Stocker operators and backgrounders want their calves to get the best nutritional start possible. They often receive loads of calves. Sometimes those calves are from multiple locations, often transported hundreds of miles. Maybe they come from a livestock auction market, fresh weaned from their mamas. Early stress, such as weaning or hauling, can take a […]
Tag: Amaferm
A Guide to Cold Stress in Cattle
Zip up the overalls and strap up the insulated boots. The temperatures are about to dip. As cattle producers, we know how to bundle up and face the bitter cold. However, your cow herd can’t put on the extra layers required when the temperatures dip below freezing and the snow begins to blow. Although cattle […]
How to Provide Winter Cattle Shelter for your Herd
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. […]
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 […]
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. […]
Progress is Constantly Evolving in Cow-Calf Business
Fifth in a Series based on 1980s Ads Featuring BioZyme® Founder Have you ever wondered why the windshield is significantly larger than a rearview mirror? The road in front of you has greater importance than where you came from. That is progress. You need to know where you are going, but you also need to be […]
Eating Right is Important for Cattle, Too
Fourth in a Series based on 1980s Ads Featuring BioZyme® Founder Who doesn’t enjoy a properly prepared, balanced meal? For some, an ideal dinner might include a juicy, grilled steak packed with zinc, iron, protein, amino acids and multiple B vitamins, a green leafy salad filled with fiber, Vitamins A & C, a baked potato, that […]
