Since 2016, Kansas cattlemen and women have had the opportunity to attend Kansas State University Extension calving schools to not only brush up on their pre-calving and calving management but also learn new cow herd management strategies and calf-pulling techniques.

For most spring-calving beef producers, your herd is either calving now or will start to calve soon. Hopefully this article catches you before calving starts so you actually have time to read it – I know how busy this time of year can be. But as your calves start to come, I want you to have a metric in the back of your mind: calving distribution.

Animal health continues to be a major concern for all sectors of beef production. As the saying goes, “You can’t get over a bad start,” and this holds true for calf health.

As calving season approaches, we all try to make sure our cows have enough good-quality feed to get through gestation and lactation. Often, there are no problems meeting energy and protein requirements, but vitamins and minerals can easily be overlooked.

When Lynn Cooper’s veterinarian told her she should start using pain relief during castration and dehorning, Cooper’s first reaction was to roll her eyes.

Calving season is the beginning of our 2019 cash flow. Healthy calves on the ground lead to more cash in your pocket, while disease problems in the calving barn lead to increased expenses and less cash in your pocket.

Horses tied and waiting, we watched 386 commingled spayed heifers move across a large mountain meadow as a cohesive herd. We were camped in a meadow surrounded by aspen trees, just below the Continental Divide in western Montana.

Ask cattle producers how they grind corn used in their animals’ diets, and the responses would likely range from fine, to medium, to coarse.