With fall and cooler weather right around the corner, it is important to give your cows their best chance going into winter. Good winter management practices contribute to healthy and productive cattle. It also plays a part in keeping feed costs reasonable.
As with other seasons, a cow’s nutrient requirements are different during this time of year. Of course, what the requirements depend on what production cycle you have them on. If you are on a spring calving timeframe then they will need requirements met in order to grow the calf inside her. This is on top of her normal needs as well as keeping her body warm during the colder times of the year.
But fear not, this article is here to help. There are some things that you can use to get your cattle on the best foot going to winter. Here are some things that you can do to help your cows going into the later part of the year:
Destocking is a very common practice during a drought. They are rarely easy to make and will still cost you most of the time. However, because drought is a common consequence of ranching it will still need to be made. It is important to include plans for when droughts occur so producers are never caught unprepared.
Having calves weaned early is often something that occurs during periods of low forage quality. This typically happens during extremely dry periods, such as what is currently happening in many western states. But what exactly does it mean to wean early?
Weaning time is once again upon us. It is a magical time where everything runs smoothly. Also absolutely nothing wrong ever….. 
The threat of drought this year is a real problem for most of the country. Many of us have seen severely less than average rainfall and it has put a strain on our businesses. The most frustrating thing about it is that drought is one of the few things that we as humans have absolutely no control over.
If you were to ask any producer about which nutrients they are concerned with chances are 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 an adequate amount of clean water is necessary for them to function.
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. Just like those two though it is unavoidable it is also something that most producers find themselves unprepared for.
It is weaning time again out on the range. This is the time of year that you as a rancher get to 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 necessary sometimes in cattle operations. That being said it is not something that most ranchers like to do. Feed costs remain the single largest 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.
