Weaning time brings cattle producers one step closer to their paycheck for that calf crop – so they know how important it is to ensure calf health. Most producers agree that weaning success isn’t about fancy techniques; it’s simply about doing the basic management strategies right.

Headquartered north of Sheridan, Wyoming, at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains, the Padlock Ranch has been in the business of raising cattle for nearly 70 years.

“My goal is to have cattle use 60 percent of the vegetation and trample the other 40 percent.”

How do people hear about your business? It used to be you had to visit with folks face-to-face, via the phone or, at minimum, publicize your business through print and broadcast media.

How do other cattle producers ensure a successful calving season? We’ve gathered their advice. Every cowboy knows that the cardinal rule of calving is that calves need colostrum as soon as possible within their first few hours of life. That’s when they have the ability to absorb the colostrum’s immunity-boosting antibodies directly through the gut wall and into the bloodstream – the opportunity for that direct absorption ends after the calf is about 24 hours old.