When the time comes and we move into a period of softer cattle prices, conversations on many operations will naturally shift. When prices are strong, it is easier to absorb inefficiencies. When prices soften, those same inefficiencies can show up quickly on the bottom line.

A successful breeding season begins months before the first A.I. straw or bull turnout. In the 90 days before breeding, cows and heifers move through metabolic, immune and reproductive shifts that shape follicle quality, uterine readiness and embryo survival.

H.R. 1 (commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – OBBBA) included numerous provisions impacting agricultural operations (some positive, some negative). For today, we will focus on three.

A productive cow can only have one calf per year. For generations, that biological limit has defined how fast beef producers can make genetic progress in their herds. No matter how elite a female is, her influence on a herd is constrained by time.

In recent years, a growing number of ranchers across the West have begun asking a similar question: Why, when salt is offered in multiple forms, do cattle suddenly stop consuming their mineral supplement?

Salt is necessary for our livestock’s health – and they love the stuff. But it’s easy to go too far. Look out for these common pitfalls when developing your herd’s nutrition plan.

With U.S. cow herd size at a 75-year low and with no reprieve in sight, it’s never been more important to protect your cattle and operation. Farmers and ranchers should consider how to protect their animals and operation before it is too late. Here are a few of the topics shared at Cattlemen’s College during NCBA’s CattleCon 2026 in in Nashville, Tennessee.