We’ve made it through a tough winter, and calving season is winding down. If you’re like me, you’ve been looking forward to spring. It’s almost time to turn cows out on lush, green pastures as we start pondering the mating decisions for the breeding season. But as you know, our herd is entering the most critical nutritional point of the production cycle.

Over the coming weeks and months, ranches across the United States will gather their herds for the annual springtime tradition of branding. In addition to marking ownership of the year’s calf crop, cowboys will administer vaccines to young calves in an effort to curb a disease that is just as consistent as the spring ritual: pneumonia or bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

In recent years, a growing number of ranchers across the West have begun asking a similar question: Why, when salt is offered in multiple forms, do cattle suddenly stop consuming their mineral supplement?

Salt is necessary for our livestock’s health – and they love the stuff. But it’s easy to go too far. Look out for these common pitfalls when developing your herd’s nutrition plan.

Join us live from Nashville, Tennessee, as we visit with Greg Eckerle about feedlot nutrition; talk with Andrew Coppin about ranch water technology; and learn more during a beef industry outlook with Marshall Hansen.

It is finally that time of year when many producers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing winter is almost behind them. As green grass begins to emerge, it is tempting to assume that winter challenges are over and that cattle will quickly rebound once they are turned out to pasture.

Few seasons on the ranch inspire more optimism than calving time. With calf prices at historic highs, every live and healthy calf represents not just an animal, but a major financial asset.