I guess some cowboys just can’t stand prosperity.”

R-CALF CEO Bill Bullard says the cattle market is fundamentally broken citing years of an inverse relationship between falling cattle prices and increasing retail beef prices when the only ingredient in beef is cattle. Read more about his perspective.

Patience not Politics

Beef and cattle prices, Peel notes, are historically high, a result of industry-wide low cattle inventory. Rebuilding the nation’s cow herd will be a long, slow process, keeping prices elevated for an extended period. And Peel says there is no definitive evidence producers are saving heifers to start the rebuilding process.

“2025 may prove to be technically the cyclical low, but 2026 is going to be barely bigger, if it is, and no growth in 2026 and probably none in 2027 ... it’s 2028 into 2029 before that turns into increased beef production,” Peel predicts.

He summarizes neither regulatory nor political action will can speed up the rebuilding process. It will take years of concerted effort, market healing and stability before the industry can expect a meaningful rebound in herd numbers and production — a reality that requires patience across the industry.

“There is absolutely nothing anybody can do to make beef prices go down, or cattle prices, other than maybe tear up the industry completely,” Peels says. “And if we tear up the industry, it’ll make cattle prices go down, but it won’t make beef prices go down. It’ll make beef prices go even higher for consumers and the only way to fix this is to give the industry time to rebuild, and that’s going to take two to four years if we ever get started.”

He says a majority of cattle producers understand the beef industry is extremely complex and all segments are critical and essential.

“Though the outcome of current political actions is uncertain, the potential for long-term harm to the industry is substantial,” Peel says. “Anytime politics trumps economics, the strong supply and demand fundamentals that have determined the outlook for the industry to this point become irrelevant. Expectations for prices and production going forward are now completely clouded…therefore… all bets are off.”

Your Next Read: You Be The Judge: The Big Bad Beef Packers Are On Trial

Contract Grazing: A Flexible Option for Row Crop and Beef Producers

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:28:59 GMT

Row crop producers across the country are feeling the financial squeeze. High input costs and low commodity prices are tightening profit margins, and the outlook for 2026 offers little relief.

With limited optimism for lower costs or stronger commodity prices, many row crop farmers are exploring new income streams to keep their operations profitable. One option gaining traction is contract grazing — custom growing cattle for someone else.

This arrangement allows farmers with available land and suitable forage to generate income without the expense of owning cattle. It’s a practical way to put available acreage to work, diversify income, and reduce risk in uncertain times.

Evaluating Resources

Before entering a contract grazing arrangement, it’s essential to evaluate your available resources. Key considerations include:

Fencing — Assess the condition of existing fences, estimate the cost of repairs or new construction.
Cattle-handling facilities — Adequate corrals, chutes and working areas are necessary for safe and efficient receiving and shipping of cattle on your property.
Feed and water systems — Ensure water quality and quantity meet livestock needs throughout the grazing season.
Accessibility — Many stocker operations move truckload lots of cattle (typically 50,000 lbs.), so all-weather access roads are important.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it highlights key infrastructure requirements that can determine the feasibility of a grazing enterprise.

Integrating Grazing with Crop Land

For row crop producers, contract grazing can complement existing cropping systems rather than replace them. Fields used for row crops can often support grazing through cover crops, winter annual forages or dedicated hay and grazing acres. Common options include small grains such as wheat, oats or rye, as well as annual forages like ryegrass or haygrazer. These forages can fit naturally between summer cash crops, making use of otherwise idle land during the off-season.

Integrating livestock grazing into crop rotations offers several potential benefits, including improved soil health, enhanced nutrient cycling and reduced weed and residue management costs. Grazing cover crops can also help capture and recycle nutrients while adding an additional income stream through a grazing contract.

However, shifting to a mixed crop-livestock system requires careful planning. Farmers must consider planting and termination dates, soil compaction risks and the potential impact on subsequent crops. When managed properly, the combination of row crops and grazing livestock can strengthen overall system resilience and profitability.

Experience and Cattle Management

Experience with cattle is another critical factor. Owners are unlikely to place animals with someone lacking livestock management experience. It’s essential to understand the type of cattle involved — stockers, heifers, cows or cow-calf pairs — and how to manage each group effectively.

The source and history of the cattle also matter. Animals from multiple origins may pose higher management challenges or disease risks, requiring more experience and attention to detail. If contract grazing becomes a long-term enterprise, building trust and credibility within the local cattle community is vital for success.

Forage, Feed and Water Management

Grazing is typically the most cost-effective feeding strategy, but weather and seasonal changes can reduce forage availability. Successful contract growers plan ahead by maintaining supplemental feed supplies or developing alternative forage options.

Water management is equally important. Cattle spend more time grazing near water, so the placement of water sources directly influences pasture use. Strategically positioned water sources encourage more uniform grazing, support pasture health and improve overall livestock performance.

Well-maintained infrastructure — including fences, water systems and forage stands — not only keeps cattle secure but also enhances the efficiency and profitability of the operation.

Importance of a Written Contract

A clear, written contract protects both the grower and the cattle owner, helping to ensure that expectations are understood from the start. Key elements to include are:

Parties involved — Names and contact details of both the grower and owner.
Property description — Location, acreage and pasture details.
Contract duration — Start and end dates or total grazing period.
Animal details — Type, number and starting weights of cattle.
Responsibilities — Who provides veterinary care, feed, insurance and transportation.
Death losses — Agreement on how death losses are handled.
Payment terms — Fee structure and schedule (daily rate, per-pound-of-gain or revenue share).
Termination clause — Conditions under which the agreement can end.

Determining Payment and Cost Responsibilities

Payment structures vary depending on the type of cattle and management objectives. A daily rate is often used for breeding stock, while per-pound-of-gain agreements fit well for stocker cattle. Some operations also use a revenue-sharing model, dividing sale proceeds at the end of the grazing period.

Before agreeing on rates, both parties should have a clear understanding of their financial boundaries. Growers must calculate total costs — which include feed, labor, maintenance and management — then add a fair return on investment. Cattle owners should estimate the expected value of gain to determine what they can afford to pay.

