Grazing

Often, the last thing cattlemen care to do is crunch numbers, but arguably this is the most important aspect of managing a successful cattle operation.

Grass and grazing animals evolved together. In North America, bison, pronghorn antelope and elk grazed the plains. In mountainous Western areas, elk, deer, bighorns, mountain goats and mountain buffalo grazed the more rugged regions.

You’ve seen the acronym “AUM.” Do you know what it really means? Let’s guess: Abandoned uranium mine? Air-to-underwater missile? All ungulates meditate?

More than 72,000 wild horses roam through the Western states on land that experts say can no longer sustain their basic needs.

Stockpiled forages and winter annuals can reduce the need for and cost of hay and other supplemental feed for beef cattle producers in regions with adequate annual rainfall, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.

This year’s grazing season was unique no matter where you went. There were areas where they received too much rain at one time, areas where they got perfect amounts of rain throughout the entire season and areas where they needed every drop of rain they could get.