Amount of money invested in equipment and tools by a beef cattle producer is usually significant; however, it is common to dedicate very little time for keeping these items in good working condition.

It is no secret that handling cattle can be stressful for both bovine and humans alike. When considering ways to incorporate key infrastructure systems aimed at reducing stress during handling, flooring is almost always on the list of things to think about for producers.

Christmas sparkle is in the air. Lights shimmer in the snow, and the stores are filled with the trappings of gifts and enticements to buy, buy, buy. Our pocketbooks grow lean and our credit card balances expand as we try to out-gift our friends, family members and co-workers.

My nephew and I were in the grocery store the other day when he spied a department store Santa Claus who had just finished his shift. It must have been a hard one, too – because the Santa was buying a bottle of booze.

Marci WhitehurstCowboy lingo: Understanding a cowboy’s grunts and gestures

1. Lying flat on my back in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix at 2 a.m. I passed the carafe of chablis to my reclining colleague, who looked at me and said, “Pardner, I don’t think you’re executive material.”

Though cattle prices have come down from historic highs, there are still ways for beef cattle producers to capture more dollars for their calves by adding value at the ranch, according to experts at the 45th South Central Texas Cow-Calf Clinic in Brenham, Texas.

Here’s a look back at which stories captured the most online attention from readers of Progressive Cattleman.

I would like to tell the story of a real-life Christmas miracle. With the hustle and bustle of the world around us, we often forget that the Christmas season is a very special time, and miracles do happen.

Land O’Lakes Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire Southern States Cooperative Inc.’s animal feed business. This letter follows the announcement earlier this year that Southern States had entered into a supply agreement with Land O’Lakes Inc. through its WinField United crop inputs and insights unit.