In addition to the key elements above, details are critical. Contracts should clearly define:

Feed responsibilities — Who provides supplemental feed during droughts or shortages.
Stocking rates — Number or weight of cattle per acre, with flexibility for weather-related events.
Shared costs — How expenses like mineral supplements, fly control and veterinary treatments will be handled.

A Flexible Tool for Changing Times

Contract grazing won’t solve every financial challenge, but it can be a smart, flexible strategy for producers looking to adapt. It spreads production risk, reduces capital requirements and makes productive use of existing land and infrastructure.

In today’s uncertain agricultural economy, creativity and collaboration matter more than ever. For some operations, contract grazing may provide the bridge between tight margins and long-term financial resilience.

Adapted from “Contract Growing Cattle Considerations,” University of Tennessee Extension Publication W1337. Available at https://utbeef.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/127/2025/10/W1337.pdf .

How to Keep Livestock Waters Open All Winter Long

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:50:30 GMT

Extended grazing seasons and fewer days starting the tractor to feed cattle sound nice in theory, but what about the watering constraints? Some producers struggle with where to place watering systems, while others battle freezing temperatures brought on by harsh winters.

“Without water, there is no fall grazing,” says Rocky Brown, owner of Wald Fencing. “Fencing is easy; watering is the real constraint.”

Some might let their cattle fend for themselves with snow, but that’s not a preferred method for most.

“I’m not a big believer that snow gives cattle enough water,” Brown says. “They use up too much energy warming that snow to body temperature to make it useful.”

The good news is there are plenty of tried-and-true options for both temporary and permanent livestock watering systems that work in harsh winter conditions.

“The biggest thing is if water is moving, water is not freezing. So, if you can keep that going and water is always moving, your water is fine,” Brown says. “However, nothing’s foolproof. There’s not one thing that is the silver bullet, but you can monitor and manage to make most systems work.”

For fall grazing and more temporary setups, ranchers should start by considering the water source: wells, rural water, dugouts or natural springs.

“We have customers who put a generator and tank in an old two-horse trailer and pump water from a dugout,” Brown says. “They figure out the timing and gas needed for the generator, and any excess water flows right back to the original source.”

For ranchers using hydrants or other water sources, there are a variety of methods to keep water flowing even while using a float.

“We’ve developed a stainless-steel system using products from Watson Manufacturing that allows for continuous flow using a combination of a float, petcock and copper tubing,” Brown says. “I’ve had customers here in North Dakota use this system into January.”

There’s also a similar Watson Manufacturing product that runs on temperature control, and of course, Freeze Misers are another option for running off a hydrant.

The front system shows the temperature-based Watson System and the back system shows system described earlier in the story.

(Casual Cattle)

For permanent winter watering setups, ranchers should consider whether they’re using energy-free models, the materials of the tank and a concrete pad to go around the outside of the water tank.

“Buy good-quality waterers that will last. Don’t skimp, because cheap ones never fail in the summer; they fail when your cattle need them most,” Brown says.

Even in extreme climates, energy-free waterers can be effective when installed correctly.

“Energy-free waterers can work even in North Dakota and most of Canada if they’re installed right and deep enough to capture geothermal heat,” Brown says.

Tire tanks are a common sight in the Dakotas due to the natural insulation they provide, but they need to be properly cared for to stay effective.

“Fresh water is so important. If you’re using tire tanks, clean them out often,” Brown says. “Additionally, make sure they are set up with stainless-steel bolts and thick bottom plates so they don’t rust out. They don’t fail in July; they fail in January when your hands are freezing.”

Tank heaters — whether floating or sinking — are another option to consider to keep floats from freezing, but Brown finds sinkers to be more effective.

“If you’re using tank heaters, go with a sinking de-icer. Heat rises, and it warms the water from the bottom up instead of just the surface,” he says.

Ritchie tanks are another common brand for colder climates, but there are several factors to consider to make them most effective, starting with material.

“Be careful with all-plastic troughs in cold regions. They might be fine for Nebraska or farther south, but not for North Dakota winters,” Brown says.

He also encourages producers to keep valves below water whenever possible, use thermal cubes and incorporate a small aluminum plate.

The traditional riser tube can be replaced with the following system to keep the valve more protected from the elements.

(Casual Cattle)

“A thermal cube is a $20 game-changer. It turns your heat lamp on at 35 degrees and off at 45 so you’re not wasting power or burning bulbs,” Brown says. “A simple 4x6 aluminum plate under your element spreads the heat and keeps calcium from building up; cheap fix, big difference.”

Concrete pads are also important around permanent tanks.

“Make pads big enough for the animal to fit all four feet on there,” Brown says. “Don’t make cattle step up onto concrete pads. Keep them ground level so they’re not washing out the landing every time they step down.”

If concrete doesn’t seem feasible, there are other options.

“If you can’t get a concrete pad poured, build one out of rough-cut treated lumber,” Brown says. “It lasts, it’s reusable and you can move it if you ever have a water break.”

At the end of the day, it takes a combination of experiences — from the rancher and from others — to find the best solution for an operation.

“Share what you know, but don’t be arrogant about it. The beef industry rises together when we share what works instead of keeping it to ourselves,” Brown summarizes.

Know your constraints, talk to your neighbors or talk to an expert to determine which fall and winter watering systems will be most effective for your operation.

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

80% of Calves Sell Through Livestock Auction Markets

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:34:09 GMT

Livestock auction markets remain the option of choice for beef producers.

Nearly 80% of the 2025 Farm Journal State of the Beef Industry survey respondents say they use a livestock auction market as a marketing tool today. Just more than 50% use off farm or private treaty sales and 46% sell at least some beef direct to the consumer.

“Livestock Auction Markets offer quick, easy access with decision-making that doesn’t have to be made until a day or two before you go to sale,” says Ken Odde a commercial cattleman from South Dakota. “In the industry we’ve had a trend towards more video auction sales, but that’s largely a function of herd size. About 80% of the calves that sell in the U.S. sell through livestock auction markets.”

