December 7, 2021 | Vol. 14 : No. 11
A Kansas State University beef systems specialist said cattle producers may have a few options available to them to offset the rising costs of adding phosphorus to their herd’s diet.
The body condition scoring (BCS) system is used to assess body energy reserves in beef cows. The BCS system used for beef cattle ranges from 1 to 9. A score of 1 indicates cows that are thin and emaciated; cows of BCS 9 are fat and obese.
Winter is coming fast and bringing with it snow and wind. Cattle and farmsteads both can benefit from properly placed windbreaks. There are two main windbreak functions on a farm: livestock windchill protection and snow windbreaks. We’ll discuss how to use each one to its greatest benefit.
As holiday season gatherings begin, many are seeing those bathroom scales adjust in a less-than-favorable direction. However, for pregnant heifers that are too thin, late fall is a good time to make dietary adjustments ahead of spring calving, said experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. Veterinarian Bob Larson and nutritionist Phillip Lancaster shared insights for getting heifers in the right condition prior to calving.
Ask any cattleman or woman their favorite part of winter. You can bet thawing water or breaking ice will not make the list. Winter water is a challenge, but a necessity.
Twenty-two years ago, Jim Anderson, a rancher near Rimbey, Alta., Canada, created an innovative water system in which cattle pump water for themselves from shallow wells — water that doesn’t freeze even at -40° F.
In the discussion of fertility, the cow often takes precedent. Francisco Peñagaricano, assistant professor of qualitative genetics at the University of Wisconsin, said the bull — rather than the cow — should be at the forefront of these conversations.
