Pinkeye in Cattle

Brent Plugge, Nebraska Extension EducatorBrian Vander Ley, DVM Epidemiologist, Great Plains Veterinary Education Center Efforts to prevent pinkeye are directed at reducing transmission and minimizing irritation. Photo credit Dave Boxler. Driving or riding through a pen or pasture of cattle is a favorite chore for many producers.  Making sure our cattle have plenty of clean water, access to feed or forage and monitoring herd health are important aspects of daily care.  When examining…

Continue ReadingPinkeye in Cattle

Creep Feeding Calves

Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension EducatorTravis Mulliniks, UNL Beef Cattle Nutritionist, Range Production Systems The cost of the gain from creep feeding has to be less than the value of the gain to be a profitable nutritional strategy. Photo credit Steve Niemeyer. Keeping a tight grip on feed costs is a priority for every beef producer. Creep feeding calves can be a good return on investments in certain situations. Maintaining the calf’s efficiency at…

Continue ReadingCreep Feeding Calves

Mineral Consumption: It Matters!

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cattle mineral nutrition is complex and often confusing, but one strategy to help ranchers better evaluate their mineral program is to monitor mineral consumption. This goes back to the old adage, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Mineral supplement tags provide the recommended daily intake based on specific product formulations. Recommended intakes can vary widely depending on the brand and type of product, with the…

Continue ReadingMineral Consumption: It Matters!

Forage management and cow size

Steve Boyles, OSU Beef Extension Specialist Increased Hay Production per Cow: The increased use of the round baler and other hay production technologies since the early and mid-1970s (Van Keuren, OARDC –  The History of the Development of the Large Round Bale) has lowered the labor requirement and increased the convenience of hay production. Hay production per cow in the southeastern United States has increased by 136% (USDA NASS, 2016) since 1976. Reliance…

Continue ReadingForage management and cow size

K-State vet shares tips for managing cattle through heat

Temperature is only part of the challenge, Tarpoff says MANHATTAN, Kan. – A Kansas State University veterinarian is urging cattle producers to beef up their plans for managing heat stress in their herds, a challenge that costs the U.S. cattle industry up to $370 million in losses each year. A.J. Tarpoff, a beef veterinarian with K-State Research and Extension, said cattle are resilient animals; they will often acclimate to hot temperatures. But an…

Continue ReadingK-State vet shares tips for managing cattle through heat

K-State Plans Webinar for Kansas Beef Producers — “Drought Preparedness for the Cow-Calf Producer” webinar will be hosted on Zoom July 9.

Registration is now open for a webinar that will help Kansas beef cattle producers prepare to manage and reduce the impacts of drought and reduced forage availability on cow herds. The webinar will be hosted by the Kansas State University (K-State) Animal Sciences and Industry Department and K-State Research and Extension via Zoom on Thursday, July 9, 2020, at noon CDT. “As the saying goes, failing to plan, is planning to fail.” says…

Continue ReadingK-State Plans Webinar for Kansas Beef Producers — “Drought Preparedness for the Cow-Calf Producer” webinar will be hosted on Zoom July 9.

Calving Season Benchmarks

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cows that calve on time are the number one indicator that cattle within that operation fit the managerial program. This happens simply from timely reproduction. Reproductive performance of an operation is important to the overall success and bottom line of that operation. Benchmarking may be beneficial as it can help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business. This year may…

Continue ReadingCalving Season Benchmarks

Cow Herd Options

Heather Gessner SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist April 2018 and 2019 blizzards caused stress to the region’s cowherds, and for some herds changed the calving distribution. 2020 brings a chance to re-establish a preferred calving distribution. Calving distribution can have an economic effect on the income received for calves in the fall, as well as a long term effect for the herd. Cattle producers have options to bunch the herd back…

Continue ReadingCow Herd Options

Some Ideas on Converting from Year-round Calving to a Controlled Breeding Season

Dr. Les Anderson, Extension Beef Specialist, University of Kentucky Maintaining a controlled breeding and calving season can be one of the most important management tools for cow-calf producers. A uniform, heavier, and more valuable calf crop is one key reason for keeping the breeding season short. Plus, more efficient cow supplementation and cow herd health programs are products of a short breeding season. However, converting from a year-long breeding season to a shortened…

Continue ReadingSome Ideas on Converting from Year-round Calving to a Controlled Breeding Season

Virtual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course set for Aug. 3-5

Expert-led sessions, live animal demonstrations, trade show planned The annual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is going virtual this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The annual Beef Cattle Short Course will be held virtually this year. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo) While it may be hard to ‘virtually’ eat the famous prime rib dinner associated with the event, the educational aspect will still be provided as it has been for the past 65…

Continue ReadingVirtual Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course set for Aug. 3-5