Biosecurity must be seen as more than just a reactive measure – it’s the proactive backbone of a resilient beef operation. Integrating enhanced biosecurity practices into your daily routine not only protects against everyday animal health risks but also positions your operation to participate in the Secure Beef Supply (SBS) Plan during a significant disease outbreak, like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Open your weather app. Is it 80ºF, or do you see 80ºF in the forecast? Are nighttime temperatures staying above 70ºF? If so, your cattle are at risk for heat stress. Even if you didn’t answer “yes” to either, chances are high that your cattle will be exposed to heat stress conditions at some point this summer.

Collecting and recording cattle health and production data is a worthwhile endeavor, but even more important than where to store it is ensuring it’s of high quality. To meet this standard, it should be confirmed, useful and actionable for producers and experts alike to deliver the right information at the right time.

“By nature of its excellence and rarity, this elite beef should not be viewed, marketed or sold as a basic commodity,” says Amanda Radke. “In 2023, we put this concept to work through a new auction platform called Bid on Beef.”

In this episode of the Progressive Cattle Podcast, Ted and Elizabeth join the show to unpack key management strategies for today’s beef producers.

As autumn nears, ranchers and livestock owners across the country gear up to wean calves, take cattle or sheep to feedlots, or move livestock to winter pastures. But before you hit the road, there’s a crucial step: understanding the maze of interstate livestock transportation laws.

Every rancher faces difficult decisions. Whether it's investing in new equipment, expanding pastureland, preparing for succession planning or navigating generational transitions, the weight of uncertainty can paralyze even the most experienced rancher. Decision paralysis – the state of overthinking to the point of inaction – is a common challenge.

From monitoring environmental hazards to tracking biometric data, these devices offer innovative solutions to improve worker well-being and operational efficiency in agricultural settings.

We see a lot of variation in cattle, even when we utilize full siblings within sire groups. We wonder why there is so much variation from the lightest calf to the heaviest calf, and from the highest-quality grade to the lowest-quality grade, and from the calf that stays in the herd until she is 14 to 17 years old versus the one that falls out at 2 years old.