Growing up, I was always taught not to bite the hand that feeds you. In other words, I was raised to be grateful and supportive of those who supported my efforts.

Many fall-calving herds may have calves on the ground already. Fall-calving cows and young calves are at risk for heat stress, and excessive heat can lead to lethargic calves at birth.

The summer heat is quickly fading, which means fall time and weaning are just around the corner. Transitioning newly weaned or received cattle can present a number of challenges. Good management during the preconditioning phase is key to long-term health and performance of calves.

Regardless of whether you are buying hay or feeding the hay you raised, it is a good idea to test the hay to determine what, if any, supplementation will be needed based on the body condition score and nutrient requirements of your cows.

RancHER is a column spotlighting female leaders in the beef industry. In this issue, we are featuring Lesley Schmidt, a fifth-generation cattle rancher and farmer in Kansas. She has worked on her family farm all her life and has worked off the farm as a civil designer and a track and field official for almost 12 years. In addition to her on- and off-the-farm jobs, Schmidt serves as vice president of education for American Agri-Women.

There is a step in between weaning and payday that can make a difference in our product. I’m sure you can recall seeing trailers with various issues over the years. When loading out after a sale once, I loaded a heifer onto a buyer’s bumper pull trailer.

Heat stress – does it matter? It could cause loss of productivity in the form of lost pregnancies, reduced feed efficiency and gains while potentially increasing sickness and possible death loss. In those terms, it certainly can matter a lot. Heat stress is going to happen to some degree.

Many beef producers rely on corn silage to develop cost-effective, high-quality rations. Proper timing of harvest and storage management has a big impact on the success of feedstuff quality throughout the winter months and into the spring.

Evaluating how management decisions the year prior have affected performance at specific production time points can yield valuable information for producers.

Last month’s article provided a brief review of phosphorus supplementation and its impacts on cow weight and body condition, calf weaning weight and pregnancy rates.