Fall cattle processing raises the question of just how much a producer wants or needs to do. What if two neighbours each were selling 30 steer calves and split the trucking cost? The calves were well-grown, typical northern calves that were managed similarly through pre-and post-weaning. The calves averaged 650 pounds. The first set of
Last Year’s Cattle Can Affect This Year’s Prices
A Herd Of Cows Is A Group Of Individuals
Animals are individuals. A group of animals is a commingled set of individuals. At no time do the individual animals actually become a component of a group. That is a fundamental principle that those who engage in animal husbandry come to understand. This point is very important. While care may be applied to the group
Good Bedding Improves Calf Survival Rates
This spring is certainly one to remember. At the Dickinson Research Extension Center, calf death loss is just more than 11 per cent, almost quadruple the typical loss of three per cent for North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association members. This does not make anyone very happy. In fact, it stings harshly. However, challenges abound
The Real Cost Of Raising Ranch Horses
The other day was difficult. The discussion centred on the horse industry as the Dickinson Research Extension Center was reviewing program costs. As the horse program was discussed, the updated costs were noted. Based on a fiveyear average, the annual cost (direct and overhead expenses) for maintaining a producing mare and nursing foal was $764.68
Alfalfa Is A Great Supplement For Beef Cows
There was a pleasant view as I went to the auction barn the other day. The semi-trailer truck was sitting in the parking lot with a load of alfalfa hay. Under many situations, no one would really notice, but the long, drawn-out winter has many producers checking their hay inventory as frequently as the weather
In Winter, Feed The Cows And Feed Them Right
Winter continues to pummel us with extreme cold, wind and snow. A normal winter, if there is such a thing, occasionally gives us a breather, but not this year. Winters like this year create discussion about what type of cattle operation is best. Despite the discussion, the fact remains that the cows need to be
Cows should not be gift-wrapped
Producers don’t ask enough questions when buying replacement cows – not even simple questions, such as what vaccinations have the cows received? When buying cows, the data trail and answers to questions regarding health protocol are the necessary ingredients for a productive herd. If we buy new cows for the herd, producers should explore, question
Good science no substitute for human intuition
In the end, it takes a science-based team blended with a husbandry-based team to make the beef business work. The report from the human side of the chute was not very good. We had 32 open heifers that were pastured together and exposed to one bull. The bull had passed the breeding soundness exam. He
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