Management

MANAGEMENT...

6 Tips for Selecting Replacement Heifers

What criteria do you use to determine which heifers you'll keep for replacements? Rick Funston, a beef reproductive physiology specialist with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a checklist he likes to keep handy. Funston credits University of Nebraska emeritus professor of animal science Jim Gosey with initially developing this list of selection criteria and says it's a good tool for producers to use in their decision-making.

Based at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte, Funston is widely known for his fetal programming research and says many of these selection tips relate back to the cow. Read more.

Ron Torell with his wife, Jackie

Cow Camp Chatter

Nutritional loose stools (a.k.a. milk scours)

Spring 2010 in northeastern Nevada was nontypical. Grass was late due to the extended cold and damp weather, resulting in cows and calves held in confinement on feed grounds later than normal. When the grass did come, it appeared fast and strong, resulting in heavy lactation of cows. These conditions contributed to overeating among calves. As they were drug to the branding fire, a higher-than-normal percentage of 20- to 50-day-old calves were exhibiting what many of the old-timers called milk scours. A portion of these calves progressed into infectious scours with dehydration and/or death. Confusing milk scours with infectious scours often occurs in cow country. Read more.

Prepare for Flooding

Extension specialist raises questions to ask to prepare for a flooding incident in your area.

The impact of a natural disaster on a community always makes headlines, but the impact is felt on an individual level, too. A natural disaster in your area can have a big impact on you, your livestock and the viability of your operation.

"Many natural disasters give you little or no warning, but flooding is usually forecast, giving farmers time to think about contingency plans and take action," says Chuck Schwartau, a livestock educator with University of Minnesota Extension. Read more.

Kris Ringwall

Beef Talk

How much should bulls weigh?

Bull nutritional requirements are based on the projected value at mature weight. This means we have to answer the question about how much our bull will weigh at maturity.

The question seems simple, but the answer becomes subjective quickly for producers. To make a point, we understand that mature weight will vary. Perhaps the better question is: "What is one's ideal weight?"

Likewise, if one returns to discussing the bull, what is the ideal weight for a bull? Read more.

Know Your Cost of Production

MU Extension ag business specialist suggests you develop an enterprise budget.

Whether you raise cattle, corn or cucumbers, accurate enterprise budgets are crucial in gauging the potential profitability of your operation, says a University of Missouri (MU) Extension agriculture business specialist.

"In addition to predicting profits, enterprise budgets help producers evaluate alternative strategies for making the most out of their land, capital and labor," says Whitney Wiegel. Read more.

Roundup Ready Alfalfa: Pros vs. Cons

Recent approval of Roundup Ready alfalfa brings both promises and challenges.

Roundup Ready alfalfa provides a unique opportunity to grow quality forage, says Tim Schnakenberg, an agronomy specialist with University of Missouri (MU) Extension.
"The recent USDA approval of Roundup Ready alfalfa is a welcome decision by many producers, though not all," he says. "There are some who are skeptical about using a genetic-engineered product that is proprietary to only a few companies. There are many who are also concerned about resistant weeds developing in a few years."

There are only a few Roundup Ready alfalfa fields around Missouri that were established when it was last on the market. Read more.

Emergency Plans Vital to Protect Farms

Disaster specialist provides tips, suggests helpful resources.

Every farm should have a disaster plan to protect assets from natural disasters and other emergencies, says a Purdue Extension disaster communication specialist.

Producers should also develop a disaster plan as a way to find potential problems that could prove to be costly in the event of an on-farm emergency, says Steve Cain, who also serves as the homeland security project director for the Extension Disaster Education Network. Read more.

New Products

Industry affiliates provide a wide array of products and services to assist you on the farm and ranch. Here's an assortment of new products to hit the market recently.

Angus Advisor

Click here for May herd management tips from cattle experts across the nation. Advice separated by region.

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