More in Calving Season

Dec. 21, 2012

Article

Calving Tips: How To Prevent Acute Gut Infection In Beef Calves

Some producers experience frustrating cases of acute enterotoxemia during calving. This term literally means bacterial toxins in the bloodstream generated by bacteria normally found in the intestine. Under certain conditions, these cattle disease bacteria proliferate rapidly and produce toxins that damage the gut and can kill a calf if not treated quickly....More
Dec. 18, 2012

video

Plan Now To Wean Early

Larry Berger, head of the University of Nebraska animal science department, talks about the advantages of early weaning. This video news is provided by Certified Angus Beef LLC and the American Angus Association. Visit www.CABpartners.com or www.angus.org for more information....More
Dec. 5, 2012

Article

Beef

Pay Attention To Cow Nutrtition Now For Results Later

Fetal programming explained. Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska, and Layne Anderson, Purina Animal Nutrition, talk about why cowherd nutrition and cattle feed in late gestation matters....More
Dec. 4, 2012

Article

Hay Quality Has Long-Term Impact On Heifer Calving Success

The quality of hay fed to a beef heifer the next 60 days of winter will determine the vigor of her calf to be born next spring—and whether she can rebreed to calve the next year. The amount of fat on a heifer’s back determines the care she needs, says Justin Sexten, University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist. His concern includes condition of cows in a herd, but heifers pregnant with first calves need extra nutrition. ...More
Oct. 23, 2012

Article

Controversy Over MLV Vs. Killed Vaccines Rekindled

Veterinarians and researchers have argued the benefits and pitfalls of modified live and inactivated, or killed, vaccines for years. New research adds fuel to the fire....More
Oct. 20, 2012

Article

Preg-Check Your Cows, Please!

As weaning time approaches, I hope most of you are planning your herd  “preg check.” If this fall is any indicator, it appears the cost of feed this fall and winter will be very high. If you have not incorporated this management practice in the past, please do so this year so that you won't be feeding non-productive females this fall and winter....More
Oct. 10, 2012

blog

Three Steps To A 30-Day Calving Season

Management of reproduction really includes the manipulation of genetics, nutrition, fertility and estrus, and marketing. If you change any one of these, you may change one or all the others. Burke Teichert, former vice president and general manager of Deseret, provides the management ideas he’s found helpful in building whole-herd reproduction and profitability....More
Aug. 2, 2012

Article

Heat Stress Can Cause Premature Calving; Watch Fall-Calving Herds Closely 1

Some heat-stressed cows are delivering premature calves, ahead of normal fall-calving season. With a heat wave and severe drought, fall-calving season might become as labor intensive as winter calving, say University of Missouri Extension specialists. Farmers who have calved both spring and fall prefer the normally trouble-free ease of fall calving. "Cows under stress need to be watched closely," says David Patterson, MU beef reproduction specialist. ...More
Aug. 1, 2012

Article

Industry At A Glance: Heifers On Feed 1

July’s cattle-on-feed report represented a slight rise in the feedlot heifer population vs. last year. The overall trend during the past several years has been relatively flat – hovering around 37%-38%....More
Jun. 22, 2012

Article

Specialists Provide Advice On Early Weaning Calves

Sometimes weaning calves early can benefit both the pasture and cattle. Greg Lardy, North Dakota State University Animal Science Depart-ment head and professor, says early weaning can be an effective drought-management tool, as well as a way to save feed costs....More
Jun. 22, 2012

Article

Survey Shows Producers Tolerate Aggressive Cows 3

Each year, beef producers are injured by overly aggressive cows at calving time. In fact, 23 people were killed by cows over a recent 15-year period in Canada. In the U.S., injury reporting by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 14% of fatalities caused by cattle are due to beef cows with calves....More
Jun. 22, 2012

blog

Preconditioning Of Calves Is A Win-Win-Win Equation 1

It’s hard to argue with win-win situations in life. Even better are win-win-win situations. Preconditioning (PC) calves fits the win-win-win scenario. The first win of PC is the calf’s health and welfare. The research studies are solid on the health and welfare benefits to PC calves – there’s less morbidity and less mortality in the feedlot....More
Jun. 5, 2012

