On the Blog

Beat the buzz this fly season

Let’s fast forward in time to July. Imagine it is a comfortable, sunny summer day. Rancher A goes out to check his cows on pasture. Calves are looking good, cows are scattered out grazing and the bulls he turned out last week are covering the cows as needed. Rancher B goes out to the pasture to find his cattle crowded up trying to find shade, with his bulls under the lone tree on the far side of the pasture. Tails are swinging, heads and ears are moving constantly to bat at the flies. Calves look a little stressed and it appears he will need to bring a few in to treat for signs of pinkeye. Which Rancher would you prefer to be?

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2021 in Review: Looking back to move forward better

As we start afresh into another new year, many of us have no qualms bidding goodbye to the last 12 months. After a tumultuous 2020, I think we were all looking forward to what 2021 would bring. But with supply chain issues, weather challenges and higher commodity prices, it was not necessarily the golden goose we had hoped for. However, although we still face many challenges, we must still put our hope on the new horizon. Resilience is key.

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The all-new CRYSTALYX app: Download it today!

Imagine what life today would be like without a cell phone. You may sometimes think to yourself, “I sure could get a lot more done without this phone constantly going off” — but think of all the conveniences it also brings. 

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The investment in a bull

Bull-buying season is in full swing. Many cattlemen spend the time leading up to the sale flipping through catalogs to find bulls that will fit in with their operation and continue to progress their herd genetically. 

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Hindsight is 2020: Moving forward into the new year

As we close out the year, I have heard many people comment that the best day of 2020 may be Dec. 31, when we said goodbye to this year and welcome the new year with open arms. We will surely not forget 2020, which has been a year for the history books. I’m sure we can all think of a long list of challenges that this year has presented — but what if, instead, we focus on the positives this year has brought us?

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3 reasons you may consider early weaning

The time in which calves are weaned is typically based on their age or weight or because “that is when it has always been done.” While the majority of cattle producers in the U.S. and Canada wean calves at around 205 days of age, or 7 months, situations may arise in which weaning calves early may be beneficial for the condition of the cowherd, the pasture or forage availability and marketing opportunities.

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Shortening the calving interval

For many spring-calving herds, we are in the midst of the calving season. Some may be wrapping up, while others may just be beginning these potentially sleepless nights. While this is an important time to monitor cows and make sure calves get the ample colostrum they need to remain healthy, now is also the time to be thinking about future calving seasons.

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