Latest News From Calves

Hereford Influence Sells Strong in South Dakota
Hereford Influence Sells Strong in South Dakota

Even with strong demand and historically high prices for calves and feeder cattle this winter, the Hereford and Hereford-influenced sale at Mitchell Livestock Marketing in South Dakota Feb. 15 was a head-turner.

Getting Implant Application Correct
Getting Implant Application Correct

When used correctly, growth-promoting implants can increase ADG by 20% in growing cattle. With a 100-day feeding period, 48 lbs. more of liveweight could mean $40 to $50 per head more, depending on the price slide

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Markets: Fed Cattle Rally as Cowboys Hold ‘Em

Fed cattle broke through $180 barrier this week, establishing the highest prices since the week ending November 3 and cattle feeders continue to gaining leverage.

Managing Hypothermia for Newborn Calves
Managing Hypothermia for Newborn Calves

Understanding the risk factors for hypothermia will aid in developing a strategy to prevent loss. Managing dystocia and knowing when and how to assist chilled calves is an essential part of your calving plan.

Preparing for Winter Calving
Preparing for Winter Calving

Calving during the winter months can present some unique challenges. What can we do to make calving in the late winter months as problem-free as possible? Get prepared.

Grants Seek to Address Liver Abscess Formation in Cattle
Grants Seek to Address Liver Abscess Formation in Cattle

Four grants have been awarded by ICASA totaling roughly $1.15 million to identify why liver abscesses occur and develop diagnostic tools to enable informed decision-making to treat the condition.

New Legislation Could Protect Livestock Producers, Tackle Rising Costs
New Legislation Could Protect Livestock Producers, Tackle Rising Costs

Sen. Josh Hawley introduces the Protecting Interstate Commerce for Livestock Producers Act to protect farmers from costly regulations – made in other states – that will hurt their business and drive-up consumer costs.

Using Genetic Testing to Make Profitable Marketing Decisions
Using Genetic Testing to Make Profitable Marketing Decisions

Genomic tests are a tool that can be used to create strategic marketing plans by taking a small ear tissue sample to compare genome traits of a calf to others in their breed.

Weaning Weight Versus Reproductive Efficiency
Weaning Weight Versus Reproductive Efficiency

What has more value to the profit potential of a commercial cow-calf operation that sells calves at weaning, percent calf crop weaned or weaning weight?

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Want More Calves Born in Daylight? Feed The Cows at Night

Beef cows fed at dusk or later results in more daytime births. Research indicates that to achieve that benefit, feeding at night should be started at least one month prior to calving season.

Nine Ways to Help Resuscitate A Newborn Calf
Nine Ways to Help Resuscitate A Newborn Calf

After a typical birth a calf should breathe within 30 seconds of delivery. If it doesn't, be ready to intervene and provide extra support.

Prevention of Respiratory Disease in Feedlot-Bound Cattle Pays
Prevention of Respiratory Disease in Feedlot-Bound Cattle Pays

More calves born on dairies than ever before are eventually headed to feedyards these days. Performance and profitability merits sending healthy animals from the calf-rearing stage to the feedlot.

Capturing Value: Marketing Strategies for Cattlemen
Capturing Value: Marketing Strategies for Cattlemen

An Angus University session on marketing cattle brings together seedstock producers, commercial cattlemen and industry representatives.

Winter Wheat Grazing Hopes Revived
Winter Wheat Grazing Hopes Revived

The latest Crop Progress report shows that 71 percent of Oklahoma wheat is planted, two percent more than last year but less than the 75 percent 5-year average.

Preconditioning Calves: Is It the Right Choice?
Preconditioning Calves: Is It the Right Choice?

Preconditioning has benefits for those looking to sell their calves and to those retaining ownership. Though it is not a “one size fits all” for operations. The benefits need to be considered along with practicality.

Cattle Auction Preparations: A Sale Day Checklist for Ranchers
Cattle Auction Preparations: A Sale Day Checklist for Ranchers

One of the biggest days of the year for most ranchers—sale day—is much anticipated, yet stressful. Here’s some helpful tips and considerations in the days and hours leading up to sale time.

