In this neck of the woods, there is nothing better than having coffee shop bragging rights. However, in many cases those bragging rights leave out a few important details. These details are often overlooked, and while it is not intentional, knowing the difference between conception rate and  pregnancy rate, will make or break many producers’ coffee shop bragging rights.

Whether because of reduced forage production caused by drought, or increased competition for grazing acres, feeding lactating cows in a drylot is being at least considered as an option by more ranchers. In some pasture rent markets the total cost per day for drylotting pairs is similar to or even lower than the total costs on pasture.

Branding of livestock has served as an important method of permanent identification for thousands of years. Use of brands as identification is important  to be able to determine ownership of an animal in public grazing land situations, on large acreages where cattle may be lost or mixed with other herds, and ranches that have cattle owned by more than one person. Branding also provides an opportunity to conduct other herd and health management practices, including vaccinations, castration, dehorning, body condition scoring of cows, etc. Despite the necessity of branding and its associated benefits, it can be a stressful event for livestock and producers alike.

Calf growth rate and weaning weight are important benchmarks in determining performance and profitability of cow/calf enterprises. Weaning weight is dependent on a variety of factors, including calf health, genetic potential, milk production of the dam, and age at weaning.

It has long been established that the cost of one infertile bull during a breeding season is much greater than the cost of one interfile cow. Keep this in mind many producers use breeding soundness exams. (BSE) to evaluate the abilities of their herd sires to do their job.

By now the work of selecting the next generation of herd sires has been completed for the most part. Now it’s time to shift the focus away from genetic selection towards management practices to increase the probability that the new yearling bulls will successfully breed cows for a number of years. One of the major components of the cost of natural service in the cattle business is the useful length of the herd sires.

The moisture from the spring snow storms has given the grass the jump start it was needing. One challenge is that the grass will grow rapidly, so cattle producers should plan to prevent grass tetany in their herd. Grass tetany is a metabolic disorder that is associated with lush pastures due to low levels of blood magnesium concentration, which results in nerve impulse failure in animals.

Historically bull calves were castrated for management proposes and to eliminate inferior genetics from the herd. As research progressed it was shown that castration improved the marbling and tenderness of finished beef. In addition, science has shown that the age and method which bull calves are castrated can have a significant impact on calf performance and health.

As livestock producers continue to make plans and adjustments for the upcoming grazing season it is important to consider all parameters affecting 2013 pasture conditions. Although turnout dates can vary with individual management schemes and location, many producers consider May 15 an initial target date.

While the performance benefits of implanting calves through the suckling phase is well documented, many cattlemen choose not to employ this management practice in their operations. Some who market their calves at weaning or as back-grounded calves believe it reduces buyer willingness to bid as much for similar-quality implanted calves as those that did not receive an implant. Others believe that meat quality is compromised at harvest; Return on investment by some is seen as not worth the time, effort or expense of implanting.