Mud Can Cut into Beef Profits

Many producers that I know of will not complain about receiving moisture especially with that being quite normal during this time of year.In Missouri we have received about 3 inches of rain the past two weeks and welcome more but for those producers who may be weaning off their fall calves or have fall calves in their lot the muddy conditions is something they want to keep a close eye on. According to Kaitlin Morgan, a K-State Research and Extension News, muddy pen conditions can cause decreased feed efficiency, increased animal energy expenditure and decreased profitability for the producer. The article goes on to say the mud four to eight inches deep can reduce feed intake of animals by five to 15 percent.

I believe an article such as this can help producers put into perspective how mud can affect their cattle and identify the importance of keeping lots as dry and as clean as possible. When Kaitlin talks about decreased feed efficiency some people might not make the connection as to why this may be. The reason for this is the cattle are no longer using this feed towards gaining weight they are using it as energy to tromp through the muddy pens thus decreasing the feed efficiency. The next part talks about increased animal energy which is what I was referring to with tromping through the mud but also mud causes your cattle to stand all day which as you know requires much more energy mainly because they don't like to lay down in the mud.

Calf in the Mud

With all of this being said, a producers profits get cut into very quickly whether they even realize it or not. When cattle are under stressful conditions such as muddy pens it is almost guaranteed you will be losing money so if you can get them out of the mud and onto some pasture you will be much better off. If this isn't an options you could spread out straw to help absorb some of the mud or even put cement or heavy rock into your lot to keep the mud down.

Angus Genetics Tops Beef Today Survey

When thinking about and seeing different herds across the Midwest most of the time I see or talk to producers who use Angus Genetics in their herd. Some producers like to use some sort of crossbred strategy to breed their cattle but most of the time their is some sort of Angus bloodline in their herd and if their isn't they are beginning to switch over to it. According to Steve Suther, a recent Beef Today survey tells us that 34% of herds are considered straight-bred Angus but 89% of crossbred herds use Angus genetics within their herd. Other statistics from this study told us 46% of the respondents owned fewer than 50 cows and 79% of the producers who responded were between the ages of 46 to 75 with only 3% being less than 30 years old.

Angus Bull 

Hereford Bull 

A couple things from this survey is not surprising to me at all with the first being the 89% of crossbred operations use Angus genetics somewhere in their herd. When I think of crossbred operations,  most of the time I think of producers using an Angus/Simmental cross, maybe having an Angus/Limousin cross or even using a Hereford/Angus cross to keep the calves black or black white face and give them a thought out performance advantage. Personally, I believe the only advantage they are gaining from this would be the marketing or sales advantage of selling black or black white face calves because other breeds often take a large cut on sale day.  Every once in awhile there is a small niche market for breeds such as Charolais or Red Angus Heifers and most of the time if you find the right buyer they will give more for those breeds than Angus Breeds but most of this is from low supply on the market.

Age Chart of Farmers

Another part of this survey that isn't shocking to me at all is 79% of the people who responded were between the ages of 46 to 75 with 3% being less than 30 years old. A growing concern in agriculture and the cattle industry is the need for young farmers becoming interested in farming. The median age for farmers is going higher every year due to lack of interest in young farmers and older farmers not being able to retire because they have no one to take over their operation. Higher land prices is also preventing young farmers from getting involved in agriculture because it costs too much for them to get started. The USDA  is trying to create opportunities for beginning farmers through grant programs but they often place many restrictions on the loan program and limit what the producer can do with the land once it is bought.

Calf Removal for Your Thin Cows

Calves removed from mothers

Cows who are thin at calving and thin throughout the first part of spring are less likely to breed back compared to cows who have an appropriate body condition score. The reason for this is they don't cycle back like they should and for a producer who may have been short on feed or margins this could become a problem. According to Glenn Selk, an Oklahoma State University Extension Agent, studies have shown that removal of calves for 48 hours has shown to improve re-breeding rates of moderately conditioned cows by 4-8%. The removal of this calf removes the nursing stimulus from the cow and allows the borderline cows to return to heat cycles earlier than they normally would have.