Capitalize on Strong Calf Markets with Quality Weaning Nutrition
Capitalize on Strong Calf Markets with Quality Weaning Nutrition

Implementing a weaning program that emphasizes quality nutrition helps give calves a healthy start and can bring more return on investment.

Calf Run: Best Feedlot Practices For New Arrivals
Calf Run: Best Feedlot Practices For New Arrivals

The goal of any feedlot receiving strategy is to make the transition from calf origin into the feedlot or backgrounding yard as seamless as possible in order to achieve best cattle performance.

Insurance Option Offers First of Its Kind Risk Management Tool for Cow-Calf Producers
Insurance Option Offers First of Its Kind Risk Management Tool for Cow-Calf Producers

The USDA recently announced its Weaned Calf Risk Protection, a policy that offers Actual Production History (APH) coverage for beef cow-calf producers to insure revenue from their spring calving operations.

Thinking of Backgrounding Calves this Fall?
Thinking of Backgrounding Calves this Fall?

Cattle prices have responded to lower cattle inventory. Yet, with increasing costs of maintaining a cow, producers may wonder: to increase revenue in 2023, is it worth retaining or backgrounding calves?

Speer: Timeless Lessons About BRD Prevention From TAMU’s Ranch-to-Rail Program
Speer: Timeless Lessons About BRD Prevention From TAMU’s Ranch-to-Rail Program

Given the value of the current fed market, widening quality grade spreads and longer feeding periods across the industry, the importance of preventing BRD has never been more important.  

New Lidocaine-Infused Band Reduces Castration Pain, Discomfort
New Lidocaine-Infused Band Reduces Castration Pain, Discomfort

Solvet Lidoband is approved for use in calves under 250 pounds and in lambs under 50 pounds. The local, soothing anesthesia works for up to 42 days, helping veterinarians and producers improve animal well-being.

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Effective Fenceline Weaning for Calves: Stress Reduction and Benefits

Aside from traditional calf weaning methods, the concept of "fenceline weaning" is worth considering for cow-calf producers looking to decrease stress and maintain health in their calves.

It's Time to Plan for Backgrounding Weaned Calves
It's Time to Plan for Backgrounding Weaned Calves

As we move into late summer and early fall, we begin think about weaning time. Getting those calves on feed is critical, requiring a good diet and proper feed management.

What Has Value To Your Calf Buyer?
What Has Value To Your Calf Buyer?

Cattle markets remain robust with the promise of getting even better. Understanding what has value to your calf buyer is key to capturing the most possible in the market place.

Maximizing Weaning Success with Anti-Suckling Devices
Maximizing Weaning Success with Anti-Suckling Devices

Weaning can be a stressful period for livestock and humans but making the extra effort to reduce stress on calves can lead to increased performance in the form of less illness and increased weight gain.

New Jersey Law To Impact Housing and Care of Breeding Pigs and Veal Calves
New Jersey Law To Impact Housing and Care of Breeding Pigs and Veal Calves

New Jersey must "adopt rules and regulations concerning the confinement, care and treatment of breeding pigs and calves raised for veal," according to legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy on Wednesday.

Longhorned Ticks Discovered in Boone County, MO, for First Time
Longhorned Ticks Discovered in Boone County, MO, for First Time

The discovery of the longhorned tick, already responsible the loss of millions of dollars in revenue to livestock producers worldwide, indicates a potential looming problem for cattle health in mid-Missouri.

Creep Grazing
Creep Grazing

Creep grazing has potential to be a cost-effective way to produce additional calf gains using forage rather than the traditional grain-based creep diets.

Why Do Healthy Calves Get Summer Pneumonia? Here's How to Best Protect Your Herd
Why Do Healthy Calves Get Summer Pneumonia? Here's How to Best Protect Your Herd

Why do some of the best calves catch a cough, known as summer pneumonia? K-State experts discuss the disease and what ranchers can do to best mitigate an outbreak in their herd.

Do Heifers Have More Potential Value Than Steers?
Do Heifers Have More Potential Value Than Steers?

When going out to tag calves, most cow-calf producers would prefer to find a new bull calf. However, it's important to remember the extra options and opportunties heifer calves provide.

Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?
Will It Be Profitable to Creep Feed in 2023?

Producers should make the decision of whether or not to creep based on economics. Here's a simple, quick “Cowboy Math” example based on current economics.

