Category Archives: Uncategorized
Do I Care About Nutrient Cycling?
If you raise cattle, you should. Nutrient cycling is a natural process which enhances the productive efficiency of pastures and the cattle that graze them. Because of nutrient cycling, Dr. Monte Rouquette and his colleagues at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton have been able to produce significant amounts of forage (and cattle weight gain) from pastures that have received no external application of nitrogen fertilizer for the past 25 years. With the high cost of N fertilizer, methods to reduce the need for this… Read More →
Why Attend the Pasture and Livestock Management Workshop?
Would you like to know more about pastures and beef cattle? The Pasture and Livestock Management Workshop has been conducted at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton annually since 2001. The 2012 workshop will be on March 27, 28 & 29. Topics covered in the program include soil management, forage production options, pasture management, cattle production options, cow herd nutrition and management, farm or ranch business plan development, and more. Topics are covered in a combination of classroom lectures and field demonstrations. Participants are provided… Read More →
Fine Lime is More for Your Money
Research conducted by Dr. Vincent Haby revealed fine limestone (ECCE 100%) increased cost efficiency, forage production efficiency, and duration of soil pH change compared to coarse limestone (ECCE 62%). One ton of fine limestone increases pH to the same extent as caused by 1.61 tons of coarse limestone. In many East Texas areas, significant cost savings will be realized from using fine limestone for equivalent effectiveness. More information on fine lime and liming soils may be found in the following research reports: 1) Effective Calcium Carbonate Equivalence (ECCE) of… Read More →
Fractious Cattle Cost You Time and Money
Research conducted by Dr. Ron Randel and his colleagues has shown temperamental cattle are less productive than are well-behaved cattle. Beef cattle temperament (calm vs. wild) affects average daily gain, response to vaccination and carcass quality. Seed stock producers should consider temperament in their culling criteria. Measures of temperament taken earlier in a calf’s life (at or before weaning) are more predictive than those taken later. Commercial beef producers should consider temperament in purchasing herd bulls and replacement females. More details of this research are available in the… Read More →
Should I raise heavier calves?
The article ” Cattlemen could make more money with heavyweight calves or stockers ” suggests that a commercial cow herd owner should consider the question and learn the options available. With increasing costs of production inputs including fuel, feedstuffs, fertilizer, etc. a manager must explore alternative production and marketing strategies to realize the maximum return to the operation. The choice of option may, in fact probably will, change some from year to year. Also, each operation will have a different set of options and production goals. Within those constraints, a manager… Read More →
