Providing adequate winter cattle shelter is essential for herd health and well-being during the coldest months of the year. Yes, cattle are fairly cold-tolerant. However, the combination of wind chill and moisture can lead to cold stress, which leads to lowered performance and decreased immune response. At VitaFerm®, providing quality nutrition is our main priority. […]
How Cold Can Cows Tolerate?
As livestock producers, we have a lot of concerns. We worry about input costs, if we made the right breeding decisions and where cattle prices will be when we are ready to sell. All these are issues that you likely deal with regularly. Another concern for many ranchers is the weather. Now, cattle are hardy […]
Protein Tubs for Cattle Offer Convenient Nutrition
Protein Tubs Time and labor: two precious resources that every cattle producer wishes they had more of. The two go together not just in production agriculture but in life. There’s always more to get done, but not enough time to do it. On a ranch, in particular, it’s an age-old struggle. What if we told […]
Protein is an Integral Part of a Cattle Diet
Cattle Diet Cattle producers are the original stewards of the land. They know if they take care of the land and the resources Mother Nature offers, that land will ultimately take care of them. However, ranchers are more than cattle producers. As stewards of the land, they also harvest sunshine, Vitamin D, and the forages […]
When to Wean Cattle
Weaning is an essential process in cattle management for both the cow and the calf. It teaches the calf to be independent and allows it to go out on its own, often like sending our kids off to college. For the cow, weaning allows the reallocation of nutrients away from a nursing calf, giving the […]
How to Make Weaning Calves Stress-Free
Weaning Calves Weaning calves is perhaps one of the most stressful times in a cow-calf operation. The bawling calves are stressed, their mama cows are confused, and the producer is trying to make sure everyone stays where they need to be. However, with proper preparation, good management practices, and a solid plan, you can lessen […]
How to Develop a Cattle Diet Plan for Your Herd
Cattle Diet Plan Raising cattle isn’t as simple as it once was. Generations ago, our great-grandparents likely bought some cows from a neighbor, purchased a bull from another neighbor, and hoped for the best. Their cattle diet plan probably didn’t exist, as they fed the feedstuffs that they raised on their farm – corn and […]
A Year-Long Planner: What to Feed Cows
What To Feed Cows Cow nutritional requirements fluctuate throughout the calendar year and the annual production cycle. Fortunately, cattle producers have a variety of management systems to choose from. They can select calving times, weaning protocols, nutrition programs, and marketing scenarios. However, when it comes to what to feed cows, the production cycle of the […]
Provide Quality Nutrition During Cattle Maintenance
Cattle Maintenance We expect a lot from that mother cow. She harvests grass and converts it to energy. When the time is right, she gets bred; 283 days later, she births a calf. Then she turns into a milking machine and uses everything she has to grow that calf during lactation, only to prepare for […]
VitaFerm® Offers Minerals for Cows in Every Stage of Production
Minerals for Cows Everywhere you turn, input costs keep creeping up, slowly and steadily. Feed, medicine costs, fencing, and basic supplies for cattle producers are increasing. Often times the first sacrifices that producers make are vitamins and minerals for cows. Cows require vitamins and minerals for various essential physiological functions to support overall health, growth, […]
