Tag: calf (Page 1 of 18)

How to have the most productive breeding season

How to have the most productive breeding seasonBreeding 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.

As a cow/calf producer, you hold the key to a successful breeding season. Your management decisions before and during the calving season are crucial. The steps you take now will determine whether you start the season on the right footing or find yourself playing catch-up. Remember, your actions directly impact the health and productivity of your herd.

For a cow to produce a calf every year, she must be rebred 80 days after she has calved. This 80-day timeline is crucial because it takes into account the cow’s reproductive cycle. The 80 days may not seem like a short time, but you must remember that she will not be going into estrus for at least 30 days after that calf is born, so your window is a little shorter.

So, what can you do to prepare for an outstanding breeding season? Well, here are three things that you can look at to improve your chances of having a large calf crop.

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It’s important to know the signs of calf dehydration

It's important to know the signs of calf dehydrationDehydration among calves is a severe problem that is often overlooked among producers. It can be caused for many reasons, typically from the summer heat and scours. The time from recognizing the symptoms to providing treatment is crucial.

When it comes to treating dehydration, producers need to be ready to step in quickly. It does not take long for a dehydrated calf to deteriorate if not treated promptly. While scours is often the cause, if you do not rehydrate with fluids, you will lose the calf.

The degree of dehydration can be hard to recognize, so observation is the key. Producers should educate themself on what to look for and what treatments to do. Here are five signs to look for when diagnosing dehydration in your calves.

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How to get the most out of creep feeding

How to get the most out of creep feedingCreep feeding can be an excellent tool for improving the overall weaning weight of your calves. Thus, it can be a good management and economical option for improving your bottom line.

There are many factors to consider when looking at creep feeding, such as calf prices, the price of the feed itself, and the labor you are able to commit to it. Since this is not a one-and-done type of thing, it is something that you will have to look at every year. This reason is because the factors involved, such as market prices, will change from one year to the next.

It is essential to look at the factors that will matter to you because, like many other things that are involved with raising beef cattle, it is not a blanket option. What works for one operation will not always work for another.

So, what are the options that you should look at when deciding to start creep feeding? Here are some things you can look at to determine if it is right for you.

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How to improve selecting replacement heifers the right way

How to improve selecting replacement heifers the right wayHaving suitable replacement heifers is vital for the long-term profitability of any ranch. It is necessary to be able to rotate the breeding stock out to improve the overall genetic gene pool. Also, cows will get to a point where they will be too old to breed anymore. When this happens, you must have new stock ready to take their place.

When it comes to having replacement heifers, there are two ways you can go: buy or raise them. Most producers tend to grow their own, but buying them can also be an option. When it comes to deciding which to go with, like with any choice, it is crucial to weigh the pros and cons to determine which is best for your situation.

Selecting the most economical source for your replacement heifers is vital to you. There is no point in going with an option that will only cost you more money in the long run. One of the first things you must do is look at your current facilities. Here are some things that you can look at when deciding on either to buy or raise:

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5 simple truths about colostrum to start calves right

5 simple truths about colostrum to start calves rightColostrum is one of, if not the most critical thing for newborn calves. It lays the very foundation for their health and well-being throughout the remainder of their life. Through the dam, the calf takes in all the antibodies needed to fight off disease. But what if they are not able to get it from their mother?

Using a colostrum replacer or supplement can be a very confusing matter to figure out. There are many different choices to choose from, as well as different delivery styles. Ideally, every one of your new calves will get up and start nursing independently. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world.

There are some times that you will need to provide assistance to the newborn to get them on the right foot. This assistance can come in the form of delivering a colostrum replacer. No matter if it is natural or replacer, you only have a 4-hour window for it to be effective. If you find yourself in that situation, here are five tips that can help you get the most effective use out of it.

