I didn’t invent the “Swiss cheese model,” but it’s one of my favorite ways to explain best management practices in beef cattle production.

Weaning is a stressful time for calves, cows and the folks who are caring for them. But there are some considerations to keep in mind related to timing, strategy and handling to make the process a bit smoother for everyone involved.

The only way to truly know the nutrient content of hay is to submit a sample to a forage testing lab and have it analyzed. This information can assist you in making feeding decisions for various stages of production and potentially marketing your hay at a greater price.

From rising heat and humidity to increased pressure from parasites, this time of year can greatly impact calf health and performance, but with proactive management, producers can navigate these challenges, setting their calves up for a successful future.

There are many factors that influence grazing management decisions, and often it comes down to a grazier’s observation of a pasture system and how it responds to grazing decisions.

A good mineral program can help to mitigate the risk of a deficiency and contribute to the overall success of the cattle herd. And as the adage goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Talk of growth, expansion and new opportunities have historically been quieter in the Southeast than in other regions, but Travis Senn, assistant director of milk marketing and analytics at Southeast Milk Inc. (SMI), says dairy farmers in this region are entering 2025 with a “level of confidence they haven’t had in years.”

Muddy conditions are common across the Southeast this time of year. Not only does it create problems around hay-feeding areas, but it also affects cattle performance.

Body condition score (BCS), an indicator of relative fatness, which is representative of energy stores, can be visually assessed at any point in time to evaluate the nutritional status of cattle.

I recently heard an interesting analogy: Not testing your hay can put your cows on a nutritional roller coaster. While some may enjoy the thrill of a roller coaster and the anticipation of the next flip or turn, for cattle nutrition and the rumen environment, slow and steady is the way to go.