Love a good comparison!
Monday, September 14, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
Don't Feed Cows Like Steers
The single greatest advantage a cow-calf operation has over other
livestock production systems is the ability
of a cow (and her calf) to graze and harvest forages in places you cannot plant corn and soybeans, or that you cannot feasibly access with a windrower and baler. Even though ruminants “may” contribute somewhere between 5% and 8% of all greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, their unique ability to turn most any forage on the planet into usable human nourishment, insures a bright future for the beef industry around the world.
While we can formulate, mix and deliver a highly specialized diet (likely formulated by a Consulting Nutritionist out to 4 decimal places) to a steer in a feedlot every day, this level of precision is usually somewhere between infeasible and impossible for most cow-calf operations. A cow is returning the most money when she is grazing your lowest cost feed, that being, un-harvested/stockpiled forage on range or pasture.
Read the full article HERE.
of a cow (and her calf) to graze and harvest forages in places you cannot plant corn and soybeans, or that you cannot feasibly access with a windrower and baler. Even though ruminants “may” contribute somewhere between 5% and 8% of all greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, their unique ability to turn most any forage on the planet into usable human nourishment, insures a bright future for the beef industry around the world.
While we can formulate, mix and deliver a highly specialized diet (likely formulated by a Consulting Nutritionist out to 4 decimal places) to a steer in a feedlot every day, this level of precision is usually somewhere between infeasible and impossible for most cow-calf operations. A cow is returning the most money when she is grazing your lowest cost feed, that being, un-harvested/stockpiled forage on range or pasture.
Read the full article HERE.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Creep Feeding Late-Season
When it comes to creep feeding beef calves on pasture, every year can
be a little different than the last.
Timely rain or drought, duration of hot weather, and forage amount and condition are just a few of the factors influencing when calves start on creep and how much they choose to eat. However, the decreases in milk quantity and forage quality are changes we can count on every year as the grazing season progresses.
After the cow’s milk production peaks at around 60 days post-calving, the calf is dealing with increasing requirements to maintain growth in an environment of diminishing resources. The calf’s diet progresses through four basic changes prior to being weaned.
Read the Full Article HERE
Timely rain or drought, duration of hot weather, and forage amount and condition are just a few of the factors influencing when calves start on creep and how much they choose to eat. However, the decreases in milk quantity and forage quality are changes we can count on every year as the grazing season progresses.
After the cow’s milk production peaks at around 60 days post-calving, the calf is dealing with increasing requirements to maintain growth in an environment of diminishing resources. The calf’s diet progresses through four basic changes prior to being weaned.
Read the Full Article HERE
Monday, August 24, 2015
Silage Avalanches Can be Deadly
Silage avalanches are real and there is no way to predict when and where
they will occur. It only takes a
fraction of a second for part of a silage face to silently break off and fall, and the result can be deadly for anyone located beneath it. There have been numerous avalanche fatalities in the US the past few years, and although rarely reported, we have heard many stories about someone having a near miss with a silage avalanche.
Far too many bunkers and piles are just too large to be safe. It is not uncommon to have silage feedout faces that are 15 to 20 feet tall or taller. Common sense tells us that a silage face, which is 20 to 22 feet high, is much more dangerous than one that is only 10 to 12 feet high.
Read the full article HERE
fraction of a second for part of a silage face to silently break off and fall, and the result can be deadly for anyone located beneath it. There have been numerous avalanche fatalities in the US the past few years, and although rarely reported, we have heard many stories about someone having a near miss with a silage avalanche.
Far too many bunkers and piles are just too large to be safe. It is not uncommon to have silage feedout faces that are 15 to 20 feet tall or taller. Common sense tells us that a silage face, which is 20 to 22 feet high, is much more dangerous than one that is only 10 to 12 feet high.
Read the full article HERE
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Sheep Tips and Tools
If you raise sheep for wool, meat, milk, showing or simply as pets, you know that your care is reflected in their health and well-being.
By keeping your lambs and sheep healthy, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy them!
Learn more about feeding and performance with these helpful tips and tools that can be found HERE.
Monday, March 16, 2015
How Much should I feed my Dog?
Have you ever wondered how much food you should be feeding your dog? The American Club Kennel recognizes 167 different breeds that range in size from very small to very large breeds. It's important to feed your dog the right amount daily for many reasons, in particular the majority of dogs that are seen by veterinarians that have hip, leg and back pain is caused by being over weight.
It's important to make sure your dog is getting a well balanced dog food as they progress from Puppy, Adult and then Senior ages. When changing a dog food use the above diagram to introduce the new food for optimal results.
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