The nuance of feeding breeding stock takes on greater dimension compared to feeder cattle because of the long-term considerations required of breeding stock. In a broad sense, the goal with replacement heifers is to give them the nutritional foundation for success that will hopefully allow them to produce eight to 10 big, healthy calves in their productive lifetime.

For some cattle producers, drought is an expected and reoccurring event that is part of the management environment.

Hydroponic forages, or forages grown using a specially formulated combination of water and light – no soil required – are not a new technology. Increased pressures to find sources of quality feed through several years of persistent drought, along with the appeal of a land- and water-efficient, environmentally friendly source of high-quality forages has spurred a growing interest in using hydroponic forages in the U.S.

There is an increased focus on the feed industry and hay markets as producers scramble to determine how they will combat low forage supplies this winter. As a generalized example, a 10% protein ration will satisfy the needs of any cow regardless of her status as pregnant or nursing. This gives producers a goal to shoot for.

One of the most underutilized tools in the cow-calf sector is testing your harvested forages. Having these forage samples is a critical component of putting together a cost-effective winter feeding strategy. While taking forage samples is something everyone talks about doing, many times the practice seems to fall between the cracks. 

Sometimes what looks cheaper may not be when all costs are considered. 

The price of feedstuffs continues to be stubbornly high. Let’s review the fundamentals of supplementation and identify any unneeded supplementation, which will help cut costs during the upcoming winter feeding season.  

In the U.S., agricultural greenhouse gas emissions were about 9.9% of the nation’s total emissions according to the 2022 report by the EPA. Methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management represent 26.9% and 9.2%, respectively, of total methane emissions from anthropogenic activities in the nation. Beef cattle remain the largest contributor of methane emissions from enteric fermentation, accounting for 72% in 2020, according to the EPA’s annual report. Although emissions generally follow trends in cattle populations, over the long term, emission intensity (emissions per pound of meat) are decreasing.

The beef packing industry has made significant improvements and progress in the application of pathogen interventions in the processing plant since the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. Yet even with these tremendous efforts, beef recalls due to the pathogens E. coli O157:H7 and the other “Big 6” enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHECs) and salmonella still occur.