In a time of unpredictability in the cattle market, one thing remains predictable. The fewer days you have a calf on feed, the lower your input costs will be. With a great percentage of cow-country covered by drought, higher feed costs and a volatile market, finding profit in the cattle business is on top of mind […]
Tag: Programs
Tips for Marketing Feeder Calves
As Summer slowly gives way to Fall, the daylight hours get shorter each day. It also means time is nearing for those who graze and background calves to finalize their marketing strategy for the year. Several marketing options exist for those who have backgrounded their calves. They can sell them privately, take them to 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 […]
How Nutrition Adds Value for Sellers and Buyers
As the leaves turn from green to crisp golds and yellows, it’s a reminder that fall weaning is right around corner. Many weaned calves will be making their way to feed lots across the Midwest. As the time comes to market calves, producers are always looking for ways to capture extra profit, and the buyers […]
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 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 […]