A 2011 survey of U.S. beef cattle producers done in conjunction with the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) found 87 percent of respondents who operated their ranches consistent with Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) standards did so because “it’s the right thing to do.”

Pete Hymel may not have the biggest operation in the Southeast. But he certainly has one the best-smelling ranches.

A strong herd health plan begins with a yearly production calendar that includes cattle nutrition, reproduction management, vaccination schedules and marketing, all of which are critical to sustainable beef cattle production. Management practices can be better matched with cattle needs by looking at the annual production cycle month by month.

Liver abscess (LA) is relatively common in feedlot cattle and older dairy cows, particularly with diets eaten in grain content.

Steroidal implants, often referred to as simply implants, have been used in beef cattle for more than 60 years. In addition, there are a wide array of available implants on the market.

When operating costs are high and cattle prices are low, cutting back on nonessentials is often the first step to tightening the purse strings. So what counts as a necessity? What should be cut? Answer: Not minerals.

It was the second dead cow that really got our attention. Earlier that week, I had received a call from a rancher who had found one of his cows dead in a pasture.

History tells us drought conditions come and go. This tells cattle producers three things: At some point in time they will have to deal with drought conditions, they will have to recover from these dry conditions and, finally, they should prepare for the next time drought occurs.

Probiotics have become more popular with consumers in recent years. In the past, probiotics were only associated with foods such as yogurt, but as probiotics become more readily available to us in so many forms, education regarding the benefit of probiotics have driven researchers to dig deeper into the function of good bacteria.

For farmers looking for cost-effective ways to produce forage in dry environments, sorghum offers some exceptional opportunities.