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

Long breeding and calving seasons can mean extra time and labor costs for producers, but by synchronizing cows’ estrous, a producer can spend less time observing natural heats and subsequent breeding as well as reduce the time needed to observe calving 283 days later.

Sorting cattle helps eliminate outliers in a pen, but the extra effort may be rewarded by higher quality grades, too.
A study by Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) shows the more sorts the better the grades in most cases.

Males of about any species tend to be more aggressive than females. This comment by Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist, focused on factors involved in maintaining safe conditions when working around farm animals.

More and more beef producers are switching to “black” cattle since that seems to be what the market wants.  Black Angus heifers are sold for a premium and we search for the best black Angus bulls we can find to ensure that the calves will turn out black.  However, this mass conversion to “black” may be costing us as much as $100/cow/year in what we give up by not crossbreeding. 

Long breeding and calving seasons can mean extra time and labor costs for producers, but by synchronizing cows’ estrous, a producer can spend less time observing natural heats and subsequent breeding as well as reduce the time needed to observe calving 283 days later.

Equine infectious anemia has been a real problem in many southern states in the past. You can never be too cautious, especially when you travel with your horses. Strict laws with harsh punishments for violators have dramatically improved this killer disease, even in our less-affected state.