Latest News From Mark Z. Johnson

Evaluating Cow Efficiency and Fit During Calving Season
Evaluating Cow Efficiency and Fit During Calving Season

A cowherd of optimum mature size and milk level relative to a given production environment creates the potential to increase revenue in the form of increased reproductive efficiency.

Tips for Selection of Replacement Heifers
Tips for Selection of Replacement Heifers

Selecting heifers that will have the optimum mature size and milk level to fit our production system, breed quickly, wean a calf annually and have longevity is important for the success of your ranch.

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When to Assist with Calving

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.

Managing Cows in Severe Cold Weather
Managing Cows in Severe Cold Weather

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.

What's A Good Bull Worth?
What's A Good Bull Worth?

Determining the value of a bull is an important question, and one that is a challenge to answer. Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University, offers some calculations to help determine a value.

Weaning Weight Versus Reproductive Efficiency
Weaning Weight Versus Reproductive Efficiency

What has more value to the profit potential of a commercial cow-calf operation that sells calves at weaning, percent calf crop weaned or weaning weight?

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Money Saved Through Cost Effective Feeding -Part 2

Evaluating money saved when purchasing feed on cost per unit of protein and energy basis.

Money Saved Through Cost Effective Feeding -Part 1
Money Saved Through Cost Effective Feeding -Part 1

In any nutritional program it is imperative to determine the objective of why we are feeding or supplementing. After defining our goal, we can minimize input costs and maximize our profit potential.

Capture Data at Weaning
Capture Data at Weaning

Sound management decisions to improve genetics, management practices and profit potential of cow-calf operations should be based on data. Weaning time is the best time of year to measure, and document herd performance.

Measure, Quantify and Document
Measure, Quantify and Document

Sound management decisions that will impact future profit potential is based on facts arrived at through mathematical analysis. Decisions based on emotions and/or tradition seldom lead to success. 

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Fall Calving in Hot Weather is a Challenge

While fall calving is often easier than calving in the winter and early spring, when temperatures are high, it can create unhealthy conditions for calves.

Managing Heat Stress Important for Cow-Calf Operations
Managing Heat Stress Important for Cow-Calf Operations

Heat stress is caused by a combination of environmental factors including temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, air movement and precipitation.

Creep Grazing
Creep Grazing

Creep grazing has potential to be a cost-effective way to produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets.

Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?
Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?

Producers should make the decision of whether or not to creep based on economics. Here's a simple, quick “Cowboy Math” example based on current economics.

Can the Cattle Industry Have a Positive Impact on Climate Change? YES!
Can the Cattle Industry Have a Positive Impact on Climate Change? YES!

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, often referred to as the "greenhouse gas guru," spoke to the Blueprint For The Future Cattlemen's Conference at Oklahoma State Universtiy.

Internal Parasite Control in Spring Calving Herds
Internal Parasite Control in Spring Calving Herds

Decisions on when to administer the first round of vaccinations, castration, growth implants and parasite control will impact the profit potential of those calves in the months ahead.

Is It Time to Re-Program Your Cowherd?
Is It Time to Re-Program Your Cowherd?

Now is the time to take a close look at our business model and specifically the “production factory” in the cow-calf business, says Mark Johnson of OSU.

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Addressing Calf Scours with Pasture Management

A management plan using clean calving pastures can help prevent direct contact between older calves and younger calves and minimize the potential for sickness to occur.

Calf Scours and Calving Pasture Rotation
Calf Scours and Calving Pasture Rotation

Calf scours results in sickness, poor performance, medical expenses and death. Here's a look at the complex disease and one management method found to decrease and even prevent transmission.

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Forage Budgeting with Non-Traditional Sources of Hay

Determining how much forage cows will eat on a per day and per month basis for the duration of winter always requires a little “cowboy math”.

Act Now To Add Value To Weaned Calves
Act Now To Add Value To Weaned Calves

Producers can capture added value by preconditioning and weaning their calves. Along with weaning at least 45 days, preconditioning includes several practices that add value for both the buyer and seller.

Creep Grazing Offers Benefits
Creep Grazing Offers Benefits

Creep grazing programs can produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets. There are many ways to adapt this system to each individual situation.

Benefits of Estrus Synchronization and Artificial Insemination
Benefits of Estrus Synchronization and Artificial Insemination

Estrus synchronization can be an important management tool to get cows settled as early in the breeding season as possible and get cows bred to bulls with highest possible genetic value.

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Estrus Synchronization and Artificial Insemination in Beef Cows

For an estrus synchronization program to be effectively implemented it needs to be well planned.  Several best management practices should be kept in mind if you are considering heat synchronization. 

Feed Cows at Night to Produce More Calves in Daylight
Feed Cows at Night to Produce More Calves in Daylight

Calving during daylight means calves are born during times of warmer temperatures, cows calving are easier to find and provide assistance if needed and accordingly, more calves saved and alive

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The Importance of Colostrum

Colostrum plays a large role in the health of a newborn calf. Preparing for calving season starts well before the first calf hits the ground.

Preparing Cows for Winter and Spring Calving
Preparing Cows for Winter and Spring Calving

Reproductive efficiency is highly correlated to nutrition. The target Body Condition Score going into calving season is 5.5 for the mature cow and 6 for first calf heifers.

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Management Practices for Cows at Weaning (Part 1)

Weaning is time to focus time and management on ways to eliminate stress, maintain health and maximize the value of weaned calves, but also a critical time to manage the cow herd.

Fall Calving in Hot Weather
Fall Calving in Hot Weather

Early fall calving herds face a challenge from the high temperatures of late summer. The primary challenge is the impact those temperatures can have on newborn and young calves.

Bull Management After the Breeding Season
Bull Management After the Breeding Season

In most spring calving herds, the breeding season begins in the spring or early summer. Maintaining a 60- to 90-day breeding season can be one of the most important management tools for cow-calf producers.

Selection for Maternal Performance
Selection for Maternal Performance

This week we discuss the EPDs to consider when selecting bulls that will be used as rotational sires. A rotational sire is a bull from which daughters will be retained to develop as replacements in our cowherd.

Genetic Prediction in Beef Cattle and Expected Progeny Differences
Genetic Prediction in Beef Cattle and Expected Progeny Differences

EPDs are the result of genetic prediction, based on performance data collected by cattle breeders over many generations of beef production.

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Invest in Genetics to Maximize Your Profit Potential

Breeding season is just around the corner and it’s time to consider your investment in genetics to maximize the profit potential of the calves that will be born next year.