blog

Moving From Strategy To Tactics 1

Over the past 10 months, I’ve presented strategies to make most ranches more profitable. Among them are: planned, time-controlled grazing; utilizing heterosis with composite or hybrid bulls to simplify mating plans and facilitate grazing management; calving in sync with nature, which most likely will differ from one location to another; increasing grazing days and minimizing or eliminating feeding days; using strategic or selective supplementation to just take the roughest edges off the natural environment; and selecting cows to fit your environment....More
May 2, 2012

video

Maddux Ranch Wins BIF Commercial Producer Of The Year Award

The Maddux family has been ranching in the Nebraska Sandhills for four generations. Along the way, they learned a thing or two about innovation and genetic improvement, which earned the Wauneta, NE operation the honor of being named the 2012 Beef Improvement Federation Commercial Producer of the Year....More
Apr. 25, 2012

video

Celebrating Spring Calving On The Ranch

BEEF Daily readers painted a beautiful picture of spring calving on the ranch with their Farm Boy's Spring Calving photo contest entries....More
Mar. 13, 2012

Article

With Calving Season Underway, Cattlemen Look Toward Pivotal Year

Early March on the family ranch is a pretty tough time and location to beat, as far as Ray Peterson is concerned. Bouncing across rolling hills of blue grama and buffalo grasses northeast of Nunn, CO, in a flatbed Ford F-250, Peterson can't help but grin...More
Mar. 1, 2012

Article

Calving Tips: Successfully Foster Baby Calves

Fostering baby calves within a single herd is the best option because bringing new calves in from an outside herd carries the risk of introducing disease says SDSU Extension Veterinarian, Russ Daly during a recent iGrow Radio Network interview....More
Feb. 29, 2012

video

Advice On When To Intervene When Calving First-Calf Heifers

Buddy Faries, Jr., veterinarian with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, explains what to look for and when to step in when calving first-calf heifers.....More
Feb. 29, 2012

Article

To Synchronize Or Not? 1

It has been demonstrated that using estrous synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) can improve reproductive efficiency, productivity and profits of beef cattle operations. Producers should consider using these reproductive technologies in their herds this spring....More
Feb. 23, 2012

Article

Fetal Programming Studies Show Supplementation Pays

If you look at some of the research that’s been done on the value of supplementing cows, you could get the idea that it’s not all that profitable, says Rick Funston, a University of Nebraska reproductive physiologist in North Platte....More
Feb. 22, 2012

Article

Earning Her Keep, Cow Has Quadruplets

If there were a lottery for cattle producers, Keith Sistad just won it. One of the Red Angus beef cows on his ranch near Fosston, MN, gave birth to four calves, all of which are healthy. “I’ve never heard of quads before in cattle,” says Sistad. “And to have all the calves doing well makes it so much better.”...More
Feb. 15, 2012

Article

Timing Of Daily Feeding Impacts Timing Of Calving

For generations cattlemen have heeded the advice of their fathers and changed the time they feed their cows as calving approaches. It's believed by feeding in the evening, the majority of cows will give birth during daylight hours, easing human labor needs and boosting calf survival, says Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist, during a recent iGrow Radio Network interview. ...More
Feb. 7, 2012

video

Reproductive Management Stressed At Cattlemen's College In Nashville

BEEF Senior Editor Burt Rutherford gives a review of the sessions he attended at the Cattlemen's College held at the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville, TN....More
Feb. 3, 2012

Article

Don’t Short Cow Nutrition And Top 10 Management Tips 1

A summer of excessive moisture and good grass growth followed by record-high temperatures and record-low precipitation this winter provided many Northern Plains cattle producers with the opportunity to extend their grazing season well beyond normal....More
Jan. 31, 2012

Article

Rancher Credits High-Tech Prosthetic Leg For Saving His Livelihood

As a farmer and rancher, Jeff Raymer spends his days doing hard physical labor. As an amputee missing his right leg 4 in. above the knee, Raymer needs a prosthetic leg that can handle tasks like feeding cattle, harvesting crops or driving a tractor....More