Table 1. Summary of 3 trials comparing 48 hour short term calf removal to cow/calf pairs that were traditionally suckled. (Simms, et al. 1982 KSU Cattleman’s Day)

Treatment	Number of Cows	% Pregnant at palpation	Calf A.D.G. from treatment to weaning
Control (normal suckling)	101	87.1	1.60
Removed 48 hours	86	93.0	1.63

Even though the study shows that removing the calf  from the borderline or thin cow helps the cow cycle back sooner than normal leaving the calves off their mothers for 48 hours concerns me. This seems like a long time for a calf that may be no older than 2-3 months to be away from its mother and her milk. I believe this would put a lot of stress on the calf and could end up giving the calf scours once it does get back to sucking its mother. As a producer, we have heard about doing this type of practice but have never actually gave it try because most of the time our cows are in the proper body condition to breed back. If a producer was going to try it I believe they should do it with a portion of their thin cows to test it out first and possibly turn the calves back with the cows sooner. Overall, I believe this approach can have its benefits especially with increased conception rates but I would want to keep a close eye on your calves to make sure it doing more harm than good.

Deworming Your Cattle

Parasites and other diseases are both factors that can effect your beef cattle herd and really take away from your bottom line.By doing something as easy as deworming during the right time of the year, producers can prevent loses in production from different parasites and diseases. According to Michelle Arnold, a University of Kentucky Veterinarian, parasites can cause losses that include effects of reduced feed intake, reduced feed efficiency, and reduced milk production along with  direct effects of the immune system and poor help growth. A recent study b y Iowa State University shows that if dewormers are removed from your herd it could cost an extra $150 per head to break even because of the loss in weight your cattle had from the parasites.

Common Dewormer

I hadn't realized  how much parasites and other diseases could cost a producer until I interpreted the results from Iowa State University study. Even though some dewormers can become fairly expensive I would say it is well worth the investment considering all it can do to your herd. However, it isn't about just deworming your cattle it is also about selecting the right time to deworm your cattle so it will be used effectively by your cattle. Deworming your cattle in the spring can reduce contamination your cows might receive when turning them out to grass which is a critical stage in their calves growing cycle. Also treating your herd slightly before or when it starts to get hot can also be an effective time because this is when the parasites begin to move off your pasture and into your cows. You can also deworm in the fall but mainly for your fall calving cows or calves you are weaning because they can the ones who are most effected by parasites during that time. Once we wean our calves we usually mix Safeguard right into our feed accordingly and use some type of pour-on shortly after. 

Ivomec

Overall, I believe it is quite obvious that deworming your cattle is something that has to be done in order to make the most profit from your herd. Parasites and other diseases can cause stress on your beef cattle and in return this can effect your cows in more ways than the few that I have listed. With all that being said,  the spring is here and producers are getting ready to work their cows and turn them out to grass but before they do this I believe they should consider deworming them first.

Characteristics of Meat: Steer vs. Heifer

Most people don't think about whether their beef is coming from a steer or heifer they just think about it coming from cattle. However, different studies show that quality characteristics, tenderness and the value of beef can be different between the two which gives consumers something to think about especially if they butcher their own meat. According to Jeannine Schweihofer , a Michigan State University Extension Agent, the value of beef prices do not differentiate between steers and heifers. She also goes on to tell the results from a couple different studies where heifer carcasses had slightly more marbling than steer carcasses and beef from heifers was more tender than beef from steers for up to 28 days of aging.

Steer Calf

As a beef producer, my family always butchers their own meat and in the recent years it has always been a heifer. At first we thought it was a rumor that meat from a heifer is better than meat from a steer  so we decided to test that theory out for ourselves and after doing it we could personally test that our meat from the heifer we butchered was better than our meat from the steer. With that being said, I would agree with Jeannine that overall meat from a heifer is more tender and has more marbling than meat from a steer.

Heifer Calf 

Some of you may be thinking or even wanting to ask how their could be a difference between meat from a heifer and meat from a steer and here are a couple theories that are said to be true.  The first theory I want to present you with is steers gain weight faster than heifers and are typically fed out faster and harder than heifers which in return develops the steer too quickly and makes their meat tough as opposed to heifers who are fed out at a much slower rate giving them time to develop. Also the kind of feed the steer or heifer is fed is said to have an affect on their grade or marbling which is why we feed our butcher calf straight corn a few months before butchering. Overall, the value of beef prices doesn't change even though some of the quality traits seem to be different which makes me believe that this will become an option in our future.

Evaluation of Your Calving Herd

The calving season is starting to slow down for producers in the Midwest as we draw closer towards the end of April. Producers can use this time to go back and evaluate their cow herd to see how well their cows conceived and see how many may have missed a cycle or may be going to fall. According to Kris Ringwall, from NDSU Extension Beef Specialist, if the percentage of cows calving the first 21 days of the calving season is less than 60 percent and the percentage of cows calving the second 21 days of the calving season is greater than 25 percent, a serious re-evaluation of the herd needs to occur.

