With the frigidity of winter comes the realities of needing to continue to manage external parasites of cattle. Regardless of an operation’s size or type, when it’s winter, we’re dealing with lice here in the West.

While many will say they love what they do, as they should, it’s vital to the overall well-being of individuals, families, employees and the industry as a whole that ranchers and farmers take well-earned breaks, regardless of what season that happens in.

At the ranch level, once the calves are gone, an additional focus producers need to keep in mind will be the decision to cull a cow or help her recover nutritionally and remain in the herd.

If not already completed, sellers and buyers alike should consider accomplishing the task of testing their hay, allowing managers to ensure nutritional needs of their cattle can be met one way or another.

As we continue into late summer, we continue the fly control battle.

We’re in the heat of summer, a welcome time for many reasons – warm sunny days for putting up hay crops, ripening fields for harvest season, cattle contently foraging, and perhaps even some trips to the river or lake for fun.

While many cattle producers have seasons of experience telling them how many cattle a tract of land can hold during the grazing months, it could still prove to be of benefit to have a reminder of how to determine how many animals the land can support, i.e., determine a proper stocking rate.

We’re fully into spring season by the month of May, and many operations are kicking out bulls or possibly preparing to artificially breed their herds, specifically potential replacement heifers.

With spring turnout coming up, producers need to keep the nutritional demands of lactation and risks of grass tetany in mind as they prepare cattle for greener pastures.