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Often times cow-calf producers have a difficult time incorporating replacement heifers into the cow herd with a high degree of success.

The traditional recommendation for developing replacement heifers is to feed them to achieve 65 percent of their mature weight by the beginning of the breeding season.

Achieving a desirable pregnancy rate in replacement heifers is contingent upon many things, but it all begins with nutrition.

As you are looking for next winter's hay, you should take a sample of each lot before committing to purchase. A hay analysis prior to purchase offers one of the greatest returns on investment in the ranching business.

About the end of every year, beef producers have sold the last calf crop and have a few weeks or months of relative calm before calving season starts. It is easy to become complacent about the cow herd and the replacement heifers, but if you don't take care of them now, they will not be able to take care of you in the future.

All too often, the importance of potassium is overlooked in bermudagrass forage production systems.

For ranchers looking to rebuild their herds from within the ranch, the question arises as to how much it will cost to raise their own replacement heifers.

Many producers who reduced cow numbers in the recent drought years are considering adding females to their herds again. At current replacement female prices, we have to do everything possible to enable the cows to cover their initial cost over time and to set them up for success.

Knowing when to and when not to intervene in the calving process is critical. The key is experience and knowing the normal sequence of events.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 28 percent of all calf deaths before weaning are due to birth-related problems. Therefore, managing females to calve with minimal difficulty is extremely important.