Tag: cattle (Page 1 of 4)

4 helpful strategies to make your cattle mineral effective

4 helpful strategies to make your cattle mineral effectiveMineral supplementation is an essential component of any successful cattle operation. Minerals are the building blocks for growth, reproduction, and basic maintenance. It is important that your cattle get all of the minerals that their bodies need.

The problem is that your forages will only provide some of the nutrients that they need by themselves. No matter where you are located, something will always be lacking. This reason is why providing a year-round mineral supplement is mandatory.

However, deciding what type of mineral you need to provide can be a bit confusing if you do not know what to look for at the feed store. There are many different choices you can go with. There are some that may work, but some are just a rip-off. A producer needs to know what to look for before they make any purchases. Here are some things to consider when making that decision:

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4 simple strategies to make your cattle mineral more effective

4 simple strategies to make your cattle mineral more effectiveMineral supplementation is an essential component for any successful cattle operation. They are the building blocks for things like growth, reproduction, and basic maintenance. It is important that your cattle get all of the minerals that their body needs.

The problem with this is that your forages will not provide all of the nutrients that they will need by themselves. No matter where you are located there will always be something that is lacking. This is where providing a year-round mineral supplement is mandatory.

However, deciding what type of mineral you need to provide can be a bit confusing if you do not know what to look for at the feed store. There are many different choices you can go with. There are some that may work but some are just a rip-off. It is essential for a producer to know what to look for before they make any purchases. Here are some things to consider when making that decision:

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Are better times ahead for 2023?

Are better times ahead for 2023?2023 is right around the corner. With the current year ending, we are drawn to look back and reflect. As the new year approaches it brings with it the promise of things getting better than what we have experienced.

This year has certainly brought challenges to not just producers but everyone. The continued drought forced many to liquidate their herds at unseen rates. The record-high inflation made it more difficult for people to purchase even necessities. And to top it off the conflict in Ukraine ended up causing inputs like fertilizer to increase to astronomical levels.

I suppose we should spin all of the challenges we have faced into something positive. Just as a calm sea never makes a skilled sailor, stable markets never make a skilled producer. It is in dealing with challenges that we are able to expand our skills and improve. That being said can things finally turn around for us going into 2023? Here are 4 things to look at that could possibly answer that for us.

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5 books to improve your ranch business

5 books to improve your ranch businessEducation is one of the most valuable resources for anyone. It is also the investment that will pay the highest dividend when used correctly. Books are a very good resource for education. The thing to remember is that though you may no longer be in school education does not end during your life.

Being able to produce top-quality beef in today’s world requires a rancher to be a lifelong learner. With the ever-changing world that we live in it is important to stay up to date on things. We are constantly learning more about animal behavior and better low-stress handling techniques. Experience can be the best teacher but using the right books lets you learn from the experiences of others.

With the wide selection of information available out there in books and on the internet, it can be a little confusing trying to find the correct information out there. Here I compiled a list of the 5 best books that could help you in improving your operation.

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Understand cattle fly control before you regret it

understand cattle fly control before you regret itTrying 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.

As we move into the warmer time of the year these pests will be coming out in full force. They will be coming out of their dormant stage to feast on your cattle negatively affecting your herd’s production. But what is a rancher to do?!

Though you will never fully get rid of them there is a way to get them under control. In order to be the most effective, it will require a multi-prong approach. It will require all of them because just using one will not get the results that you are looking for.

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Importance of roughages

importance of roughagesWhen it comes to ruminant nutrition most people think of things like crude protein, energy, and possibly mineral content. Although these factors are important, roughage intake can often be overlooked. A minimum amount of roughage is important to keep the rumen functioning as it should.

The purpose of the rumen is to degrade complex structural fibers found in plants. Once it does that it metabolizes them to provide nutrients for the animal to make meat and milk that can be consumed by humans. They can produce better with plants that have lower fiber levels and are more digestible.

The quality and availability of roughage can have a direct effect on the success of a cattle enterprise. Providing better quality roughage can reduce the cost of feeding high-producing animals. But just how are you to go about providing better roughage for your animals? Well here are some things for you to consider.

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7 Factors for profitable cattle

7 factors for profitable cattleHaving profitable cattle is the goal of many a producer. But when exactly does a cow become profitable? We have all heard the statement that it takes 6-7 years for a breeding cow to pay for herself, right? What if I told you that is not always the case.

That may be a widely held belief within the cattle business, things tend to be a little more complex than just going by a set number of years. Whether or not a cow will eventually be profitable requires several different components in order to justify her being there on the ranch.

It is easy for cattle to be profitable when the rains are coming on time and the grass is green. It is when things are not as good, such as during a drought, that her sustainability really comes into play. During times of drought when conditions are limiting feeding capacities it is important to account for all the relevant variables. If your cows are not performing regularly it may be time to do some culling with your herd.

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4 common cattle internal parasites

4 common cattle internal parasitesAnyone involved in cattle production is aware of the danger of internal parasites in cattle. Internal parasites, such as lung worms and coccidia, live in the gastro-intestinal tracts of cattle. They will cause decreased production and in some cases even death.

Through proper management you can get this parasites under control. The thing to remember is that cattle internal parasite control is not a once-a-year thought that only occurs before spring grazing. The different types of parasites will emerge at different times of the year so your management plan must be year round.

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How do you control flies on cattle?

how do you control flies on cattle?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.

As we move into the warmer time of the year these pests will be coming out in full force. They will be coming out of their dormant stage to feast on your cattle negatively affecting your herd’s production. But what is a rancher to do?!

Though you will never fully get rid of them there is a way to get them under control. In order to be the most effective it will require a multi-prong approach. It will require all of them because just using one will not get the results that you are looking for.

Continue reading

Designing the “perfect” mineral program

Developing the "perfect" mineral programImagine an ideal scenario: just one type of mineral would solve all of your problems. You could just put it out, forget it and your cows would be at the peak of health.

Despite how good that would make you feel I hate to be the bearer of bad news put that type of scenario just doesn’t exist here in the real world. Here there is no such thing as a “perfect” mineral program.

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