Ranching brings rewards, but it’s not all “sunshine and rainbows.” With drought and high input costs in the balance, it takes sharp management decisions to keep black ink on the bottom line.

Herd management programs and data collection solutions are being advanced by various sectors of the beef industry today. And, while more of a good thing might be better than less, it can also lead to confusion and uncertainty when attempting to navigate its extreme boundaries.

To help producers get ahead of the upcoming GFI No. 263 changes, Valley Vet Supply technical service veterinarians Lacey Fahrmeier and Tony Hawkins discuss things producers can do to transition smoothly into the new regulations.  

The latest ERS Cattle on Feed report showed that as of April 1, cattle and calves on feed and bound for the slaughter market at feedyards with capacities of 1,000 head or more totaled 11.6 million head, a 4% decrease from the same time a year ago.

As with everything in the beef industry, there is no magical potion or protocol that will guarantee achieving maximum success with an A.I. program in all management scenarios.

Our decision on when to wean calves is an incredibly powerful lever we have as managers. How should we make the decision on when to wean?