As you read this, our calendars have just turned to autumn, hopefully bringing forth beautiful, clear, sunny days and crisp, cool nights. As with each year in the beef industry, we will see a large influx of spring-born calves in the marketplace — and the related challenge of keeping these calves healthy during the weaning transition period.
Late summer forage challenges
In his latest CRYSTALYX® blog, Jon Albro discussed how recent weather patterns in the central U.S. have been quite different than what might normally be anticipated at this time of year. Unexpected and abundant rainfall has been the norm in many parts of the country.
Whatever the weather, CRYSTALYX has a supplement program that fits
Our CRYSTALYX team got together several months ago to plan a list of blog topics for 2019. Not surprisingly, drought was my topic of choice for July. At the time, we agreed that the likelihood of dry conditions throughout various areas of the country would be high that month.
Goodbye winter, hello heat stress: Tips on keeping cattle comfortable
While some areas of the country are still getting over the long-suffered winter weather conditions, other parts of the U.S. have warmed up to typical mid-spring temperatures. As I write this from my home in Virginia, we are expecting highs in the 80s for most of this week — which means that livestock here and in other parts of the South are already experiencing some form of heat stress.
Fighting the fescue toxicity battle
Much has been written about Kentucky 31 (KY-31) tall fescue over the last few decades, including in our previous blogs. Most cattle producers living in the approximately 35-million-acre fescue belt — which encompasses Missouri and Arkansas, the mid-Atlantic states and most of the Southeast — understand the negative effects KY-31 tall fescue grass can have on production.
Hay waste: Get the most out of your harvested forage
Winter is well on it's way and for many producers that means feeding hay supplies. What's the best hay storage method and how can you minimize hay waste? Jill Larson has some tips to help you get the most out of your stored forages this winter.
Rumen forage fiber digestion: The ruminant advantage
Many parts of the country have experienced a rather abrupt shift toward winter-like weather. Overnight low temperatures have been below freezing in Kentucky and are even reaching regions as far south as Georgia.
Block basics: Product selection and usage estimates
In most areas, we are nearing the end of the grazing season and starting to plan for the fall and winter feeding seasons. To adequately prepare, the first question to ask yourself is, “Which products do I need?” This is followed by another important question: “How much product will be used?”
Supplementing for calf weaning success
A quick look at the calendar reveals that Labor Day is just around the corner, and many spring-born calves — if they haven’t been already — are about to be weaned. We spend a lot of time discussing ways to reduce weaning stress, in addition to using a program to keep our calves nutritionally healthy — and, hopefully, gaining — through this period.
Water: The cornerstone nutrient
Water is one of those things that we’re never really satisfied with. There is either too much, too little or it doesn’t come at the right time. Or it’s too expensive, tastes funny, is too hot — the list goes on and on. Still, we tend to take for granted that, when we open the tap, it will be there. Water is essential to life, yet we rarely discuss it in relation to nutrition.
