Although it is just February it is not too early to begin planning ahead for the upcoming grazing season. Your grazing plan should include the stocking rate, as well as the planned turn out dates. If you will be using multiple pastures a pasture sequence should also be planned out. Here are some things to consider when drawing out your plan.
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Finding a good cattle breeder is a very important decision to make. The cattle that you will be buying will be having an impact on your herd’s genetics for years to come. A good cattle breeder should have a very strict selection strategy. Not just with the ones that they are selling but also the ones that they’ll be keeping in their own herd. Here are some tips to help you find a good one:
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What is the proper strategy to develop replacement heifers for my cowherd? This is a question many producers have asked themselves. Developing a replacement heifer is one of the most expensive management decisions a producer will make. Making this decision can have long term impacts on your herd’s profitability.
The lull before calving season begins is a good time to ensure that your cows are up to date. You should work them about 1 to 3 months before calving in order to ensure they will be on the right foot. This is also a good time to make some observations and to begin planning ahead. Here are some things to do before calving season begins.
As winter begins to wind down now is the time to consider getting your soil tested for the coming year. A soil analysis is a good management tool because it tells you what your soil may be lacking, saving you money on fertilizer. A soil test however is only as good as the samples that you collect to give to the testing lab. Here are some things to consider with soil sampling:
There is a long debate on which season is best for calving either spring or fall time. Calving in the spring could be the most economical because you will be selling the calves before winter. Fall calving could get you a higher price however because calf prices are generally at their season highs when you wean them. While they both have their benefits, as well as the problems, there are some factors you will need to consider in order to decide which one would be best for you.
Making it work in the cattle industry is a delicate balance of increasing performance while keeping costs low. There is of course a trade-off for which ever option that you choose. You can keep costs low but that will affect your herd’s performance. Choosing to increase performance will require some additional costs, such as in feed. Developing a nutrition plan can help with this balance.
As we have come to the middle of January that means that calving season is just about to start. Generally this time of year can be a pretty stressful on the producer. There are of course things that you can do to reduce that stress for you and your family. Here are some things you can do to prepare for this hectic time of year.
There are many articles that discuss ways to increase your cow’s fertility in order to increase your profits out there. While many of them make valid points and have scientific facts to back them up, they usually involve increasing input costs as well. A little increase in your input costs can be handled when the markets are good, but what happens when the prices for cows goes down (as they will do)? Here are some tips to increase reproduction rates without breaking the bank.
We are officially into 2019 along with all of the promises that comes with the new year. During this time many people are starting their resolutions in order to improve their lives and overall well being. Going along with that thought process you can develop resolutions to help improve your ranch going forward in the year. Here are a few examples you could use:
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