If you are a rancher, then you are in the meat business. Americans love the taste and enjoy the satisfaction of eating beef.

As an industry, we have evolved to rely heavily on harvested cereal grains to supply energy for growing and finishing cattle, as well as breeding animals in certain conditions.

Weaning time brings cattle producers one step closer to their paycheck for that calf crop – so they know how important it is to ensure calf health. Most producers agree that weaning success isn’t about fancy techniques; it’s simply about doing the basic management strategies right.

Cattle producers rely on vaccines to protect their cattle against diseases that negatively impact cattle health and production. The cost of a comprehensive vaccination program is low compared to the potential dollar losses associated with the diseases themselves.

You have no doubt heard the statement that “a watched pot will never boil?” Well, I am here to tell you that a watched cow will never calve! I developed this theory observing a heifer that fell in love with the wrong bull. She was supposed to be bred by my junior herd sire, a bull so thin he can’t cast a shadow. The bull, of unknown origin, looks like he was weaned on a pickle and the best description of him that I can think of is he looks like an old cowhide draped over the top wire of a barbed wire fence.

Mintrex® chelated trace minerals, from Novus International, Inc., belong to a new feed ingredient category. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) accepted this new feed ingredient definition July 31, 2011, during its 2011 Ingredient Definitions Committee Meeting in Austin, Texas.

New lines of solar-powered, timed, programmable cattle feeders eliminate feed waste and save time for small family farmers and large cattle ranchers. Each Solar Feeder carries between 1,000 and 8,000 pounds of bulk feed in three different sizes. Each feeder is solar-powered, trailer-mounted and equipped with control panels to program feed times.