Tag: heat stress in calves

Heat, Flies, and Scours: July Calf Checks

June 29, 2026 / / 0 Comments
Heat, Flies, and Scours: July Calf ChecksJuly really shows which calves are handling the summer well and which ones are starting to struggle.
You might ride through the pasture in the morning and think everything looks fine. The cows are spread out, calves are resting in the shade, and nothing seems wrong. But when you come back in the evening, you might spot a calf hanging back by the water trough, another with manure on its back legs, and a few more with flies around their eyes. It might not look serious yet, but that’s how July can catch you off guard.
In West Texas and the Southern Plains, July stress usually doesn’t show up as one big problem right away. It builds over time. Heat makes calves eat less, flies keep them from resting, and dirty water or bad creep feed can cause gut issues. Dry forage can weaken cows, so calves get less milk. Parasites add to the trouble. Soon, instead of just one sick calf, you might have a whole group that isn’t gaining weight like they should.
This is why a July calf check is essential. It’s not about adding work—it’s about staying ahead. Spot small issues early while they’re still simple and inexpensive to fix. A dull calf today may be dehydrated tomorrow. Light scours in the morning can become critical by sundown. Calves bunched in the shade may be fighting heat, flies, and poor air all at once. Early action is the difference in July demands.
With this in mind, let’s focus on the first place where issues often appear.

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How to Protect Calves After Branding Season

June 9, 2026 /
How to Protect Calves After Branding SeasonBranding day gets all the attention, but the days after branding are when many calf health problems either settle down or start building.
Across West Texas and the Southern Plains, branding season often lands just as the weather gets serious. Mornings may still feel decent. By afternoon, though, the heat comes on, the wind dries everything out, and flies start acting like they own the place. Calves that were worked, vaccinated, castrated, branded, hauled, or sorted may look fine when they leave the pens. That does not mean they are fully past the stress.
That is why branding season aftercare matters. The goal is not to overthink every calf or turn ranch work into a science project. Instead, watch the right things, reduce the stress you can control, and catch problems before they turn into a dead calf, a poor doer, or a bunch of calves that fall behind.
Heat, flies, dust, fresh wounds, dry forage, and dirty water can pile on fast after processing. One stressor may not hurt much by itself. Several together can really pull a calf down. A calf that is sore from castration, fighting flies, breathing dust, and trying to cool off in 100-degree heat is not in a great position to heal, eat, and grow.
Good aftercare is straightforward: provide clean water, shade if you can, control flies, handle cattle calmly, watch them in the pasture, and act quickly if something seems wrong.

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Beat the Heat: Smarter Calf Management for Summer

May 12, 2026 /
Beat the Heat: Smarter Calf Management for SummerIf you’ve ever been outside during a West Texas summer, you know the heat comes on strong and stays put. Now picture young calves facing that same heat, all while wearing a thick coat, weighing a few hundred pounds, and still learning how their bodies work. This is what young calves go through, which is why hot weather can catch them off guard faster than most people think. What seems like a regular summer day to us can quickly become a real challenge for a calf trying to stay cool and keep growing.
Heat stress in calves is more than just uncomfortable. It directly affects how well they grow. When calves get too hot, they eat less, gain weight more slowly, and are more likely to get sick. In severe cases, it can even lead to losses that hurt both your herd and your profits. Young calves can’t control their body temperature as well as older cattle, so managing them in the summer is especially important. The good news is you don’t need fancy equipment or complex systems to prevent heat stress. Focusing on a few key areas and making smart, timely changes can make a big difference.
With hotter months coming, now is the time to get ahead of the problem. Making a few practical changes with shade, water, feeding, and herd care can really improve calf health and growth. In the next sections, we’ll share simple, proven ways to help your calves stay cooler, healthier, and growing strong all summer.

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