Blog Post

Drought, forage shortages bring tough culling decisions

With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows. However, University of Missouri Extension Beef Nutritionist Eric Bailey says give careful thought to which grass eaters go first. Under drought stress, identifying those cows becomes urgent. The first cut is simple, Bailey […]

Read More

Monitor for summer pneumonia in calves

Cattle producers may be surprised when their calves show signs of respiratory distress during the summer before they are weaned, said the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “Signs of pneumonia in calves include rapid breathing, laying down and being reluctant to rise, and having a […]

Read More

Drought weighing on summer | Beef Magazine

Drought advanced rapidly across Oklahoma in July.  At the end of June, the Drought Monitor showed that 30.76 percent of the state was in some stage of drought (D1-D4) with another 15.15 percent abnormally dry (D0). Four weeks later, the July 26 Drought Monitor map showed that 100 percent of the state was dry with 99.81 […]

Read More

Researchers design new virtual fence system for rugged terrain

Ranches across the American West could make their grazing practices more sustainable through a virtual fence system being developed through a joint University of Idaho project. Newly awarded federal funding last month kickstarted a four-year field project for researchers at U of I and Washington State University to test the safety and efficacy of a […]

Read More

Droughtmaster breeders pause to reflect on 60 years of progress

DROUGHTMASTER cattle breeders from across Australia will pause to reflect on six decades of progress and achievement this week. It was during a low-key meeting convened during Townsville show in July 1962 that 14 foundation Droughtmaster breeders came together under a gum tree to form a new breed organisation, later to grow into one of […]

Read More

Genetics: Cow weaning rate & its impact on production costs

  FARM profitability is determined by multiple factors. In a beef breeding business, factors such as survival and growth of calves through to sale weight are considered among the major influences. Critical to these two areas is cow weaning rate (CWR) which is defined as number of calves weaned per cow joined annually. Research conducted […]

Read More