An example of the weaning, health and genetic data displayed on screens while Odde Ranch calves are in the sale ring. The Odde family also develops handouts for potential buyers.

(Odde Ranch)

Odde stresses the importance of transparent, data-driven cattle marketing to add value to cattle. This includes providing buyers with animal weaning and health information along with genetic information.

“Ranchers need to get more active in marketing their calves,” he says.

Odde shares weaning, health and genetic data with his local auction market prior to sale day to share on screens while the calves are in the sale ring. He also develops handouts for potential buyers.

Odde uses the International Genetic Solutions (IGS) Feeder Profit Calculator (FPC) , to generate and provide detailed genetic and management information to buyers.

An example of the International Genetic Solutions (IGS) Feeder Profit Calculator report.

(Courtesy of Odde Ranch)

The FPC is a free, third-party evaluation tool available to help commercial producers, marketers and buyers know and share the profit potential of feeder calves.

According to Odde, these added steps promoting your calves on sale day can add more money to your pocket.

“Feeders are getting more comfortable paying for additional information that reduces their risk,” adds Troy Rowan, University of Tennessee assistant professor.

The Livestock Marketing Association represents more than 80% of all regular-selling livestock markets in the U.S. as well as a growing number of Canadian livestock auctions. Members are a diverse range of professionals in livestock marketing, including livestock auction markets, online and video auctions, livestock dealers, order buyers and sales management.

The State of the Beef Industry Report includes input from nearly 500 beef producers. The annual report provides information to help producers when making decisions. You can download the full report here.

For more insights to the report as well as producer and economist perspectives, watch the State of the Beef Industry Webinar exclusive on FarmJournal.tv . The panel includes Odde along with Matt Perrier, an Angus seedstock producer from Kansas, and Lance Zimmerman, RaboResearch senior beef industry analyst. You won’t want to miss their thoughts on the beef industry today and in the future.

Your Next Read: 15 Insights on the State of the Beef Industry

Thriving Amid Uncertainty: Essential Tips for Stocker Operators

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:33:41 GMT

Teamwork and communication up and down the supply chain is important in today’s beef industry.

“Especially in the beef industry where the prices are getting as extreme as they are and the risks are getting high, we find ourselves working together a lot more than we find ourselves competing,” says Lance Zimmerman, senior beef industry analyst with RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness.

Zimmerman emphasized this idea during the K-State Beef Stocker Field Day on Sept. 25 in Manhattan, Kan. He was on an industry panel with Glynn Tonsor, K-State ag economist, and moderated by Wes Ishmael, Hereford World executive editor. The trio discussed short-and long-term trends of the beef industry, where the industry is headed and what producers need to be aware of.

Production Forecasts

For producers, understanding trends is essential. Tonsor says projections for 2026 predict there will be a 5% reduction in commercial harvest. Beef production is projected to fall 3% to 3.5% in 2025 and another 4% in 2026. He says the downward pressure on supply boils down to two factors: hoof count and dress weights.

He stresses with prices like the market has experienced, it is difficult to make decisions on when to expand the herd or when to sell calves. Because of this, there is a continued decrease in the number of cows, therefore, fewer calves produced for beef products.

To aid in making decisions, Tonsor recommends using BeefBasis.com , a resource used for projecting value of gain with feeder cattle. Using this and other projected data, Tonsor predicts net values on return for finishing steers in Kansas feedyards. In his example, with all factors the same, for a finished steer in September 2025, the net return is estimated at $700, but in March of 2026 it is an estimated loss of $256.

According to Tonsor the main difference in these numbers is the initial price paid for the calf. He adds while rising supply prices challenge producers, the beef industry must also appreciate how many people are supporting the industry and driving the demand.

Record High Price Anxiety and Threats

Zimmerman says: “No matter where you are — whether you’re the cow-calf guy contemplating a rebuild, whether you’re a stocker operator considering that next term, whether you’re the feedlot operator looking at cash returns, or you’re the beef buyer trying to figure out how to make this product work as a distributor — you’re struggling with how to wrestle with these replacement costs.”

The economists say the key to understanding high prices lies in analyzing demand. Zimmerman says the retail prices are projected to average $8.85, showing another strong demand year is ahead. If the year stays on track, the demand level is as high as it has been since 1983. 

A key driver of demand is the shared belief by producers and consumers that beef quality is defined by marbling. In the U.S. today, Prime and Choice beef consumption is up to 32 lb. per person annually. As an industry, less Select and lower graded beef products are being produced, and that is an advancement to be proud of, Zimmerman says.

During 2024 and 2025, for every 1 lb. of Select beef produced, 6 lb. of Prime and Choice beef has been produced.

As demand is analyzed, there are also real threats that come with it. Consumer income is being threatened by housing rates, student loans, credit card debt and a “buy-now-pay-later mentality.” Therefore, people are looking for ways to lower their expenses. This trend has been prevalent in restaurants, especially post-pandemic when interest in paying for a quality product at a food service establishment wasn’t worth the consumer dollar. It is the industry’s role to continue promotion of high-quality beef to restaurants, helping them retain customers and re-grow sales.

Beef Supply Stays Strong

Zimmerman shares data confirming that supply has remained steady, contrary to producer expectations. The beef-on-dairy cross industry has taken off with 450,000 head moved from veal to beef slaughter within the past two years.

Another factor filling supply is the increase in hot carcass weights, showing a 0.5% weight increase over the past 20 years, which totals about 4.2 lb. per year. Imports have also continued to increase within the past three years, and 2025 is set to reach more than 5 billion pounds of imported product.

Because of the discussed supply and demand trend factors, about 70% of cattle on feed today are using some form of risk management. However, it is not just price risk to be concerned about, but production, financial, market, institutional and environmental elements.

Tonsor and Zimmerman shared these key takeaways: Always “push the pencil” and run the numbers before making decisions, stay informed on broader trends and forecasts, and recognize elevated risks, especially in times like these.

