Confirming more than 40 percent of cows pregnant from the first service and conception rates nearing 30 percent don’t just happen; these are the result of meticulous management, protocol adherence and teamwork.

There are many sides to pelleting. Some are straightforward, like prices and pellet size, but others are not straightforward, like the nutritional quality of the product.

Veterinarians and cattlemen have shared an understanding of their essential roles for decades. Now, that relation is set to grow even closer.

Five years ago, as the beef industry was climbing out of the big recession and a spate of low cattle prices, a glimmer of promise emerged with the surging popularity of beef overseas. Beef exports climbed back to competitive levels in 2010, sparked by recovering economies in Asia, Europe and buying power in the Middle East.

The agricultural industry suffered a blow in August when Idaho Code 18-7042, commonly called an “ag gag statute,” was found to be unconstitutional. This opinion leaves the fate of similar statutes in other states up in the air and limits legal protections available for agricultural operations facing trespassing or undercover video investigations.

In the late 1930s, when my dad was 6 years old, he drove a team of two horses mowing and hauling hay. By the time he was 12, he was directing a four-horse team to plow fields and plant crops.

Weather and pasture conditions in most of U.S. cattle country have improved. According to the Crop Progress report of the week ending Aug. 9, 2015, 55 percent of pasture and range conditions are rated “good to excellent,” up from 50 percent a year ago. 

As fall approaches, so does wheat pasture grazing season. Margins at this time appear to be tighter than the past two years, which should make producers evaluate all inputs and feel strongly that the input will return a profit.

The fall season is upon us, and with it, management and labor decisions regarding beef cattle operations. They include fixing fences, planting cover crops, assessing pasture conditions, getting cattle to fall grazing and wondering if we have enough feed for winter.

Most producers would probably agree things would be a whole lot easier if cattle could talk. Managing and caring for these animals would be more productive if we knew simple things, like why they aren’t eating, what’s making them sick – and maybe even a few suggestions on pen dynamics and supplementation would be a plus.