August 25, 2024

August 25, 2024 Progressive Cattle digital magazine

August 23, 2024

The USDA, USTR appoint new ag advisory committee members

August 13, 2024

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Kai recently announced 55 new or reappointed members of seven different agricultural trade advisory committees.

Five tips to be ready for the upcoming fall season

Make the most of your time by ensuring your systems and processes are geared up and ready for the busy months with the following five tips.

August 20, 2024

Terrell Miller

The cooler temperatures bring a flurry of activities on the cattle farm and ranch. From breeding time to cows ready to calve to weaning calves, there’s plenty of cattle production activities to keep everyone on the go.

To cull, maintain or expand this fall

With high cattle prices, you may be wondering what you should do. Continue reading to get advice on whether you should cull, maintain or expand this fall.

August 9, 2024

Elliott Dennis

Cow-calf producers are expected to make $709 per cow over cash costs, including pasture, in 2024. These levels are nearly identical to the inflation-adjusted highs experienced by producers in 2014 ($534 in 2014 dollars, $708 in 2024 dollars).

Calf prices today for summer 2025

Livestock Risk Protection can secure you a minimum price for your 2025 calf crop today and you can still sell higher if the market should end up that way when your calves are ready for sale.

August 8, 2024

Jimbo Mercer

Imagine this: You get a call today from your video sale rep, and they say, “We can offer you $275.93 per hundredweight (steers and heifers) for your 2025 calf crop.”

Finding the right balance: Relying on instinct, data or both

Cattle producers are privy to more data about their herds and the market than ever before. Combined with their intuition, that data can be a powerful tool for managing risk and animal health.

June 18, 2024

Bruce Derksen

Feedlot operators tap into their hard-earned instincts almost every minute of every day. Most also lean into data and information. When critical decisions need to be made, it can be difficult to choose the right lane. Should instinct or data guide the thinking, or is there an overlap? If they’re both valuable, how do producers find their appropriate balance?

Reduce financial risk when buying replacement heifers

To reduce exposure to risk, a rancher must consider replacing heifers without causing financial stress to the operation. Accurate recordkeeping, understanding the impact of higher interest rates and knowing the income streams your ranch can provide are critical.

May 9, 2024

Gilda V. Bryant

Investing in replacement heifers without financially stressing the ranch is every beef producer’s goal. They must consider risks facing the operation, manage their financial health and discover additional income streams the ranch provides.

Accessing agriculture: Getting started in ranching and farming amid rising land costs

Beginning farmers and ranchers face many challenges including finding land and creating capital for ranch and farm needs. The USDA FSA makes and guarantees loans for beginning farmers and ranchers to help them get started in their agricultural pursuits.

May 28, 2024

Sarah Patterson

According to the USDA’s Land Values 2023 Summary, farm real estate value – a measurement of value for all land and buildings on farms – averaged $4,080 per acre in 2023. This was a 7.4% (about $280) increase from 2022.

Nutrition strategies for calves after weaning: Maintaining a healthy gut

The days and weeks immediately following weaning are among the most crucial times in a beef animal’s life. Set your calves up for success with a carefully crafted nutrition plan.

August 2, 2024

Cadra Krueger

Successfully weaning and starting calves on feed can be a rewarding time of year for producers and sets the calf up for future performance. However, the most common time for a calf to contract BRD is within the first four weeks postweaning.

Add value by making better calves

Raise the type of calves the market seeks by giving them a good start with quality nutrition.

July 29, 2024

Ted Perry

Calf prices look to be strong for the next few years as the national cow herd continues to bounce back from liquidations related to drought. These market conditions pose a great opportunity to increase profit potential through value-added programs.

Basic numbers and big data: Measuring herd success

Breeding stock selections can be made using more than a handful of methods. While genomics, EPDs, indexes and genetic testing dominate many of these decisions, other, often ignored or unknown practices, are still relied on. Can these methods work together?

August 6, 2024

Bruce Derksen

Cattle producers select their breeding stock variably, using an assessment of parentage production, price, expected progeny differences (EPDs), genetic testing or a simple eyeball test. A few swear by the oft-forgotten linear measurements, which gauge numerous body parts with uniquely designed calipers.

Don’t strike out this breeding season

Calf uniformity has proven to pay a premium. The first step to creating a uniform calf crop is shortening your breeding season as much as possible.

July 17, 2024

Garth Ruff

Many livestock economists have demonstrated over the years that there is a premium in the marketplace for uniform lots of calves. For further proof, just watch what happens at the local auction market when it comes to selling feeder cattle and then tune in to one of the online video auctions and compare prices.