Ultimately, it comes down to focusing on the factors you can control within your operation. The beef industry is not new to risk-taking, but it is up to producers to decide how they will handle such conditions and what risks they are willing to take with their operations. 

Importance of Clean Water in Cattle Production

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:57:22 GMT

There’s nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold drink of water after spending time in the Kansas heat in August. According to Kansas State University beef cattle experts, cattle feel the same — and clean water is the most critical nutrient for the animals’ health and performance.

“Water is the most important nutrient that animals are going to get, and they have to have enough of it,” says K-State Veterinarian Dr. Scott Fritz.

While many producers might assume all water is created equal, experts warn that not all sources are suitable for livestock. They note that total dissolved solids, nitrate and sulfate levels and pH (acidity) can significantly impact animal health and productivity.

“Cattle nearly double their water intake (when temperatures rise) from 40 degrees to 90 degrees (Fahrenheit),” Fritz says. “This increase underscores the importance of understanding water capacity and quality, especially during intense summer heat.”

Wells and ponds present different challenges.

“We’ve seen wells that were normal for 10 years, then all of a sudden the water contains as much sodium as sea water,” Fritz says.

Key factors ranchers should monitor include total dissolved solids — which should stay under 3,000 parts per million — as well as sulfate and nitrate concentrations. The veterinarians noted that water hardness typically has minimal impact on livestock.

Fritz and others agree it’s good practice to test water sources periodically, particularly after drilling a new well or during significant seasonal changes. The goal is ensuring livestock have access to clean, abundant water that supports their health and productivity.

To learn more about heifer management, marketing cattle and water quality, check out the latest episode of the K-State BCI Cattle Chat podcast.

Eight Components of a Strong Preconditioning Program

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 10:13:31 GMT

Many spring-calving producers are thinking about weaning and marketing this year’s calf crop.

“In preparation for weaning and marketing, many producers do some level of preconditioning to add value and prepare calves for the next stages of life,” says Chris Clark, Iowa State University Extension and outreach beef specialist.

In a recent press release Clark describes preconditioning strategies and explains why it is valuable.

He says there is not a solid, consistent definition for preconditioning and the meaning of the term can differ person to person, regionally and among various programs.

Clark says this definition summarizes his perspective on the meaning and importance of preconditioning: “Preconditioning is a set of practices and procedures applied to prepare cattle for the next phase of production. Weaning and marketing involve many potential stressors that can negatively affect beef calves: separation from dam, new environment, diet change and new social dynamics, just to name a few. The idea of preconditioning is to prepare cattle, minimize those stressors, support health and performance, and ultimately, help cattle reach their genetic potential.”

He adds specific precondition practices often include castration, dehorning, vaccination, adaptation to new feeds and bunk breaking.

Although most preconditioning practices are associated with weaning, some of these things can actually be done well ahead of time, even in the neonatal period of a calf’s life.

“Well-preconditioned cattle are the culmination of a holistic management program that starts when calves are born and arguably even while they are in utero,” he says.

Clark shares these eight components of a strong preconditioning program:

Castration and dehorning procedures should be done as early as possible with appropriate anesthesia and analgesia to minimize pain and distress.
“Castration and dehorning surgeries should generally be performed within the first two to three months of life,” he says. “Dehorning should be done through genetic selection or through disbudding calves before the horns become well established.”
If these procedures have not yet been done, talk to your veterinarian about the best timing and technique. Open wounds can be a problem in the summer because of fly pressure, so it is worth some thought and discussion about how to best proceed at this time of year.
Vaccination to establish immunity prior to the stress of weaning and marketing.
Stress associated with weaning and marketing can cause immunosuppression, making animals more susceptible to respiratory disease and other infections. Preweaning vaccines help ensure protective antibodies are on board at weaning, which can help prevent and reduce the severity of disease.
“Work closely with your veterinarian to determine the products and vaccine schedules that make the most sense for your operation,” he says.
Deworming to reduce internal and external parasite load can help promote animal health and performance.
Cattle commonly consume infective nematode larvae while grazing, so strategic deworming as they are coming off of pasture into drylot or feedyard settings can make a lot of sense.
Implanting with growth-promoting hormone implants is very much an optional part of a preconditioning program.
Implants improve performance and feed efficiency and can improve profitability when cattle are retained long enough to take advantage of these improvements.
“In a strong cattle market where each pound of gain has great value, implanting may be worth considering,” he says. “Keep in mind the new FDA guidance and emphasis on not reimplanting within a phase of production unless the implant product is specifically labeled for reimplantation.”
He explains with this recent development, some buyers might prefer cattle that have not been implanted, so it may be worth thinking through the value of enhanced performance versus buyer preferences and demand at market.
Adapt cattle to feed like what will be fed after weaning.
“Creep feeding consistently increases weaning weight but may or may not be profitable depending on the cost versus value of gain,” Clark explains. “In the current market with significant value for every pound of gain, creep feeding may be worth considering.”
Even when not obviously profitable, creep feeding or some kind of supplementation can help calves adapt to new feeds and feeding systems. This should support a smoother transition throughout weaning.
Postweaning feeding programs should be well-balanced to support health and growth but modest enough to prevent foot and rumen issues and over-conditioning of animals.
“Buyers generally like cattle to be relatively ‘green,’ meaning they prefer to buy cattle that are not overly fat,” he adds.
Weaning is considered by some to be an integral part of the preconditioning process.
In fact, in some sponsored preconditioning programs, cattle are not truly preconditioned if not weaned for 45 to 60 days. Weaning allows producers to start cattle on feed, adapt them to the next phase of production, and treat any illnesses that might occur.
Consider low-stress weaning strategies such as two-step weaning, fence-line weaning, pasture weaning, etc., and think ahead about what might work for you. Weaned cattle should be past some of the most stressful and high-risk times and ready to enter the next phase of production.
Strive for excellence in the basics of animal husbandry.
Shelter, shade, bedding, water, feed and low-stress handling are all components of good animal care, and the most well-preconditioned animals are those that have been well taken care of from conception to marketing.
Daily care and record keeping are key components of preconditioning.
Create a plan for performing and keeping records of daily care, and develop a record-keeping system for treatment and feed records.
“Plan to check cattle daily throughout the weaning phase to look for signs of illness, develop a working relationship with a veterinarian and establish a treatment plan in case of illness,” Clark says.
Review recommended biosecurity protocols and implement as appropriate to protect the health of your calf crop. Prepare records that can be shared with buyers so they understand how cattle have been cared for, what products have been administered and what procedures have been done.

