Winter can take a toll on your sleep, stress and energy levels. Keep in mind that your cows are experiencing at least equal levels of stress. 

Every environment has unique opportunities to succeed and overcome production issues. These include feed costs, environmental stressors, health challenges unique to geographical areas and local or regional economic climate. Operational resiliency relies on our ability to address challenges.

Like the fall leaves, your pastures are undergoing similar changes in plant maturity as the plant prepares itself for the harsh, cold winter months.

As the majority of the cow herds enter the late-gestation stage of production with rapidly increasing nutritional requirements, the lasting impacts of drought conditions become a priority and major influence on supplementation strategies.

While the anticipation of a new calf crop and new genetics is exciting, calving season always comes with plenty of challenges. Of all these challenges, neonatal calf diarrhea has the greatest impact on calf health and performance outcomes.

For cow-calf producers who limit the length of the breeding season, the period of rest after removal from females is key for management of herd bulls. During this time, it is not uncommon for bulls to be observed less frequently. Attention to them often falls, albeit unintended, to the bottom of the priority list.

Cattle have a requirement and desire for salt, but many producers have been misled to believe that salt blocks, especially trace mineral salt blocks, provide adequate trace mineral.

A two-year study was initiated in southeastern Idaho to evaluate non-lactating cow performance with only the benefit of dormant forage and no protein supplementation.