Noble Rancher Articles
Livestock category

Proper bull selection can increase return on investment

The past few years have seen a dramatic downturn in calf prices from historic highs to the lowest prices in four or five years. Unfortunately, some input prices are slow to come down while other inputs still remain high; thus causing a strain on budgets. This has greatly reduced the net profit of most cattle raisers. There is a desire and justifiable need by producers to reduce costs proportionally with the reduced calf prices to remain economically viable in the next few years until prices improve again.

Magnets can help prevent hardware disease in cattle herds

Cattle commonly swallow foreign objects, such as nails and wire, found in the field or their feed. These objects do not always cause problems, but they can cause a disease commonly known as hardware disease. Foreign objects ingested by cattle make their way into the animal’s rumen and reticulum. Sometimes, the animal’s body will push the objects into the peritoneal cavity, causing severe inflammation (hardware disease). In extreme cases, a sharp, metal object can damage the animal’s abdomen wall and pierce the heart sac, causing pericarditis. Typical signs of hardware disease are poor appetite, lack of movement and indigestion. If the animal’s heart is damaged, fluid can build up and cause abnormal heart sounds.

‘Employee’ analogy aids replacement heifer selection

Replacement heifers are the hot topic at most rancher gatherings these days. Where to find quality, dependable and reasonably priced females is always a concern. All too often, producers are still selecting and developing their replacement females the same way dad and granddad did 75 to 100 years ago. This method can still work if you are not too concerned about the profitability of your cattle operation, but we have better, more reliable and profitable methods available for selecting and developing females for the cattle business today. Proper selection will affect ranch profitability for the next 10 to 12 years, the productive life of that heifer. Treat replacement heifers as a valued employee in your ranching business, and she will be a more profitable member of your ranch team in the future. Consider selecting and training a heifer like you would an employee.

Cattle nutrition rules of thumb allow quick estimation

Rules of thumb can be dangerous because they are simplified, generalized algorithms that we use instead of a more detailed, accurate calculation. Many times, however, rules of thumb are very useful when you need a quick estimate of a quantity or relationship. Rules of thumb in the cattle business can be developed from cumulative years of experience from many producers and are often verified when they are evaluated with replicated research studies.