It is often said "If you can work cattle together, you can do anything together." We have all had a stressful chuteside experience, but have you investigated ways to better handle your cattle? As you prepare to wean calves, preg-check cows, and give fall booster vaccinations, you should consider...

Early weaning (EW) is a management strategy that can alleviate grazing pressure on pastures. EW can be a management decision to keep from feeding cows to maintain body condition. Young, growing calves will more efficiently convert feed to pounds. Thus, money budgeted for feed may be more wisely...

I have had many discussions with cattle producers over the last couple of weeks about how to manage pastures in these wet conditions. We have also discussed the effect we are seeing on the cattle grazing these areas. It is hard to complain about too much rain, especially after a beautiful growing...

After experiencing the market trend upward seemingly every week of 2014, cattle producers should be prepared for a little more normal market pattern in 2015. With signs of expansion, it is likely the cowherd has stabilized numbers and will make an effort to climb the cow herd inventory. The climb...

First-calf cows (3 year olds) are traditionally the most challenging animal to get bred on the farm. As we approach breeding season, cattlemen need to be aware of this challenge and make sure they do not drop the ball on getting first-calf cows re-bred. First-calf cows are dealing with a large...

Illinois cattlemen and cattlewomen will have the opportunity to here from industry experts at the 2015 Illinois Cattle Feeders Meeting. The meeting will be held on March 5th at the 4-H Auditorium in Macomb, IL located across the road from the Extension office. The seminar will be start at 9:00am...

Post authored by Monica Jarboe, University of Illinois undergraduate student and summer research intern Around calving time, prolapses in cows and heifers can be major health issues. Some cases may even be life threatening. There are two different kinds of...

Commercial cow-calf producers and seedstock breeders interested in purchasing a total performance tested bull will want to attend the 2015 Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale. The sale will be the leadoff event of the Illinois Beef Expo. There are 69 bulls cataloged with 15 being longer-aged 2013...

A popular question this time of year is "How much can I afford to pay for a bull." 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...

Calving season is either here or fast approaching for many Illinois cattlemen. I would just like to share a few tips that I have gathered through some of our winter meetings. Perhaps the most important tip is to have a good relationship with your local veterinarian. Sometimes the difficult...