Beef Resources
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One tool that aids producers in the efficient and profitable production of beef cattle is live animal carcass ultrasound. The use of carcass ultrasound is an economical way cattlemen can make genetic improvements in carcass traits, which will, in turn, put profits in their pockets.
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Drought can have a double impact on cattle producers. Not only is forage limited during the grazing months, but also the production of hay is limited. With the lack of forage, both grazed and conserved, many producers are looking for sources of feed for their cattle going into the fall and winter. Hay is an option, but it’s not the only option. Hay replacement rations can be an economical option to purchasing additional hay. Grains are often cheaper per unit of energy than hay, especially when hay prices increase during a drought period.
When considering these feeding options, producers should consider three major issues: 1. Cost of the potential feeds and their nutrients, 2. Which rations will meet the nutritional requirements of their cattle, and 3. How to properly feed cattle with the hay replacement ration.|
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B 1500
Calf Health Basics
Calf health is a key variable for calf growth and performance. Producers should not expect to know all calf health issues, causes, and the most successful treatments. Instead, a producer’s main goal should be to accurately identify and differentiate normal from abnormal in a calf’s physical state and behavior. The topics discussed in this publications are intended to help producers notice key areas of observation while also helping to identify normal and abnormal health parameters in calves. This information can also be used to develop calf management protocols and treatment strategies.
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C 553
Bull Buyer’s Guide
Bull procurement decisions can greatly impact your future calf crops and herd genetics for many years. Selecting and buying a herd bull is the quickest way to make genetic improvement in your herd. The selection process must include looking for those traits that are economically important and highly heritable. Demand and buy bulls with total performance that will improve your herd. This publication discusses factors to consider when purchasing a new bull.
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Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), commonly referred to as “Rednose,” is a disease resulting from bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1). The detriment of the disease, as well as the positive benefits vaccination can have on a reproductive program, needs to be on the forefront of a producer’s herd health program.
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AP 130-2-08
2024 Beef Cattle Outlook
1. The beef cattle outlook is positive in 2024. Tight supplies and stable consumer demand are expected to push cattle prices higher in the year ahead.
2. Risks come from the demand side if U.S. consumers are uninterested or unable to pay for higher-priced beef. Additionally, input cost uncertainty may squeeze margins.
3. Overall, beef cattle prices are expected to move higher year-over-year throughout 2024.|
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Beef cattle evaluation is important for all segments of the cattle industry. Visual evaluation allows you to compare animals not only for various economically viable traits, such as growth performance and potential carcass merit, but also for traits that are indicators of functionality in each production environment, such as skeletal structure. These traits are often difficult to quantify and are commonly considered convenience traits as they do not have a direct impact on income. Still, traits such as these can have a significant management and economic impact across multiple generations of offspring.
This publication is intended to help the reader develop visual evaluation skills for cattle with particular emphasis on breeding cattle. Visual evaluation combined with industry best management practices is key to overall success in selecting quality replacements.
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C 904
Freeze Branding Cattle
To improve efficiency, cattle producers should place a high priority on identifying individual cattle and maintaining accurate records. One type of permanent identification is branding.
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B 1371
UGA Basic Balancer
The UGA Basic Balancer is a spreadsheet-based decision aid to formulate basic rations for beef cattle operations. The UGA Basic Balancer program consists of a feed library, least cost feedstuff analyzer, a ration analyzer, and sections to balance rations for brood cows, bulls, heifers, and stockers.
The UGA Basic Balancer is intended to be a simple ration balancer that addresses energy (TDN) and crude protein (CP) requirements of cattle. This program does not take into consideration other requirements or limitations (for example, micro minerals, fat level, effective fiber, nonstructural carbohydrates, etc.). Before feeding any rations developed in this program, contact your local Extension office to address any potential problem.
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