Nutritional management plays a central role in promoting the health, productivity and reproductive success of beef cattle.

Early gestation is a critical period in the cattle reproductive cycle, laying the foundation for the health, productivity and profitability of both the cow and the developing fetus. 

Not only do these producers gain a higher-value calf that commands a premium from buyers versus beef-on-dairy crossbred calves or full-blood dairy bull calves, but they’re also able to improve conception rates during the hottest months of the year.

Early embryonic loss is defined as a loss within the first 42 days of pregnancy and has been reported to impact between 20% and 40% of pregnancies in beef cattle.

Developing a nutritional program that meets the needs of lactation and facilitates a return to cyclicity before the subsequent breeding season takes an understanding of how cattle partition nutrients and how that impacts their overall nutritional requirements.

In the third and final segment of our coverage from the NCBA national convention, the team previews the March issue of Progressive Cattle. Abby visits with Elanco's Wayne Ayers about improving conception rates with the proper vaccine strategy. Then Tyrell sits down with Mark McCully to discuss the American Angus Association's Industry Insights survey and what benefits that data can have for American producers. Finally, Carrie talks with veterinarian Brandon Treichler about developing a crisis management plan and how that can protect ranches and the people who make them so special.

Some 400 attendees from across North America gathered in Loveland, Colorado, to hear the latest in beef cattle research from some of the industry’s leading experts from government, academia and industry.

Cattle have a requirement and desire for salt, but many producers have been misled to believe that salt blocks, especially trace mineral salt blocks, provide adequate trace mineral.

While choosing replacement females may seem like a singular task, you know that months and years of strategic planning lead up to the moment. Every replacement heifer is evidence of the work that’s been done and is the foundation of future herd performance and profitability.