Weaning time is once again upon us. It is a magical time where everything runs smoothly. Also absolutely nothing wrong ever….. sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to finish that sentence. The problem with that previous line is that anyone in the cattle business will tell you it’s the opposite. It can be a very stressful time for both the cattle and the rancher.
Stress in cattle can be displayed by increased vocalization and reduced feed intake. The most well-known are calves just pacing up and down the fence line. The issue with stress is that it can lower the immune system’s ability to fight off diseases. It may not seem like much but it can reduce daily gains, and increase health problems. and even cause death.
No matter what type of weaning strategy you use there are ways to maintain your calves’ performance. This can happen while also reducing the chance of illness. Preparing calves in advance of taking them away from their mommas has benefits that are well worth the effort. Here are three steps that you can use to help your calf crop wean successfully.
The threat of drought this year is a real problem for most of the country. Many of us have seen severely less than average rainfall and it has put a strain on our businesses. The most frustrating thing about it is that drought is one of the few things that we as humans have absolutely no control over.
Internal parasites are a problem that every beef producer must face. It is a constant annoyance that can rob a beef operation of its productivity. They impair production by increasing things like energy costs of maintenance, diet digestibility, and immune activity.
If you were to ask any producer about which nutrients they are concerned with chances are they would tell you protein, energy, and minerals. Now while these are important there is another that is just as important: water. Ensuring that cattle have an adequate amount of clean water is necessary for them to function.
Drought is one of those things that every cattle producer will have to deal with at some point. It ranks right up there with Death and Taxes. Just like those two though it is unavoidable it is also something that most producers find themselves unprepared for.
It is weaning time again out on the range. This is the time of year that you as a rancher get to see the fruits of your labor. Labors such as with your breeding programs. But that does beg the question about success.
Having to feed supplements is necessary sometimes in cattle operations. That being said it is not something that most ranchers like to do. Feed costs remain the single largest expense for any cattle producer. The amount really depends on different things but it can easily be half of the total annual expenses.
Looking out onto a field of perfectly rolled hay bales is a beautiful sight to see. It is even more impactful if you are the one that baled them. Can feel yourself filling with pride on a job well done.
With summer arriving treating pinkeye is an issue, many cattle producers will face. As things get drier it means more dust which means an increase in eye irritants.
Hay is a very common sight in every cattle producer’s operation throughout the country. It is used during the winter to provide supplemental nutrition when forages are lacking. However, with the extremely dry conditions, we have been having lately getting hay bales is becoming harder and harder. With this difficulty producers are looking for ways to make their current supplies last longer.
