Every rancher or farmer works cattle a little differently depending on a variety of factors from herd size, type and age to equipment and facility layout and budget, yet too often standard equipment does not accommodate these needs.

John Steinbeck, in his first-person account, Travels with Charley: In Search of America, wrote this of discovering Montana: “I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it. 

These are challenging economic times for the beef industry – times that require ranchers to do everything they can to get the most out of their input investments. This is especially the case with purchased feed ingredients.

The focus for graziers has always been on forage quality in meeting the nutrient requirements of pastured cattle. The content of crude protein, neutral- and acid-detergent fiber (structural carbohydrates), water-soluble carbohydrates, crude fiber and minerals in a specific forage has been used for estimating forage quality and for formulating supplemental concentrate rations.

The beef industry’s transition to larger beef supplies in 2016 has been challenging. A persistently bearish psychology and ridiculous volatility in live and feeder cattle futures recently has contributed to a meltdown in cash markets and a mood among producers that is best described as fear.

“You’ll go just past Mineral Springs and hang a right at the camp trailer. If you pass a random recliner on a switchback in the road, you went too far. You will know when you’ve made it to the paint cans because you get service and there is a little clearing in the sagebrush.”

Farmers, ranchers and agricultural professionals in the West are eligible to apply for a share of more than $1 million in available grants to study, demonstrate and improve sustainable agricultural practices on their land.

Since the veterinary profession began 250 years ago, veterinarians have been helping farmers and ranchers do what they do best – produce safe, nutritious food for the world. And there is no one more dedicated to the health and well-being of animals than the cattle production veterinarian.

Auto Easy Feeder The Auto Easy Feeder is programmable to feed your livestock up to 80 times a day, if desired. You set the length of run time to determine the amount of feed dispensed. It can dispense different types and sizes of bulk feed, textured-type feed and all cube sizes without any adjustment between types of feed.

There are few matters pertaining to cattle production that are predictable. For a cow-calf producer, determining the need and best option for a supplemental feeding program is one of them.