Most cattle producers first think about feed, forage and mineral supplementation when evaluating herd performance or troubleshooting challenges. Water quality often doesn’t even make the list.

Calves have never been more valuable than they are today. The price of a 550-pound steer has doubled in the last three years! Preparing a calf for weaning has always been critical, but the cost of mistakes is increasing exponentially.

It is evident with advances in beef production that for cattle to perform at their greatest potential, it is important that their nutritional demands are met. Optimizing cattle performance depends on meeting the nutritional demands for energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. Minerals are generally divided into two different classes: macrominerals and microminerals, also referred to as trace minerals.

As environmental pressures and market dynamics shift, producers are taking a closer look at how early weaning, paired with precise nutrition and management practices, can unlock both short-term flexibility and long-term gains.

Over the coming weeks and months, ranches across the United States will gather their herds for the annual springtime tradition of branding. In addition to marking ownership of the year’s calf crop, cowboys will administer vaccines to young calves in an effort to curb a disease that is just as consistent as the spring ritual: pneumonia or bovine respiratory disease (BRD).

Not only do we deal with stress in our lives, but we often create stressful situations for the animals we care for. Recognizing these events and taking measures to provide the animals with mechanisms to deal with stress can help them bounce back more quickly.

Salt is necessary for our livestock’s health – and they love the stuff. But it’s easy to go too far. Look out for these common pitfalls when developing your herd’s nutrition plan.

Injectable minerals rapidly restore levels, supporting fertility, healthy calves and timely breedback, ensuring economic stability for cow-calf operations.

It has been said that the cheapest ranch you can buy is to improve the capacity of the one you already own. I would also suggest that the cheapest cow you can buy is to efficiently breed the one that already carries your brand.