Do you supplement your sheep and goats? Do they have access to the nutrients they need each day? As someone who is personally involved in the small-ruminant industry, I have a firsthand understanding of the lack of good-quality, palatable supplements formulated specifically for sheep or goats.
Feeding this year’s hay crop: How rain can affect hay quality
Many of us are currently enjoying one of the rainiest summers in recent memory. We all know this weather could change in a hurry, but at the moment, hay and forage production are plentiful in many regions. While the quality of this hay may not always be the best due to frequent rains (more on this later), the yield is there.
A Blueprint for fetal programming
Fetal and developmental programming have been big buzzwords for several years now. If you don’t know what they are, a quick Google search will take you to numerous articles, studies and blogs on the subject. Fetal programming, in short, is the theory that the maternal environment during gestation can have a lasting impact on the offspring.
CRYSTALYX options for your summer mineral program
I once wrote a blog asking if your supplement could multi-task. While the intent of this blog is similar, it will specifically focus on the summer ahead. For many cattle producers, summer coincides with the breeding season. CRYSTALYX offers more than 15 different mineral products that (with the exception of CRYSTALYX Mineral-lyx) all contain organic trace minerals, which have been shown to increase conception rates in beef cattle.
Maximizing bull fertility and performance
Purchasing bulls is a large initial investment for an operation — but, unfortunately, these animals do not often receive the attention they deserve, especially outside of breeding season. Much like a good athlete, your bull should prepare in the off-season to perform at their best during the season.
Cow-calf profitability by the numbers
These days, we often see popular news segments describing topics “by the numbers.” Let’s see if we can apply this “by-the-numbers” format to some important aspects of cow-calf profitability.
Hay waste: Get the most out of your harvested forage
Winter is well on it's way and for many producers that means feeding hay supplies. What's the best hay storage method and how can you minimize hay waste? Jill Larson has some tips to help you get the most out of your stored forages this winter.
CrystalBlox is made for protein season
As the days get shorter and cooler, many of us think of hunting season and perhaps dream of snagging a trophy buck or bagging some pheasants. If you have a beef cow herd, it is also the start of “protein season".
Don't miss a lick: The benefits of saliva production during weaning
Fall is in full swing, and you may be feeling the stress of the seemingly endless to-do list between field work, cattle work or other duties. Calves may experience a similar feeling of stress at this time of the year and while weaning, as they encounter some really big changes.
10 reasons to use self-fed protein supplements this fall
I can’t believe it’s September already — where did the summer go? The mornings are noticeably cooler and the days are getting shorter. Thoughts of weaning spring-calving herds are likely present, and those of you with row-crops are undoubtedly looking forward to harvest.
