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As the year ends, reflecting on the past year is good. The obvious point this year is the lack of forage and how, as producers, one responded to the challenge. The Dickinson Research Extension Center needs more than 1,000 1,300-pound bales to make the stretch to spring grass. That number is buffered a bit because the calves are receiving 3 pounds of commercial supplement daily and the cows 4 pounds of commercial supplement every other day. But forage is the essence of a cattle operation, and keeping costs low is critical. Fortunately, the...
Losing a calf at birth challenges the beef operation, including the cow and producer. But, as we know in the cattle business, the cycle of life starts with conception and concludes at death. Our goal is to minimize calf death loss. Data from the Cow Herd Appraisal Performance Software (CHAPS), through the North Dakota State University Extension Service and North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement Association (NDBCIA), show the 2017 benchmark average for calf death loss relative to the number of...
Are you interested in increasing soil water absorption by 685 percent? Remember the commercials that showed paper towels absorbing copious amounts of water, more than a competitor's paper towel? Is one paper towel better than another in water absorption? I think we know the answer: Yes. Could this also be true in soils? Are the soils within some soil management systems better at absorbing water than soils in other systems? The answer is: Absolutely yes! What does this mean? Poorly managed soil...
For years, the kitchen table has been the center of planning for those in agriculture. Conversations of the past, present and future surface around the table. Today, the kitchen table may be in the warming shed, the barn, the seed-cleaning facility, the shop or an available room slightly warmer than outside. In some cases, a meeting room, built to accommodate the input and planning for today's agricultural enterprises, is the designated center. The point is, time must be set aside to develop a...
Sometimes beef producers overlook the obvious: bulls. If the bulls are not in a separate pen, now is the time to separate them from the cow herd and take a good look at their condition. Bulls actually enjoy a solitary life, absent from all the comings and goings in the cow herd. Bulls in a bullpen are much easier to monitor and watch while feeding, lest one of them decides to challenge you at the feed bunk. Bull docility often is mentioned as a critical talking point when bulls are bought, but it’s often simply accepted once they are unloaded a...
This is a good time of the year to share four years of data and experiences collected at the Dickinson Research Extension Center on May calving. Why? The calving date is more than a calendar date on the wall of the barn. The date affects every aspect of a beef cattle operation and should be discussed with the utmost diligence. Producers with several enterprises on the farm or ranch must fit all on the same calendar in the same barn. I would be the first to say, “Avoid a knee-jerk action that changes the calving date,” but the discussion nee...
Perhaps it is time to be countercultural. Perhaps most would associate counterculture with lifestyles and the ever-changing human mood, which bring a raised eyebrow from the grandparents. The countercultural mood, however, is slowly creeping into the beef business, which has morphed into a high-input, market-trend business. The dilemma is that traditional producers face a countercultural role. The traditional thought process embedded in generations of beef producers would not acknowledge the...
Bull buying from your desk at home? It sounds far-fetched, but that is a very real option in today’s bull market. Each year, a new generation of bulls is offered for sale, along with more and better data regarding the bulls we buy. Last year’s bull calves are growing up and will be ready for turnout in a few months. Bull-buying basics are the same, so why bring up the subject? In reality, many producers do not take advantage of the data and tools available for buying bulls. Not all bulls are the same and certainly do not have the same val...
The big 60 means that 60 percent of the cows calved in the first 21 days of the calving season. That is achievable, doable and good. Sixty percent was the goal. The evaluation of the cattle business is ongoing, and producers always should take advantage of the quick and easy ways to evaluate the operation. Calving time is here or soon will be, so it’s the best time to make the mental note and paint it on the barn wall. What was this year’s number? In this case, start by counting the number of cows kept for calving. I mean all the cows kept for...
The use of the word “sustainability” often is an indication that someone is searching for a simple, normal approach to life. In other words, the ability to fit in without the pressures of uncertainty. Is that possible? Can a cattle operation be “sustainable” in the long run or are the dynamics of the world around us too strong? Instead of sustainability, what we really may need is an organized response to ever-present change. As cattle producers, how we respond to the environment is key to our survival. The world is covered with water and pla...
The changing world of western North Dakota is a hot and cold topic. In a sense, most would consider change to be a point of reality. Seldom, if ever, does one get to make a statement about life and then control that point for a lifetime. We call that change. Change always has been present, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes desired and sometimes not, but still present nevertheless. Energy development has brought dynamic changes to western North Dakota. Our challenge as a historically agricultural-based region is to incorporate...
