Even though snow is still flying in some parts of the country, now is the time to start planning your fly control program. Are you ready?
Excessive biting fly populations can literally suck the profit out of your cattle. Biting flies reduce weaning weights, lower milk production and spread disease. Why should your hard-earned money go toward feeding flies? In today’s economic environment, it is more important than ever to keep fly populations in check to maximize efficiency and profitability.
Drought followed by Grass Tetany. Sound like a contradiction? It can happen, especially when pastures were grazed heavily during a drought and /or during dormancy. Spring growing conditions, combined with some moisture on relatively “denuded” pasture ground, means the only forage that’s available to grazing cattle is the lush fast growing new grass. In ideal grazing conditions, there would normally be some old growth or residual forage that gets grazed along with new grass at turnout. This helps dilute or minimize the amount of new grass being consumed; the new grass which poses the greatest risk to magnesium deficiency or Grass Tetany.
For many of us West of the Mississippi River, we are still extremely dry. Sure, there have been some recent storms that may have dampened the topsoil, but there are still plenty of areas in the west without much snow cover, and a much larger area where topsoil and subsoil moisture is almost nonexistent. We are a ways from the end of the drought, and even farther form replenishing subsoil moisture. Green forage, fresh or harvested, could be a long ways off as well. Any forage we have left, or can purchase to feed, is likely to be of declining quality.
Winter weather is tough on everyone. Cold temperatures, wind and snow pack add up to a rough winter for your cow herd too. Producers can give their cows an advantage when cold weather comes around with the right supplement for winter pastures.
