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.

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. 

From gestation to the rail, there are things that will impact the calf’s success. Genetics, environment and management are among the biggest. However, before that calf is even born, their growth potential is defined by the total number of muscle fibers that develop in utero.  

Farmers and ranchers have incorporated implants as a valuable tool for decades, ensuring an addition to their bottom line in a substantial and real way.  

With drought conditions persisting and impacting large areas of the western and central U.S., beef producers must routinely monitor the nutrition their cattle are receiving. Most beef producers would agree that determining whether cows on pasture are receiving adequate nutrition is somewhat difficult. However, cow body condition can be used as an indicator.