I recently visited Texas to attend a distributor meeting. Prior to the meeting, I traveled to the southern part of the state to visit with a group of ranchers and distributors. Coming from Minnesota and landing in San Antonio felt akin to walking into an oven as I deplaned.
CRYSTALYX summer minerals: Which one suits your needs?
With summer finally upon us, and for those of you with spring calving herds, you are now building your 2019 calf crop. Hopefully, you have been using a good-quality mineral on your herd prior to breeding season. But if you haven’t, it is not too late to start a summer mineral program and reap the benefits from a higher level of nutrition.
Take care of your cows and they will take care of you
Fetal programming, also known as “developmental programming,” has been a hot topic for a number of years now. When we consider fetal programming from a nutritional perspective, we think of the lasting impacts gestational maternal nutrition has on calves. I have often heard farmers and ranchers say, “If you take care of your cows, they will take care of you,” and this certainly rings true.
What is calving distribution?
With bulls entering breeding pastures in the weeks ahead, cattlemen can easily understand the impact of a good overall herd conception rate on their bottom line. However, another reproductive measurement that can directly affect ranch profitability is calving distribution.
Bouts of grass tetany could be just around the corner
Springtime can be a very busy time for most all cattlemen. When you look at the nutrients that are critical for spring calving herds, this can get very busy as well. As I write this blog, we are getting yet another dose of wet snow here in Western South Dakota. Looking forward, the 7-day forecast shows a good chance of precipitation most every day. While we can sure use the moisture, cattlemen need to be ready for grass tetany to rear up.
Top 10 reasons to use a self-fed protein supplement in the spring
A couple years ago, I wrote a blog about the top 10 reasons to use a self-fed protein supplement in the Fall. Today, I will tackle 10 reasons you should consider using a self-fed protein supplement in the Spring.
Innovations are not just nice, they are necessary
A couple of years ago, I posed the following question: What do BioBarrels®, 48 row corn planters, GPS and net wrap have in common? They all allow one person to do much more than you could, 10 or 20 years ago.
We are approaching the third trimester
With many of you having spring calving herds, that will begin to calve in February, March or April, we are fast approaching the proverbial “third trimester”.
Why should I start feeding CRYSTALYX in September?
September is nearly here. While some of us wonder where the Summer went, in reality, the quality of our pasture forages are falling like a North Korean missile test.
Here are 10 opportunities you should consider, before you decide to hold off on your fall supplementation program. Remember that your cows are taking care of two calf crops until this year’s calves are weaned.
Two points to remember in a drought
The Drought of the Central Dakotas is spreading to Nebraska and Eastern Montana. The change from an El Nino to a La Nina, can mean that much of the rest of the summer could be very dry in the Western and Plains States. Drier days are also likely ahead of us in the Corn Belt.
