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home → articles → Industry News |

Farm Practices That Need To Be Tended To

published: March 17th 2010
by: Mark Keaton
source: University of Arkansas Extension

Here are some practices beef producers need to consider doing on farms

•  Soil-test pastures that have not been tested in the last three years. Review soil test recommendations on fields tested within the last three years. Plan fertilizer applications to pastures and hayfields to meet grazing needs and hay production for next winter. A cow may consume 23-25 pounds of hay per day or about 750 pounds per month. Hay wastage during storage and feeding has been reported as low as 10 percent with conventional square bales to as much as 45 percent with round bales and stacks. Allowing for wastage, one should plan on 850 to 1100 pounds of hay per cow per month of winter feeding. To get this back to a bale basis, some bales or a trailer load of bales should be weighed to determine the average bale weight you are producing.

  • Check working facilities. In upcoming months, the cow herd will be worked several times, (spring deworming, vaccinations, fly tags, etc.), and working facilities should be in top order. Items to check for are missing latches and planks, broken gates, mudholes, trash and proper operation of the head gate and squeeze chute. Replace all missing latches and broken planks; this will be a big help in keeping cattle penned and being able to sort and work cattle. Fix all the gates so they work properly. Mudholes and low spots should be filled in. In most facilities, working cattle eventually will cause low spots and mudholes. Trash — ranging from lunch bags to discarded syringes and vaccine bottles — should be picked up and disposed of properly. Some operations have more hoof and leg problems from stepping on trash and junk in the working area than other health problems. Keep a trash bucket in the working area, so trash can be carried out after cattle have been worked. Check the squeeze chute and head gate for needed repairs and proper operation. If repairs are needed, get them done well before cattle have to be worked. If the squeeze chute and head gate are in bad shape, this is as big a hazard to people working cattle as it is to the cattle. If need be, replace worn- out equipment.
  • Have a breeding soundness exam conducted on your bulls that will be turned out soon. This is some of the best money spent on the cow herd. Identifying a bull that is sterile, borderline for fertility or has a physical problem that would prevent breeding is well worth the cost of checking the bull. The big savings is identifying problem bulls and replacing them before a calf crop comes up short, a calf crop gets strung out over the year or a calf crop gets delayed or is nearly missed. Many breeders have lost part of a calf crop or had a calf crop strung out or delayed due to a problem herd sire.


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