Given today’s high machinery costs, custom hay harvesting may be a more profitable option than harvesting with your own machinery, particularly for smaller operations. Calculating your costs of production will help you determine how much you could pay a custom operative and save money relative to doing it yourself.

Today, many commercial and seedstock producers are discovering the advantages of performing estrus synchronizing, A.I. and embryo transplanting of their cattle under the protection of a permanent barn/shed structure or in a portable breeding barn.

Tritrichomonas foetus is a sexually transmitted disease of cattle. T. foetus, more commonly called trich, was first discovered in 1888 in France. Unfortunately, 130 years later, this disease remains a significant challenge for cattle producers.

You may be a full-time beef producer or have a herd of cattle as a sideline or hobby in addition to your regular job. Caring for cattle in a cow-calf operation can be time-consuming and demanding. I hear all the time from producers they are tied down by caring for cattle.

The 2-year-old year is the toughest time of a cow’s life. It’s nursing its first calf, still growing and needs enough nutrition and body condition to cycle on schedule after calving.

When people think “cattle country,” Ohio isn’t among the first places that come to mind. Between the Buckeye State’s well-known metropolises, 16,900 beef herds can be found across the green pastures of all 88 counties.

Understanding reproductive efficiency can sometimes be confusing. Does it mean getting the most cows pregnant in a single breeding season with little cost or fewer bulls? How does one quantify reproductive efficiency?

Developing replacement heifers is one of the most expensive aspects of a cow-calf operation. Eliminating heifers that may not be successful cows early in the development process reduces costs.

Commercial cattle producers may jump into the seedstock business because the notion of selling a bull or heifer for big bucks is appealing.

Herd management decisions can have a heavy impact on the success of fixed-time A.I. and estrous synchronization techniques.