Hay for cattle plays a critical role in the diet, providing essential nutrients and a reliable feed source when pasture grasses are unavailable or insufficient. The importance of hay is especially evident when analyzed across the four seasons. Understanding how hay contributes to cattle nutrition year-round helps producers maintain healthy herds and ensure consistent production. […]
Category: Breeding/Calving
Protein for Cattle: VitaFerm® Offers Options
Protein for cattle is essential, especially during critical times like winter when a majority of the cow herd is in late gestation. Furthermore, during the winter, forage quality often declines, and protein supplementation becomes crucial to ensure cattle can efficiently utilize available energy sources and maintain body condition. Cattle have specific nutritional needs that vary […]
A Guide to Cattle Parasites
Cattle parasites come in varying shapes and sizes: short, skinny, long, brown or white. Unfortunately, most go undetected until symptoms appear. As winter temperatures approach, cattle producers should prioritize parasite control. Due to environmental conditions and management practices, cattle are susceptible to certain parasites in winter. As temperatures decrease and cattle get hairy and bunch […]
The Importance of Body Condition Score: Cattle Shape is Critical Going into Winter
Managing cattle herd health and nutrition effectively throughout the year is key for livestock producers, but these considerations become even more significant as winter approaches. We ask a lot of the herd during the coldest parts of the year. Cows are calving and going through lactation, all while preparing for breed back. Feed resources are […]
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 Soon Will a Cow Breed Back After Calving
We expect a lot from a cow. She spends roughly 283 days in gestation, delivers a calf, and then we prepare her for breed back and expect her to conceive problem-free during her first heat. That is a lot for the body to handle, and the cow does it, hopefully, year after year after year. […]
Tips for Preparing Cows for Breed Back
Breed Back Spring is in the air, and there is no better sight than baby calves running across the hillside with their shiny coats. What we don’t see is what is happening inside that mother cow, a magnificent reproductive machine. She’s doing her best to raise a growthy, vigorous calf. All while preparing her body […]
BioZyme’s Guide to Cattle Reproduction: A Healthy Digestive System is the Foundation for Reproductive Success
By Chris Cassady, Ph.D., Senior Manager of Beef Technical Sales, BioZyme® Inc. It’s no secret that reproductive success is the most influential factor determining profitability in beef production. If a cow doesn’t produce a live calf, the operator is left holding the bag of her annual production cost without an opportunity for a return. Considering […]
Listen to What your Cattle Tell you they Need
Sixth & Final in a Series based on 1980s Ads Featuring BioZyme® Founder Wouldn’t it be nice if livestock could tell you what they need and when they need it? For instance, when the grass is greening up and cows are being turned out to pasture, if cow number 782 could say, “Mr. Producer, I am […]
Get Your Cows Ready for Breeding
Chris Cassady, Ph.D., Beef Technical Sales Manager Spring is a time of renewal. Trees are budding, grass is greening up, and tractors are hitting the fields planting that next crop. If you are in the cattle business, you’re likely planning a future calf crop, too. It’s almost breeding time for those spring calvers, so you’re […]
