Latest News From rancher

When cows get below their lower critical temperature and get into cold stress, they can adapt by increasing feed consumption to increase their basal metabolic rate and increase heat of fermentation.

A Texas A&M AgriLife project will feed omega-6 and omega 3 fatty acids to beef cattle to determine what role they may play in managing early embryonic loss.

Low stress weaning techniques can pay dividends to producers adding value through a preconditioning program.

Reducing dependence on feeds and susceptibility to poor weather or market conditions, there is growing interest in developing replacement heifers at a lower cost without compromising reproductive performance.

Now available in a research EPD format, functional longevity (FL) evaluates how long Angus cows stay in the herd and how many calves they produce.

Profitability of the cow-calf enterprise is controlled by a web of production and economic factors but is rarely associated with maximized weaning weight.

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

Despite ever smaller feeder cattle supplies, feedlot inventories have temporarily halted the slow decline of the last year with the September surge in placements.

Prices for day-old beef-X-dairy (BXD) calves are often surprisingly high. But what used to be a highly discounted after-thought (straight dairy calves) is rapidly transforming into a meaningful source of production.

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.

Checkoff deniers would have you believe per capita consumption data indicate demand is in decline. That claim was debunked 25 years ago.

Three primary methods of pregnancy checking cows are available for beef producers. Those who choose not to evaluate pregnancy status are leaving money of the table.

For cattle producers across the U.S., a number of factors make the idea of herd rebuilding a bit less enticing. Experts share why the U.S. cowherd is not on the fast-track to recovery.

There can be little doubt that the biggest issue in the cattle industry right now is the question of when herd rebuilding will begin. The challenge of herd rebuilding can be summed up with three questions.

Bull purchases are among the riskiest decisions commercial cow-calf operators make, says University of Tennessee professor Dr. Troy Rowan.

Given the value of the current fed market, widening quality grade spreads and longer feeding periods across the industry, the importance of preventing BRD has never been more important.  

A record-keeping app for cattle producers using iPhones and Android devices has been developed by Kansas State University.

Making culling decisions sooner rather than later and will help producers hold feed costs down.

Congestive heart failure is estimated to cause 4% of feedlot mortality causing significant economic losses to feedlots as the majority of these deaths occur late in the finishing period.

Drought conditions in portions of North Dakota has forced ranchers to consider supplemental feed to offset nutrient deficiencies in pasture forages.

Protecting the health of cattle herds is an important part of a successful plan to have a profitable and sustainable ranching operation.

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.

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. 

Last week I learned I'm a 12-percenter, and if you're a Drovers reader it is likely you are a 12-percenter, too. That's not good, at least according to those who would regulate our dietary choices.

Fall calving is in progress for many ranchers. A veterinarian offers tips to give calves the best chance to thrive and survive.

Rancher doesn’t know whether it was rustler’s remorse or publicity that gave the bandits cold feet about trying to sell the sheep that prompted their return.

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.

Although drought persists north and south of Oklahoma, forage conditions have improved greatly in the state this summer. July was the seventh wettest July on record in Oklahoma.

Weaning stressors include removal from the dam, nutritional changes, a new environment, and altered social structure. Understanding this time allows a better understanding of the importance of a 45-day weaning period. 

During drought, beef producers might find a best friend in their local veterinarian, says University of Missouri Extension veterinary toxicologist Tim Evans.

Despite sharply higher cattle prices, there is no data to suggest heifer retention or enough decrease in beef cow slaughter to initiate herd expansion, although the most recent weekly slaughter data are encouraging.

While stolen cattle headlines surface occasionally, cattle rustling is far from simply being a part of Wild West history. 

Drought stressed forages can be high in nitrates and potentially toxic for cattle, but with careful management there are options for ranchers to utilize those forages.

The American Hereford Association launches Baldy Advantage, a quarterly publication highlighting the experiences and insights of commercial cow-calf producers using Hereford-sired baldy cattle to their benefit.

Dry lotting cows can be a feasible way to allow pasture recovery, while feeding grain, forage, and crop stover to pairs. The system allows closer observation of the herd and low weaning stress.

Kansas State University beef cattle veterinarians share tips on disposing products, needles and syringes that are a risk to humans.

A new study measured feed efficiency data for yearling Brahman bulls and to determine the relationship of these efficiency groupings to growth, feedlot performance, carcass traits, and tenderness of Brahman steers.

Vitamin A is critical to cattle health and is generally consumed in adequate quantities. But Vitamin A in stored feedstuffs declines over time with exposure to sunlight and high temperatures.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) passed a directive to continue the association’s advocacy efforts on transparent labeling and inspection of cell-cultured protein products.

The sharp increase in feeder cattle prices this year represents a growing market incentive for the beef cattle industry to transition from liquidation to expansion, but it does not appear the industry is responding yet.

Cattle industry leaders on Thursday (July 13) praised the introduction of a bipartisan congressional resolution recognizing the importance of commodity checkoff programs, including the Beef Checkoff.

Although limitations exist, the Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test to assess the efficacy of parasite control programs is the only practical method of determining the presence of resistance in cattle nematodes.

Water quantity and quality is critical to cattle health and performance.  Hot weather and drought conditions can impact both water quality and quantity for cattle.  

The establishment of bovine core vaccines was created based on the major infectious agents that require protection in all types of cattle.

With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.

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.

Raising heat-tolerant cattle that are able and willing to go further to graze in subtropical climates is the goal of a new beef cattle research project at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research station at Beeville.

Purina Animal Nutrition gathers supply chain to discuss opportunities and challenges with beef-on-dairy segment.

After Tyson Foods reports anemic first quarter sales and downgrades its forecast, The Wall Street Journal editors wrote, “This doesn’t look like an antitrust conspiracy or market oligopoly.”

Persistent drought in major beef cattle production regions continues to have a significant impact on the cattle industry despite improvements in drought conditions in other parts of the country.