Breeding success strategies for beef cattle

K-State beef cattle experts offer advice on ways to manage heifers and cows MANHATTAN, Kan. – Bulls are often the focus when cattle producers are thinking about the breeding season, but experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute said it is important to prepare the females as well. “Achieving a successful breeding season starts long before the cows are turned out with a bull,” said Bob Larson, Kansas State University veterinarian. “What…

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K-State beef cattle experts join effort to help reproductive success of heifers, young cows

Yearling heifers need extra care to help prepare them for breeding. When trouble arises the Heifer CONSULT tool may serve as a resource. Heifer CONSULT is an online resource for cow-calf producers MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many veterinarians say that getting to the bottom of an animal health challenge often involves deducing a series of clues. To help beef producers solve the mystery of why their cattle conception rates aren’t where they’d hoped, Kansas…

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Beef Heifer Development series posted on-line

Heifers retained this year will impact the economic performance of the herd for at least the next decade! A six part presentation series discussing management strategies surrounding Beef Heifer Development has been posted on-line in the OSU Extension Beef Team Resource Library page. Most beef producers replace 10-20% of their mature cows each year with heifers. The unique challenge that each cow/calf producer is faced with is that they are anticipating the future…

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Estrus Synchronization and the Breeding Season – Resources to Review for 2020

Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Now is a good time to review estrus synchronization protocols and develop a plan for this year. Photo credit Troy Walz. For most producers the spring breeding season is still a ways off, but now is a good time to review estrus synchronization protocols and develop a plan for this year.  There are several Extension resources that can be helpful in preparing for the upcoming breeding season.…

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Getting bulls ready for the breeding season

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Any coach of a winning athlete will say that success in competition is the result of the athlete’s nutrition and fitness preparation. Beef cattle experts at Kansas State University say that same mentality applies to preparing bulls for the breeding season. “A single bull is responsible for many pregnancies, so it is critical that he goes into the breeding season healthy and fertile,” said veterinarian Bob Larson, speaking recently on…

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Ensure Herd Bulls Are Ready for the Upcoming Breeding

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Spring calving for some is underway, while for others is approaching quickly. This indicates the next breeding season is right around the corner. Percent of calf crop weaned on any operation is the single largest factor influencing profitability. Subsequently, herd bulls influence herd fertility more than any other single animal. Soundness and fertility of these animals is essential to the future calf crop and profitability of…

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Five Ways to Reduce Unit Cost of Production in a Cow-calf Enterprise

Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator For producers weighing opportunities to reduce unit cost of production, evaluate the potential ripple effects of the proposed change to the whole cow-calf production system. Photo credit Troy Walz. Unit cost of production is a ratio where costs in the numerator are divided by the units produced in the denominator. There are five ways to reduce unit costs of production in a cow-calf enterprise. Decrease costs while…

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Evaluating and Preparing Bulls in Advance of the Breeding Season

Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management Much like cows, bull body condition needs to be evaluated as fat cover over the front ribs, brisket, and tail head making sure that gut fill does not impact the score given. Photo credit Troy Walz. Although the breeding season for many herds is still a few months away, it is time to be evaluating bull body condition. Body condition is just as important…

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Small Herd Sire Decisions: The Heifer Bull Dilemma

Garth Ruff OSU Extension Henry County Bull buying season is almost upon us, and for the smaller cow-calf operators in the region, I think it time to ask the question: Do you need to buy a heifer bull? Year over year as I sit and watch bull buying decisions being made, I have observed producers faced with the dilemma of buying a calving ease “heifer bull” or a higher performance sire with a…

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