Regional Roundup

For many operations, spring means it is time to work calves. When working calves and other cattle, it is important to use Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) best management practices. Attending an in-person training or going through an online training can be valuable in many ways and can help make the operation more successful.

Ranchers across the West are looking forward to spring – new calves, warmer temperatures and growing pastures. What ranchers should also be on the lookout for are weeds.

In February, I discussed the benefits of maintaining a controlled calving season to produce an older, heavier and more uniform calf crop, reduce the risk of disease spreading among calves, simplify cow herd vaccination schedules and nutritional programs, and streamline more scheduled labor needs.

Wild-type infected tall fescue is widely used for soil conservation, reclamation, turf and pasture establishment. From the Mid-Atlantic region to the Southeast, approximately 40 million acres are planted in tall fescue.

Reproduction is a critical aspect of any species’s life cycle and plays a major role in food animal production. Since the implementation of artificial insemination (A.I.) in the beef cattle industry, researchers have strived to improve the efficiency and utilization of this reproductive practice.

After a long winter in the region, now is a good time to elevate pasture conditions and forage management. While it is tempting to turn cows out to pasture as soon as it’s greening up, remember: Plants should be approximately 4 to 6 inches in height before grazing to avoid forage yield drags throughout the whole growing season.