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Steers drinking from a waterer

Prevention and signs of heat stress in cattle

Summer is heating up and so are the cattle! Heat stress is a reoccurring issue in the summertime. Black hided, sick, or heavy-weight cattle are most susceptible to heat stress. When it comes to heat stress, it’s important to know the warning signs and what can be done to prevent it.Signs...
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Hay in a barn

Tips for hay storage

Whether you are buying hay or making it yourself, it can be expensive. Reducing the need for stored feeds is a key profitability indicator for beef cow/calf operations. However, having access to dry, quality forages can serve as an important supplement and forage replacement in times of drought or...
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Cow in chute

How can I improve beef cow conception rates?

With breeding season approaching, let’s look at some areas of focus to that could be robbing from conception rates. Some factors that I think disserve discussion are cow condition, cow requirements, lush pastures, timing of vaccinations, lack of heterosis, stress, and bull fertility. First and...
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black baldy cows grazing

Cue the crossbreeding

Recently I saw an old advertisement for hybrid seed corn. The two inbred parent ears of corn were small and low yielding, but the hybrid ear in the middle was robust and high yielding. Sure, this is not new news to you as a reader, but often simple messages, even old ones are worthwhile.Obviously,...
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Angus bull picture

What will a good bull cost me?

A popular question this time of year is “What will a good bull cost me?.” My go-to answer is usually… “How much revenue loss would you have from a pasture full of open cows?” After all, we often de-value the role of the bull. We forget that he is a crucial part of the equation to making our product...
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Cow with calf

Tips for calving season

Although there are year-round management strategies that can impact calving season success, here are some short-term, in-the-moment calving tips for success this year.Prepare a calving kit. The last thing you want to be is unprepared during calving season. Having all calving equipment clean, ready...
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cows eating hay in the winter

Planning and managing to avoid calving trouble

Dystocia, meaning “difficult birth,” often results in loss of a calf or complications after birth of a live calf. Some examples of complications after a difficult birth can include aspiration pneumonia, joint damage, nerve damage, and hypoxia. Another big problem can be failure of passive transfer...
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