❄️ Strategies for Cold-Weather Cattle Management

Hay Hoax, Badlands Bound and Increasing Imports from Ranching.com by CattleMax

December 11, 2024

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NEWS

❄️ Strategies for Cold-Weather Cattle Management

❄️ Winter Care of Herd Bulls - During winter, bulls often slip through the cracks after the breeding season ends. Proper management is essential to prevent frostbite and maintain body condition for optimal performance in the next breeding season.

📸 Reputation is Everything - Public relations is increasingly important in agriculture, helping improve the public's perception of beef production. Engaging with the public—whether through conversations, farm visits, or educational efforts—can positively impact your ranching business, even if immediate financial returns aren’t evident.

🚨 Hay Hoax - Jory Parks, convicted of scamming ranchers out of hay and cash, exploited desperate circumstances during a 2021 drought. His actions devastated victims like Katalina Pfeil, causing financial strain and lasting impact on her ranch.

🧬 A Missed Opportunity - Crossbreeding is a valuable yet underused tool in beef production. Dr. Mark Thallman emphasizes terminal crossbreeding programs to optimize growth and profit by breeding cows and bulls with strong terminal traits. He proposes solutions for replacing females and improving industry-wide efficiency.

🦌 Wildlife Disease Transmission - Sapna Dass, Ph.D., is researching mixed-species disease transmission, focusing on the H5N1 bird flu’s potential to spread between wildlife, livestock, and humans. Funded by a USDA grant, her work aims to prevent future epidemics by addressing transmission at the rangeland level.

🏴󠁵󠁳󠁮󠁤󠁿 Badlands Bound - A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribes has urged President Biden to designate nearly 140,000 acres of North Dakota's Badlands as the Maah Daah Hey National Monument, to preserve its cultural and natural heritage.

📈 Increasing Imports - In 2024, U.S. beef imports surged by 22.49%, reaching 3.83 billion pounds. Canada, Australia, Brazil, and Uruguay saw significant increases, while Mexico's imports dropped. This growth reflects strong global trade and rising U.S. demand for diverse beef products.

RANCHING KNOW-HOW

Prepare Your Water Systems For Winter

As temperatures drop, beef producers must ensure their watering systems provide continuous access to clean, drinkable water. Experts from Kansas State University emphasize the importance of preparing for winter to prevent frozen water sources.

Monitoring Nutrition Requirements of the Cowherd

Understanding cows' nutritional needs, including Crude Protein (CP) and Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN), is key for cost-effective management. Proper feeding supports body condition, milk production, and reproductive success, optimizing cow-calf operation profitability throughout the production cycle.

RANCHING AROUND THE WORLD RECAP
CATTLE COMMUNITY
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
❝

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie

READER POLL

In what ways do you work to generate positive PR for your ranch?

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LAST WEEK’S RESULTS

Do you feel policymakers are doing enough to address the needs of ranchers in terms of wildfire prevention and land management?

9.5%: Yes, I feel that the proposed legislation is a step in the right direction.

52.4%: No, I believe more should be done to support ranchers in wildfire risk reduction and land management.

38.1%: Unsure, I need more information on how this legislation will impact ranchers.

No

  • “Wildfire is big business, and the BLM is NOT in the business of helping ranchers run cows, as per two BLM employees in my local field office. There is no incentive for those ‘fighting’ the fire to put it out they get extra pay while on fires, and until another fire starts, there is no reason to put it out. Hopefully D.O.G.E. will expose this.”

Unsure

  • “Government needs to get out of land ownership.”