The 21-day cortisol surge in stressed cattle is a common problem that costs the combined beef and dairy sectors millions of dollars annually in mortality, morbidity, drug and labor costs, and impaired efficiencies in animals. And, yet, this inescapable reality is poorly understood and seldom planned for in producer protocols.

The most rewarding time on a ranch is the time of new life – newborn calves hitting the ground. Calves have resiliency and spirit and often thrive even when born in the wrong circumstances or weather. Still, any beef producer will have the occasional calf who was stuck or had some other mishap that requires extra care.

A hundred head of recently weaned calves wandered the downtown streets of Boise, Idaho, on the first cold morning of October. Steam rolled off their backs, a mass of tipped-over trash cans behind them. A tightly packed alley of wandering souls staring blankly into a haze of flashlights and headlights. A cacophony of chaos filled with the rumble of lowing calves rising into the crisp morning air.

Calving is around the corner, and many producers are looking to relocate the cow herd to the location best suited for their calving season needs. A few regions and operations can trail cattle between summer, winter and calving pastures, but many rely on fuel and wheels to get them where they need to be.

In 1940, my great-grandfather, Joe Mendel, started the Mendel family farm, located outside of Doland, South Dakota. What started as a diversified farm with beef, hogs and small grains is today an operation focused on corn, soybeans, wheat and sunflowers, as well as a 1,000-head feedlot and 600-head cow-calf operation.

In most cases, cows are quite capable of calving without intervention, delivering healthy calves naturally on pasture or in the barn. However, a small percentage of births present difficulties requiring human assistance.

Join the Progressive Cattle crew as they try to make sense of the U.S. beef industry's import and export markets.

Most calves are born as nature intended, but some are determined to enter the world facing the wrong direction. For these occasional events, it’s critical to understand the anatomical and timing challenges presented.

Beef-on-dairy cattle and native beef animals often require different health and nutrition protocols when entering the feedlot. Knowing your cattle and their source can prevent a lot of headaches when in receiving and feeding.

When a lack of rainfall negatively affects the pastures that producers rely on, moving cow-calf herds into drylot settings tops the list of management options. While this change is a multifaceted challenge, it also brings some surprising benefits.