Forage intake potential plays a key role in supporting cow-calf animal performance. Three factors that affect forage intake are forage quality, animal weight and stage of production of the animal.

Ensuring adequate colostrum intake is one of the most important factors in producing healthy, profitable cattle. Because antibodies do not pass across the placenta, calves must rely on consuming colostrum for early protection against pathogens.

Does it ever seem that your cows can’t find enough things to scratch on during these long winter months? Constantly rubbing on and breaking gates, posts, boards – if they can use it to scratch themselves on, it’s probably going to break and need replaced soon.

Determining the right bull-to-cow ratio is something all cow-calf producers must do. An appropriate bull-to-cow ratio will vary depending on stocking rate, pasture size, bull age, previous breeding experience, libido, single- versus multiple-bull pastures, bull fertility and other factors.

Cassidy, Paul and David visit with University of Missouri assistant extension professor Jordan Thomas on the management variabilities that producers can prepare for in a given year. Whether it be for calving, forage or marketing, cattle producers can sometimes be their own worst enemies in managing for profit. Thomas applies system thinking that helps minimize risk. The Progressive Cattle podcast hosts also discuss the outlook for the new year.

Winter “feeding season” is upon us, and with that comes a list of questions related to the appropriate type of feed to select, amount to provide and frequency of feeding.

As livestock owners prepare to care for livestock in frigid temperatures, it is important to know where efforts are best spent. Cattle handle cold weather quite well as long as they have a dry, heavy winter hair coat.

Cow nutrition is always on the minds of farmers and ranchers, especially when it comes to cost, quantity and quality of feedstuffs available. Be careful not to overlook it leading up to calving season.

Expected progeny differences (EPDs) can be a great tool to use in making cattle selection decisions. However, EPDs are not the only tools that should be used in the selection process.