Even though sustainability has been a frequent topic of discussion among animal and natural resource stewards and consumers alike, there remains confusion within the industry regarding what sustainability actually involves.

Adding value to cattle may seem like a no-brainer. However, when conversations begin about entering value-added or verification programs, the process can seem daunting, especially to producers who may be less familiar with these programs or under the impression they will need to completely revise their management protocols.

Passionate about cattle and the people who raise them, Ignacio Albornoz, CEO and co-founder of Cattler, and his team have developed a mobile and desktop software platform that handles information covering rations, health, animal movement, and profit and losses.

Beef production business and ranch managers have been anticipating and preparing for the fall busy season including weaning, selling calves, vaccinations, fall calving, etc., for weeks. Now it is time for managers to be doers. Right? Well, yes and no.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Farmers are the poorest millionaires you’ll ever know”? Millionaire status is not based on the amount of money someone has sitting in the bank but rather their overall net worth.

Whether your veterinarian is coming out to examine a sick animal or for a herd working event, there are some simple best practices you can implement to help make their time on your farm as efficient as possible.

University of Missouri researchers have created the first-ever vaccine proven to protect cattle from bovine anaplasmosis, a tick-borne cattle disease. The disease infects the red blood cells of cattle and causes millions of dollars in economic losses across the U.S. due to reduced cattle production, treatment costs and animal deaths.

Frustration continues to simmer as evidence continues to mount that legislators in Washington are unmotivated to move forward on a new farm bill.

The benchmark reports are interesting and folks tend to value them in different ways, but they are a little more than just a means to compare yourself with your neighbors or fuel a competitive spirit.

Today’s beef industry is moving through uncharted territory. Record prices are being recorded for finished animals, weaned calf dollar amounts have never been higher, and more younger calves are entering feedlots than ever before.

Although there are many skills and tasks required to successfully get beef cattle to market, special attention must be paid to the days just prior to slaughter.

Stress on cattle is inevitable, but producers know the goal is to manage and mitigate the stresses animals experience, including transportation, weaning, parturition, dietary and nutritional changes, predation, commingling, vaccination, diseases and infections. 

“Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.” While the applicability of this quote varies based on the context in which it is used, it highlights the fact that water is a precious and valuable resource.

I know we have all been there: The trucks are loaded and headed to the local sale barn with this year’s calf crop. We waited all year to sit and watch these fancy calves fill the ring and circle around. All our blood, sweat and prayers that went into getting to this beautiful fall day will soon be worth it. Ring full after ring full, we sit and begin picturing the large paycheck we’ll be handing the bank later that afternoon. 

The term “high risk” is mainly applied to calves bought and sold through local livestock auctions or sale barns, although not all these calves are necessarily considered high risk.

As we work to understand the nutrition, physiology and genetic potential of the beef animal, we grow closer to formulating and implementing more precise feeding and supplementation programs. The ultimate goal is the development of nutrition programs that best and most cost-effectively support reproduction, growth and health of the cow, as well as growing and finishing cattle.

Most trace mineral programs can be dramatically fine-tuned by carefully evaluating the trace mineral source and level being fed. These two factors in trace mineral supplementation can make an enormous difference in cattle performance and profitability.

Gathering cows to diagnose pregnancy is one of many fixtures on a cow-calf production calendar. The day’s primary objective is making a “pregnant” or “open” call, but another priority should be assessing each cow’s long-term future. Can she comfortably make it another year in the herd?

John Ferry of JY Ferry & Son Inc. in Corinne, Utah, has a different idea than most when it comes to protecting the environment and the role cattle can play in the process.

Developing replacement heifers is one of the most expensive and complex management decisions for a cow-calf producer and also has long-term implications for profitability.

Efficiency is efficiency, right? Turns out, it’s probably not that simple. Efficiency in a feedlot and at the cow-calf level are two very different things.

For almost 100 years, cattle producers in the West experienced an awful phenomenon: large numbers of strange, late-term abortions in otherwise healthy cattle. What caused these abortions, and what can producers do to avoid this loss?

Disposable hypodermic needles are a necessary tool in maintaining cattle health. They provide a convenient and economical route to deliver products to animals in a safe and effective manner.

Over recent decades, cattle disease management, prevention and treatment have changed dramatically. Vaccines, antibiotics, technology and even diseases have altered course.

Anybody who has raised cattle for any length of time has probably had to deal with lame cattle. The odds are great that the animal was either suffering from foot rot or a physical injury to the leg or foot.

Leaving sufficient residual plant material (leaves, lower stem bases and crowns) is essential to maximize next year’s production for perennial grasses.

Mine is a horse-poor outfit. I’m aware that the term “horse-poor” is subject to interpretation, and I’ve seen it thrown around and used in a variety of ways in the ranching world.

Wildfires were a fact of life growing up, especially out West. I’d see bulletins come across the news – 50,000 acres, 100,000 acres, gone. I’d shake my head, think “That’s too bad” and go about my day. I think, from now on, I will view these events with a little more compassion.