Ozarks Farm & Neighbor Newspaper – written for, by & about farmers

Placing two or more bulls in the same breeding pasture creates both efficiencies and problems. Dr. Robert Wells, a consultant with the Samuel R. Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Okla., said the practice is common, especially for larger herds in a commercial situation. “It’s easier to manage your operation when you’ve got less breeding units and more animals in the same pasture,” Wells told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor.

Cattlemen in the Ozarks should continue to play an active role in preventing cattle theft. Officer Jason Clark of the Missouri Highway Patrol Rural Crimes Task force said producers should always be concerned about a possible theft of cattle or equipment. Michael Kelsey of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association added, “Cattle are worth so much more right now.” Mr. Kelsey believes cattle theft is often tied to drugs, “Cattle tend to be friendly and are an easy target.”

Winter presents an excellent opportunity to get control of pasture weeds while they’re still small. University of Missouri Extension agronomic specialist Tim Schnakenberg said among the primary winter weeds in pastures are thistles, poison hemlock and spotted knapweed; they germinated in the fall and at this time of year they’re in the “rosette” stage, a circular arrangement of leaves all at a similar height that usually sits near the soil. “Many times, people don’t worry about them – ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’” Schnakenberg told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. “And that’s true for a while; they don’t give us much trouble, but then they start bolting in the spring, usually about April or May. They get tall and big; they start producing seed and flying in the wind, and the neighbors start complaining – or you’re complaining about the neighbors.”

All signs point to the U.S. cattle herd being in a rebuilding mode for the first time in a long while. The Jan. 1, USDA Cattle Inventory Report showed a 4 percent increase in beef replacement heifers – which doesn’t mean those animals won’t eventually be sent to market anyway – but it also showed an unexpected 1 percent rise in the 2014 calf crop over 2013. Other data, like a lower percentage of heifers in the feedlot herd and fewer cows in final 2014 slaughter totals, also suggest the breeding herd is finally on the rise.

Sometimes the Tax Court can yield a surprising decision. Tax Court judges are appointed the same way as all federal judges, by the President, and approved by the Senate. The judges all have significant experience in tax law, but their reputations vary in terms of how sympathetic they are to arguments given on behalf of taxpayers.

Spring calving season is just around the corner. This also means calving problems and the need to intervene and assist in the delivery of the calf. While this may seem a straightforward procedure, many things can make for a more difficult and less successful outcome. Here are several mistakes made before, during and after calving that can lead to problems for the calf and the cow.