Life doesn’t always go as planned. If you are a parent, you know that kids don’t come with instruction manuals. And as a cow-calf producer, you know that some cows that have just calved don’t have that inherent maternal instinct. Now, what? The newborn calf care is vital in those first 24 to 48 hours. […]
Tag: VitaFerm
The Best Cattle Mineral with Fly Control
Those pesky flies can really be a buzzkill when it comes to taking care of cattle. Flies cost the cattle business billions of dollars annually and impact the well-being of the herd. Horn flies cost beef producers more than $2 billion annually, and face flies can contribute up to $150 million in yearly losses. House flies […]
A Guide to Mastitis in Cattle
There are always challenges that accompany the calving season – dystocia, weak calves and winter storms. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could calve for one year with no stress and worries about the newborn calf or its mama? One challenge producers don’t often think about is mastitis in cattle. Mastitis is an inflammatory condition […]
Important Tips for Feeding Cattle in Winter
Winter is upon us, and for cattle producers, the wind and precipitation can make feeding cattle a challenge. Add the fact that most herds calve this time of year, meaning that cows’ nutritional needs are at their highest. Feeding cattle in winter can become a real chore! Feeding cattle in winter is critical to management, […]
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 Feeding Cattle in Winter: the Importance of Protein Supplementation
Feeding cattle in the winter is critical to cattle management, especially in regions where forage quality declines significantly during colder months. Proper nutrition during this period ensures cattle health, productivity and reproductive performance. However, low-quality forage alone often cannot meet the nutritional demands of cattle during winter. In these circumstances, protein supplementation is essential to […]
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 […]
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. […]
How Cold Can Cows Tolerate?
As livestock producers, we have a lot of concerns. We worry about input costs, if we made the right breeding decisions and where cattle prices will be when we are ready to sell. All these are issues that you likely deal with regularly. Another concern for many ranchers is the weather. Now, cattle are hardy […]
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 […]