Clark summarizes preconditioning does several things. First, it enhances animal health, well-being and performance, and increases the odds that cattle will perform to their genetic potential. Additionally, preconditioning minimizes risk.

“In the current record-breaking cattle market, cattle are more valuable than ever, and with great value comes great risk,” he says. “Every illness, every mortality, every bout of weight loss and shrink hurts that much more than it would in a weaker market.”

Preconditioning can help manage that risk and improve the likelihood of success for producers in all phases of production. Consider preconditioning to optimize cattle health and performance and promote the success of buyers of your cattle.

Check out other calf weaning stories.

Winter Stocker Grazing Prospects

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 17:09:00 GMT

Why worry about winter grazing in early August? In just a few weeks, producers interested in grazing winter wheat (or other cool season cereals) for dual-purpose or forage-only grazing will be thinking about planting for fall/winter grazing. It’s not too early to begin evaluating the economic and agronomic conditions and considerations for possible winter stocker production.

Agronomic conditions will determine the feasibility and potential for early wheat planting. Factors such as soil moisture and soil temperature will determine just how early wheat can be planted. Additionally, producers must evaluate the early-planting trade-off between earlier grazing potential and the additional risk of limited forage production due to the likelihood of increased pest and weed challenges and uncertainty about fall moisture for continued growth of early-planted wheat.

Economic considerations include preparing a budget, estimating the breakeven cost of production and evaluating returns potential and risk. General market conditions determine the overall potential for stocker production, expressed as the gross margin, i.e. value of gain for added weight of feeder cattle.

(Oklahoma State University)

Table 1 shows prices and value per head for steers in early August as well as current value of gain for a range of beginning weights and added weight gain. For example, the table shows that the value of 250 lb. of gain for a 500-lb. steer at the current time is $2.03/lb. The value of gain varies depending on the beginning weight and the total amount of weight added. Of course, changes in feeder cattle price levels and relative prices between stocker purchase prices and feeder sales prices also change the value of gain.

The next step is to determine the cost of production and determine if the value of gain covers production costs and offers acceptable returns for the stocker enterprise. Beyond the first cost of the stocker animal (which is covered in the calculation of the value of gain), the value of gain must cover all other production costs plus economic returns to the enterprise.

In the example above, $2.03/lb. times 250 lb. of gain is a per head margin of $508, which must cover costs for feed (grazing and supplements), vet/medicine, death loss, interest, and daily care costs plus returns for management and unpaid labor. Total cattle and production cost divided by ending weight provides a breakeven value, which is compared to expected selling price to determine potential returns.

Cattle breakevens will vary significantly across different operations and depend heavily on the grazing cost. The values of gain in Table 1 suggest the likelihood of positive returns at current market prices.

The market risk of stocker production is due to the fact that the animal is not bought and sold at the same time. The stocker purchase price is known from current market values, but the selling price depends on market changes during four to five months of stocker grazing.

Feeder futures prices can provide an indication of feeder prices in the coming months. The current feeder futures price for March 2026 is roughly $315-$320/cwt. (subject to lots of daily volatility). The March futures price is significantly lower than current cash and futures prices. Deferred futures are sharply discounted and have been rising to meet cash in recent months.

For example, the August feeder contract was priced at about $296/cwt. on May 1 but is currently over $336/cwt. moving toward expiration of the contract this month.

It is likely that feeder prices will be higher than the March feeder futures currently suggest, but the discounted futures prices means that some risk management alternatives are limited. Current feeder market prices suggest decent potential for stocker returns, subject to high levels of risk.

Discounted futures prices means that it is likely not possible to lock in favorable margins for next spring and much of the return potential is “betting on the come.” Minimum pricing alternatives such as Puts or LRP contracts can provide some level of price coverage against market volatility and sharp price decreases.

Your Next Read: Instead of Feeding Hay: 5 Profitable Winter Feed Alternatives for Your Cattle Herd

Instead of Making Hay: 4 Profitable Alternatives For Cattle Producers to Consider

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 14:34:54 GMT

If you didn’t make hay, what could you do instead?

Carson Roberts, Missouri extension state forage specialist, says the consensus in the beef industry is making your own hay is the cheapest way to feed cattle through the winter.

“This couldn’t be further from the truth,” he explains. “Hay is expensive to make and expensive to feed.”

Encouraging producers to think outside the box, Roberts recently shared “ 10 Reasons You Should Quit Making Hay .” His point No. 6 suggests producers consider profitable alternatives instead of traditional hay production.

He recommends these four alternatives will often pay more per acre than producing hay:

1. Stockers

“Often, you’re lucky to break even on your hay enterprise — especially if you’re a small operation with a lot of overhead,” Roberts says. “With stockers, you’re looking at $766 per acre in gross revenue.”

He refers to research done by Eric Bailey, Missouri extension beef nutrition specialist, that found one acre can produce approximately 350 lb. of beef and with a $2.19 value of gain. If you add in the cost, it is about $200 more per acre than a hay crop.

He adds this approach can be nearly as profitable as crop production in some years. This year, crop production is not profitable at all, meaning that you would make approximately $200 more by running stockers than row crops, too.

2. Custom Grazing

“Custom grazing offers lots of flexibility with very little expense,” he explains.

Roberts says, on average, custom grazing rates are $1.75 to $2.50 per day per head.

