Cowboys, armed with VetGuns, are pursuing four pesky little parasites that steal profits. The culprits are known as horn flies, face flies, biting lice and sucking lice.

A recent USDA market report showed the value of a pound of gain on stocker cattle to be $1 compared to an average $0.55 prior to herd liquidation during the drought.

Editor’s note: This article is the first part of a two-part series. Click here to read the second part of the two-part series. A majority of the U.S. has received rain, and pastures are showing signs of recovery. Due to the drought, cattle numbers are at an all-time low, and prices are escalated to unprecedented heights.

South Texas is a region that lies roughly south of San Antonio. The southern boundary is the Rio Grande River, and the east is the Gulf of Mexico.

Embryo transfer (ET) is the process of removing one or more embryos (fertilized eggs) from the reproductive tract of a donor female and transferring them to one or more recipient female.

Cancer eye, technically called bovine ocular squamous cell carcinoma, primarily occurs in cattle with a lack of pigment in their eyes (and at a lower rate in cattle with pigmented eyes). Absence of pigment can be recognized by non-red or non-black areas in the eyelids, which only occur in some breeds.

Cow-calf producers are required to make many management decisions on a frequent basis, and most require careful study to ensure that the right direction will be taken. One of the major decisions is when to wean calves.

Hay is an important part of beef cattle nutrition in most operations. Good-quality hay is high in energy and, depending upon plant composition and amount of fertilization, it can be high in protein. It is used to replace depleted nutrients in standing forages during winter months and periods of prolonged drought.