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Beef Cattle Production

A group of cattle

Need to compare feedstuffs, such as potential protein sources? Check out the Feed Cost Cow-Q-Lator. An Excel spreadsheet that can help you compare cost of TDN and Crude Protein in different feeds considering transportation and handling costs with losses.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Ranch Equipment - Needed or Nice to Have?

For a cow-calf enterprise, the second largest expense after grazed and harvested feed is often overhead expenses related to labor and equipment.  In ranching, an overhead expense is one that doesn’t change very much based on the number of cows that are in production.  For example, the pickup, tractor, ATV, trailer, feeding equipment, and working facilities used to care for 150 cows would also likely be adequate to care for 500 cows.  On a cost per cow unit basis, spreading that equipment cost over 500 cows versus 150 cows drastically reduces the equipment cost per cow. 

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Considerations for Successful Estrus Synchronization Programs

With spring calving in full swing, it is a good time to start thinking about if your cows are prepared for breeding season. Making sure your cows are in a good body condition score prior to calving is one of the most important steps to ensuring your cows stay on track to rebreed whether you plan to turn bulls out, synchronize, AI, or a combination. If you plan to utilize synchronization to tighten your breeding season, there are a few things you should consider.

Good Year-Round Nutrition and Adequate Body Condition Score (BCS)

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

What Should My Pastures Look Like? Interpreting Rangeland Monitoring Data

Conducting rangeland monitoring is an important task to help managers understand how rangeland management practices affect plant communities and soil health. A network of knowledge exchange between cattle producers and scientists can help this data become more meaningful and useful in an adaptive rangeland management framework. The Sandhills Rangeland Monitoring Cooperative (SRMC) is a new collaborative project between UNL Extension and cattle producers in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Nebraska Range Short Course June 22 - 25, 2020

The Nebraska Range Short Course is scheduled for June 22 to 25, 2020 on the campus of Chadron State College. The short course is sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Chadron State College, and the Nebraska Section of the Society for Range Management. It is designed to provide individuals who have a background in ranch, natural resource, or wildlife management an opportunity to increase their knowledge in many topics associated with the field of range management.