Cow-Calf & Production Tips

Fortunately, a cow herd can acclimatize to cold weather but their feed intake will increase in order to stay warm.

Increase in open cows blamed on poor diet

Start with a decent body condition after summer grazing and keep it maintained through to calving

By Peter Vitti January 5, 2023

Many beef producers this fall confirmed a surprising number of open cows after they brought them home. I speculate that not enough feed last winter, a record-breaking cold winter and a wet spring failed to prepare many beef cow herds for good conception rates. Fortunately, most producers now have good feed inventory, which I am […] Read more

To keep this calf growing and healthy, this cow needs a properly balanced diet so she can produce milk but also maintain or re-build her own body condition so she is ready for re-breeding in a few weeks.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Keeping calved cows in top condition

Four producers describe their cow-feeding program once calves hit the ground

By Peter Vitti April 13, 2022

I took this photo of a beef cow that had just calved in a drylot holding area. She is in good shape and health so I would expect that once her newborn calf is up on wobbly legs, it will get its first taste of colostrum. Within the next few hours, this new mom will […] Read more

You need some patience, but the positioning of this cowboy to the side of the heifer will gently encourage her to move forward without a lot of yelling and stress.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Make use of portable corrals on pasture

Weaning and timely vaccinations can be done without bringing the herd home

By Heather Smith Thomas March 24, 2022

Using portable equipment (some of which is not new but hasn’t been mainstream in the cattle industry) such as portable corrals or a “Bud Box” can make handling much easier when cattle are in large range pastures, says Dr. Tom Noffsinger, a Nebraska veterinarian. Having proper facilities makes it much easier to sort and load […] Read more

Understanding bull EPDs is important when making selection decisions, and Roy Lewis asks if there should be some adjustments made to scrotal circumference measurements.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

A few key points on producing livestock

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: A mixed bag of things to consider, and important topics to discuss with your local vet

By Roy Lewis March 22, 2022

With my training and experience as a veterinary practice owner, later in the pharmaceutical industry and also as a beef producer myself, I question things from several different angles. If there is a more practical, safe or cost-effective way of doing things, that’s the road I take. When veterinarians give advice. it’s also important that […] Read more

A proper faraway and close-up dry cow diet should be formulated to promote optimum body condition to ensure dairy cattle don’t get over conditioned.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Adjusting diet in dairy cows to prevent fatty liver syndrome

One important clue/cause is over-conditioned dry cows

By Peter Vitti March 1, 2022

All dairy cows go through a state of negative energy balance (NEB) right after calving. When a cow breaks down too much of her body fat to cover this energy gap in such a short period, accumulation of fat in the liver or fatty liver syndrome results and is detrimental to her health and milk […] Read more

Applying a colourful dog collar to calves that need some follow up after treatment or just need to be watched is also an economical and visual tracking system.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Tips for keeping track of newborn calves

A couple simple ideas to find calves during a hectic time of year

By Heather Smith Thomas February 23, 2022

One very cold calving season when my son and his wife were calving a large herd, they had to check through the cows very often at night to find the ones that were calving and bring them into the barn. They had to thaw and warm dozens of calves in the little trailer house they […] Read more

Having two or even three esophageal feeding tubes on hand and used during calving season is an effective way to ensure calves are supplied with key nutrients and other products when they are needed.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

An esophageal feeder is a key tool in saving calves

Animal Health with Roy Lewis: It is an effective way to administer a range of products to newborn or sick animals

By Roy Lewis February 17, 2022

Modern tool boxes in cow-calf production would not be complete without preferably at least two esophageal feeding tubes. These relatively simple, multipurpose feeding tools allow a safe, convenient method to give things such as colostrum or colostrum replacers, electrolytes, milk replacers and a few other treatments to calves. No producer should feel they don’t know […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf

Tips for warming cold calves

Get colostrum into newborn calves, and get them dried off

By Heather Smith Thomas February 15, 2022

Calves born during blizzards or any type of cold weather can chill quickly. Calves with body temperature below 38 C need warming. If their temperature is below 36 C, their condition is critical. There are several ways to safely warm calves. Dr. Robert Callan, a veterinarian and professor at Colorado State University in the Department […] Read more

It takes some thinking as well as experience to know when to pull by hand, when to use the calf puller jack, or when to call for help.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Tips on using a calf puller

Often it is not needed, but when it is be careful with positioning and pulling pressure

By Heather Smith Thomas February 9, 2022

We don’t see as many calving problems today because most producers try to use bulls that sire lower-birthweight calves, says Dr. Matt Miesner of Kansas State University. But there are still occasional problems, such as backward calves, when a calf puller is needed and cows and calves are injured by improper pulling, especially with a […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

Save your best nutrition for late-gestation cows

Producers share winter rations that work for their cow-calf operations

By Peter Vitti January 25, 2022

Preparing for the calving season used to be simple. The best green hay was saved for the gestating cows about two months before they calved, and most people started to feed a bit of loose cattle mineral. The funny thing is that this simple program worked at the time. As a beef nutritionist, it’s not […] Read more

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Cow-Calf

Increase in open cows blamed on poor diet

Keeping calved cows in top condition

Make use of portable corrals on pasture

A few key points on producing livestock

Adjusting diet in dairy cows to prevent fatty liver syndrome

Tips for keeping track of newborn calves

An esophageal feeder is a key tool in saving calves

Tips for warming cold calves

Tips on using a calf puller

Save your best nutrition for late-gestation cows

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