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. 

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

The key to support your cattle is finding the right feeding practices to minimize waste.

Except for forage producers using hay analyses for marketing purposes, the real advantage of hay testing is not simply getting the results, but using those results to make meaningful decisions and make the hay feeding period more efficient.

It is important to keep in mind the proper nutrition and care of herd sires after the breeding season. This is especially true for bulls under 2 years of age.

Winter backgrounding systems can vary greatly from backgrounding in a drylot to grazing cornstalks or native range.

While producers and industry professionals alike recognize why forage sampling is important and generally agree with the oft-cited mantra of, “You cannot manage what you do not measure,” taking sufficient and accurate samples often falls to the bottom of the priority list.

Following these four steps for safer winter cattle handling can help take the sting out of winter weather.

One of the most underutilized tools in the cow-calf sector is testing your harvested forages. Having these forage samples is a critical component of putting together a cost-effective winter feeding strategy. While taking forage samples is something everyone talks about doing, many times the practice seems to fall between the cracks.