Tag: Ranching Tips (Page 1 of 7)

How to Actually Spot BRD Before Calves Crash

August 28, 2026 / / 0 Comments
How to Actually Spot BRD Before Calves CrashBovine Respiratory Disease, or BRD, can become a very costly situation quite quickly; one day a calf may appear to be healthy but by the next it could be standing by itself with droopy ears, a lowered head, and more heavy breathing.
Many people refer to BRD as “shipping fever” or pneumonia and that is quite reasonable, but BRD is not merely a single disease; it is a disease complex, meaning that stress, immunity, the environment, viruses, and bacteria can all act together at the same time.
That is the reason why weaning season is so important; calves have to cope with a number of changes at the same time such as being separated from their mothers, being transported, having their vaccinations given, being castrated, having their horns removed, being fed on a new type of food, being mixed with other cattle they do not know, and being exposed to new germs.
The greater the amount of stress a calf experiences, the more likely it is to develop BRD.
The good news is that it’s impossible to prevent all cases, but it is possible to reduce the risk; preparing calves before weaning and keeping a close eye on them afterward can save lives, reduce treatment costs, and help protect their performance.

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How to Prep Your Herd for Winter

August 24, 2026 / / 0 Comments
How to Prep Your Herd for WinterIt may still seem like summer in August, but that is precisely the time when you should begin considering winter cattle management.
When cows become thin because of poor nutrition or fatigue from the heat of summer, the winter season will only serve to worsen the situation. Since both cold weather and a late pregnancy raise nutrient requirements, the quality of the forage will result in greater feeding costs. A cow which is only slightly thin at the end of summer can turn into a serious problem by the time of calving.
That is the reason why late summer and autumn are so important in a cow-calf operation.
It’s now time to examine the body condition of the animals, the available forage, the need for supplements, pasture usage, and the overall health of the herd. You shouldn’t feel the need for anything complicated—just attend to the basics before winter comes and puts your herd to the test.
For many herds that calve in the spring, autumn is an excellent season to get the cows in good condition again. The calves are generally either about to be weaned or have already been weaned, while the cows are usually in their early or mid-pregnancy. As the cold weather hasn’t yet arrived, you have a good opportunity to improve the body condition of the cows before the winter becomes severe.
The objective is simple in that we should get the cows ready for winter rather than let winter take the initiative itself.
If you take that action, then you’ll have a better chance of having healthier cows, stronger calves, smoother calvings, better results when it comes to breed-back, and fewer costly surprises when feed prices go up.

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How to Prep Calves Before Sale Season

August 20, 2026 / / 0 Comments
How to Prep Calves Before Sale SeasonOn a cow-calf ranch, August always seems to arrive out of nowhere. One day, you’re busy keeping water troughs full, fighting flies, and making sure calves have shade during the hottest hours. Suddenly, you check the calendar and realize fall sale season is much closer than it seemed in June. Calves that looked healthy in July can quickly lose condition if they’re weaned, vaccinated, worked, transported, and sold all at once. In West Texas and the Southern Plains, heat, dust, dry pens, long trailer rides, and mixing at the sale barn all put extra stress on a calf’s immune system. That’s why August is the right time to start getting calves ready before all the stress hits at once.
It’s not only something that large-scale operations carry out to make extra profit; rather, it forms a fundamental element of proper calf management. A calf that can eat from a bunk, drink from a trough, cope with being separated from its mother, and has a good health program is easier to sell and provides the next owner with a better starting point.
It doesn’t matter whether you sell the calves straight from the cow, background them for a period of time, or retain ownership; it’s important to get them ready in advance. The sale barn should not be the place where a calf has to meet all the difficult challenges at once.

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When Late-Summer Grass Stops Feeding Cows

August 16, 2026 /
When Late-Summer Grass Stops Feeding CowsAugust pasture can be deceiving at first glance.
You might see grass still standing and looking green from the road. Cows may be spread out grazing as if all is well. But that does not always mean the grass has the nutrition your cows need.
By late summer, forage quality often drops. As grass matures and the heat continues, dry weather can lower both protein and energy. So, even if a cow is surrounded by grass, she might still not get enough nutrition.
If you notice cows losing body condition, calves looking a bit hollow, or cattle grazing longer than usual, pay attention. These signs may mean your pasture is not providing what it did earlier in the season.
This is why judging pasture from your truck can be misleading. Having a lot of grass does not always mean it is good quality.
In this post, we will cover what happens to forage in late summer, why cows might lose condition even when pastures look full, and how to decide if supplements are needed. The aim is not to feed just because it is August, but to understand what your grass is really providing before your cows suffer.

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Is Creep Grazing Worth It Before Weaning?

July 27, 2026 /
Is Creep Grazing Worth It Before Weaning?If you could put more weight on your calves before weaning without having to buy extra feed every week, wouldn’t you want to try it?
That’s where creep grazing comes in.
Every cow-calf producer wants their calves to reach weaning with as much weight gain as possible, but without spending too much. Weaning weight is important, and so are extra pounds. But those pounds only matter if they pay for themselves.
Creep grazing lets nursing calves eat higher-quality forage while keeping cows out. Simply put, calves can get into a better pasture or forage strip that cows can’t reach. This gives calves more protein and energy, while cows stay on their usual pasture.
It’s similar to creep feeding, but instead of using grain or concentrate feed, you use forage. This can mean buying less feed, doing less labor, not having to refill feeders often, and giving calves a more natural way to grow before weaning.
Creep grazing isn’t a magic fix. It won’t solve poor forage, bad pasture planning, or a weak calf market. But if you set it up right, it can help add calf weight, save on feed costs, and make better use of your pasture.
By July, it’s especially worth considering. Spring-born calves are big enough to use better forage, native pasture quality may be dropping, and weaning is close enough that every extra pound counts.
The key is knowing when creep grazing makes sense, how to set it up, and what can go wrong if you don’t plan ahead.

