This year looks to be an excellent time to be in the cow/calf business, assuming drought has not already disrupted your farm or ranch operation. With strong demand for beef around the world and a smaller supply of cattle than we have seen in a few years, prices for calves have been growing over the past several months. Better prices mean potential high profits if you can quickly get your feeder cattle to the finishing stage and start on the next group. Improving efficiency on-farm has been a mantra for years to enhance profitability, as well as help reduce the carbon footprint of our cattle industry.
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?
What is CRYSTALYX® Blueprint®?
Ridley launched the Blueprint® concept of supplements and feeds just over four years ago. Today, this concept is still unrivaled in the feed industry for providing the latest advancements in trace mineral nutrition. Let us look at the essence of CRYSTALYX® Blueprint® and what makes it stand out above the rest.
Setting your cows up for a successful calving season
Spring calving has either just begun or is quickly approaching for beef cattle producers across North America. This is equal parts excitement and stress. Learn what you can do to set your cows up for success this calving season.
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.
Navigating fall calving and forage supplementation programs
It’s November, and we have reached the time of year when temperatures are cooling off for many of us and having fewer hours of daylight is starting to cramp our busy schedules. Fall is here, and that means that a lot of calves are getting weaned and shipped to their new homes — but for many herds, autumn is a season of new beginnings, thanks to fall calving.
A road map to beef cattle winter supplementation
In my opinion, one of the most underutilized tools in the cow-calf sector is taking forage samples. Having these samples is one of the most useful assets when putting together a strategy for winter-feeding, which can account for up to 30% of a cattle operation’s yearly costs.
Stress relief for cattle and cattle producers
Stress from work; stress from the weather; stress from meeting new people and all those youngsters being rowdy around you. This might sound like the scenario some teachers face as they go back to school in the fall, but I’m actually referring to what our young calves face around weaning.
Prepare now for the next calving season
As we approach the end of summer, with noticeably shorter days, cooler overnight temperatures and planning for the upcoming crop harvest, it can be difficult to think about what next spring will be like.
Phosphate ingredients in CRYSTALYX from a cost and nutritive standpoint
When you think of a CRYSTALYX supplement, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many, what comes to mind is a supplement that provides protein to help their animals better utilize forage — especially low-quality forage.
