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The Importance of Beef Calves’ Preconditioning Nutrition

For many producers, ‘preconditioning’ is synonymous with ‘vaccinating’; however, while vaccinations are important, they take a back seat to calves’ preconditioning nutrition. Separation anxiety at weaning causes the release of cortisol which suppresses the immune response and increases susceptibility to diseases.

Raise or purchase replacement heifers?

Table of Contents Introduction The topic of raising one’s own replacement heifers or buying them has been discussed many times over the years.  As fall gets closer and beef cow calf producers begin thinking about what they might do with the heifers, now is a good time to evaluate options.  Both options have some pros […]

Establishing alfalfa following wheat

A late summer seeding of alfalfa following a spring wheat crop is a great option to maximize seasonal productivity and fits very well as a part of a diverse crop rotation. Aside from the usual considerations when performing a late summer seeding of alfalfa, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when planting alfalfa following a wheat crop: the potential for residual herbicide damage to alfalfa and the impact of volunteer wheat.

Keep Cattle Cool and Comfortable in Summer

Introduction The latest long-range forecasts from the National Weather Service show that Wisconsin has a 40% to 50% chance of a hotter-than-normal summer. Long periods of heat stress are more likely to have lasting effects on cattle, including early embryonic loss in heifers and cows, poor semen quality in bulls, and reduced gains in feeder […]