Stress caused by this summer’s drought across much of the country means that calves born this fall may have higher susceptibility to scours.

I grew up in 4-H and I assume many of those reading this also have 4-H experience.

Forage should be sampled to determine moisture and forage quality. Knowing forage quality allows allocation of forage to the proper class of livestock and indicates nutrients needed or in excess of requirements.

In eastern Colorado, among rolling hills and extensive grassland, sits Frasier Farms. Mark Frasier runs the cattle ranch in Woodrow, on the eastern plains.

Editors note: Click here to read the second of this two part series. Haying equipment on the Jones Ranch has stood idle for six seasons. The 12,000-acre spread is a grassland experiment that demands intense management and labor but no baler – just cows.

With calves valued at a premium in this marketing environment, it is important to ensure that as many of your breeding females as possible raise a calf to weaning.

I was a child of the ’70s and ’80s and, as such, was subject to the weird fashion trends of the time. I’ve never been too keen on what goes on in the real fashion world, although I did take note when Lady Gaga made headlines with her dress made of steaks. I don’t believe she’ll be the next Sam Elliot or Matthew McConaughey as the voice of beef, but you know what they say about publicity. As long as they spelled beef right, I’m OK with it. My lack of genuine fashion sense notwithstanding, I’ve always tried to stay within a couple of years of the latest cowboy and ranch fashion trends.

Annual forages can be used for many purposes in cropping and livestock systems: to extend the grazing season for livestock, as the primary harvested feed, as a rotation crop between alfalfa, as a double crop with cereal grains, as a green manure for nutrients or as a cover crop for erosion or weed control.

The rattlesnake is the most common poisonous snake in the U.S. and part of a larger family called pit vipers – which include the water moccasin, copperhead and cottonmouth. All of these can be dangerous to livestock.