“The turkey’s on fire!”That was how I was greeted at my parents’ house on Thanksgiving minutes before the rest of our family was supposed to arrive. No, the bird in the oven was not up in flam...

Effective animal management is essential for maintaining healthy pastures and maximizing forage production...

It is common to hear from university faculty that stocker cattle and Kentucky 31 tall fescue are a bad combination due to the forage’s fungal endophyte and its impacts on animal performance...

The cow-calf industry is set to see a few profitable years once again. The national beef cow inventory is at its lowest numbers in decades with USDA’s July 2023 count indicating a herd size 3% smaller than the previous year...

Many older perennial pastures could benefit from renovation. While we think of these as “permanent pastures,” we must realize perennial pastures evolve away from what was originally planted as they age...

I recently had a conversation with Dallas Mount, the CEO of Ranch Management Consultants, which is the parent company of the Ranching for Profit educational program...

Over the past three years, we have been trying to identify if there is a decisive difference between using cereal rye, winter triticale, or winter wheat as a forage resource for beef cattle...

When it comes to cow-calf production, it’s important to think about the big picture and how all decisions impact the operation. Is the goal to create a primary income for someone, generate supplementary income, or just for enjoyment with minimal losses? While it is tempting to look at gross income, the focus should be on net income and risk management...

The development of forage harvesting equipment and silage bags has improved and facilitated the preservation of forages as silage. This technique allows us to preserve the excess forage production of the summer to bridge the gap during forage shortages. Additionally, ensiling forages offers a reduced weather risk and allows for greater quality feed compared to dry hay. However, labor and equipment costs can mount as larger volumes of silage are preserved and fed...

When we combine the beef cow inventory of Tennessee with Kentucky, the number of cows managed pushes these states into the top five beef cow-calf states. The beef cow-calf sector of the southeastern U...