Fast-growing spring forages have always been a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that cattle can switch to getting their primary nutrition from pasture rather than stored feeds and their associate
Below-freezing temperatures, negative windchills, and winter storm warnings don’t exactly spell “spring,” nor do those conditions bode well for spring calving season. In addition to inclement
Jeff Lehmkuhler has helped guide beef farmers for two and half decades, but he’s never seen lower hay quality than what he witnessed in 2025. The University of Kentucky extension beef speciali
Who am I, and what is my mission? That was the question Jonathan Fordham challenged audience members to answer by the end of his first-place Forage Spokesperson presentation during the American F
Despite the volume of corn residue leftover after grain harvest and the potential quality of that forage, cornstalk grazing is not as widely practiced as it ought to be. Those who do utilize cornstalk
We spend a lot of time in life finding the “right match.” That match could be a person, place, or thing. When something doesn’t work out, people often say, “It just wasn’t
There are essentially as many solutions to rotational grazing as there are pastures to graze in. These solutions can vary by forage species, stocking rate, pasture topography, and time of year. The co
While during any television broadcast of our local Milwaukee Brewers, the pitcher inevitably throws a neck-high fastball over the plate. Often, the batter unloads on such a pitch but misses by a foot
Heifers aren’t usually analyzed for feed efficiency on forage, but a study at Oklahoma State University (OSU) shows high forage efficiency early in life could foreshadow long-term production potenti
Photo: Garland Dahlke, Iowa State UniversityGrazing cattle on snow-covered windrows may seem a bit obscure, but windrow grazing has shown to be an effective way to lower winter feeding costs. The p
While writing this last weekend, the wind was whipping outside my window, and I was surprised it didn’t take some of the siding off the house. To make matters worse, the 30 mph winds — and
If you’re like me, your kitchen has a cupboard designated for leftover containers, which may or may not all have the correct lids. Those containers get some extra use this time of year to prevent
Virtual fencing is not a new concept, but its adoption by livestock producers is constantly growing and changing. There are essentially as many strategies for virtual fencing as there are farmers usin
Bale grazing saves time and labor during the coldest months of the year. Moreover, putting bales out on a pasture in a grid pattern, and using temporary fence to strip graze cattle through the rows, f
Slow pasture growth due to drought conditions limits more than forage yield and grazing potential — it can reduce beta carotene levels in plants and raise the risk of vitamin A deficiencies in
When people ask what we do, we usually give the simple answer: We’re ranchers. The truth — like most work in agriculture — is more layered. At the heart of our work is partnering with
Cornstalks are an economical forage source to take advantage of for fall and winter grazing. Provided some supplementation, cattle can thrive on corn residue, and research has debunked previously held
The reality of planning things is that things rarely go as planned. That’s not to say preparation isn’t valuable, though. If a plan can’t be followed to the letter, it can at least provide
Whenever hay prices are put under the microscope, it’s important to acknowledge the interacting factors that influence the cost. For one, hay prices are largely regional and driven by local weather
