Ranching.com is your weekly dose of trending news, seasonal tips, and community content put together by our team of ranchers.

NEWS

🎉 One great year and counting!

⛑️ Calving Kit Essentials - Keeping a current record of calves, along with essential supplies like colostrum, medications, scales, and proper handling equipment, ensures a smooth calving process. Having necessary tools and resources on hand is crucial for successful care. Find out what your CattleMax team has in their Calving Kits!

⛔ Combatting Complacency - In 2025, complacency poses a significant threat to agriculture, overshadowing external issues like low prices or farm bill concerns. To combat this, businesses should focus on hiring wisely, proactively solving inherited problems, and embracing radical changes for growth.

📈 Market Momentum - Futures surged on Wednesday, with live cattle reaching a record $200.05 and feeder cattle hitting $277.05 per hundredweight. This growth reflects large fund buying despite a steady cash market. Analysts expect the upcoming Cattle on Feed report to influence future trends.

❄️ Winter’s Wrath - A recent winter storm and arctic blast have caused over $14 billion in damages across the U.S., affecting 41 states. The severe cold poses risks to winter wheat and specialty crops, while livestock in impacted areas need close monitoring. Future weather patterns may bring temporary warming and precipitation ahead of planting season.

󠁵󠁳󠁮󠁤󠁿🌿 Bale Benefits - Robert Smith, a Georgia producer, highlights bale grazing's key benefit: significant time savings—reducing daily hay feeding from an hour to just six minutes. This method also boosts soil fertility and nutrient distribution, making it a win-win for cattle management.

🏆 Challenges to Opportunities - CJ and Calli Thorne embody a proactive approach to ranching. After moving to Calli’s family ranch in 2008, they expanded from custom feeding to direct-to-consumer sales, even purchasing a local beef locker. Despite facing market challenges, they remain committed to serving their community and growing their business, guided by faith and resilience.

RANCHING KNOW-HOW

Important Tips for Feeding Cattle in Winter

Winter feeding for cattle is crucial, especially where forage quality drops. Low-quality forage can lead to nutrient deficits, impacting cattle health and productivity. To optimize nutrition, assess forage quality, increase energy and protein intake, ensure clean water access, maintain consistent feeding schedules, adjust rations based on body condition, and provide shelter. Following these tips helps keep your herd healthy and productive during the colder months.

Tips To Successfully Control Cattle Lice

Lice infestations in cattle are both an emotional and economic challenge for beef producers, leading to distressing symptoms and significant financial losses—up to $428.2 million annually. Effective control requires understanding the lice life cycle and implementing proper treatment strategies.

CATTLE COMMUNITY

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