“Let’s say a cow is consuming 30 lb. of forage per day. During that spring flush, you’re able to produce 1,000 to 3,000 lb. of grazable forage. Let’s be conservative and assume that we can harvest 1,500 lb. of forage. Divide that by 30, and you’ll see that you can graze 50 animals per acre for one day. At a rate of $1.75 you’re looking at $87 per acre or $116 per ton of forage during that 3-month spring flush.”

3. Grazing Home-Raised Cattle

He says this option is particularly effective for fall-calving herds using excess springtime forage when cattle can gain up to 3 lb. per day during spring flush, increasing their market value.

Home-raised stocker calves are a great low-hanging fruit. They are already adapted to your farm and management style. You can utilize the spring flush to put weight on weaned calves to sell them mid-summer.

4. Cull Cow Grazing

Roberts says cull cows may be the only class of animals that increases in per pound value as they get fatter. Traditionally, the cull cow market is at its annual peak during mid-summer, which is a perfect time to start destocking in preparation for stockpiling fescue.

He suggests purchasing or retaining thin cull cows in the spring and then grazing for a few months. You can then sell in July or August for a profit with a cheap cost of gain.

Roberts summarizes the goal of all these enterprises is to turn that cheap springtime grass into a high value product. These alternatives focus on maximizing land use, reducing feed costs and creating additional revenue streams beyond traditional hay production

“The key is matching cattle production cycles with forage availability,” he says.

He emphasizes these strategies are most applicable in the fescue belt but can be adapted to various regions across the U.S.

“You must have an open mind if you want to make a profit,” he adds. “Things are different now than they were 50 years ago. We can be far more profitable if we adapt.”

Your Next Read: 10 Reasons You Should Quit Making Hay

Mid-Year Review: 2025 Cattle and Beef Markets

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:16:17 GMT

Cattle and beef prices are sharply higher through the first half of 2025, summarizes James Mitchell, University of Arkansas extension livestock economist.

(USDA-AMS)

Oklahoma City steer prices for 500-600 lb. calves have averaged $347/cwt. year-to-date, up 21% from the same period in 2024 and more than double the 2019-2023 average. Feeder prices (700-800 lb.) are averaging $281/cwt., a 17% year-over-year increase. Fed cattle prices in the five-area region are averaging $215/cwt., up 16% from last year, while the Choice boxed beef cutout has averaged $342/cwt.—13% higher than 2024 and close to 31% above the five-year average.

(USDA-AMS)

“Cattle inventories remain the fundamental driver,” Mitchell says. “The January 1 Cattle report showed total U.S. cattle inventories at 86.7 million head, the smallest since 1951. Beef cow numbers declined again to 27.9 million head, and calf crop estimates suggest fewer feeder cattle will be available for the rest of the year. These supply constraints are supporting prices across market segments.”

(USDA-AMS)

Trade policy and animal health have added new layers of risk to markets. There were disruptions to cattle imports from Mexico last fall and again in May following detections of New World screwworm in regions beyond previously established biological barriers. These detections triggered new restrictions and surveillance measures. The U.S. announced a phased border reopening late last month, but feeder cattle trade flows are still subject to further changes.

“Markets have had to sort through the Trump administration’s 10% baseline tariff and the back-and-forth on additional tariffs and retaliatory measures,” Mitchell says. “The lack of clarity around future trade policy has made it difficult for market participants to plan around future trade expectations.”

Geopolitical tensions are also contributing to market risk.

“The recent escalation between Israel and Iran has implications for global energy markets and volatility, which can spill over into agricultural markets,” he adds. “The potential for related price shocks remains a concern as we head into the second half of the year.”

Outlook

“The outlook for the remainder of 2025 remains positive,” Mitchell says. “Cattle supplies are historically tight, and demand has remained resilient despite broader macroeconomic concerns. Trade restrictions with Mexico will impact feeder cattle availability for feedlots. Cattle and beef markets will be sensitive to trade policy, global conflicts and broader economic conditions. These factors underscore why it is important to manage price risk even when prices are historically high.”

Chris Swift, a commodities broker and founder of Swift Trading Co. joined Chip Flory on “ AgriTalk ” July 3 to discuss the current state of the cattle market. Swifts says the dynamics of today’s cattle market is unique and challenging. Key to this challenge is a wide basis spread between cash and futures markets.

“What we have is a big division in our basis,” Swift explains. “The basis spread tells us where we can buy cattle the cheapest, where we can sell cattle at the most expensive. And right now, it’s a very wide positive basis, suggesting that the cash market is trading considerably higher than the futures.”

Your Next Read: Understanding Basis: The Biggest Risk in the Cattle Market Today

Montana Veterinarian Encourages a Fresh Look at Deworming Protocols

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 14:44:44 GMT

“We’ve always done it this way” is known to be the most dangerous phrase in business, and the cattle business is no exception, says Perrie Neal, DVM, from Hardin, Mont. With more than a decade of experience working with cow-calf producers, she says it never hurts to take a fresh look at your herd’s deworming program to identify potential areas of improvement.

Neal manages her own herd of registered and commercial Angus alongside her husband and father-in-law. When possible, she likes to test out products and practices on their own cattle before she makes recommendations to her customers.

“It’s great to have that firsthand experience,” she says.

Over the last few years, Neal has worked to optimize the timing of her deworming program — and now she tries to deworm calves as early as possible each season for maximum benefit.

“Weaning weights are really important, especially in our registered cows,” she says. “By administering a dewormer early in the season, you can help ensure calves won’t have to carry a heavy parasite load and are more likely to meet their genetic potential.”

Neal also has looked closely at the dewormer route of administration and product efficacy — and encourages her customers to do the same.

“Convenience is a big factor when it comes to deworming programs, so a lot of my customers have historically used pour-ons for that reason,” she explains. “But a lot of times, the injectable dewormers can improve labor efficiencies and help ensure more accurate dosing.”

That’s one of the reasons Neal says she has come to appreciate Valcor^® (doramectin and levamisole injection), a dual-action, single-dose, injectable dewormer.

