Most cows shed the placenta within two to eight hours after calving, and when a cow has not shed the placenta for 24 hours or longer, it is considered retained.

Profitability for cattle producers – especially the cow-calf operator – is expected to improve to levels the industry hasn’t seen since 2013-15, according to CattleFax CEO Randy Blach.

The three-year lament appears to be ending as readings in the Pacific Ocean portend warming waters in 2023. El Nino weather patterns, when warming Pacific waters create moisture in much of the West and Midwest states, have been missing since 2019. La Nina, the uglier twin sibling of El Nino, where colder ocean temperatures lead to warmer and less water, has hung around since then worsened the Western drought.

In order to maximize economic return, producers need to strategically balance factors introduced by different types of animal-handling facilities. 

While conventional feedlot operators have benefited from the use of ionophores in the diet, producers feeding all-natural cattle are generally handcuffed from utilizing ionophores and other antibiotics.

Since well over 50% of feedyard injuries involve employees who have been on the job for less than 12 months, immediately providing safety training for new employees is the best way to ensure they have the necessary information to complete job duties in a safe manner.