Even though this is a fairly bold statement I would agree that the number of cows calving in their first cycle should be higher than 60 percent which in return would make the second cycle of cows calving lower and no greater than  25 percent. If this is not happening a producer may want to look at the fertility of the bulls used or may want to think about a different management strategy for the next years breeding season since it is not to far away. Since your cows ordinarily cycle within 80 days of calving and settle at close to the same time every year(if you turn your bulls out around the same time every year) the percentage of cows calving in the first 21 days should stay fairly close. Most producers in my area don't worry so much about cows calving in the first or second cycle they just worry about whether or not they breed in the spring like they are supposed to as opposed to fall. I believe numbers such as these should be taken into consideration because if the percentage of your first cycle cows(typically your money makers) is under 60 percent you as a producer are probably going to be losing money later on with smaller calves come weaning time and cows rolling over to fall.

Long-term Alfalfa Productivity

In the Midwest most producers will plant oats in the spring and then harvest them in the summer then seed the field in alfalfa and something else such as wheat  in the fall. This process takes some time but if it is done right, the quality of hay you will be gaining in the years to come can be very beneficial to the producer. According to Karla Hernandez, a SDSU Extension Agent, in order to achieve a profitable, long-term stand of alfalfa a producer must choose the proper field, check the soil fertility, seedbed preparation, seeding dates, seeding depth, and seeding with or without a companion crop.

I believe Karla brings up many good points to lead to the success of an alfalfa field and would like to expand on each of those. 

• Choosing the proper field involves checking your field for low spots to insure that water can runoff otherwise the water may stand on the alfalfa and kill it just like any other crop.
•  Checking the soil fertility by going out and gathering soil samples and comparing them to what an alfalfa field needs and see what nutrients or fertilizer you might need to put on to enhance the field. I know we always try to at least meet the recommendations for the field and most of the time this means applying some lime and a little fertilizer down the road.
• Seedbed preparation involves having a firm seedbed to allow germination of the alfalfa. You don't want it worked up to fine otherwise any moisture you get could cut ditches through the alfalfa field and cause the planter to plant too deep.
• Seeding dates depend on where you are located because up north states like South Dakota may seed around May while in Missouri we don't normally seed until August. Choosing the best time for your area may also depend on the amount of moisture you may be getting to ensure the alfalfa will come up.
• Most of the time alfalfa is seeded at 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep with a rate of 20-25 lbs to the acre. The seed can also be broadcast on your field.
• Seeding with and without a companion crop such as wheat, oats, or rye can both have its benefits. The benefits with includes better control of weeds and helps keep the soil from erosion. The benefits without is when the alfalfa is harvested it will be pure alfalfa and high quality.

Overall I believe alfalfa can provide producers with high quality hay to feed their beef cattle at a cheaper price than corn or other alternative feed choices. The crude protein in alfalfa can be as high as what it is in corn and gluten so feeding this to your calves can be a cheaper way to give them the protein the need in order to grow. 

Extra Revenue Provides Options to Beef Cattle Producers

In the recent years producers have had to cut back as much as possible on expenses related to their beef cattle herd in order to stay a float but this year is different. This year revenues have increased enough and some expenses(feed) have went down to where producers are able to try new things with their herd that might help them out in the future. According to Eldon Cole, a University of Missouri livestock specialist, I'd recommend visiting with your veterinarian, feed dealer and extension livestock specialist to assess what you might do this year to make a good year, even better. He also states it is important to still compare the cost/benefit side of the equation and decide if that is what's best for your operation.

A.I. breeding box

You may be asking what types of changes or new things you can do or try as a producer to help your operation and the first thing that comes to my mind is enhancing your genetics. Something that is becoming quite popular with producers in the Midwest is artificial insemination and by doing this you are able to select from the top bull genetics in the United States to artificially breed your cows. This approach can become expensive by the time you buy straws, the semen and put in the time to breed the cattle but with an increase in revenue this expense can pay off when selling the progeny of these genetics and keeping replacement heifers for your future herd.

Horn fly chart

The next change or new thing a producer can do is to try out some of the new mineral options that are available for your herd. One of the new options I hear local producers talking about is having the Altosid IGR fly control in their mineral with brands such as Kent and Purina. With this product the cow consumes the mineral and it goes through their system and out into the manure where the fly lays it eggs the larvae never develops into a mature fly. Even though this mineral is a bit more expensive the benefits of  a fewer fly population is increased performance in cattle and provides your cattle with more overall comfort which are both factors that can cost a producer a considerable about of money. A few other things a producer might do with extra revenues this year is too look into new types of medicine for their beef cattle or alternative feeds options to keep their cattle in good condition.

