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Cattleman’s Corner

First-calf cows need to be able to feed their calf, continue to grow and become ready for breeding, which means they need special treatment.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Take care of first-calf beef cows after calving

Keep them separate from older cows and a different ration could make sense

By
Despite some market volatility, the good value of all cattle is holding for the time being. That’s a good thing because last year, many cow-calf operators bred more replacement heifers that are now calving or about to calve. Some of these producers told me they throw them into their main cowherd if they are big […] Read more
A year-over-year decrease in Q1 feeder cattle placements in both Canada and the U.S. is expected to lead to tighter market-ready supplies during the summer.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Expect stronger cattle markets for third quarter

A surprise reduction in beef production could mean higher prices

By
During the second week of March, Alberta packers were buying fed cattle on a dressed basis in the range of $378-$380 per hundredweight (cwt) delivered. Prices f.o.b. (free on board) the feedlot in southern Alberta were quoted from $225 to $226/cwt. The market has been consolidating over the past month, as market-ready fed cattle supplies […] Read more
Grandpa Lynn oversees one of Joseph's art projects. Grandma's walls are covered with grandkid artwork and Joseph is a proud contributor.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns

Two family trips before calving

Eppich News: We take excursions into Idaho and Alberta for family to meet the new baby

By
Toward the end of January, the weather warmed up substantially — and while the cows were on full feed, they were not due to start calving until the end of February, so we decided to try to go to Idaho to visit family. My family had not seen the kids since October of last year, […] Read more
First calf heifers are maturing, feeding a calf, and often going through teeth changes at the same time.
Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

The teenage years, beef cow edition

First-calf beef heifers are going through the biggest challenges of their lives and need some support

By
Anyone reading this column who has been a teenager or has raised one can appreciate how challenging and interesting those years can be. Even good teenagers can be expensive. In our beef cattle production systems, the teenage role is filled by replacement heifers, and like teenagers a bit of understanding about the changes they are […] Read more
Nearly half of a beef carcass is consumed by consumers with average to above-average incomes.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

How consumer spending drives fed cattle prices

Here's why a small change in spending affects the beef market

By
Cattle producers are bombarded with charts and data from cattle inventory reports and cattle on feed surveys. During the fall of 2023, live cattle futures and were trending lower. Every analyst I was reading was focused on how low supplies were from a historical perspective; however, fed cattle prices were on a downward spiral. It’s […] Read more
Kit Pharo says ranchers can increase their production per acre and their profitability.
Beef Cattle, Cattleman’s Corner

A key to cattle business survival

Produce more pounds of beef per acre versus more pounds per cow, this U.S. rancher says

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North America producers are receiving higher prices for cattle than ever before — “yet very few are really profitable,” Kit Pharo says. Most cow-calf producers “are too dependent on outside inputs, which are also at record-high costs,” says Pharo, who operates Pharo Cattle Company in Colorado and was the keynote speaker at the recent Holistic […] Read more
Heifer rations are a balance of enough nutrition for optimum growth and low cost.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Dairy Cattle, Livestock, The Dairy Corner

Balancing low cost with enough nutrition

Use caution when feeding low-quality forage to dairy replacement heifers

By
Most dairy producers always look for ways to reduce the livestock feed costs. Some people have taken advantage that three-month-old replacement dairy heifers have a fully developed rumen and can truly digest lower quality/cost forages. There is nothing wrong in feeding this way, but these forages must be well balanced with other more nutritious feedstuffs […] Read more
Some of the seed storage at Barenbrug in the Netherlands.
Cattleman’s Corner, Features, Forages

An EU forage tour shows value of seed science

Farmers should make sure to take advantage of advances in forage varieties

By
I was given the unique opportunity to participate in a forage tour in the Netherlands and France hosted by Union Forage last August. This was a fantastic chance to see new developments but also to put boots on the ground and see what drives the forage industry in Europe and globally. It was reiterated over […] Read more
Cattle producers need to be aware, as we head toward 2025, that a small change in supply has a large influence on price.
Cattleman’s Corner, Columns, Markets

Cattle herd declines while economy expands

One per cent increase in consumer spending means one per cent increase in beef demand

By
I often place myself two years in the future, with a view of the past two years. The old saying is that hindsight is 20/20. Well then, place yourself in the future and look backward. If I were giving a cattle market outlook in March 2026, the summary would be the following: During 2024, feeder […] Read more

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