10 Ways to Reduce Stress In Beef Operations
10 Ways to Reduce Stress In Beef Operations

Even with the best management practices in place, some stressful events such as shipping are unavoidable. These recommendations can help mitigate the risk of respiratory disease and other health issues.

Sexten: Rebuilding Through Technology
Sexten: Rebuilding Through Technology

Times of profitability provide excellent opportunities to reflect on what decisions we made to get here, more specifically what management practices resulted in the improving balance sheet.

No Bull – The Value of Castration for Calves
No Bull – The Value of Castration for Calves

Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged. Here's a look at why this practice is important from a health, animal welfare, beef quality and cow-calf producer's perspective.

Implanting Preweaning Calves: A Cost-Effective Way to Increase Production
Implanting Preweaning Calves: A Cost-Effective Way to Increase Production

Implanting preweaning is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase production for the cow-calf producer, and research shows implanted steer calves outgain bull calves.

Relieving Stress Around the Branding Pen
Relieving Stress Around the Branding Pen

Spring calving brings the promise of working calves and branding season. Each operation is set up differently with varying resources to work calves. How do you minimize cattle stress during this event?

BRD Battle Plan: The Two-Step Approach to Building Immunity
BRD Battle Plan: The Two-Step Approach to Building Immunity

Building a battle plan to protect calves from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) long before antibiotics are necessary should be incorporated into every cow-calf operation.

Two Veterinarians Talk Calf Care
Two Veterinarians Talk Calf Care

Young calves continue to dot fields across the country. To help offer young calves a healthy start, Tony Hawkins, DVM, and Ray Shultz, DVM, shared some tips.

Calf Processing and Branding: Best Management Practices
Calf Processing and Branding: Best Management Practices

Calving is underway across the country, which means calf processing and branding (if applicable in your area) is just around the corner. Here's some things to remember heading into the season.

Understanding Calf Scours
Understanding Calf Scours

Understanding why scours occurs is the first step in preventing the problem.  Calf scours outbreaks are the result of a contaminated calving and nursing environment. 

How To Give a Calf Electrolytes, The Dehydration Lifeline
How To Give a Calf Electrolytes, The Dehydration Lifeline

Electrolytes can serve as a needed boost for a scouring calf. Here's a look at what’s in electrolyte products, how much electrolytes should be given and a few ways and tips on how to give electrolytes to a calf.

Use Caution With Heat Lamps and Newborn Livestock
Use Caution With Heat Lamps and Newborn Livestock

Providing additional heat in the form of heat lamps for newborn lambs, kids and calves inside a “hot box” can aid in newborn survivability.

9 Tips to Help Resuscitate a Newborn Calf
9 Tips to Help Resuscitate a Newborn Calf

After a typical birth the calf should breathe within 30 seconds of delivery, says Dr. Geof Smith, dairy technical services veterinarian for Zoetis. If it isn't, you need to intervene.

Cow-Calf Producers Benefit From Keeping Colostrum Supplies On Hand
Cow-Calf Producers Benefit From Keeping Colostrum Supplies On Hand

Barry Whitworth, Oklahoma State University Extension veterinarian recommends cow-calf operators keep several doses of colostrum or colostrum replacer handy as calving season is underway in many parts of the country.

Managing Hypothermia in Newborn Calves
Managing Hypothermia in Newborn Calves

Plans for calving season should include how to identify and manage cold stress in newborns. Here's what you need to know.

Calf Scours and Calving Pasture Rotation
Calf Scours and Calving Pasture Rotation

Calf scours results in sickness, poor performance, medical expenses and death. Here's a look at the complex disease and one management method found to decrease and even prevent transmission.

Prepare for Cold-Weather Calving
Prepare for Cold-Weather Calving

For many ranchers, large amounts of snow on ground not entirely frozen has led to some wet and muddy situations. Here's some tips to help make it through the calving season with focus on animal health.

The Essentials of a Successful Calving Season
The Essentials of a Successful Calving Season

What was the biggest challenge you faced during your last calving season? Here's a few things to consider and have ready for when that first calf hits the ground.

A Good Start for Baby Calves
A Good Start for Baby Calves

What should happen at the beginning of life for a baby calf to get off to a good start? Let's review the sequence of several steps that need to happen.