Beef Nutrition

All Beef Nutrition Content

A small herd of black angus cattle at pasture.

Basics of Body Condition Scoring (BCS)

Fact sheet about the basics of body condition scoring for cattle.

Several black beef cattle close together feeding.

Influence of Body Condition on Reproductive Performance of Beef Cows

Fact sheet about understanding effects of body condition score on reproductive performance.

Mother cow with calf in a dry, drought-stressed rangeland.

Planning for Breeding Season in Dry Conditions

Drier-than-normal conditions present added stress to producers and their herds in preparation for breeding season. During this critical period, producers should focus on making sound management decisions to maintain performance and profitability.

Rancher holding a notepad beside a feed bunk.

Capitalizing on Cow Costs

Feeding cows is one area of consideration when analyzing the cost of keeping a cow through her production year. Through small management choices, we can decrease the cost of the cow while maximizing on opportunities.

Young, female rancher observing beef cattle in a pen.

Capitalizing on Cow Costs: Part 2

In a previous article, ‘Capitalizing on Cow Costs’ reducing feed costs to improve cow efficiency was discussed. To continue the conversation, another area of cost reduction is in cull cows, bulls and calf death loss.

A herd of cattle grazing in a snowy pasture.

Nutritional Needs Prior to Calving

Nutrition during late gestation plays a large role on the future calf as well as the dam. It is during the last 60-90 days of gestation, or the pre-calving period, that impacts the calf’s survivability, long-term health and overall production.

A snowy farmyard with sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Preparing for Calving Season

Whether the calving season will start soon or is a few months away, it’s never a bad time to start preparing for the arrival of fresh calves on the ground. Here are some things to consider prior to the beginning of calving.

Field pennycress

Toxic Plants in Dormant Pasture and Hay: Field Pennycress

Toxic plants negatively impact livestock by decreasing reproductive performance (breeding and calving rate), reducing weight gains, and causing animal health issues and death. Assessing and treating animals experiencing toxicity may increase operation costs through either veterinary intervention or death loss.

Small flock of sheep grazing in a pasture.

Multispecies Grazing: Benefits of Sheep Integration on Rangelands

Fact sheet about diversifying your operation to benefit your rangeland.

An ear of corn in a field with visible white mold on the tip of the ear.

Can Livestock Utilize Moldy Grain?

While livestock producers know that moldy grain and forage are not ideal feedstuffs, they also know that stored feed occasionally contains a small amount of visible mold, and that their animals consume it with no obvious adverse effects. The question arises, how much mold is too much for a feed to be unsuitable for animals?