Cattle are in the pasture, but how many should be there? The answer to that question is the heart of a beef operation. Proper utilization of grass is critical. Overutilization will impact the plant community negatively; underutilization impacts the plant community by not allowing for the proper stimulation of plant growth. The answer relates to
BeefTalk: How many cattle should go in the pasture?
Planned grazing systems are difficult to develop but are a must for the cow-calf producer
BeefTalk: Why push a chain up a hill?
Matching cattle inventory and calving date with appropriate forage-based systems is critical
The recent thaw has helped cows into their generally relaxed routine in which they’re essentially finding shelter, eating, drinking and returning to shelter. The slow days of late gestation are eminent. In another month, many cows will be calving. Producers have time now to look ahead. In fact, the cow actually is looking ahead as
BeefTalk: Keeping more heifers turned out well
Hanging on to your heifers in tough times can help preserve a herd’s genetics and increase management flexibility
How do you cut cow numbers in half and maintain the same number of cows calving? That seems like a strange question, but the question surfaced as the Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) prepped for the current drought on this year’s feed supply. The answer is to develop all the heifers as future brood cows.
BeefTalk: Lower prices need lower costs
The first step to lowering costs is knowing the costs
The daily CattleFax report just popped into my email and was not the positive news one would like. The Oct. 10 values were $98.87 for live cattle and $124.65 for feeder cattle (all figures U.S. funds). I had a simple thought: “What, two-digit live-cattle prices!” My second thought: “We have got to get costs down!”
Cow-calf producers’ survival is still about production costs
The times are good for prices, but cattle producers have a lot on their minds these days. Calving has started on many ranches, and the complicated production scenarios already are constantly churning for producers. Unfortunately, the dollars associated with many production scenarios often are in place well before adequate financial evaluations are done. The critical
Survival comes before expansion in the beef cattle business
What would you say if someone told you that 40 per cent of the cow-calf producers are struggling to justify being in the beef business? After all, the cattle business is a great business and currently humming along through great times. If that is true, why is the industry not expanding? Good question and certainly
Winter is no time to forget about the bulls
The first winter storm brought in the reality of seasonal changes and the need to take care of the bulls. For many, the cows and calves head home, and then the calves are sorted for market. The busyness of it all is mind boggling at times. The pens are stretched to the max, and there
The Beef Industry Is On The Horns Of A Dilemma
The beef world is changing, but one should avoid the word chaotic because the beef world has a lot of structure and is far from disorganized. However, the incoming forces that we do not control, such as Mother Nature, are slamming us. Although the response is quite organized, those forces certainly increase our sense of
BeefTalk: Does Your Bull Need Some Help?
Now is the time to check the bulls. Are the bulls actually working or are they quietly passing the day lying in the shade? It’s not easy to keep up with bull breeding activity, but a keen eye by a producer can detect the difference between inactive and active bulls. The North Dakota Beef Cattle
BeefTalk: A Significant Storm Event
Asignificant storm event occurred April 30 in western North Dakota. Significant storm events actually occurred in several areas of the country last week, resulting in the tragic loss of life. Our hearts go out to those who lost family and friends. As cattle producers, each brash attack from Mother Nature should cause us to ponder
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
