Cattle Chat: Long-term gestational impacts

K-State beef cattle experts discuss how nutrition and stress in utero impact animals for a lifetime MANHATTAN, Kan. — During pregnancy, regular checkups are key for mother and baby to maintain good health. The same is true for beef cattle, according to the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. “In the case of replacement heifers, research has shown that if their diet was restricted when they were in utero, there can be…

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Strategic Replacement Heifer Selection at Weaning

Originally written by Taylor Grussing, former SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. Now that calves are weaned and pregnancy checks are occurring, it’s time to start thinking about selecting replacement heifers to breed in the spring. Due to the differences in goals and needs between operations, there is no one size fit’s all selection equation that producers can follow. However, there are some common characteristics and questions that all producers should consider to help…

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Cattle Chat: Heifer weight gain strategy

Kansas State beef cattle experts offer dietary tips for pregnant heifers MANHATTAN, Kan. — As the holiday season gatherings begin, many are seeing those bathroom scales numbers adjust in a less than favorable direction. However, for pregnant heifers that are too thin, late fall is a good time to make dietary adjustments ahead of spring calving, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarian Bob…

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Cattle Chat: Bull care between breeding seasons

K-State experts discuss health considerations for herds calving in spring and fall MANHATTAN, Kan. — While many beef producers only calve once per year, there are some who maintain both a fall and spring calving system with the same set of bulls. And with this herd management plan, special care needs to be given to the bulls, said veterinarians with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University. “In large operations that follow…

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Cattle Chat: Caring for growing bulls

K-State experts offer tips on meeting the nutritional needs of young bulls to aid in fertility MANHATTAN, Kan. — Anyone who has raised a teenage boy knows that meeting his nutritional needs can be challenging because of the rapid growth his body is experiencing. Just like teenage boys, young bulls also have special nutritional needs to optimize their growth and development, said the experts with the Beef Cattle Institute at Kansas State University…

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