“We weighed calves as they came in the chute, and my husband would yell out the number as they got on the scale,” she says. “I was able to quickly adjust the dosage depending on the weight of the calf. I love that about the product.”

The Importance of Calf Preconditioning

“Preconditioning calves is another thing that I’ve been highly recommending to producers in the last few years,” Neal says.

Preconditioning programs promote calf growth, enhance immune function and minimize stress as calves move from their ranch of origin to the stocker or backgrounder operation and then to the feedlot.

“Preconditioning can help set calves up for their next production phase, but it also benefits any calves that producers want to retain as replacements,” Neal explains. “We used to just precondition the bulls and the replacement heifers, but over the last few years we’ve switched to preconditioning everything, and we’ve seen a lot less sickness across the board.”

Neal encourages producers who are thinking about taking a fresh look at herd health or deworming protocols, to consult their herd veterinarian. These local experts can help you identify products and practices that make sense for your operation.

Your Next Read: 5 Strategies to Help Cattle Cope with Heat

5 Strategies to Help Cattle Cope with Heat

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:53:05 GMT

High temperatures and high humidity are not an ideal combination for cattle. According to Erin Laborie, Nebraska Extension educator, cattle do not handle heat stress as well as humans do.

The range of temperatures in which cattle do not use additional energy to maintain core body temperature is referred to as the thermoneutral zone. This zone generally ranges from 32°F to 75°F for cattle but can vary depending on metabolic size.

When temperatures exceed the upper critical temperature, cattle expend energy in an attempt to dissipate heat. Panting and elevated respiration and heart rate are signs this is occurring. When temperatures remain above 70°F during the night, cattle are unable to recover before the next episode of heat exposure.

Heat stress can result in reduced intake and gains and — in extreme cases — can lead to death.

AJ Tarpoff, DVM and Kansas State University extension veterinarian, says producers should look for drool as an early sign of heat stress. Then panting begins, which progresses to open mouth panting and a visible effort to breathe.

While cattle producers can’t control the heat, there are some things they can do to help cattle cope with high temperatures and humidity. Consider these tips from Michigan State University Extension to make sure your cattle stay comfortable:

Avoid handling, transporting, moving or processing cattle.
Reschedule anything that will add stress to cattle, like gathering, turning bulls out or preconditioning if it’s an option. If cattle must be handled, work them in the early morning hours using low-stress handling techniques. Problems often occur during stressful events.

Cattle’s core temperature peaks two hours after the peak environmental temperature. It also takes at least six hours for cattle to dissipate their heat load. Therefore, if the peak temperature occurred at 4 p.m., cattle will not have recovered from that heat load until after midnight. It will be later than that before cattle have fully recovered from the entire day’s heat load.

Have a backup plan ready if power or water systems fail.
Offer additional water.
Make sure cattle have access to plenty of clean water, and that there is enough access space for all cattle — including calves — to get to water. The water requirements of cattle increase during heat stress. Cattle lose water from increased respiration and perspiration. Consumption of water is the quickest method for cattle to reduce their core body temperature. The rule of thumb is to have 3" of linear water space per head during the summer.

Multiple cattle need to be able to drink at the same time. Waterers should be kept clean and cool.

Cattle prefer water between 40°F to 65°F. Water intake decreases when water temperature exceeds 80°F.

Ideally, water sources should not be exposed directly to the sun. Producers can help keep the water cooler by ensuring that the water lines are covered by grass in the fence rows.
Provide shade.
If you have the option, move cattle to a pasture that offers shade, or use portable windbreak panels to create shade.

During heat stress days, shade is critical especially for dark-haired, fleshy, young and older cattle. Shade can easily be provided by allowing access to pasture with trees or access to open buildings. If shaded pasture acres are limited, avoid grazing them during the days with normal temps to allow forage to be there when heat stress temperatures arrive.

To be effective, there needs to be 20 sq. ft. to 40 sq. ft. of shade per animal. If using a mechanical shade structure, an east-west orientation will permit the ground under the shade to remain cooler. However, if mud is an issue, a north-south orientation will increase drying as the shade moves across the ground during the day. The height of the shade structure should be greater than 8' tall to allow sufficient air movement under the shade.
Supply adequate ventilation.
Increasing the air flow can help cattle cope with extreme heat events. Wind speed has been associated with the ability of cattle to regulate their heat load. Although producers cannot influence wind speed, they can ensure there are no restrictions to air movement such as hay storage, tall vegetation or wind breaks.

If cattle are being fed and housed in an enclosed barn or building, use fans to move air through the building, open the sides of the barn or provide access to an outside pen or pasture with shade. Using sprinklers in this situation can potentially intensify the problem and create more humidity without proper air movement to remove it from the building.
Consider surface area.
Access to surfaces that are covered with vegetation will help cattle keep their temperatures lower.

The Temperature Humidity Index chart and your state’s mesonet cattle comfort index can be helpful in determining when cattle are at risk for heat stress.

“Being proactive rather than reactive is important for avoiding any train wrecks when it comes to heat stress,” Laborie sumarizes.

Your Next Read: Beat the Heat: Essential Tips for Cooling Cattle Effectively

Calf Management and Marketing: What’s Your Next Move?

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:52:28 GMT

Every cow-calf producer strives to produce the best cattle that their unique resource base allows. Right now, you are likely making — or have already made — decisions for your current calf crop based on: 1) the resource constraints that you face; and 2) the market opportunities available to you.

A quality calf crop starts with a quality herd as its foundation and includes good management to achieve the goal of producing calves that you are proud of and that maximize the returns to your efforts. The process also involves a lot of planning. But the plan isn’t complete without both a calf health management program and a marketing plan for those calves.

When you market your calves, buyers can visually observe some indicators of quality and management for themselves — characteristics like frame, muscling, hide color, fill, fleshiness, castration, horn management and lot uniformity. Some of these characteristics are determined by herd genetics and while they are changeable, that change is a longer-term decision with no impact on the calf crop already on the ground. The rest of those characteristics are the result of current management decisions, as are unobservable calf characteristics such as vaccination status, weaning status, weaning period length and certification. All are important components in the overall price of feeder cattle.