The Importance of Identifying your Cattle

Cattle theft is becoming more and more common because of the current high prices of cattle. Having a way to identify your cattle may be a key to helping you recover those cattle should something happen while also providing the producer with a way to keep tract of his current herd. According to Shane Gadberry, 41% of small farms of 50 cows or less do not have individual cows identified or have a herd identification. He also went on to tell 61% of operations with less than 50 cows did not identify calves. It also goes on to talk about how branding is starting to becoming popular again because it is a permanent way of identifying your cattle but also requires a lot more labor. Producers must have a certain brand for their operation and it must be registered.

Cow/Calf pair tagged to match

As a producer, these numbers seem extremely high to me and is something producers should be thinking about improving on. Identification can be accomplished in many different ways including plastic ear tags, electronic id tagging, and branding. Most producers in the Midwest tend to stick with plastic ear tags because it is cost efficient and doesn't require much labor. On our farm, we use a tagging where the number of the cow goes first and then the year she was born goes next. For example, if a heifer we kept was born in 2011 and she was the last heifer out of 8 to tag her number would be 811 and this is one way we are able to keep records on how old are cows are getting. Proper tagging of calves can allow a producer to know the dam or even the sire of a certain calf which is great is you are wanting to keep replacement heifers out of a certain cow or bull and can also be used for culling if you see a calf doesn't do well and you want to get rid of his mom. Also having this sure way of being able to identify your cattle could settle any disputes you are having with neighbors who think they own a certain cow or bull when in reality its yours. Overall, producers should have some way of identifying their cattle no matter what the size of their operation is.

Maintaining a Healthy Herd of Cattle

When people associate healthy with their cattle herd they typically think about giving them their proper vaccinations or worming them or some sort of medicine related issue. In this case, we are talking about nutrition through the hay you may be feeding your cattle with a focus on hay quality since this is what your cows will be consuming right before they calve. According to Gary Bates, from the University of Tennessee Beef and Forage Center, the single most important factor influencing hay quality is the stage of maturity at harvest. He goes on to say this is the area where most livestock producers can make the easiest and greatest improvements in hay quality.

Mower Conditioner

I would agree with Gary that proper timing of harvesting your hay is a key essential to the quality of  hay you will have. In our operation, we always try and cut our alfalfa when it is in the mid bloom stage and once we are finished with that we go to our fescue then jump around to different grasses such as brome or timothy. I would also like to point out a few other factors that I believe can influence hay quality just as much as the maturity of hay at harvest.

Baler

The first factor I am talking about is how long a producer allows the hay to dry before making it into a bale. Many producers like to rush this process especially with equipment such as tedders that are now available for use today. Don't get me wrong, tedders can help dry out hay so it can be baled sooner but early in the season I recommend producers mow hay one day , let it dry the next day, and bale it the day after that for a total of three days.
The next factor I am talking about is getting your hay rained on once it has been mowed. Producers have to act on instincts when it comes to mowing hay especially early on the season which puts them at high risk of getting their hay rained on especially when they can't count on weather forecasters to predict the weather. Once this happens most of the quality is gone from the hay so it is a good idea to pile that hay in spots where you can get rid of it first once you start feeding hay. Overall, I believe the drying time on hay and the hay getting rained on is equally important to the stage of maturity at harvest when it comes to hay quality.

Breeding Season: Bull Evaluation

Breeding season for some producers here in the Midwest will be starting in a couple weeks. With that being said, evaluating your bulls before turning them out to breed is a must for producers especially since they are the ones you will be counting on for next years calf crop. According to Stephanie Henry, from the University of Illinois, a breeding soundness exam(BSE) is a low cost way of checking your bulls and if something comes up bad with your bull it can be a great return on the investment. The article goes on to tell us how different environmental factors such as age or injury or even frostbit from this years cold weather can affect a bulls fertility so just because you checked your bull last year doesn't mean you shouldn't check him again.

In the past I don't believe the evaluation of your bulls has been nearly as critical as what it is this year. The high calf prices that you could potentially be receiving in the future years makes it a priority for producers to check the health and soundness of their bulls who will be the providers of these calves to sell in the future. I would also agree with Stephanie that a breeding sound exam(BSE) is low cost enough where producers should pencil it into their budget and take out the risk of a bull being turned out who is not able to breed.