Immunity is more than just giving a shot

Multiple factors influence an immune response and how it performs when faced with a natural infection. The objective is to give the defense system the edge against a challenge by implementing proper management practices.

August 5, 2024

Jason Anderson

With societal and political pressure surrounding antibiotic use in food animals, preventing disease outbreaks is increasingly important. The words “immunization, not just vaccination” may sound familiar in the context of discussing vaccines, but what is really meant?

Receiving high-risk cattle

High-risk cattle can be a gamble, and while health problems are inevitable, the impact can be reduced. Additionally, these cattle have the potential for high returns if you can minimize stress and keep the cost of gain low.

August 6, 2024

Curtis Wertman

With high feeder cattle prices, it may be tempting to look for cheaper sources of calves. Often, these cattle that are below the market come with unknown vaccination records, genetics and nutritional status. The market has already factored in the increased costs of high-morbidity, high-mortality, high-risk cattle.

Weaning considerations

Several proven methods for weaning exist. Consider all the pros and cons before determining which approach is best for your operation.

August 13, 2024

Megan Van Emon

It’s never too early to start planning for weaning. Several factors play a role in making weaning management decisions, such as drought, cow body condition, pasture conditions, weaning weight, calf sale contracts, labor and many others.

Drench guns 101

Using drench guns correctly and maintaining them properly is key to ensuring your medications or other products reach their full effectiveness.

August 12, 2024

Aimee Robinson

Drench guns are indispensable tools on livestock operations when administering oral dewormers or liquid medications. As with other tools on a cattle operation, it is important to know how to use these appropriately and maintain them.

Effective fall and winter grazing for cheatgrass management

August 26, 2024

Tip Hudson

Invasive plants have created novel rangeland landscapes, requiring novel responses in vegetation management. We cannot turn back the clock to a time before cheatgrass, medusahead and ventenata – invasive annual grasses that are part of the new normal in the western U.S.

The real dangers of hemlock

Poison hemlock can be deadly to cattle, whether grazed or consumed in hay or silage. An ability to identify it can help you avoid devastating losses.

July 11, 2024

Woody Lane

It was a phone call that I didn’t want to receive. On a pleasant evening in June, a neighbor rancher – someone I’ve known for many years – phoned to ask my advice about some baleage.

Farming for the future

Lick Skillet Farm: Delicious, nutritious and regenerative

August 19, 2024

Abigail George

Doing things differently has been the Miller family’s way since the farm’s beginning over a century ago. Started in 1919 with 140 acres, the family now farms over 1,100 acres of owned and leased land as Miller Family Farm, a registered Tennessee Century Farm.

Irons in the Fire: Rural chaos

August 23, 2024

Paul Marchant

I wasn’t really thrilled about it, but circumstances dictated that I make several trips and spend several days in the concrete and asphalt jungle of Salt Lake City this summer.

Across the Fence: Cowboy directions

August 15, 2024

Marci Whitehurst

I’ve always felt inferior to my hubby’s sense of direction. He can be dropped into any pasture, in any state, and know exactly where he is and how to get out. I understand that the sun is our guiding light, but when I say he has an uncanny ability, I mean it. His natural intuition is phenomenal.

County fairs and Canadian cattle

August 26, 2024

Abigail George

It’s county fair week, or at least it is at the time of me writing this (the first week of August) it is. When I was younger it was my favorite time of year. It was like Christmas morning. The one where you just can’t wait. You’re excited, jittery with anticipation.

South Central: Hay testing and NDF digestibility

August 22, 2024

Jason Banta

Hay quality cannot be judged based on looks or if it was fertilized or not. Often, some of the best-looking hay will test out to be some of the lowest quality.

West: Options for weaning calves

August 22, 2024

Tyler O'Donnell

As the summer heat gives way to crisp fall days, we move into the time to ship calves to their next destination. Before they go, weaning them from their mothers needs to take place. Weaning can be achieved using multiple methods, all with different pros and cons, and can be tweaked to fit your operation and its goals.

Midwest/North: Why are my cows open?

August 22, 2024

Travis Meteer

Having some open cows is normal in a 60- to 90-day breeding season. However, if the number of open cows is excessive (greater than 6% to 10%), evaluation of management, nutrition and herd health needs to take place.

Southeast: Fall-calving cow nutrition

August 22, 2024

Katie Mason

With the fall-calving season just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about increased cow nutrition needs at calving and during lactation.

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