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 […]
Tag: Calving
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Fetal Development in Beef Cattle
One of the most rewarding days of the year for cow-calf producers is sale day. However, watching a calf crop grow from calving to weaning brings many challenges. Braving the blowing snow to save a calf from the ice and cold to ensure survival to make it to the sale barn is a challenge. Waiting […]
Why Quality Cow Nutrition is Vital Pre-Calving
Calving time is much anticipated across the country. It’s a time of renewal; it’s time to see how those mating decisions panned out and to watch those cows turn into maternal miracles for another season. Preparing for calving season doesn’t just happen by getting some fresh bedding and making sure your calf pullers are nearby and clean, “just in case.” Progressive […]
Prepare for Fall Calving
Fall calving cows are known to calve earlier than expected. With this year’s soaring temps, those calves might even have arrived earlier than usual. Hopefully you were prepared for your fall-calving cows; if not, here are a few tips and reminders. The Benefits of Fall Calving There are definite benefits to fall calving. A key advantage is that cows will spend […]
Preparing your Bulls for Fall Breeding
As the daylight hours get shorter and the weeks slip by, those cow-calf operations with a fall calving program are likely already planning their fall breeding program. Now is the time to make sure that your bull battery is ready for breeding season to cover the most cows with the highest number of pregnancies. The first steps to preparing […]
Find the Game Changer to Your Fall Calving Line Up
Cattle producers across many parts of the country find benefits to a fall calving program – pasture space is readily available, calving in the open helps keep calves healthier, reducing chances for sickness and the weather lends itself to a more pleasant overall experience with no frozen tails or ears. However, the temperatures can still […]