Sav Final Answer bull

If a producer is able to find something wrong with just one of his bulls that he was going to turnout to breed he will easily be making back the money he put into this bull and probably the rest of his bulls which is what Stephanie said with the great return on investment. Weigh up price for slaughter bulls is also at an all time high ranging from $0.95 to $1.20 per pound which can add up fast on a 2000 lb plus bull. The money gained from this can be used to pay off bills or can be used as a start for the new bull you will have to buy to replace him.

A few things as a producer that I look for when evaluating bulls is what kind of shape they are in or their body condition. During a normal breeding season a bull can stay fairly active which can take a large toll on their body condition so having them fed up  just right before the breeding season is an essential part in keeping them healthy. Other things we do is observe how the bull moves around through the pasture and look for any signs of lameness or injury with the bull. We also try and catch the bull in action early of a morning to make sure they servicing the cow okay and everything is working properly. Overall, I believe checking your bulls is a way to take some of the breeding risk out of  your operation and in sure there will be an opportunity to have a calf crop for the upcoming year.

Sorting Cattle: Reasoning and Methods

Many cattle producers spend a great deal of time sorting cattle for many different reasons. They may be getting ready to take them to a sale barn or they may be sorting cows from calves to work them or wean them. Whatever the case may be, having the proper facilities and technique to sort the cattle will save the producer a lot of time(which is always a plus) and possibly a few headaches  According to Ryan Reuter from the Noble Foundation, the key to sorting cattle is controlling the animals so the behavior of individuals can be managed at will. He also goes on to tell the different methods that can be used to sort cattle and those methods include horseback, dogs or the with the help of other people.

I would agree that controlling the animals behavior is a key to sorting cattle because if you are in control you can do whatever you want with the cattle but I also believe a few other factors must be taken into account. Those factors include the skill of the person sorting cattle, the disposition of the cattle being sorted, and the condition and design of the facilities being used. If the person sorting the cattle has no clue about what they are doing then it doesn't matter how much control you have over your animals you still won't be able to sort them so I would say the key point to this situation is having someone who knows what they are doing. If the disposition of the cattle are poor you will also have a tough time sorting the cattle so having gentle cattle can also be a key to sorting the cattle. If the condition of the facilities is bad you will have a tough time sorting the cattle and may even be putting yourself at risk of getting hurt and the same goes with design so you want to make sure you have top of the line facilities especially if you find yourself sorting cattle quite frequently.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Drylot

Many producers around the Midwest will drylot their cattle at some point in the year whether it be in the fall when they are weaning calves or in the spring when they have cows or heifers around the barn to keep an eye on them. The use of a drylot system can provide producers with different advantages and disadvantages depending on their operation. According to Karla Hernandez, an SDSU Extension Agent, the advantages and disadvantages includes:

Advantages

Drylot

• Increases the market value of crop residues, forages and other feeds
• Allows for pasture and rangeland to rest and regrow vegetation
• It can lower the cost of production
• It may allow additional family members to come back to the farming operation 

Disadvantages

Cattle in Open Pasture

• It requires a greater use of labor and equipment to assure the cattle are fed
• It will require the producer to manage the manure which is produced
• Equipment and facilities will depreciate and experience wear and tear at a much quicker rate
• Challenging environments for cattle with a potential for a large concentration of mud, dust, and flies
• Greater potential for the rapid spread of contagious diseases

Even though the advantages seem to be about the same as the disadvantages as a producer I would say the disadvantages greatly outweigh the advantages. The one main advantage that catches my attention is it allows for pasture to rest and regrow but if you use rotational grazing in your operation this can also allow pasture to rest and regrow. The major disadvantage that cattle producers have to be cautious of is the spread of diseases which can happen in an instance with the cattle being confined in such a close area. As we have seen with the pork market once the disease begins to spread it is hard to stop and cattle are too expensive at the moment to be getting sick and dying or being set back.

The next major disadvantage is the effects of stress on cattle in a drylot especially in the extreme heat or after large amounts of moisture when it is muddy. The cattle just don't perform as well as they could if they were out on open pasture and this large amount of stress can lead to a loss in profits especially with feeder cattle. Greater amounts of labor and the requirement of more equipment and can get very costly for a producer especially if you hire someone to do the work and don't have the equipment bought already.  The last disadvantage is the wear and tear on all your equipment which can happen very fast when you are using it morning and night every day of the week. Overall, I believe a drylot should be used at certain times in an operation such as weaning calves but for not long periods of time otherwise it should only be used as a last resort situation.