Skip to main content

The Cattle Connection 2014

Mineral Nutrition: Part 4 of 5

There are options when it comes to mineral supplementation. The most common methods are loose mineral, mineral blocks, including mineral in-feed with other supplemental protein or energy, or injectable minerals. All of these can be effective mineral supplementation strategies. Providing loose...
Finish this story

Resting Pastures Boosts Productivity

Arguably the most important principle in grazing management is allowing adequate rest periods. Resting pastures simply means removing the grazing pressure to allow the plant to regrow and replenish root reserves. This typically is done by moving cows to a new paddock within a pasture. Plants need...
Finish this story

Fall Grazing Reminders

The 2014 grazing season has been one of the best in recent memory. Plenty of rain throughout the grazing season help push pastures to maximum production. Many of you may have a good amount of fall stockpile to utilize. Along with cornstalks, grazing further into the season is a very achievable goal...
Finish this story

Youth Cattle Shows Help Build Future Leaders

County fair season is in full swing. It is easy to get bogged down in the frantic preparation and certainly the competition. However, taking a deep breath and looking at the big picture can bring realization of the true purpose of youth livestock exposition. Youth livestock shows are projects that...
Finish this story

Frost Seeding Legumes

There is no doubt that the drought of 2012 and the weather extremes of 2013 have stressed pastures. Maintaining a productive stand in your pasture is crucial for animal performance, holding feed costs down, and making the most of the productive soil you have invested in. Frost seeding clover...
Finish this story

Now is a great time to conduct a BCS on the cowherd

Cattle prices are holding at record levels so far this fall. As we head into bred heifer sale season, there appears to be a lot of interest from producers eager to re-invest profits. Prices for heifer calves have been elevated, however some have taken lofty steer checks and saved heifers back for...
Finish this story

Will cold weather increase birth weights?

There has long been a sentiment among producers that in cold years, calf birth weights are increased. There are many inherent challenges in proving whether this is actually true. Differences in bull as well as nutrition are the biggest hurdles. Research that evaluates this question is...
Finish this story

Should I clip/mow my pasture?

A frequent question for early summer time is "Should I clip my pasture?" In most cases, the farmer is seeking a yes or no answer…and hopefully validation of their current practice. Unfortunately, the answer is somewhat dependent on your previous pasture management and current grazing system. If...
Finish this story

Mud pulls down cattle performance

The last couple weeks have been host to cool, wet weather. Resulting from that weather, muddy conditions have been very persistent. Not only is mud a hassle for farmers conducting daily chores, but it can also negatively affect cattle performance. Remember back to the last time you walked through...
Finish this story

Handling Early Spring Challenges with Sacrifice Paddocks

A long, harsh winter coupled with a slow start to spring has left many producers frustrated with where to put cows. Calving cows do not do very well in muddy lots that are already piled high with used bedding from the winter. Nor do pastures do very well with lots of foot traffic as they try to re-...
Finish this story

IPT Bull Sale Results

The Illinois Performance Tested (IPT) Bull Sale was the lead-off event of the 2014 Illinois Beef Expo held on Feb. 20 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. The sale had the highest overall average in the 46 year history at $3,840 on 51 lots. "This sale has developed into one of...
Finish this story

Herd Expansion: Is it for you?

If you haven't heard… cattle prices are pretty good right now. This coupled with the retreat in corn price last fall and lowering feed costs, has cattle producers looking for their long-promised "good times". For nearly three years, the talk of herd expansion has been suggested only to be silenced...
Finish this story

Deja Vu - 2014 pastures look very similar to 2013

As we have a few weeks under our belt in the 2014 grazing season here at Orr Beef Research Center, it is apparent that the similarities to last year are numerous. The persistence of cold weather has caused a delay in pasture growth Pastures are wet, low in dry matter and very lush Some drought...
Finish this story

Developing Replacement Heifers

As feed and commodity prices fall and cattle prices continue to hold firm at record levels, the incentive to add pounds with "cheap" feeds is present. Proper heifer development hinges on achieving a desired weight before breeding…yet not over-developing heifers to the point they are not prepared to...
Finish this story

Pastures Need Time before Spring Grazing

Winter was one for the record books. Spring has started cool and damp and we have seen little growth of grass so far. For these reasons, it is important that cattlemen let grass get a good start this spring before grazing. Managing pastures early is arguably more important than later in the year....
Finish this story

Mineral Nutrition: Part 3 of 5

As I have stated in previous posts, proper mineral nutrition relies on a balance. This is critical to avoid mineral interactions. Mineral interactions can result in one mineral restricting the bioavailability of another. Thus, reducing the amount of that mineral absorbed by the animal. This can...
Finish this story

What is Overgrazing?

Overgrazing is the failure to match animal grazing to forage growth and production. In most cases, cattle or any grazing animal is allowed to continuously harvest a plant without allowing the plant to feed itself. Many times overgrazing causes reduced pasture stands and forces the cattlemen to feed...
Finish this story

Rebreeding is the key to Rebuilding

Cattle markets are setting new records, feed costs are falling, and cattlemen are anxious to stabilize and rebuild numbers. Forecasted profits for the cow/calf producer are the highest they have been in decades. While I would like to end this column right here and tell you all to go buy a new...
Finish this story

Calving Season Tips

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...
Finish this story