With U.S. cow herd size at a 75-year low and with no reprieve in sight, it’s never been more important to protect your cattle and operation. Farmers and ranchers should consider how to protect their animals and operation before it is too late. Here are a few of the topics shared at Cattlemen’s College during NCBA’s CattleCon 2026 in in Nashville, Tennessee.

Over the past several decades, beef cows have quietly gotten bigger. In 1975, the average beef cow weighed just over 1,000 pounds; by 2009, that number had jumped to 1,350 pounds, and today, many herds include cows tipping the scales at 1,400 pounds or more.

Pricing of feeder calves is based on weight as well as their expected future performance. Feedlot owners and managers are tracing superior as well as inferior animals to the previous owners, and future bids depend on animal quality.

In reviewing large commercial datasets, experts are seeing certain patterns beginning to emerge – particularly as it relates to a cow’s ability to stay in the herd. These trends are important to be aware of to identify challenges as well as opportunities.

As it always is, the 2025 edition of the Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Symposium – hosted June 9-12 in Amarillo, Texas, by West Texas A&M University – delivered boatloads of cutting-edge research results and practical applications of genetic tools.

One of the most notable recent feedlot trends has been the trend toward finishing heavier animals, a practice that has contributed to increased profits but has also introduced new challenges and potential concerns.

A lot of producers still have questions about the efficacy of many feed additives, but these products could put extra dollars in your pocket when you market your cattle. 

Recent research suggests that beef-on-dairy steers fed a low-starch total mixed ration at a younger age will continue to increase in feed intake and growth longer than those receiving different diets. 

As we work to understand the nutrition, physiology and genetic potential of the beef animal, we grow closer to formulating and implementing more precise feeding and supplementation programs. The ultimate goal is the development of nutrition programs that best and most cost-effectively support reproduction, growth and health of the cow, as well as growing and finishing cattle.

It’s no secret: Feed has always accounted for, by far, the biggest production expense of beef cattle production.