Spring weather has finally arrived to many parts of the country. The snow (if you got any) has started to melt away and things are starting to grow again.
With the warmer weather and the winter moisture forage grasses have started their “spring Greenup”. It is during this time that forages come out of their dormant stage and begin growing rapidly again.
Though this may seem like the greatest time of the year, what with all of the green across the pasture, it is not without it’s own challenges. It is during this time of year a particular problem know as grass tetany can cause issues with your cowherd.
For those who are not in the know you may be asking “what is grass tetany?”, “what kind of problems can it cause in my operation?” and “How do I treat or even prevent it from happening?”. Well in regards to those questions here are some things that you should consider.
It is that time of year again: Spring Calving season. Calving season can be one of the busiest times of year for cattle producers. Along with being busy it is also one of the most important times of the year.
Having the right replacement heifers is important for long term profitability of any ranch. It is necessary to be able to rotate the breeding stock out to improve the overall genetic pool. Also cows will get to a point that they will get to be too old to breed any more. When this happens you will need to have new stock to take their place.
A protein tub is a very good way to provide extra nutrition when needed. One benefit is that once you have placed it in the pasture you don’t need to check it every day. This is helpful for those that may have a job back in town.
Feed costs remain the single largest expense for any cattle producer. This expense can easily be half of the total annual expenses for a rancher.
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.
Anyone 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.
Having a good summer pasture management plan in place can save you a lot of headaches later on. It will give you a chance to put out any potential fires, not literally, before they can occur.
Will your cattle meet their mineral requirements this summer?
Pinkeye is a very common as well as a highly contagious disease in cattle. Once it shows up if you do not take proper steps it can quickly affect all of your cattle.
