Latest News From cow-calf

Cattlemen need to be aware of the causes, symptom and prevention steps for anaplasmosis, a bloodborne pathogen that has shown to be more widespread than previously thought.

The beef industry has significantly improved efficiency across the entire supply chain, and that’s helped control our production costs, which benefits all consumers.

This is the third in a series on Livestock Risk Protection. The previous two addressed misperceptions of market impact from LRP. The remaining topic – subsidy harvesting – is the most interesting and controversial.

Which segments of your operation aren’t serving you anymore? Luke Kovarik shares the realities of operating a diversified operation in this week’s podcast episode.

Bovine lameness is one of the costliest animal health issues to the beef industry and it’s also a major animal welfare concern that we can mitigate.

Joh Deere's new high-horsepower windrower model helps improve productivity and efficiency.

Dehydration is an added stress for cows in cold weather. Help cows deal with winter stress and maintain their body condition by ensuring they have adequate water.

Extreme January weather conditions impacting a large portion of cattle feeding regions have been widely impactful to cattle feeders and the beef supply chain.

Deciding when to offer assistance for a calving cow is a judgment call and good judgement is the result of experience. Here are tips to help make the determination.

Euthanasia of an animal that is suffering from irreversible disease or injury is a primary responsibility for cattle producers and veterinarians.

Statistically, impulse heifer breeding is about 80 percent more variable than planned heifer breeding. Therefore, impulse heifer breeding plays an important role in the dynamics of cattle cycles.

The beef market has become increasingly dependent on consumer demand – consumers who are both willing and able to continue purchasing beef at higher prices.

Yes, another column about the LRP… because it’s an important risk management tool, it’s misunderstood, and…this horse ain’t dead yet.

Melting snow has created special challenges for beef cattle producers and monitoring the body condition of gestating cows during times of cold stress becomes critical for calving and rebreeding.

This week’s podcast episode highlights the importance of having direction and the impact it has on profitability and the ability of an operation to be passed down from generation to generation.

Inspiration for Speer’s latest column came from a rancher who stopped in the middle of feeding cattle to share his thoughts from inside his tractor.

With improved soil moisture and ponds refilled, cow-calf producers are looking to restock drought-diminished herds. However, there are reasons for caution before jumping into the heifer replacement market.

To give cattle producers more flexibility and convenience in their fly control program, Cargill has partnered with Central Life Sciences to develop a feed-through fly control bolus containing Altosid IGR.

The U.S. cattle report shows all cattle and calves reported at 87.2 million head, 2% below the 88.8 million last year.

The increased cow mature weight equates to an increase in stocking rate if cow numbers are not adjusted. As stocking rate increases we know that weaning weights and rebreeding rates decrease.

The complexity and dynamics of the beef industry can create financial opportunities for cow-calf operations willing to take a business approach to their decision-making process.

When we let ourselves focus on outside influences we are succumbing to defeatism. The better approach is to focus on those things you can control: you versus you.

January may seem early to start planning grazing for the coming growing season but the ability to minimize non-grazing feed costs will depend on comprehensive grazing plans and management for the entire year.

Ag tech startup MyAnIML and USDA find first-of-its-kind facial recognition technology successfully analyzes cattle muzzles to predict illness.

Essentials of Regenerative Ranching will be offered Feb. 21-22 in New Braunfels, Texas.

Gardiner Angus Ranch’s seventh Early Bird Sale saw a total of 474 head sell to 122 buyers from 22 states and Mexico in four hours.

While estimates suggest that black vultures are responsible for the loss of thousands of calves every year, as a protected species, the bird may not be killed without a permit.

Missouri's drought in 2022 and 2023 may have been underrated, says Eric Bailey, University of Missouri Extension. He offers tips for stretching your feed during the next few months.

Despite a state-wide drought and market challenges into fall, average prices for Show-Me-Select heifers posted healthy prices at six sanctioned sale locations.

Calves born in extreme cold quickly utilize all body fat reserves and exposure to wind can exacerbate temperatures. Preparing in advance of inclement weather can lead to improved calf survival.

A little cowboy math to help you determine what that next herd bull is worth in your cow herd.

Without selecting to increase weaning weight, increasing the number of calves born the first 21 days of the calving season positively impacts total pounds of weaned calf and pounds of weaned calf harvested per acre.

For each 1-degree Fahrenheit the average daily temperature is below 30 degrees a cow in moderate BCS will need an additional one percent in daily energy requirement.

If you are risk averse—the cattle business may not be for you. It’s a business full of environmental, production and marketing challenges.

Breeding efficient cows is usually measured by a cows’ ability to calve each year and maintain a yearly calving interval. 

The single most important factor in keeping a cow at zero non-productive days is body condition, which has a direct impact on calving interval, conception rate and percentage of open cows.

Understanding the risk factors for hypothermia will aid in developing a strategy to prevent loss. Managing dystocia and knowing when and how to assist chilled calves is an essential part of your calving plan.

What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? GET PREPARED!

Obtaining a basic understanding of nutrition and making data driven decisions can give every cattleman an advantage in creating a nutrition program best suited to their operation.

After years of letting negativity and discouragement hold him back from full-time farming, the first-generation Kentucky farmer decided to take a leap of faith.

CattleFax invites producers to participate in its annual Cow-Calf Survey, which provides participants and the rest of the industry with valuable data regarding industry benchmarks and trends.

Johne’s disease is usually spread to young calves through contact with infected manure or milk but infected cattle don’t show signs of the disease until several years later.

Cattle markets are encouraging more aggressive production. Individually, cattle producers may be able to respond immediately or may be forced to remain on the defensive due to physical or financial reasons. 

Cow-calf costs and returns data from the Kansas Farm Management Association Enterprise Analysis for individual producers finds annual returns over variable costs averaged $71.02 per cow over a 46-year period.

In beef calf preconditioning programs, the importance of vaccinations to minimize respiratory illness, related to bovine respiratory disease (BRD), cannot be overstated.

The gray wolves relocated from Oregon to Colorado have a lengthy rap sheet. Maybe the secret reintroduction ceremony included a secret clemency grant from the Governor.

LRP insurance is straightforward, versatile, and makes risk management readily accessible to producers. And that’s more important than ever; record prices translate to heightened equity risk.

Good growing conditions in 2023 provided producers with better hay production than seen in the last couple of years, so using high-quality hay as a supplement can definitely be an option this winter.

Calving during the winter months can present some unique challenges. What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? Get prepared.

Shelter for livestock during the winter months can influence the success of calving and a livestock operation.