Holly Meyer understands what it takes to develop a sound, functional, fertile bull for her customers. And although she faces what some producers might see as obstacles – the heat and humidity of the South along with the challenges of grazing on fescue, Holly and her family have mastered the art of breeding cows and […]
Category: VitaFerm News
Opportunity Knocks During the Grazing Season
By Dennis Delaney, Inside Sales Manager Spring and early summer generally offer conditions long on grass and short on stress. Cows are in peak milk production, calves are at the most efficient period of their lives, and forages are at their best. Successful producers seize this opportunity to capture maximum pounds of beef per acre, […]
Put the Amaferm Advantage in your Calves’ Creep Feed
Spending less on a product doesn’t always mean you’re saving money. That is true when selecting the best creep feed for your calves. Supplementing calves with creep feed is important to their growth, as it provides a source of energy that most calves won’t get while transitioning from nursing to grazing forages. And since there […]
Considerations for Creep Feed
To creep, or not to creep? That is the million dollar question for many producers. When determining whether or not to creep feed, a producer must assess financial variables with production goals to determine what creep protocol (if any) is the best fit for their production scenario. Prior to weaning, a calf’s diet consists of […]
Considerations for Getting Weaned Calves to the Bunk
It’s time to start thinking about weaning those fall-born calves, and although you expect to hear some upset mama cows and calves for a few days, there are ways to eliminate stress in the calves and keep them healthy by getting them to the bunk to eat. Three key factors to getting calves used to […]
Focus on Getting Cows Bred Early in the Breeding Season
by Travis Meteer, University of Illinois, Beef Extension Educator I was speaking at a meeting one evening and I was talking about how nutrition affects reproduction. I got to the portion of the talk discussing how post-partum interval affects cows getting bred in a 60 day season. I asked the members of the crowd to raise […]
What’s Going On In There: Fetal Development of the Beef Calf
by Kalyn Waters, former SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist One of the most rewarding days for many cow/calf producers is sale day. Watching a calf crop grow from calving to weaning brings many challenges, but it also is very gratifying when those calves you slaved to save from the snow drift, branded, and doctored finally […]
Grass Tetany Awareness and Prevention
Following a rough, cold winter, it seems that spring is finally arriving. Temperatures are on the rise and pastures are beginning to green. For most of us this is a welcomed event that leads to less time in the calving barn, reduced time feeding and a few more hours of sleep. But as many cattlemen […]
Consistency is Vital to A.I. Success
It’s time to start thinking about preparing for your cow herd’s breeding season, and one of the most important considerations is keeping them on a consistent nutrition plan. What? You are just getting geared up for spring calving? Then, now is the perfect time to start making sure your females will be in proper nutritional […]
Calf Scours: Causes, Signs, Prevention, and Management
By Janna Kincheloe SDSU Extension Research Associate II For many cattle producers, this time of year means sleepless nights, partly due to checking cows during calving and partly due to the worries that come after calves are safely on the ground. Calf scours, the common term for neonatal calf diarrhea, is one of the primary […]
