Keeping calves alive means you have a successful calf-raising program, right? While it’s true that low mortality is a critical metric, in today’s economic environment many other parameters contribute to calf-raising success.

During the gestation period, a cow does all it can to grow an embryo into a calf. The dam’s contributions for its offspring to be successful do not cease at parturition.

With heifer raising accounting for roughly 20 percent of total farm expenses, paying close attention to heifer nutrition and management is essential for raising quality replacement animals without adding on unnecessary expenses.

Alfalfa weevils are key pests of alfalfa across the U.S. Larvae feed on the foliage, causing yield and forage-quality losses to the first and sometimes second hay cutting. These weevils can be challenging to control.

A culture that allows for experimentation is not only good for an operation’s bottom line; it is also something leaders and employees value. Let’s face it, innovative cultures where experimentation is embraced are generally depicted as positive and fun places to work.

As we move toward that time of the year when many of you will be swathing and baling hay, it’s important to remember potential liability can exist if that swather or baler causes a fire that damages your neighbor’s or landlord’s property.

Salinity is an irrigation water quality problem in many areas of the U.S., including the Arkansas River Valley of Colorado, the Salt River Valley of Arizona and the Rio Grande valleys of New Mexico and West Texas.

An understanding of water use by alfalfa will help us understand plant yield response to both rainfall and irrigation management.