Water is an essential part of life. A certain amount is certainly needed for growth, fetal development, lactation, and overall production. But unfortunately, despite its importance, it is something that can be overlooked very easily by producers.
If you were to ask any producer about which nutrients they are concerned with, they would tell you protein, energy, and minerals. Now while these are important, there is another that is just as important: water. Ensuring that cattle have adequate clean water is necessary for them to function.
However, providing your herd with the right amount they need requires more than just putting some troughs out. It will take planning on your part and some basic understanding of cattle’s needs and habits. Getting it right will ensure you get the maximum output from this most necessary resource.
It is weaning time again out on the range. Weaning is the time of year when you, as a rancher, see the fruits of your labor. Labors, such as with your breeding programs. But that does beg the question about success.
Having to feed supplements is sometimes necessary for cattle operations. That being said, it is something other than what most ranchers like to do. Feed costs remain the single most considerable expense for any cattle producer. The amount really depends on different things, but it can easily be half of the total annual expenses.
Hay is a very common sight in every cattle producer’s operation throughout the country. It is used during the winter to provide supplemental nutrition when forages are lacking. However, with the extremely dry conditions we have been having lately, getting hay bales is becoming harder and harder. With this difficulty, producers are looking for ways to make their current supplies last longer.
Maintaining your pasture during the summer can take much work. It can go from adequate moisture to extremely dry in no time. Managers must be on their game to keep their pasture from suffering too much.
Breeding season preparations are crucial for any cow/calf producer’s bottom line. Their steps will determine if they will have a good calf crop. Good quality calves to sell are the defining factor between a successful and a not successful rancher.
Drought is one of those things that every cattle producer will have to deal with at some point. It ranks right up there with Death and Taxes. Like those two, though it is unavoidable, it is also something that most producers need to prepare for.
There is one constant in the livestock industry, if you have animals then you will have to build a fence. Fencing is a barrier to keeping your animals where you want them and keeping predators out.
Feed costs remain the single largest expense for any cattle producer. Depending on different factors this expense can easily be half of the total annual expenses for a rancher.
Trying to control flies that are on your cattle can be a very frustrating endeavor, to say the least. It can often feel like an uphill climb with no rest in sight. No matter what you seem to do they just keep coming back year after year.
