August 25, 2022

August 25, 2022 Progressive Cattle digital magazine

August 25, 2022

Temporal shifts in slaughter more than offset lower weights

August 25, 2022

At the close of the year’s second quarter, beef cattle producers continue to cull a large portion of their breeding herds, as shown in Figure 1 of weekly volumes of federally inspected beef cow slaughter for the previous three years.

Drought at forefront at Beef Cattle Short Course

With large swaths of Texas and the southern Plains deep in an increasingly wearisome drought, water and pasture management were top of mind for presenters and attendees of the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course.

August 25, 2022

Tyrell Marchant

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a pretty significant drought on across a big chunk of the U.S. Texas has been hit particularly hard, so much so that drought felt like the unofficial theme of the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course, which took place on the campus in College Station, Texas, Aug. 1-3

In The News: USDA revises LIP payments

August 25, 2022

Tyrell Marchant

The USDA on July 20 revised the payment rate for its Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), nearly tripling compensation for young calves lost to producers. LIP payments, which are distributed through FSA, are based on 75% of “average fair market value.”

Tight belts, open minds

August 25, 2022

Carrie Veselka

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ll know that in most places, for most folks, times are tough. According to the national drought monitor as of Aug. 2, 2022, 43.16% of the U.S. and 51.39% of the lower 48 states are experiencing drought.

Avoiding pitfalls: Top 5 mistakes new cattle producers make

Business planning and financial awareness are integral for those starting a beef operation, as well as those inheriting one. Profitability is achievable with a good network and sustainable business strategies.

August 25, 2022

Ed Snodgrass

Thriving in the cattle industry isn’t easy. Not for producers who have been in the business for decades, and certainly not for those new and young producers who are just getting started.

3 leadership responsibilities in busy times

Working in agriculture comes with a lot of busy times. As a leader, it is important you don’t forget that leadership is your top priority.

August 25, 2022

Bob Milligan

It has been a crazy weather year – unseasonably cold, unseasonably hot, drought, excessive rainfall. Weather and other uncontrollable events put additional time and pressure on accomplishing what you do control. You are even busier.

Building benefits through Wagyu cattle and crosses

The quality of Wagyu beef and its carcass value and consumer premiums is well known. But more producers are seeing the genetic pluses as well.

August 25, 2022

Heather Smith Thomas

A growing number of commercial cattlemen are discovering advantages of using Wagyu bulls (or semen) in their herds, especially to breed heifers.

Protect ranch dogs from parasites

Taking preventative measures can keep working dogs healthy and active as they fulfill their roles on the ranch.

August 25, 2022

Tony Hawkins

Your trusty ranch dog – always by your side and often your only companion for long hours at a time. Besides the friendship and loyalty these dogs give, they also have important jobs to do: protection, varmint control and herding.

Estrogen and the single plant

Livestock producers need to be aware – but not scared – of phytoestrogen-producing forage legumes and how grazing them can affect their herds’ reproductive health.

August 25, 2022

Woody Lane

Fifty years ago in Australia, soon after subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) became a popular forage there, farmers and scientists observed a dramatic decline in the fertility of ewes grazing subclover pastures

Formulating a dynamic and profitable nutrition plan

Your land, your cattle, even your family are constantly changing. Very little that happens on your ranch is static. Don’t allow your nutrition plan to become so.

August 25, 2022

Dusty Abney

When people hear that they need to “make a plan,” it can seem overwhelming, which leads them to looking for anything else to do instead. If I say, “Make a nutrition plan,” you are probably going to suddenly decide it sounds like a great time to fix all your water gaps and check the wheel bearings on your trailer.

Is your grazing ground providing the right minerals?

Grazing may not be able to meet livestock’s mineral requirements through forage alone. Soil and forage testing can help producers determine how to best supplement cattle on pasture.

August 25, 2022

Janna Block

A properly balanced mineral program is important for optimum immune function, calf health and growth, milk production, and reproductive performance of beef cattle.

We ain’t done yet!

Practicing sound grazing management and doing simple things that will lead to better soil health will result in more forage over the long haul.

August 25, 2022

Jenny Pluhar

“We ain’t done yet!” This declaration was made by Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher regarding his team’s quest to win a coveted national championship – a worthy goal for a college football program.

Fix it or start over? Balancing pasture management for maximum production

Starting over is one option when faced with poor pasture or range conditions. However, with some proper maintenance, and nutrient and weed management, plants can be revived.

August 25, 2022

Joseph Sagers

The real goal of every livestock producer is to maximize the amount of energy captured by the sun in the range or pasture allotted to them.

Grazing management: The foundation of a sustainable legacy

Creating an individualized grazing management plan will help producers ensure a ranch’s economic and environmental sustainability. The diversity of cattle and grazing situations across the U.S. means there is no one-size-fits-all plan.

August 25, 2022

Chad Ellis

Grazing cattle have the unique ability to upcycle, or convert, low-quality forages into high-quality, nutrient-dense protein.

Conservation smoke and mirrors

Thanks to wise grazing and conservation practices by livestock producers and land managers, U.S. rangeland is on a trajectory of improved sustainability and health.

August 25, 2022

Casey Spackman

Many of us have been entertained by magic tricks, whether in our youth or as adults. Most of these tricks are sleight of hand, with the bigger and more elaborate shows employing smoke and mirrors.

The basics of grazing cover crops for cattle

With the popularity of planting cover crops continuing to expand among U.S. crop growers, more grazing opportunities than ever before are available to livestock producers.

