What’s swimming in your stock water?
Learn to identify aquatic insects to determine if your livestock’s water sources are healthy and provide the nutrition they need.
Learn to identify aquatic insects to determine if your livestock’s water sources are healthy and provide the nutrition they need.
In ranching, where every decision can tip the scales of ecosystem health, the power of observation cannot be overstated.
Proper grazing planning and management can use animal impact to help, not hurt, important water-based ecosystems on your ranch.
Livestock guardian dogs play a valuable role in protecting small ruminants while they graze. Here are selection and training tips from a specialist in helping ranchers choose and train a successful guardian.
Stockmanship takes on extra importance and value when moving animals in a regenerative ranching operation.
Both can prosper with the right management. Here’s what to consider.
Winter supplementation for a cow can account for anywhere between 40 and 60 percent of the annual cost of maintaining the cow. Therefore, producers should plan their winter supplementation strategies during the growing season to allow for more options and to reduce winter feed costs when utilizing bermudagrass pastures.
When buying land for cattle production, there are some unique characteristics to consider before signing a contract. These characteristics include: stocking rate, forage quality and type, soil type and fertility, terrain and slope of the land, water sources in each pasture, number of pastures and traps, working pen availability and condition, fence condition and type, and other infrastructure (overhead bins, interior roads, etc.) availability and condition.
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.
Livestock producers in the southern Great Plains should not overlook johnsongrass in their pastures. For one thing, under certain conditions it can kill your cattle. Another reason not to overlook johnsongrass is that it is excellent forage – if you can get over the fact that it can kill your cattle!