The inventory of all cattle and calves was 89.8 million head on Jan. 1, 2015, up 1.4 percent from one year ago but, except for last year, still the smallest total herd inventory since 1952. The 2014 calf crop was up 0.5 percent from 2013 at 33.9 million head. The 2014 calf crop percentage (calf crop as a percent of all cows) was 88.5 percent, the highest percentage since 2006.

The Sage-Grouse Initiative (SGI) is one of our shining stars at the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service; it’s become the model for voluntary, incentive-based conservation at its best.

Drought continues in the Southern Plains and Southwestern U.S., although its intensity has abated somewhat. The U.S. Drought Monitor at year’s end showed an improved situation for cattle country compared with the previous month.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been in the news frequently as of late. The fairly recent listings of the lesser prairie chicken and New Mexico jumping mouse have caused a slew of controversy and litigation. Conversely, a federal judge in Utah recently struck down the listing of the Utah prairie dog, finding it to be an overreach of federal power.

In last month’s issue of Progressive Cattleman, we discussed five myths believed by some cow-calf producers. Below are the second five of my top 10 beef cow-calf nutrition myths. Click here to read the first five of the top 10 beef cow-calf nutrition myths.

Consultants at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation work with livestock producers on ranch solutions related to their operations.

Leasing of pastureland serves an important agricultural economic purpose. It allows a producer with limited capital to acquire the use of additional pasture without making a large capital purchase. At the same time, the landowner with available pasture obtains income from its utilization without becoming involved in the livestock business.

Have you ever thought about when it happened? Not many of us really know an exact date or even an exact year, but those of us who are starting to get a little gray or a little thin on top know that at one point we made the rite of passage from cow-boy to cow-man.

For beef producers looking to calve cows when little or no pasture is available, drylotting may be the answer.

South Texas is a region that lies roughly south of San Antonio. The southern boundary is the Rio Grande River, and the east is the Gulf of Mexico.