The approach to ward off flies is multipronged and challenging. However, doing nothing can severely hinder productivity, profits and herd welfare. I’ve asked Dr. Nancy Hinkle, extension veterinary entomologist at the University of Georgia, to give her tips on horn fly control for the Southeast.

While it is well understood that growth-promoting implants are an asset to the feedlot industry in terms of increased gains and feed efficiency, the use of implants in the cow-calf segment is often overlooked and blamed for negatively impacting quality grades.

As the weather gets warmer and green grass has emerged, many ranchers face some tough decisions. Should cows be turned out to graze or continue to be fed harvested forage? Perhaps harvested forage supplies are depleted, and the thought of purchasing additional feed resources sounds expensive.

I often receive calls from producers wanting feeding recommendations because their “calves are not big enough to sale.” Focusing only on a traditional sale weight for a commercial cow-calf operation can often end up reducing net profits.

Reproductive failure in cattle can be very frustrating. Understanding some basic anatomy and principles of reproduction can help producers better communicate with their veterinarian and possibly prevent pregnancy loss.

Calving season is in full swing for much of the region; hay supplies are tight; and we’re impatiently waiting for green grass to turn pairs out on. With a wet spring predicted, turnout may be delayed later than hoped for and may require extended stored feed delivery.

Once again it is that time of year when our email inboxes and our mailboxes are full of bull sale catalogs. It is an exciting time of year as we are getting ready for or already calving, and we are starting to evaluate the genetics we are going to incorporate into our herds this coming year.

The length of the breeding season and the number of breeding seasons per year are questions that must be addressed by all cow-calf producers. While we talk about a breeding season, what we are really focused on is the resulting calving season.

The calendar is one of our main management tools on the farm. Calendars assists us in looking at what needs to be done in the immediate days to come and what we need to be planning to do in the months and years to come. If you have always wanted to tighten the calving season, let your calendar and reminders be your guide.

With continued pressure on extending the grazing season with limited pasture acres, interest in integrating annual forages into the rotation has been on the rise. Typically, this includes planting a cool-season annual followed by a warm-season annual.