Perhaps the most famous quote of Peter Drucker, the father of modern management in the business world, is “What gets measured gets managed” – sometimes restated as “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

Are you measuring the impact of your current calf management decisions? And assessing the potential added value of implementing management practices that you currently don’t employ? Measure both the expected cost and expected benefit and consider whether you can implement a “new to you” management practice. And if you do make the change, measure the realized cost and benefit and use that as input into next year’s decision.

With this year’s calf crop, consider the decisions that you can make now that can make a difference in the value of those calves in a few months at marketing time. For example, if you are not weaning calves at least 30 days prior to marketing, what constrains you from doing so? Is it facilities?

Data from the Oklahoma Beef Management and Marketing (OBMM) survey indicate that access to preconditioning pens is highly correlated with implementation of 45-day weaning minimums, respiratory vaccinations and feed bunk training. If you have no place to hold calves separate from cows, consider whether you can build pens — even for part of your calf crop — and consider whether you could expand it next year. Can you remedy that before weaning time? If not, gather cost and benefit information and consider it for next year’s calf crop.

How many weaned or preconditioned calves would it take to pay for the initial cost of those pens?
If you are already weaning calves for 30 days, you presumably already have a place to separate them from their dams. Can you hold them for two more weeks to hit a 45-day weaning period? Sixty-three percent of producers who responded to the OBMM survey are weaning calves at least 45 days prior to marketing, but our research indicates that markets are also rewarding significantly longer weaning periods with higher premiums — up to 100 days.

Assess what constraint keeps you from holding calves for longer weaning periods before marketing. Is it a need to use that space for something else? Is it forage/feed availability? Is it time? Is it tradition? Does the expected benefit outweigh the expected cost?

And then walk through this process for other potentially value adding management practices.

Every producer’s resource base is different. Presumably, your management and marketing strategies reflect the availability of those resources and their value to your operation. An annual or even semi-annual assessment of your strategy is a healthy exercise. At every level, record keeping about inputs, management practices, marketing successes and failures provides crucial input for future decision-making.

Ask yourself some important questions. Who am I marketing my cattle to? Do my management practices fit the buyer audience that I want to target? Is there a recommended practice that I currently do not utilize, and could it be beneficial to do so? What is the best way to access the buyers who are looking for cattle managed like mine?

For this year’s calf crop, find the market where buyers are willing to compensate you for the management that you have put into your calves. And in preparing to breed for next year’s calf crop, be sure to get a strategy in place for their management and marketing too.

“When you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting"… Henry Ford.

What’s YOUR next move?

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Fast Delivery, Competitive Prices and Simplicity Drives FBN Customer Satisfaction

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 19:13:33 GMT

A one-stop shop for farm and ranch input needs, Farmers Business Network (FBN) serves more than 13,000 livestock producers from across the U.S. FBN is expanding its livestock offering to include Ridley Feeds, Farmers First Mineral, fencing supplies, equine products as well as pet care.

Crop and cattle producer Kyle Burk, Burk Land & Cattle in Marionville, Mo., has been a customer of FBN for two years. Initially using FBN for its competitive chemical pricing, Burk now purchases approximately 90% of his mineral products for his livestock through the company.

“We background a lot of cattle for Joplin Regional Stockyards,” Burk says. “I feel the cattle have gained tremendously better with the FBN mineral program, whether it be fly control or other attribute.”

Burk manages a 2,000-acre farm primarily focused on feed production for his family’s stock cows, dairy and grow yard. He says FBN has become an integral part of his agricultural strategy — providing not just products, but comprehensive support across purchasing, financing and consulting.

“The website is extremely easy to use,” Burk explains.

The platform’s intuitive design allows him to quickly locate and order the exact items he needs for his diverse operation.

Customer service is another key to Burk’s FBN experience. He appreciates how the company proactively contacts customers within 24 hours of an unusual order to confirm it’s correct.

Beyond product ordering, Burk has also utilized FBN’s financial services. After an accident last year, he turned to FBN classifieds to purchase a replacement silage truck and secured financing through FBN within a day. The rate, he says, was more competitive than his local bank.

Burk says he recommends and appreciates the FBN professionals who have helped him with purchasing decisions. When drought led him to switch to conventional corn, he worked FBN’s chemical specialist for product support.

“It’s probably the cleanest corn we’ve ever had,” Burk says.

Expanding Livestock Catalog

Livestock is FBN’s fastest-growing segment, powered by producer trust in speed, value and reliable delivery. According to Emily Zollinger, FBN director of livestock, the platform’s latest offerings include:

Ridley Feeds (a division of Alltech) : Sweetlix mineral and tubs now available with live, daily pricing
Farmers First Mineral : A new, simplified line of cattle mineral dynamic pricing and clear online descriptions
Fencing Supplies : Including barbed wire, woven wire, pipe, cable and other fencing tools
Equine Care : Products for grooming, nutrition, deworming, hoof care and vaccinations
Pet Health: Vaccines, parasite control, nutrition, and prescriptions filled with vet approval

“We’re building a marketplace where ranchers and livestock producers get not only great prices, but convenience and service they can count on,” Zollinger says.

(FBN)

Why Producers Choose FBN

Initially founded in 2014, FBN expanded into livestock in 2020. Today, the platform is designed to make purchasing fast, transparent and farm-friendly.

Key features include:

Free membership
Build your own online order
Fast shipping (typically two business days)
Nationwide logistics network across the U.S. and Canada
Flexible support ranging from self-service to dedicated account reps
Educational tools including blogs and resource hubs
Financing options with competitive rates
Prescription support working directly with your vet to verify orders

Zollinger says FBN’s mission is to deliver prosperity to family farmers and ranchers through every season, every segment and every challenge.

“We’re not just selling inputs,” she summarizes. “We’re giving farmers and ranchers a platform — with tools, pricing transparency and support they can build a business on.”

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