Since its introduction into the U.S. in the late 1800s, the horn fly has become a persistent challenge for livestock producers in pasture-based systems. For beef and dairy operations, horn flies are more than a nuisance; they contribute to measurable losses in weight gain, milk production and overall animal performance.

Fly control in beef cattle continues to be an in-demand topic each year as the potential resistance to conventional fly tags and the introduction of garlic as a feed ingredient to mitigate flies becomes more prevalent. Fly control management is important to minimize the spread of disease and to minimize the negative impacts on livestock production.

Calving season is a time for renewed growth and is a product of planning and ensuring the continued growth of the ranch and the cattle industry. You know keeping records is important, but what does that look like at calving time?

How many of us wish we could add time back into our days? For many of my customers who own and operate diversified operations, there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. This problem is often exacerbated by the challenge of finding skilled labor.

E-ID tags can be helpful for cattle operations, offering accurate data collection, compliance with USDA standards and increased efficiency. They help producers manage cattle records and improve overall productivity.

For generations, managing beef cattle across the vast and rugged landscapes of the American West has relied on traditional stockmanship and an intimate knowledge of the land. Now, new technologies are available to augment these established practices, offering producers a more detailed, real-time view of their herds.

Managing herd health and reproduction on a dairy farm is a constant challenge that requires keen observation, experience and timely interventions. For Calori-D Dairy, implementing the CowManager monitoring system in December 2022 marked a turning point in how they managed their cows – both for health and reproduction.

A recent USDA cattle behavior-based grant focused on beef production decentralization, especially among small farmers.

Herd management software can make it easier to gather, organize and use data to make profitable decisions. However, this often means being tied to your office where the software lives. But what if technology can help you leave the office behind?  

Cattle ID preferences vary from producer to producer, but the ever-present question of “which one do you use?” is an evergreen conversation starter among the cattle crowd.