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
Utilizing crop residue as a winter feed source is a common practice in the Midwest. In times when forage supplies are low and hay prices are high, crop residue is especially useful to offset
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
As dairy producers have been growing more corn silage and feeding it in lactating cow rations, there has also been a rise in the use of other annual forages. This has been driven by expanding interest
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
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
Feeding a higher percentage of forage in dairy cow diets is a strategy that’s growing in popularity as homegrown feeds become more cost-effective compared to high-priced commodities. High-forage
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
Even if I yell at you, I still love you. Not exactly the definition of modern parenting, but it is my opening line when I teach my daughters to drive. As I sit next to them for the first time in the p
Forages are the foundation for nutritionally sound, profitable, and rumen-healthy rations. When Randy Shaver with the University of Wisconsin-Madison surveyed high-producing Wisconsin herds, he calcul
The holidays, which offer a brief but welcomed distraction to winter feeding chores, have come and gone. For many during the past two weeks, we’ve experienced seasonal weather, followed by snow and
Fall weather often brings cool and wet conditions that can stimulate mold growth in crops prior to harvest. This can boost mycotoxin levels in silage. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by some molds
Due to drought and the lack of forage growth that comes along with it, hay inventories for the upcoming winter will be below normal expectations in many areas of the Midwest and Southern Great P
With high feed costs and areas plagued with drought, cow-calf producers are looking at options like early weaning, early pregnancy diagnosis to market open females sooner
Different reasons exist for growing small grain crops on a dairy farm. Winter annual crops capture nitrogen from the manure applied to the soil, protect the soil from erosion
It’s difficult to separate the animal and forage components of a pasture-based cow-calf system. Forage production and quality have peaks and valleys throughout the year, and the same can be tr