Generally, facts do not change and the application of facts to life determines success. In other words, life is more than luck. One needs to plan, implement, evaluate and replan to stay in touch. That was the essence of the integrated resource management program that was very successful with the help of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the cooperative efforts of the land-grant universities across the U.S. The program focused on beef financial and production data collection and evaluation followed by appropriate managerial adjustmen...
Data is essential for finding the desired genetics when selecting bulls. Early discussions of animal breeding and selection always grouped producers into three types, which were the breeder, multiplier and commercial producer. Generally portrayed as a pyramid, the base represented the large group of commercial producers who are in the business of producing products for the consumer. These producers would obtain breeding stock from the second level within the pyramid. The second level...
A simple way to deal with the table is to decide on what level of performance one wants to shop for. The discussion of how to utilize breed association expected progeny differences (EPDs) by setting individual goals requires that producers understand how bulls are positioned within the breed association’s data set. For example, if a producer is looking at a Simmental bull, then go to the American Simmental Association’s website at http://simmental.org/site/ and click on the “Industrial Science/Tech Advancement” tab. From there, hover on the “Ge...
With the ever-growing databases and improved techniques and computer applications to access the data, reviewing records of old bulls to access the current genetics within the herd aids in understanding the herd. As the year wraps up, the process of buying a bull picks up. New bulls are great, but what about the old bulls? Although one wants to keep lots of openness when reviewing new bulls, the truth be told, there is a wealth of information available on most bulls that probably is not well...
Bull selection only requires that one understands or at least appreciates the EPD values and trends within a breed. Buying bulls is like making soup. You put in a bit of this and a bit of that and in the end, you have good soup. Likewise, a piece of this and a piece of that and you assemble a good bull. Unlike the soup you make from scratch, the bull already is made, but you have to find him. Ultimately, the bull will supply half the pieces for your next calf crop. So what are the pieces? Just like soup, every spoonful should be complete and...
The life of a bull is not simple because, for the most part, his life is somewhat confrontational. The other day while reviewing the bulls, two of the bulls still were sparring for dominance. They have been out of the pasture for almost two months, but they still seem to find the energy to spar. Too often, bulls are penned and the rest of the fall activity goes on, so we forget to check on the bulls. However, the Dickinson Research Extension Center evaluates bulls critically following breeding. Bulls that have a high risk of not passing next...
Vaccinate calves now in anticipation of weaning and preparation for sending the calves to market. I hope the calves already have had some vaccinations during branding or early summer cattle work, so now would be a good time to do booster vaccinations. If the calves have not been vaccinated, now would be a good time to establish a vaccination plan with your local veterinarian. The Dickinson Research Extension Center, in response to the recommendation of our local veterinarian, uses vaccines as an aid in preventing the infectious bovine...
What makes a premium calf? There are six steps to placing premium calves that excel on the market: superior genetics, sound management, preconditioning, tag identification and certification, plus a good marketing strategy. The order of the steps is not as important as doing the steps. The first point is superior genetics. Calves are a product of a producer’s genetic program. The days have long passed when producers simply eyeball and guess what the genetic package is. The appropriate mix of growth and carcass genes that are achieved through p...
The Dickinson Research Extension Center had three pens of yearling steers. One pen (A) was harvested when the steers were 18.1 months old. The next pen (B) was harvested when the steers were 21.4 months old and the last pen (C) was harvested when they were 22.1 months old. The world of beef revolves around the steer because it is the principle product of a beef production system. The efficiency of a beef production system is perceived to be based on rapid growth with an early harvest. Is that true? Having personally assumed that for years,...
Cattle producers need to set focused, systematic goals to capture more net dollars. When the discussion rests on the income side, marketing is the focus. Improved marketing to capture the monies available in the market is the key. Regardless of current net returns, the goal of increasing net returns in the cattle operation is always commendable. For those who are struggling with negative net returns, the increase should move the cow-calf operation in a positive direction and provide enough...
As cows and bulls are rounded up for fall sorting, some are sorted for sale, so it is very important to remember that cull cows and bulls are market beef and should be treated as such. Market groups need to be sorted and appropriately presented to the market. This summer, the “Executive Summary: The 2011 National Beef Quality Audit” was released by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. This audit provides a cross-sectional review of the entire beef business. It confirms that the beef industry has been responsive to previous audits and has...
The question of birth weight is always a good topic during calving. More precisely, birth weight involving calving replacement heifers or first-calf heifers. Generally, older cows have few calving problems. The challenge with younger cattle rests with proper heifer development and sire selection in the world of high-growth beef cattle. It may seem inappropriate to some, but the poultry world is a fascinating one. Believe it or not, the poultry industry has many of the same issues as beef. When it comes to meat and egg production, there is a...
