Whether we are watching an NCBA Cattlemen to Cattlemen episode covering a successful commercial operation or reading about a well-established, multigenerational seedstock operation, one management practice seems to be a common thread for success: culling.

“They don’t need that eye to eat,” is a common misconception when it comes to the impacts of pinkeye in the cattle industry. Research shows calves that are diagnosed with pinkeye will weigh between 20 to 40 pounds less at weaning than healthy calves, and a blind calf will weigh about 60 pounds less at weaning. This loss of weaning weight, in addition to the cost of treatment and labor, adds up to an estimated cost to the cattle industry of $150 million annually.

While calving season is still in full swing in some states, planning for a successful breeding season should be in the back of our minds. The use of estrous synchronization in beef cattle production is often linked directly to artificial insemination (A.I.). However, one of the most valuable benefits from A.I. has nothing to do with A.I. itself, but actually comes from the estrous synchronization programs.