Feed & Nutrition

Urea remains one of the most widely used yet mysterious and misunderstood options for beef production. How can we supplement cattle diets with the same product we use to fertilize crops?

Salt, minerals … minerals, salt … aren’t these the same things? Everyone, it seems, has a question about minerals, like “Why do some mixtures contain only 4 percent salt while others contain 90 percent salt?” or “Why won’t my animals eat it?”

The full force of summer months and hot temperatures are almost upon us. With it will come heat stress, a major concern in the beef industry. Heat stress can cause countless problems in cattle, such as a decrease in feed intake, changes in the rumen which lead to diminished digestibility and a significant negative impact on performance.

The short-term feeding of grain-based diets to cull cows can represent an opportunity for both cow-calf producers and finishing operations.

Most producers recognize that anything done on the farm or ranch comes with a cost. This is true with the cow herd for critical functions such as reproduction and health. Common costs include the purchase of bulls or A.I. supplies for breeding.

Cattle have been coined “upcyclers” due to their ability to turn natural resources and byproducts inedible to humans into higher-value, high-quality protein source in the form of beef.