“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.

“No doubt, we’re going to be strong and growing for the foreseeable future,” says IDA CEO Rick Naerebout “It won’t be at the aggressive pace of the past because of processing capacity and having enough water to grow silage and hay long term.

Except for forage producers using hay analyses for marketing purposes, the real advantage of hay testing is not simply getting the results, but using those results to make meaningful decisions and make the hay feeding period more efficient.

The majority of U.S. milk production comes from dairy farms with 500 cows or more. However, that doesn’t mean those who milk fewer cows can’t find a way to be profitable, successful dairy farming businesses.

Aren’t we often waiting for something to happen, dreaming of some future set of circumstances that we hope will make our operation profitable?

When going out to tag calves, most cow-calf producers would prefer to find a new bull calf rather than a heifer. For the cow-calf producer, though, could heifers have more potential value than a steer? 

Herd management programs and data collection solutions are being advanced by various sectors of the beef industry today. And, while more of a good thing might be better than less, it can also lead to confusion and uncertainty when attempting to navigate its extreme boundaries.