Facilities & Equipment

Winter grazing patterns or dry lot forage and hay feeding is on the horizon for many cow-calf producers. With pregnancy checking and the necessary culling of open or deficient females completed, the finalized herd is likely in place until calving season.

The presence of wolves in the Western states has led to many conflicts between wolves and humans, primarily in agricultural communities. As wolf populations rise, there is no doubt that the frequency of these conflicts will increase as well.

There is virtual fencing (VF) for dogs, and now researchers are studying ways to make this idea possible for beef producers. When available, VF technology will benefit cattle, ranchers, rangeland and wildlife.

For cattle producers who rely on wells in pastures and rangelands as a water source for their cattle, much time is spent checking water to make sure that windmills and submersible wells are delivering the water cattle need.

One of the most sensitive subjects in neighbor relations for landowners concerns the removal of trees and brush along property lines. While cutting brush and trees on one’s own land may seem simple, the matter becomes more complicated when the brush and trees lie along property lines or result from overhanging plants and trees from neighboring property.

Proof of livestock ownership in the western half of the U.S. is a hot iron brand, and in some herds freeze branding is used for individual animal ID. Creating a good-looking brand depends on proper technique and materials.