The Cattle Connection
Home Blogs The Cattle Connection

Latest Posts

Orr Beef Research Center Field Day

The annual Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. The meeting will be held at the new Ag Sciences Complex and Fred Bradshaw Learning Center at the John Wood Community College Ag Center, located west of Perry, IL. Speakers from University of...
Finish this story
cows and calves on pasture

Hidden benefits of rotational grazing beyond soil health

We all want a future where the land continues to be productive and supportive of agriculture. And as cattle producers, you’ve probably heard about using rotational grazing to improve soil health. But adoption remains limited. It’s not because producers don’t want healthy soil, but because...
Finish this story
calf swatting flies away

Preventing Problems: Pests, Parasites, & Pet-Related Risks

Warm summer temperatures create the perfect environment for challenges from insects and internal and external parasites to transpire. Pets spending time outside can also cause trouble in the cattle herd. With the growing risk of New World Screwworm, proper pest and parasite control is even more...
Finish this story
fireworks over a barn

Can fireworks cause stress on beef cattle?

You’re pulling back into your driveway after a night spent watching the fireworks and celebrating independence. Then, you see pairs of eyes staring at you, from outside the fence. The cattle are out. What follows is a night spent gathering the herd, searching for calves, and fixing fence....
Finish this story
Hay in a barn

Should I buy hay or grow my own hay?

While cost is the primary factor, there are several reasons to choose buying hay or growing it.Buy HayLimited land resources to use for hay productionBusy, limited time to devote to hay productionShort on laborMust purchase hay equipment, update old equipmentSet-up to handle by-product/alternative...
Finish this story
New World Screwworm (NWS) is the name of this metallic colored, flesh-eating pest

New world screwworm: Questions every cattle producer is asking

On June 3, 2026, the USDA confirmed the detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) on a cattle ranch near La Pryor, Texas in a 3-week-old bovine’s umbilical incision—the first in livestock since 21966. This detection has large implications and marks the beginning of many agendas against NWS. Naturally...
Finish this story
Cows off in the distance grazing in a pasture

Spring breeding season is underway- What can you influence?

By the time producers get into the swing of breeding season, most of the outcome has already been written. Previous decisions and the prior calving season will influence the trajectory of your current breeding season. But, not all of it has been set. The next few weeks will determine which cows...
Finish this story
summer annual forages growing in a field

Growing summer annual forages

With poor profitability projections on most row crop budgets, planting summer annual forages and using forage mixes for grazing should be considered on marginal acres. Adding a different crop to the rotation and a more diverse plant population on traditional row crop acres can have cascading...
Finish this story

Blog Authors
Keywords
Blog Archives