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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BCI: Beef Prices Up, Cattle Prices Down, Grazing Management and Pasture Turnout, Top Recommendations for Transitioning Cows to Grass, Grass Tetany

https://ksubci.org/2020/04/17/beef-prices-up-cattle-prices-down-grazing-management-and-pasture-turnout-top-recommendations-for-transitioning-cows-to-grass-grass-tetany/

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Spring grazing management for beef cattle

Experts offer ways for producers to best prepare pastures ahead of spring grazing   MANHATTAN, Kan. – Beef cattle grazing on lush, green pastures is a common sight when driving through the Kansas Flint Hills in the late spring. Experts from Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute discussed steps for managing the spring grazing season recently on the weekly podcast Cattle Chat. K-State beef cattle extension specialist Bob Weaber advised producers to begin…

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Three Good Reasons for Early Castration of Bull Calves

Kevin Laurent – Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky These are challenging times market wise and it is easy to dwell on the negative and become complacent in our management. But in times like these we really need to explore every avenue to add value to our calves. If you watch the weekly market reports, you notice that we still have a significant number of intact bull calves being sold. Some producers choose…

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General Management Considerations to Increase the Proportion of Early Calving Heifers and Cows

G.A. Perry, South Dakota State UniversityM.F. Smith, University of MissouriRick Funston, Nebraska Extension Beef Cattle Reproductive Physiologist Maximizing the proportion of cows that conceive early in the breeding season cannot be overemphasized in a beef herd. Photo courtesy of Troy Walz. Artificial insemination (AI) is the most powerful tool cow-calf producers have to improve beef cattle genetics. Still, they have been slow to adopt this technology due to the time and labor of…

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Considerations for Successful Estrus Synchronization Programs

Sydney O'Daniel, Nebraska Exension Beef Educator One of the biggest impacts on rebreeding success is body condition score at the time of calving. Photo credit Troy Walz. With spring calving in full swing, it is a good time to start thinking about if your cows are prepared for breeding season. Making sure your cows are in a good body condition score prior to calving is one of the most important steps to ensuring…

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OSU News: Weaning option for fall-calving herds

Cow-calf producers may find two-stage weaning process useful By Donald Stotts STILLWATER, Okla. – Cattle producers with fall-calving herds who are contemplating upcoming weaning choices have several options to reduce animal stress. “Many people eat a lot when they are stressed, but calves tend to do the opposite,” said Earl H. Ward, Oklahoma State University Extension area livestock specialist for northeastern Oklahoma. “This can lead to health concerns such as depressed immune systems…

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Cow-calf producers should record multiple births in their herds

By Donald Stotts STILLWATER, Okla. – Cow-calf producers need to keep recordkeeping and genetic drift in mind when cattle births result in twins that are a heifer calf and a bull calf. “This condition – called freemartinism – causes infertility in most of the female cattle born twin to a male,” said Dana Zook, Oklahoma State University Extension area livestock specialist for northwestern Oklahoma. “Freemartinism is recognized as one of the most severe…

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