Stocking rate - Articles - Page 3

Navigate drought conditions with strategic management

Drought is part of cattle production and is present in some major cattle regions each year. While not all the management considerations discussed here apply to every operation, every operation needs to have a drought mitigation plan.

April 25, 2022

Jason M. Warner

Spring is a beautiful time of year that brings renewed hope and optimism for production agriculture. The list of to-dos is endless with many folks either finishing up or in the midst of spring calving and preparing for the next breeding season, as well as field work and attempting innumerable other projects.

3 grazing strategies to maximize production

March 23, 2022

K. Scott Jensen

Grazing management affects animal performance and both short-term and long-term pasture productivity. Grazing management includes decisions such as timing (when pastures are grazed), intensity (forage removed) and duration (how long they are grazed).

5 principles of grazing for profit

March 10, 2022

Billy Whitehurst

Many cattle producers falsely believe they are in the cattle business. The reality is most are in the forage production business – some say the soil health business, or even the soil microbe business, but we aren’t here to split hairs.

Virtual fences: Two producers share their experiences

October 25, 2021

Gilda V. Bryant

The concept of virtual fences to contain cattle has intrigued beef producers for several years.

Improving an award-winning ranch

July 25, 2021

Gilda V. Bryant

Located in the Rock Creek Valley of southeastern Wyoming, the Sims Cattle Company has been owned and operated by five generations of the Sims family.

Six cautions when grazing cover crops

July 8, 2021

Rebecca Kern-Lunbery

Grazing cover crops can be a cost-effective way to achieve multiple operational goals. Cover crops can provide ground cover to prevent erosion, improve soil health over time and provide nutrient-dense forage for grazing. However, turning cattle out onto cover crops to graze without understanding the risks can lead to a wreck.

Stocking rate for returns

May 31, 2021

Edward B. Rayburn

Optimizing net return from pasture integrates forage and animal production, cost control and marketing.

Should you ‘hate’ your cows? Flexible stocking rates

March 24, 2021

Jordan Thomas

The late Bud Williams had a quote something along these lines: “Ranchers love their cows and hate their grass. They need to learn to love their grass and hate their cows.”

Troubleshooting poor gains in stockers

March 24, 2021

Gilda V. Bryant

Weight gain in stockers on native pasture is not always a given. Producers may have expected 2 pounds per day gain on calves, only to get 1.4 pounds per day, which is far more common.