Now is a great time to evaluate your pastures and develop strategies to improve grazing days for next year. Feed may be less expensive this year, but it won’t stay that way.

For those buying or selling hay, forage testing can play an even bigger role in pricing and purchasing value.

Having some open cows is normal in a 60- to 90-day breeding season. However, if the number of open cows is excessive (greater than 6% to 10%), evaluation of management, nutrition and herd health needs to take place.

Often, farmers are seeking a yes or no answer to mowing pastures … and hopefully validation of their current practice. Unfortunately, the answer is somewhat dependent on previous pasture management and the chosen grazing system.

To help achieve successful heifer development, it is important to adopt an optimal mindset, not a maximal one.

Mineral interactions can result in one mineral restricting the bioavailability of another mineral. Subsequently, this can lead to deficiency. Another way to put this is: An excess can cause a deficiency.

While spring grass is always a welcome sight, lush and washy forages can pose nutritional challenges.

Are you short on hay? Are your pastures struggling? Do you need an emergency forage if it turns dry this summer? If you answered yes to any or all these questions, you should investigate planting a summer annual forage.

The University of Illinois beef cattle group has been investigating and producing cattle in alternative housing systems for several years. Research results have consistently shown acceptable cow and calf performance.