In the last week, I have had three discussions about the future of professional development for farm owners and leaders. In each discussion, I have suggested that a part of their professional development in supervision, strategy and leadership should be outside of agriculture. Why would I make that suggestion?

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex is one of the most common diseases observed in feedlot cattle in the U.S. The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) feedlot data from 2011 estimated that an average of $23.60 per case was spent to treat diseased cattle.

A feedlot has technology with numerous advantages for beef cattle production, with greater management costs and faster weight gains when compared to an extensive system.

Animal traceability requirements have become commonplace for beef producers, but new rules and regulations can make it hard for producers to know what the current requirements are and how to comply with the law. Animal traceability is important to many entities, especially on the global market. According to a USDA – APHIS factsheet published in December 2012, “Animal-disease traceability, or knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they’ve been and when, is very important to ensuring a rapid response when animal disease events take place. Animal-disease traceability does not prevent disease, yet an efficient and accurate traceability system helps reduce the number of animals involved in a disease investigation and reduces the time needed to respond.

Working facilities and livestock-handling equipment are crucial for providing a safe and efficient way to handle and work cattle in today’s market.

Rising feed prices and shrinking margins have generated significant discussion on animal efficiency. We have all seen those cows that we call “easy doers” but did not give them much thought until recently.

When analyzing projected forward profit margins for cattle feeders, it is important to distinguish between opportunities based upon cattle that have already been placed in a yard versus potential opportunities for cattle that may be placed in the future but have not yet been purchased at auction. Looking at the issue from the former perspective, breakeven levels can be calculated where costs have already been assumed on feeders that have been purchased and placed on feed – especially if feed costs have also been fixed on those animals. Analyzing margins from the latter perspective, though, neither costs nor revenues have been realized, and forward profit margin potential is therefore based upon a dynamic matrix of changing values among the prices of feeder cattle, corn and fat cattle.

For most cattle producers, culling cows is not an easy task. However, some culling needs to be done each year to maintain optimal productivity. Records on each cow’s yearly production would be beneficial when making culling decisions, but collecting information when cows are processed provides a good start. Cattlemen should make it a point to evaluate all breeding females at least once a year. Weaning is likely the most convenient time to do this evaluation.

Are you dying financially from heavy metal disease (aka too much equipment)? When visiting ranches, I always like to go by the equipment yard because I become amazed by what I see. The array of machinery may include welders, air compressors, trailers of every type and size, hay baling equipment, tractors and shredders. Rust on some of the equipment indicates it is not frequently used.

Efficient and profitable confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) managers must address vital key points to maximize limited time and resources. As a CAFO manager, consider the following points as best management practices for handling manure: soils, pens, mud, dust and odor control.