Ag News and Views: June 1998

Brush sculpting is an attempt to manage brush or timber for multiple benefits (primarily livestock and wildlife) in a manner that is both environmentally and economically sound.

Many people consider feeding hay to be a necessary cost in any livestock operation. But do they really know the actual cost of substituting hay for a lack or absence of forage in their pastures?

Improving reproductive efficiency is not an easy task, but I cannot imagine any other area where financial rewards are greater. There is an old saying that goes something like, "A dead calf has a very poor growth rate." I think that we can extend this concept to an "un"-conceived or unborn calf.

Here we go again! Number one 500 pound steer calves are bringing $100 cwt and producers are paying $950 for quality bred heifers. Whether producers are paying too much is beside the point. These $950 bred heifers are priced on today's calf market.

Tree selection is similar to tool selection for a specific job. Selecting the proper tree for the proper site is sometimes a problem.