Farm Help

The common protocol using “4-way” viral inoculations is used on calves by many Arkansas and Missouri  farmers, but veterinarians say that it fails to cover some other widespread cattle ailments.

Nowadays, most cattle keepers vaccinate their animals. Most, but not all. Some farmers and ranchers, particularly those who follow organic or holistic protocols, manage to keep their livestock healthy without any vaccinations at all.

Considering the attention reproduction gets in the cattle business, many people seem so transfixed by the cows and heifers that they end up overlooking an equally important part of the equation:  The bull. Given that sperm provided by the bull contains half of the genetic material required to make the calves, more attention should be given to the ins and outs of the masculine element and how it is maintained.

Richard McConnell and wife, Tina Williams, own and operate a farm in Polk County, Missouri. Spending much of their time around ranchers and cattle, both, they saw the need for proper livestock handling in the cattle industry.

The common protocol using “4-way” viral inoculations is used on calves by many Arkansas and Missouri  farmers, but veterinarians say that it fails to cover some other widespread cattle ailments.

Nowadays, most cattle keepers vaccinate their animals. Most, but not all. Some farmers and ranchers, particularly those who follow organic or holistic protocols, manage to keep their livestock healthy without any vaccinations at all.

Winners and others receiving recognition at the 82nd Missouri State FFA Convention from Ozarks Farm & Neighbor's region

It is important for growers to remember a few tips when it comes to facility maintenance and their bottom line.

Grazing professionals agree that fencing and watering products are tools necessary for best utilizing your land, maximizing animal performance and increasing your bottom line. When it comes to livestock fencing, personal preference prevails. However, there are some products that are more effective, have less maintenance and are more cost efficient.

Barns have come a long way over the years; for one thing, they’ve gotten bigger. That’s one reason most farmers hire either hourly labor or a contract firm to build their barns. “At one time farmers did everything,” George Grandle, recently retired professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, said. “In this day and age farmers have plenty to keep them busy, so finding time to actually build a barn is kind of difficult. And the expertise, too; as structures have gotten larger, some farmers just don’t have that skill set if they didn’t grow up in an area that built their own structures.”