As we come into the fall season of the year, most of us, as beef cattle raisers, are looking ahead to the winter and making plans to get through that season.  So, what’s involved in your planning? I don’t know if I have all the answers to … [Read more...]

Last summer (2011) was a “killer” of a season because of the dry weather and high temperatures. In my area (between Abilene and San Angelo, Texas) records were set for the number of consecutive 100 degree + days. At the year’s end, the tally of … [Read more...]

In the summer time in Texas, you can always be sure of two things – hot and dry!  So, in early spring each year comes a consideration – should I plant haygrazer to try to produce my own hay for the coming winter, or let someone else worry with … [Read more...]

One of my good, registered cows began to develop a knot on her jaw. I watched it for a couple of days and it just swelled bigger and bigger. It didn’t seem to affect her appetite or her eating ability. In the West Texas area where I farm and … [Read more...]

A complete cattle management solution consists of 3 components - animal identification, weighing, and of course cattle records. Since 1999, ranchers have turned to Cattlesoft to help "put the pieces of the puzzle together" and select the right … [Read more...]

Here in Texas, as most people know, we faced the worst one-year drought in the last 100 years last summer (2011). Many cattle producers liquidated their herds completely because of lack of water, pasture and the high cost of feed and hay. I, … [Read more...]

Here it is December and all the talk is about Christmas – Christmas shopping, putting up Christmas decorations, family gatherings, etc. My thoughts have been, for quite awhile now, how do I get the few cows I have left through the winter? In my … [Read more...]

As most folks know, Texas is in the midst of the worst one year drought in history. My rainfall records for 2011 indicate a total of 5.5 inches of rain since January 1, with 2.6 inches of that coming the weekend of August 13-14. And, we are nearing … [Read more...]

Cattle management programs usually include one to two anthelmintic treatments per year, so an effort should be made to avoid development of resistant internal parasites. Anthelmintics are medicines that eject or kill intestinal worms. They are … [Read more...]

Several earlier articles here on Cattle Management provided steps for estimating the amount of forage present in a pasture. A forage inventory is not complete, however, until plant quality is determined. Forage quality is easily measured on improved … [Read more...]