Fall Pasture Weed Control

If your pastures have an abundance of biennial or perennial weeds like spotted knapweed, wild parsnip, thistles, Canada thistle, and horsenettle, then fall is a good time to get a handle on these tough to control weeds.

Castrating Beef X Dairy Calves

There are various castration methods, and it is recommended that castrations be performed in calves at the youngest age possible, preferably within three months of age. Using a proper castration procedure on a young calf can add more beef value at the time of marketing.

Disbudding Calves

Horned cattle are discounted in beef markets. Using polled genetics is the best way to avoid having to remove horns. Beef genetics are often polled, but cross breeding with dairy cattle may result in horns. Monitor beef or beef x dairy crossbred calves during their first six weeks of life for the growth of horn buds and disbud immediately as they are identified.

What is Included in a Preconditioning Program?

Respectable preconditioning programs focus on health AND nutrition. The goal of these programs is to help calves succeed during their next phase of production at the feedlot, stocker, or heifer development facility.

How much meat should a beef animal yield?

The UW-Madison Division of Extension provides resources to better understand and calculate the amount of meat to expect from a finished animal.

Do You Have Enough Forage? Four Steps to Figure Forage Inventory

Now is the time, before the snow flies, to take inventory of your farm’s forage supply and determine how well it meets the herd’s needs. Knowing your feed inventory and needs early allows you to purchase now, rather than wait to purchase during the winter when forages are usually priced higher.

Pinkeye Vaccination Programs

Moraxella bovis is the bacteria responsible for summer pinkeye. Research has identified a non-summer pinkeye that is associated with carrier animals and its lesions do not need physical trauma or summer flies and UV light to precipitate them.

Prevent Pinkeye by Controlling Face Flies

We often think of pinkeye as only a summer problem; and in Wisconsin, July-August is a key time to be watchful for the contagious pinkeye that develops in response to eye irritation from UV light and physical eye irritation from mature grass/seed heads, blowing dust/sand and flies, primarily face flies.

Managing and Preventing Pinkeye

Preventing traditional summer pinkeye in cattle involves eliminating the many eye irritations listed in this report. Identifying and taking steps to resolve physical hazards in your operation, including face fly control, may be more effective than pinkeye vaccinations.

Market for profit or market on price?

Marketing is an active process including: research, advertisement, promotion and sale. Becoming a profit-controller and not a price-taker is the main goal for improving marketing skills. Going through the process of forming a marketing plan can be beneficial. A marketing plan, which is developed to be strategic and not just convenient, will work to create a value added product.

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