Whatever the combination of market, forage and cow health conditions emerge as the year wears on, says Brackenbury, “That’s the beauty of livestock – you always have to be prepared and have a willingness to adapt. You never know what kind of event will come.”

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although Benjamin Franklin was referring to fire prevention when he wrote that phrase, the same phrase can have literal implications when it comes to saving pounds through scours prevention in calves.

The spring season brings longer days, greener pastures and a sense of relief from the freezing temperatures. However, the spring also carries its own set of challenges, as it is one of the most challenging times of the year for cattle health.

Every cattle operation deals with environmental stress in some form or another multiple times throughout the year. Heat, cold, mud, snow and ice – even extremes such as hurricanes, tornadoes or wildfires – can have profound and ongoing effects on a cattle operation.

Over the years, research has shown that to be productive, each cow needs to be maintained at a certain body condition or within a certain range.

The way in which beef producers manage the tasks of "housing" and watering and feeding their cattle during the winter will have a significant impact on the productivity and profitability of the herd.

Every farmer from time to time gets their tractor or farm equipment stuck in the mud. Although it may seem inevitable, there are ways to avoid getting stuck; however, once stuck in the mud it is important to get unstuck in the safest possible way to minimize the risk of an injury or damaging the equipment.