“Stockpiling” and “rotational grazing” are the two main management practices that graziers use. “Stockpiling” is basically letting the grass grow, while “rotational grazing” is how we allow cows access to the grass. By limiting the access to the grass, they eat what’s in front of them without walking all over the farm trying to get
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When you’re buying a bull directly off of a farm, you have an opportunity to see not only the bull you are buying, but also his herd-mates, and if it’s an older bull, you may get to see his some of his calves. More importantly, you can see the management system he was raised in.
The age old way of selecting a bull is to use you neighbor’s bull. This was how it was done for thousands of years, and it still has some merit. In fact, this is how landraces and breeds were developed. Historically, where we lived and who our friends were influenced the bulls we used, and
When you look at the cost (or the value) of individual animals in the herd, the bulls are the high-dollar animals. In a typical herd of 40 cows and one bull, each cow will have one calf, and will influence 1/40 of your calves. Assuming everything goes right, the bull will influence 100% of those
Bulls have a reputation for aggression, that is, at least in beef bulls, mostly undeserved. There are a few beef bulls out there that would just as soon kill you as look at you, but for the most part, beef producers would really rather pick their fights someplace else. (Dairy bulls are another story. They’ll
When you grow up with animals, it never occurs to you the huge role that body language plays in inter-species communication. Most people can figure out, for instance, if a dog is going to bite, but there are a surprising number of people who have never had pets, and learn that lesson the hard way.
People always talk about major changes in their lives in terms of either being pushed, or jumping. I didn’t use either method to get here. I fell. After 2 years of standing on the edge, the very dirt beneath my feet eroded, and down I went. You may have heard me scream, but I doubt
Lots of things go into making a show cow, but one thing’s for certain, they’re easy to find in the herd. No matter how long it’s been since they’ve been in the ring, they always walk around with this certain air of self-importance. Show cows always seem to distort the whole livestock/owner thing. In this
Certified Angus is a registered trademark of the American Angus Association, and most people know that it comes from Black Angus cattle. But did you know that there are Red Angus cattle? Like the blacks, they originated in Scotland, and are known for their quality meat and their quality mothering ability. Black Angus is the
I’m not exactly sure what most men do on the weekends. I guess they golf or watch college sports or go to soccer games. Here’s what Scott and his buddies do on Saturday mornings. This may just look like some guys hanging out at the sale barn, but this is really market analysis – who’s