Implants Equate to Efficiency in Stocker Cattle
This spring as the grass continues to green up yearling cattle will find their way to the pastures of the great plains for summer grazing. Cattle are stocked on grass pasture this time of year due to its additional nutritive quality that equates to gains, relative to dormant pastures, prior to entering the feedlot. One economically justifiable way to make stocker cattle more efficient on grass is by administering implants. Utilization of implants in stocker cattle can increase average daily gain by 5-20%, improve feed efficiency by 5-15%, and improve lean tissue deposition by 5-12%.
Supplemental Summer Mineral for Grazing Cattle
As the pastures of the Great Plains begin to return to that wonderful, lush color we all love so much, cattle will be turned out for summer graze out. Generally, beef producers supplement cattle on grass with free choice mineral to meet nutrient requirements when they are not supplementing with other feedstuffs. Different landscapes and varying soil types require specific variations of mineral levels.
BQA and BQAT Certification Training at ENREEC
Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance
Nebraska Extension and Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance will be offering Beef Quality Assurance and Beef Quality Assurance Transportation Certification.
The date and location is:
· Wednesday, May 18, 2022. 10:00am – 12:00pm, Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center, 1071 County Rd G Ithica, NE 68033.
Selecting Replacement Heifers
Every year, cow-calf producers make decisions to either buy or keep heifers for the purpose of replacing older or unproductive cull cows. The number of heifers retained or bought can fluctuate based on things such as drought or market prices of feeder cattle and feed commodities, but usually averages around 15-20% of the total herd. The main purpose of replacement heifers is to eliminate thinner cows that are no longer getting bred in a timely fashion and interchange them with younger, more productive females that can generate greater profits over a longer period of time.