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Introducing all you need to know about cattle supplements

Introducing all you need to know about cattle supplementsProducers tend to have a love/hate relationship regarding supplements. On the one hand, they love how it improves the performance of their cattle, but on the other hand, they hate that it adds to their expenses. It is for this reason that producers tend only to feed supplements if they absolutely have to.

In order to get the most cost-effective use out of feeding cattle, producers should look at supplements more as an investment rather than just another expense. Supplements can add increased value to both performance and their return at the sale if appropriately used.

As we are all aware, forages alone will not provide all the necessary nutrients that your cattle need. Supplement feeding is required to complement what your forages provide. Though your grass may be green now, the quality of it will decline as the forages mature later on in the year.

So, how do you get the most effective use of supplements?

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4 ways on how to pick a reputable breeder

4 ways on how to pick a reputable breederA breeder is an essential part of the future of the cattle industry. The products they make, i.e., calves, can determine the genetic potential of a beef herd. This genetic potential is why it is vital to do business with a reputable one.

The cattle that will be entering your herd, whether that is the replacements you raise or the ones that you buy, will steer what direction your herd goes in the future. It is during times like these that a producer must make their decisions based on sound business judgment. These are not the time to let emotions get the better of you.

When it comes to cattle buying, there are plenty of sellers. All you have to do is take a quick look around social media to find that out. There are many sellers. But that does not mean that all of them are the right ones to go with. It will be up to you to wade through all of the noise. The key is to find the one that will be right for you. Here are four things that you can follow to make the right choice.

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How to secure the nutrition needs of fall-calving herds

How to secure the nutrition needs of fall-calving herdsNutrition is one of those things that is essential year-round. Everything hinges on the cow’s nutritional needs being met, from just putting on weight for the market to reentering the reproduction cycle. However, meeting these demands can be complicated.

The fall of the year can be a problem for producers. Even if you had forages growing, their overall quality declines drastically during this time of year. As the forages mature, they become more fibrous, their crude protein level goes down, and they become less palatable. If a producer has his herd calves in the fall, the problem becomes even more of an issue.

The issue with having a fall-calving herd is that the quality of forages goes down as her nutrition needs increase. The critical thing to remember is to meet the cow’s nutritional demands. It may seem impossible, but that is not the case. With some proper planning, it is possible to avoid having this become an issue.

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How to control calf shrinkage to reduce profit loss

How to control calf shrinkage to reduce profit lossShrinkage is a genuine concern when it comes time to sell your calves. This concern is because it is a reduction in the sales weight, which means a reduction in the price that you will get. Of course, some price adjustments are standard in order to compensate for varying shrinkage and gut fill.

The thing is that some shrinkage is to be expected, but too high of levels can indicate a problem. Abnormal levels of shrink can often be used as a health indicator for calves. Places like receiving facilities at stocker operations, grow yards, and feedlots use this to determine which calves may need more care.

Experienced buyers and sellers in the cattle market are well aware of this trend. They use this knowledge to make adjustments so cattle are priced accordingly. In order to get fair prices for your cattle, it is a good idea to know the factors that go into shrinkage.

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How to overcome BRD and protect your profits

How to overcome BRD and protect your profitsBRD, or bovine respiratory disease, is a general term for any respiratory disease in cattle. There is a range of factors that can cause this disease. The common names usually used for this disease are pneumonia or shipping fever. Stocker and feedlot operations are often where this disease occurs. It occurs more often there because of the extreme stress that calves are put under from weaning and then being shipped.

This disease has multiple causes and develops due to complex interactions between various factors—things such as environmental factors, host factors, and pathogens. The environmental factors are things like weaning, transport, commingling, and crowding, to name a few. These factors serve as stressors that adversely affect the immune system of calves.

While feedlot and stocker operations usually are affected by this, it can also happen to cow/calf producers. Almost 20% of cow/calf operations experience nursing-calf pneumonia. It is the leading cause of death for calves three weeks of age and older. To keep your calves right on track, consider these four tips to keep BRD under control.

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