Cow-calf producers will want to prepare a breeder mineral program to be fed to beef cows during breeding season, then be ready to modify that program afterward based on actual grass conditions.
Tag Archives beef cows
Good mineral-vitamin programs for beef cows drive successful reproduction
Better Bunks and Pastures: A breeder mineral is critical for beef cows during the breeding season
Feed an all-star diet to your beef cows after calving
Better Bunks & Pastures: It pays to invest in cows to get them from calving to their next pregnancy
For a cow to feed a calf and retain its own body condition requires a good solid intake of essential nutrients. First-calf heifers also need more of the same nutrients to gain a couple of hundred pounds of weight as they grow into maturity.
DNA testing can have value in commercial beef sector
Costs of Production: There are advantages to testing some cows, heifers, bulls and calves
There is growing interest in the commercial beef industry around using DNA to inform selection decisions. While traditionally the realm of the seedstock industry, commercial DNA testing and changes in the way we manage cattle have led to some big changes in how we think about genetic selection. DNA testing, in broad terms, means using […] Read more
Corn fields emerge as good forage for overwintering beef cows
Better Bunks and Pastures: Cows will need supplements to make sure they get balanced nutrition while grazing corn
Corn fields grown especially for overwintering beef cows are a patchwork across our Prairies. Whole corn plants can provide substantial nutrition to maintain precious body condition of gestating beef cows. Yet, nobody should open the gate to any field and allow cows to stampede into it. That’s because there are still some issues in order […] Read more
Flipping cow depreciation on its head
Costs of Production: Open cows have a huge effect — especially when they are two-year-olds
I am keenly interested in cow depreciation and in fact have written about it in past Grainews columns. It is one of the largest direct expenses on a cow-calf operation — usually only behind feed — and it is worth touching on again in the wake of current record-high prices. First as a reminder, Figure […] Read more
Increasing AI use has many advantages
Animal Health: There are improved technologies for breeding and synchronization, for which AI makes more sense
Over the last decade or so, artificial insemination (AI), not to be confused with the other AI (artificial intelligence), has seen an upsurge in the commercial cattle population. This has been happening for a lot longer in the purebred cattle industry and a lot of the reasons are the same. If one is considering AI […] Read more
Early-gestating beef cows need good nutrition
Better Bunks and Pastures: Two-stage use of minerals over the fall and winter can help cows maintain body condition at a better cost
Late autumn is when many spring calves are weaned and removed from their moms. The remaining cow herd is now in its earliest weeks of gestation and requires a modest level of nutrition. It is an opportunity to feed some of the most cost-effective forage diets. But as time goes on, beef cows’ nutrient requirements […] Read more
Take care of first-calf beef cows after calving
Keep them separate from older cows and a different ration could make sense
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
The teenage years, beef cow edition
First-calf beef heifers are going through the biggest challenges of their lives and need some support
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
Beef cows in good condition, feed accordingly
Optimize cows' condition with target diets based on the animals' BCS
A warm start to winter has caused many beef cows after weaning to come off pasture in decent shape. Some of these cows are not truly obese, but they retained a lot of flesh. Those beef cows in optimum body condition should be put on a nutritious feeding program that maintains them until they calve […] Read more
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