Chances are if you are a cow-calf producer, you are constantly looking for ways to stay profitable. With uncertainties in markets, environments and climate, there are several challenges that exist to getting a handle on your bottom line. However, following a few best management practices will help your operation thrive during the summer and help […]
Tag: Fly Control
Progressive Cattlemen: Longevity is Benefit of Commitment
Longevity. It seems like a term that doesn’t get used much anymore. Many things in the marketplace are “single-use” items, and products just aren’t made like they used to be. However, for one couple in the cattle business in southeast Louisiana, longevity is a trait that they have become accustomed to. Arnold and Missy Hess, Morganza, […]
The Real Impact of Flies
Good things don’t always come in small packages. Take for instance, the fly. This little nuisance is known to cause at least $1.5 billion in losses to the cattle industry annually. Break that down, and it could be costing you, the producer, $30-$50 per pair if you are not engaging in effective fly control management. […]
A Guide to Pinkeye in your Herd
Pinkeye is a highly contagious infectious disease that impacts cattle across the world. According to a University of Nebraska Veterinary website, pinkeye costs U.S. beef producers between $150-300 million per year. Economic hits can come by way of decreased gain and decreased milk production, therefore decreasing the overall value of your cattle, as well as […]
How to Keep Stockers Gaining Through Summer Heat
After a long cold winter and an overly wet spring, summer might seem like a welcome change. However, the season doesn’t come without its fair share of challenges, especially if you’re grazing stockers. As a stocker operator, you’re going to be confronted with the heat, the possibility of grazing on fescue, flies and the potential […]
Prepare Your Herd for Grazing Season Stressors
After a stressful winter across the country, cattle producers are surely looking forward to the sunshine and turning their cattle out to green pastures. Just as Mother Nature can cause havoc in the winter months, she can also add unnecessary stress to your herd in the spring and summer. However, with proper management, you can […]
Be Proactive with Fly Control
Out of sight; out of mind. But what if that nuisance we can’t see right now is likely to cause more than $1 billion in damage to the U.S. beef industry? It’s time to make flies top-of-mind. Yes, that tiny black fly – only about 4 mm in length or half the size of a […]
Health and Nutrition are Keys to Prevention
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And for one progressive cattle producer, doing things the right way the first time is worth keeping his cow herd healthy and performing. The Boyd family has been raising registered cattle in north central Kentucky for more than a century. Charlie Boyd II along with […]
How a Supplement Helps Fertility, Fly Control and Forages
England Cattle Company has been raising Brahman cattle for generations in the southern-most “tropical” part of Texas. Mike & Elizabeth “Cricket” England started their operation in the 1980’s on her grandparents’ homestead, and today ranch manager and son, Benton, oversees the nearly 200 registered polled, grey Brahman and commercial F-1 cows. The family understands the […]
Natural Insect Control
The smallest of creatures tend to be the biggest pests around livestock. The warmer days and hot weather brings out the worst of the flies and other insects each year, and livestock producers continually look for alternative forms of insect control. Cattle producers should know that in addition to the traditional chemical methods to keep […]