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The abundance of forage, combined with excellent cattle prices, has different repercussions for different operations. If you are predominantly a cow-calf producer, then you have to be concerned about a potentially higher-than-normal taxable income, and if you are a stocker operator, then you have to deal with much higher input costs.

There are signs that the cattle cycle will be alive and well in 2006, with prices for all classes of cattle moving downward over the next few years. This price decline holds true to the cyclical nature of the cattle market.

Interest in calf preconditioning and source and process verification has grown in response to value-based marketing. This study seeks to determine the health and performance effects of the Oklahoma Quality Beef Network preconditioning and process-verification system for stocker cattle.

Small farms should manage their operations similarly to larger agricultural enterprises to ensure long-term sustainability. To achieve this goal, substantial planning and development of a comprehensive business plan is key.

Successful farm planning begins with written goals including benchmarks for monitoring progress.

The old adage "Boys will be boys" can be modified to apply to cattle: boys are influenced by their friends, and cattle are influenced by their herd mates; boys find the easiest way to do something, so do cattle. Understanding cattle behavior can benefit a grazing operation.

It is a good time for producers to inventory forages - including what is going to be harvested and stored as hay (or silage) as well as the production remaining in the pastures that will be grazed.

By the beginning of April, most cow-calf producers in the Southern Great Plains are a few weeks away from the start of the breeding season and are wrapping up routine preparation of bulls before turn-out.

Be flexible, proactive and have a mindset of year-long forage flow in addition to seasonal grazing.

If you really want to be more efficient with your current enterprises, you need more detail than how the farm or ranch did as a whole.