Being a steward of both the land and cattle on 3D Cattle Co. in Southeast Alabama is not just a livelihood for Bret Dalrymple, but a way of life that’s been passed down through the generations and one that he is working to pass down to his children. He knows that healthy cattle gain more […]
Category: Stocker/Backgrounding
Getting Your Stockers Prepared for Turn Out
Stocker calves can be a good investment and are a great source of converting available forage into protein. However, those producers who plan to run stockers need to be prepared with good health, nutrition and vaccination protocols in place before the first calf steps off the truck. There are two critical time periods for the […]
How Nutrition Plays a Key Role in Animal Gains
When it comes to your cattle feeding operation, pounds matter. The more pounds your animal gains in a shorter period means the animal is more efficient and consequently, you should see a greater return on your investment. But what factors influence those gains? Certainly, genetics play a role, but so does the nutrition you provide […]
When You Can’t Afford Not to Use a Mineral Program
With the ringing in of a new year and the ups and downs of the cattle cycle, it’s reassuring to have a tool in the cattle feeding business that will help decrease costs and minimize health risks to calves during one of the most stressful times of their lives. With three simple steps and just […]
Natural Ways to Help Reduce the Risk of Bovine Respiratory Disease
It can be a challenge to keep stocker cattle healthy. Temperature swings, moisture, poor ventilation and commingling with calves from other points of origin are all stressors that impact the calves’ overall health and performance and can lead to Bovine Respiratory Disease or BRD, the leading cause of sickness in cattle. Even healthy-appearing cattle can […]
Good Nutrition Helps Keep Cattle in Natural Programs
Today’s consumers are more aware than ever before. They want to know where their food comes from, how it is raised, and that is safe and wholesome for the entire family. Consumers are attracted to words like natural, hormone-free and antibiotic-free, and the beef industry has responded with branded programs to meet consumers’ demands. Although […]
What You Should Know: Three Things Buyers Consider
Information is power. In today’s world, more information is available than ever before on about any topic you have an interest in. For cattle buyers looking to fill their feedlots and backgrounding yards, three pieces of information are essential when it comes time to buy calves: vaccination history, genetic makeup and the nutrition program history. […]
How to Put More Pounds on Calves
Changing just one management decision can increase gain, and gain increases profitability. Just ask Ray Fussell. The Tennessee Ridge, Tenn., stockman has been buying stocker calves and backgrounding them for 20-plus years. And after he shipped his 2017 calves, his cattle buyer suggested he look into changing his mineral program. So he did just that. […]
How to Reduce Risk with a 3-Step Nutrition Program
Anytime a backgrounder gathers up mixed calves from different farms of origin and puts them together, they are taking a risk. But, with a high-quality nutrition program in place, the risk can be minimized. That is what Kerry Vogt, Newton, Kan., discovered, as he backgrounds nearly 3,000 stockers each year. Vogt, who was talking to […]
Gain Smart Stocker HEAT Helps Hinder Health Challenges on South Dakota Ranch
In the spring of 2017, Melynda Gress of Y-Cross Inc., was looking for a supplement alternative for her backgrounding operation. Located in the northwest corner of South Dakota where she and her family run 800 to 1,000 yearlings each spring and summer, she knew she needed a more natural mineral option for her calves. Two […]