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

NEWS

🪰 The Two-Pronged Strategy for Fly Control

🪰 The Two-Pronged Strategy - As temps rise, now’s the time to prep for fly season. OSU entomologist Jonathan Cammack suggests combining insecticidal ear tags for adult horn flies with feed-through IGRs for larval control. Wait to tag until fly numbers hit 200 per head, rotate chemical classes yearly, and start IGRs in March to disrupt larvae in manure all season long.

🐂 Stocker Sector Feels The Squeeze - With high calf prices and low feedlot cost of gain, feedlots are placing lighter cattle sooner, cutting into stocker opportunities. OSU’s Derrell Peel says while stockers still play a key role, especially in heifer development, current market conditions make margins tighter and gains harder to find.

🗓️ Planning Ahead - Unpredictable weather and rising temps are forcing producers to adapt. From drought planning to water access, rotational grazing, and heat-tolerant genetics, ranchers are making proactive changes. Experts say planning ahead protects herd health and keeps operations productive through tough conditions.

⁉️ Uncertainty Looms Over U.S. Beef - Ongoing tariff talks with Mexico, Canada, and China are creating uncertainty for U.S. beef producers. While higher cattle prices are expected, increased domestic pork and poultry supplies could pressure beef markets. Analyst Lance Zimmerman urges producers to prepare for supply chain disruptions and market volatility by tightening risk management and securing key inputs early.

💉 Hormones, Hype, Reality - Growth hormones boost beef production efficiency, and experts say they pose no risk to human health. FDA regulations ensure no hormone residues in meat, and estrogen levels in implanted beef are minuscule, far less than foods like broccoli or tofu. Though consumer concerns persist, research shows hormone use has little impact when used responsibly.

🌱 Spring Grazing Risk - As cool-season grasses take off in early spring, so does the risk of grass tetany, a magnesium deficiency that can lead to sudden death in lactating cows. MU Extension specialists say prevention is key: offer high-magnesium minerals, manage potassium fertilization, and boost salt intake to improve magnesium absorption. Grazing mixed pastures with legumes can also help balance forage minerals and reduce the risk.

RANCHING KNOW-HOW

5 Strategies to Lower Cow-Calf Production Costs

Reducing unit cost of production is key to profitability in cow-calf operations. Experts outline five approaches: decrease costs without lowering output, boost production with stable costs, lower costs while increasing output, invest in inputs that yield greater returns, or cut costs with only a small drop in output. Each strategy requires careful evaluation of risk, resiliency, and overall impact on the production system. Thinking creatively, and learning from others, can help producers make effective, cost-saving changes.

Six Tips for Helping Deliver a Calf

Calving season can bring surprises, and being prepared makes all the difference. Dr. Tony Hawkins shares six key tips for safe calf delivery: use proper OB chain placement, employ help or a calf puller, avoid rushing forward-facing calves, give breathing room after the ribs, rotate to prevent hip lock, and act fast on backwards deliveries. When in doubt, call your vet—trust your gut if something feels off.

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