The Southeast is home to more than 7.3 million beef cows (USDA 2018) and likely marketed more than 4.6 million feeder calves in 2018.

 At sunrise, just a couple of days after Groundhog Day, I heard a comfortably familiar yet startling sound. Just outside the back door, 20 feet up in the bare poplar tree, two or three dozen blackbirds were chirping away as if they were welcoming May Day to the first week of February.

When it comes to the topic of beef-on-dairy, industry experts express tentative enthusiasm amid the undercurrent of unanswered questions as dairy producers start to find new ways to add profitability to their industry.

Advanced reproductive technologies have helped the cattle industry make great strides in herd improvement – getting more calves from the best cows and making faster genetic progress.

Calving season is here, and hopefully cows are calving unassisted, and healthy calves are running through the pen. As new calves continue to arrive, make sure to keep records on both cow and calf performance.

During last year’s Beef Improvement Federation Symposium and Convention in Loveland, Colorado, five panelists convened to discuss data and ownership.

Beef producers may be a bit apprehensive about paying the fee and taking the time away from the ranch to learn how to artificially inseminate their cows.

Avery Parrish and his wife of 59 years, Raye, call Saluda, South Carolina, home. Avery describes himself as a “jack of all trades and master of none.”