I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland, and I planned a trip this year. As kids do, mine immediately started telling us what trinkets we should bring home to them. High on the list was a Highland cow – preferably live, but they’d settle for a stuffie if transportation was an issue.

While the anticipation of a new calf crop and new genetics is exciting, calving season always comes with plenty of challenges. Of all these challenges, neonatal calf diarrhea has the greatest impact on calf health and performance outcomes.

It’s surprising how quickly winter can creep up on cattle producers each year. Many times, it appears in force, while cattle-handling equipment, pens, alleys and related infrastructure remain either in a state of disrepair or only partially complete.

Sire overconditioning is a prevalent issue in the beef industry. While “fat sells” when it comes to selling bulls, research has shown that excessive conditioning can negatively affect semen quality.

The Innovative Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act of 2023, better known as the Innovative FEED Act, will create options for producers to buy and use products which may not exist on the market today.

For cow-calf producers who limit the length of the breeding season, the period of rest after removal from females is key for management of herd bulls. During this time, it is not uncommon for bulls to be observed less frequently. Attention to them often falls, albeit unintended, to the bottom of the priority list.

Keeping and feeding cows through the winter is likely one of the largest reoccurring investments you’ll make in your cow-calf operation. A lot goes into the final calculation, but the return value from tracking winter cow costs is well worth it.

Between high production costs, drought and other unpredictable market factors, there are many challenges facing those in the cattle industry. But one challenge no cattle producer wants to experience is when a buyer of cattle defaults on payment.