Natur’s Way Inc. has released a direct-fed microbial (DFM) specifically designed for automated feedlot systems using micro-machines. Each 0.5-gram dose of MSE MAX is guaranteed to deliver 5.4 billion viable microorganisms (CFU) per head per day. The convenient seven-pound jugs contain 6,356 doses and can be safely frozen to prolong viability.

Mark Schatzker is a travel writer and columnist for the Toronto Globe and Mail and author of the book “Steak: One Man’s Search for the World’s Tastiest Piece of Beef.” An ardent defender of beef consumption, he traveled to Scotland, Argentina, Japan and Italy, learning their beef production methods and tasting their unique brand of beef. He also writes about raising his own two head of cattle on a small farm outside Toronto, purely for his own family’s beef consumption. He shared with Progressive Cattleman Editor David Cooper thoughts about the book and the response it has generated. Q. How long did it take to actually write the book?A. I would say about three years, with a lot of travel. The concentrated writing was something like six or seven months, but there was obviously a great deal of travel before that … I felt it was very important to really see many different beef-eating and beef-loving and beef-producing cultures to see the difference.

It may seem like a trivial matter, but to the IRS, commingling of funds suggests your ranch or farm is a hobby rather than a business. What exactly is “commingling?” The usual situation is depositing checks made payable to your business into your personal bank account, or using your business account for personal expenditures.

There once was a time when you could, and did, rely on another person’s word when conducting business. Unfortunately, “the gentlemen’s agreement” is now a relic of the past. The time of doing business this way is over.

How do other cattle producers ensure a successful calving season? We’ve gathered their advice. Every cowboy knows that the cardinal rule of calving is that calves need colostrum as soon as possible within their first few hours of life. That’s when they have the ability to absorb the colostrum’s immunity-boosting antibodies directly through the gut wall and into the bloodstream – the opportunity for that direct absorption ends after the calf is about 24 hours old.

The cow’s first milk is crucial to the health and survival of her calf. It contains fat that provides energy (and generates body warmth in cold weather), acts as a laxative to help pass first bowel movements and provides important antibodies against disease.

Calving difficulty (dystocia) is an important economic problem in the U.S. beef cattle industry. According to the USDA, the economic impact of calving difficulty is $350 million each year, and approximately 3 percent of all beef calves born in the U.S. will be lost due to calving difficulty.

Dale Sauls was no stranger to “fixed-time” artificial insemination. The Florida native had used the reproductive management tool in his commercial dairy operation. So when he and his wife, Connie, moved with their daughters to Mountain Grove, Missouri three years ago, it was only natural for them to incorporate fixed-time AI into their beef herd.

The task of raising useful seedstock comes with many hurdles. Outfits must forge a path in a competitive industry where creating the right product in the 21st century is just half the battle.

The following is a fictional story based on real results from a three-year university study.* Two neighboring ranchers met often at the local coffee shop to argue the merits of their different approaches to cow-calf management. Tom Tightfist was convinced that cutting feed expenses was the only way to improve profits, while his buddy, Sam Spendabuck, believed increasing inputs would net better returns. It was a friendly but passionate argument.