What does the Veterinary Feed Directive mean for cattle producers? Cattle producers must have a relationship with a licensed veterinarian.

Winter feeding for cattle is the single highest cost in an annual beef producer’s budget, so it is important to try and be cost-efficient during this time.

All the nutrients from forages and other sources mother cows consume during gestation may impact your herd for generations. The fetus inside is developing and turning forage into a calf, and a healthy calf is the main goal.

Producers have a significant investment in replacement heifers. Up to the point a female is bred the first time, the investment is nearly $2,000. By the time a female weans her first calf, the investment increases to nearly $3,000.

Using hormone-based protocols to synchronize estrus and ovulation in combination with fixed-time A.I. (no heat detection) has become increasingly popular in the commercial beef industry.

Ethanol plants continue to modify production, resulting in changes to the nutrient content and feeding value of distillers grains. Most ethanol plants have the ability to remove a portion of the corn oil from distillers solubles, or the liquid syrup fraction, and marketing the oil for biodiesel or other non-ruminant feedstuffs.

Every spring, during first grass growth, many producers grapple with a disturbing problem: Healthy adult cows on young grass become extremely excitable and go down with convulsions.

Selenium (Se) was discovered in 1818, but its role in animal nutrition wasn’t understood until the 1950s, when Se was identified as an essential nutrient. Selenium is thought of as a trace or micromineral in beef cattle diets.