Beth McIlquham is a Regional Livestock Educator serving Crawford, La Crosse, Richland, and Vernon counties. She works alongside producers to provide livestock-related programming aligned with the needs of the area.
Before her current role, Beth worked with UW-Madison Extension as Educational Support for 4-H in Pierce County. In addition to her work within Extension, she spent time with the Humane Handling Institute at UW-River Falls.
Reducing stress during livestock handling can increase productivity, maintain or improve meat quality, reduce sickness, and enhance animal welfare. Implementing low-stress handling techniques when working with cattle is the first step to reducing stress.
Grazing cattle sounds so simple. The forage grows, the cattle eat the forage, and it all ends with a “happily ever after.” Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as it sounds. To maximize cattle performance while grazing, producers must pay attention to the forage itself and how it can affect the grazing animals.
To optimize cow productivity, evaluating nutrient levels in winter feed for cows is necessary.
Seller reputation is often included in discussions on traits that influence feeder calf prices. Yet, historically it has not had a value assigned to it as many other traits have.