August 25, 2022

Ashley Conway-Anderson

As livestock graziers, “roots in the ground, all year ’round” is standard practice when managing perennial pastures, but it’s a mantra that is gaining momentum among crop growers as well.

Rethinking winter supplementation for weaned calves

With this year’s rising costs of production, producers are looking harder for ways to decrease input costs and improve margins. Take a harder look at the economics of different nutrient supplementation plans for your calves.

August 25, 2022

Karla H. Wilke

Backgrounding spring-born calves on winter range or cornstalk residue after weaning is a way to increase weight and add value to weaned calves. However, calves grazing low-quality dormant forages or residues need protein supplementation to support gain.

SUMMARY

How much forage do you actually have?

Matching the correct herd size and grazing time with pasture production every year is crucial for maintaining long-term pasture productivity and profitable animal production.

August 25, 2022

Alex Caldeira Rocateli

The forage produced in pastures changes yearly due to rainfall and temperature fluctuations. Changes in forage production need to be adjusted to match the herd size with the amount of forage produced to avoid pasture under- or overgrazing.

Family, farming, food and fun: That’s the goal for Donnell Century Farm

Donnell Century Farm has diversified their Angus cow and crop farm with a farm agritourism adventure. Rooted in family and farming, their operation continues to grow, recently adding a butcher shop to their on-the-farm attractions.

August 25, 2022

Abigail George

“I’m just a farmer,” says Andrew Donnell. But this farmer does much more than your typical farming operation. Diversification is a huge part of the success of Donnell Century Farm, and will continue to be for future generations.

The horse market explosion

The ranch horse market is exploding in population and prices paid by buyers. Cattle operations can sell horses as additional income, but it takes skill sets such as managerial accounting and marketing to be successful.

August 25, 2022

Gilda V. Bryant

After surviving an economic freefall in the 2008 recession, the horse market is at an all-time high. The reasons include a resurgence of lucrative rodeo events.

SUMMARY

Temporary stewards: Ranching to preserve the land

With an intense passion for improving the land, the Flynn family of western Montana has adopted a philosophy of utilizing cattle to achieve their goal of a healthy range.

August 25, 2022

Tyrell Marchant

“A family of teachers.”
That’s how Jill Flynn refers to her brood, who together own and operate Hidden Hollow Hideaway Cattle & Guest Ranch in the hills just outside Townsend, Montana, overlooking the Missouri River. Perhaps no one is more representative of that designation than Jill’s late husband, Kelly.

Deep Creek Cattle Company - Raising quality Idaho beef direct to consumers

Deep Creek Cattle Company prides itself on offering premium cuts of Idaho beef directly to consumers or delivered straight to their front doors.

August 25, 2022

Ashley Hagenow

“It is another piece of the puzzle for the next generation,” says Pat Wiebe of Deep Creek Cattle Company and Wiebe Farms Inc. in Buhl, Idaho.

Key considerations before starting a direct beef sales business

Many cattle producers are interested in trying a different marketing strategy; however, it isn’t always that simple. Producers need to consider their goals and how they will measure success.

August 25, 2022

Cassidy Woolsey

During the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) convention, Justin Benavidez, assistant professor and extension economist at Texas A&M University, encouraged producers to consider their “why” before starting this new venture and provided some answers to questions that often arise when getting started.

Hunting as a profit opportunity

Adding a hunting enterprise to one Montana ranch proves to be a good diversification strategy. Producers considering adding hunting to their business should consider their time, the importance of hospitality and their state’s regulations.

August 25, 2022

M. P. Cremer

Since the dawn of time, mankind turned, and continues to turn, live animals into protein to feed the world. Whether it be by raising livestock or hunting wildlife, the job gets done and people get fed – and in some cases, these two paths cross.

Irons in the Fire: Devil steers and diplomats

August 25, 2022

Paul Marchant

I’ve been blessed, or cursed, depending on how you may look at it, to judge dozens of youth livestock shows over the years. In theory, I’ll have an image in my head of the perfect critter, and that’s the one I’m looking for in each class.

Across The Fence: Oops! When a cowboy needs surgery

August 25, 2022

Marci Whitehurst

Ranching isn’t as risky as smoke jumping or being shot out of a cannon, but…

RancHER: Maili Drachman: Starting small with Highland cattle

August 25, 2022

Carrie Veselka

Maili Drachman is the co-owner and operator of J&C Ranch. They run a small herd of Scottish Highland cattle on native pasture.

West: Is fall calving an option for you?

August 25, 2022

Carmen Willmore

With historic cow slaughter numbers we have seen over the past year, I think many of us are wondering what the cull cow market will look like this fall.

South Central: Testing hay and crop residues

August 25, 2022

Jason Banta

Hay testing is always valuable, but it is especially helpful when using crop residues and developing diets to stretch limited hay supplies. Before sending a sample in for analysis, it is always good to visit with a nutritionist to see what labs they recommend and what tests would be most appropriate for the sample being analyzed.

Midwest/North: Strategies to make weaning less stressful

August 25, 2022

Travis Meteer

Weaning is arguably the most stressful event in a calf’s life. Stress at weaning can inhibit immune response, trigger health problems and shut off gains. Fortunately, cattle producers who understand stressing events can identify potential stressors and manage for a successful transition at weaning.

Southeast: Complete vs. trace minerals

August 25, 2022

Kim Mullenix

Beef cattle require minerals in the diet to support maintenance, growth, lactation and reproduction. Providing mineral supplementation is an important part of the beef nutrition program for maintaining healthy animals.

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