Cow-calf

Built by Ranchers, for Ranchers

Few families have influenced the livestock handling industry as significantly as the Priefert family.  In 1962, Marvin Priefert purchased 300 acres of ranch land in Mt. Pleasant, TX.  Little did Marvin know that this move would not only change the course of his family’s life, but would also lead to a...

TMR CORNER: Focus on forage quality for better results

 I have recently returned from a couple trips to South East Asia that highlighted the importance of forage quality in TMR preparation and animal performance. In much of Asia, the challenge for producers is first to find sufficient land to grow forages, and then to source environmentally adapted species that are...

Vertical TMR mixer pays for itself on a beef cow-calf operation

In the past two issues of TMR Corner we have explored how feeding a beef cow-calf herd with a vertical TMR mixer simultaneously decreases feed waste and increases animal performance. In this issue we will use that information to develop a cost-benefit analysis for adopting the use of a vertical TMR mixer on a...

Convenience Traits are Important

Convenience traits are those cattle traits that contribute directly to savings in time, facilities, drugs and labor in a cow-calf enterprise.  Some examples of these traits would be temperament, polledness, structural and udder soundness, disease and pest resistance, heat tolerance, doing or fleshing ability,...

So, Who Takes Care of the Calf?

Bryan McMurry, with Cargill Animal Nutrition, earned his Masters Degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics, and a PhD in Animal Science from Texas A&M University. The short, simple answer to this question is of course, the cow. That’s her job. As cattlemen, taking care of the cow is our job. The answer to taking care...

Cost Challenges to Cow-Calf Producers

USDA’s Economic Research Service spelled it out last February.   In a quarterly report on farm income and costs, ERS said, “The current economic downturn has weakened beef demand, offsetting the positive effects of lower grain prices. Prices paid for feeder steers in 2009 are expected to remain almost exactly the...