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Is Your Mineral Program Working in July?

July 15, 2026 /
Is Your Mineral Program Working in July?By July, mineral feeders can reveal a lot about your whole operation if you know what to look for.
In one pasture, cattle might go through minerals quickly, while another group hardly touches them. Some cows may empty a feeder after it rains, then slow down when it gets hot. If you move cattle to a dry pasture, mineral intake might suddenly increase. Sometimes, you might find a full feeder and wonder if the cattle are getting what they need.
That’s what July looks like in West Texas and the Southern Plains. Heat affects how cattle graze. Dry forage changes what they eat and what nutrients they need. Water quality can also make your mineral program less effective. Salt levels, where you place feeders, pasture rotation, fly pressure, and cow condition all matter. Mineral intake might seem random, but there’s usually a reason for it.
It’s a mistake to think, “They’re eating it, so everything’s fine,” or “They’re not eating it, so they must not need it.” Cattle don’t balance their mineral needs as neatly as we’d like. They eat minerals based on taste, salt content, what’s available, habit, water, forage condition, and other resources. So, free-choice mineral intake gives you clues, but it’s not a perfect report card.
A good mineral program in July isn’t about buying the fanciest product or just adding more to the pasture. It’s about tracking how much cattle eat, checking ounces per head per day, understanding why intake changes, and using mineral placement as part of your grazing plan.
If your mineral feeder could talk in July, it would probably tell you more about your forage, water, cattle behavior, and pasture pressure than you might expect.

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Can Your Cows Breed Back on Summer Grass?

July 11, 2026 /
Can Your Cows Breed Back on Summer Grass?July is when you find out if your cow nutrition plan is working or falling short. Grass might look fine from the truck, but that does not always mean it has enough protein, energy, or digestibility for a lactating cow during breeding season. This is important because after calving, a cow has a lot on her plate. She needs to raise her calf, recover from calving, regain body condition, and get ready to breed again on time.
Having a calf every year is not just a bonus—it is what keeps a cow valuable in the herd. With rising costs for feed, fuel, labor, and pasture, every cow that does not breed back costs you money. If a cow falls behind on nutrition during this busy time, you might not notice the problem until preg-check, when it is too late to do anything about it.
Here is the bottom line: cows cannot breed back if they are running on empty. A good nutrition plan starts with knowing what your forage really offers. Is the grass good enough to support milk and reproduction? Is there enough for cows to meet their needs? Are you feeding mature cows, young cows still growing, or thin cows trying to catch up?
Meeting these needs is more than just tossing out feed and hoping it works. You need to match forage quality, quantity, minerals, and supplements to each cow’s stage of production. When cows get the right nutrition at the right time, they are more likely to stay in good shape, breed back, and raise calves that make you money.

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Heat, Flies, and Scours: July Calf Checks

June 29, 2026 /
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 Keep Cattle Dewormers Working Longer

June 25, 2026 /
How to Keep Cattle Dewormers Working LongerInternal parasites can start costing you money long before you notice any clear signs. Your cattle might seem healthy and active, but parasites could be quietly reducing their weight, health, and performance. They can lower how much your cattle eat, block nutrient absorption, strain the immune system, and cause calves or thinner animals to fall behind when they should be gaining.
This is why controlling internal parasites takes more than just picking up any dewormer from the feed store. A solid deworming plan starts with understanding your herd, your pasture, and the right timing. Calves, yearlings, stressed cattle, and those grazing in crowded or manure-heavy areas often need extra attention since they are more likely to have higher parasite levels.
The challenge is that deworming is not just about treating all your cattle. It is about treating the right animals, at the right time, with the right product. If you use the same dewormer every year, parasites can become resistant, making the product less effective. That is why it is important to check the active ingredient, not just the brand, and to work with your veterinarian when making a plan.
When spring becomes summer, parasite problems can add to the stress from heat, flies, changing forage, and breeding season. Planning ahead now can help prevent weight loss, poor body condition, calf health problems, and financial losses. Even though you might not see them, internal parasites can cause real damage.

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Creep Feed Decisions for Summer Calf Gains

June 13, 2026 /
Creep Feed Decisions for Summer Calf GainsJune marks the time when a creep feeder starts to look tempting to producers.
Calves are putting on weight. The grass might still look good from a distance, but it is not feeding like it did in April. Each week gets hotter, flies are increasing, cows are milking and trying to breed back, and everyone is watching the market to decide if extra calf weight is worth the effort.
This brings us to why creep feeding is worth considering.
On paper, creep feeding calves sounds simple. Put feed where calves can reach it, but cows cannot, then sell heavier calves at weaning. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it works really well. Other times, you spend good money on feed, fight waste, feed birds, attract pests, and end up with calves that are a little heavier but not heavy enough to pay the bill.
This leads to the key question for June: Is creep feeding helping your calves, or is it just becoming another expensive chore?
In West Texas and the Southern Plains, the answer depends on forage quality, cow milk production, calf age, feed cost, feeder setup, water access, heat stress, fly pressure, and how you plan to market those calves. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. A creep feeder can be a smart tool, but it is not magic. It will not fix poor water quality, overgrazed pastures, sick calves, poor mineral intake, or a bad marketing plan.
Before refilling that feeder, consider what specific job you need the creep feed to do, and whether it accomplishes that job well enough to pay for itself.

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