Guide to Raising Cattle

Are you a low-cost cattle producer? These strategies will help you join that elite group of ranchers that remain profitable regardless of what the markets and weather are doing! 

Sustainable Cattle Farming Tips - a primer on the right way (and the wrong way) to incorporate low-cost pasture-based farming practices into your cattle farming strategy.

How to survive the transition from conventional to grass fed cattle ranching - advice and a planning strategy to help you plan a smooth transition when making changes on your cattle farm.

The Benefits of Calving on Pasture - Calving during the growing season is one of the most powerful tools to become a low-cost cow-calf producer. This article explains just why calving on pasture during the growing season is so much better than calving at any other time of year.

The Ideal Calving Date for Raising Cattle - This article will help you choose the precise calving date that will have the most positive impact on your grazing program.

Calving on Pasture - Calving during the growing season means calving on pasture instead of in a winter feed pen. That changes everything! This article explains how to manage your calving program on pasture in the midst of a daily pasture rotation.

Spring Calving - An Ounce of Prevention... - this essential survival guide is for farmers who have not yet made the switch to summer calving. The article features 22 of my favorite strategies to increase calf survival, reduce calving problems, reduce post-calving diseases, and make life easier for both you and your cow herd during a spring or winter calving season.

Beef Cattle Breeds - The step-by-step selection process to follow when choosing the perfect cattle breed (or breed combination) to suit your cattle farming strategy.

Picking your Perfect Beef Cattle Breed is a lot like choosing a Working Dog

Purebred vs Crossbred vs Mixed Breed Cattle, which is the right fit for your farm? Learn how each of these different breeding strategies has distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your climate and on how you market your cattle.

How to spot reputable cattle breeders - when you're ready to buy some cattle these tips will help you identify first class cattle breeders (and steer clear of the rest).

NEW! How to use body fat to increase cattle fertility - small changes in body fat at calving time cause big changes in conception rates at breeding time. Use this powerful correlation to increase pregnancy rates and reduce costs in your cow-calf herd!

Version española: Cómo la grasa corporal en el momento del parto determina la fertilidad del ganado

Selecting (and Culling) for Your Cattle Breeding Program - This article explores how to pick only the most fertile and the most low-maintenance cows and bulls for your cow/calf herd.

42-Day Cattle Breeding - This article explains why using a 42-day breeding season is an essential low-cost cow-calf ranching strategy.

Lifelong Beef Cattle Fertility - Calving date, pasture quality, and body fat during adolescent sexual development will affect the fertility of your future breeding stock for the rest of their adult lives. Learn how to use these to your advantage to maximize the fertility of your cattle brood herd by following the tips laid out in this article.

Raising Beef Cattle on Grass - Learn how to prepare your cattle herd for your grazing conditions.

Training Cattle for Winter Grazing - This article explains how to train your cattle to graze through deep snow (it's easier than you think!).

Body condition scoring is a simple technique to estimate cattle body fat. Use this tool to improve cattle health, increase weight gains, increase conception rates, and identify slaughter-ready cattle.

Version española: La Condición Corporal En Las Vacas: Cómo (y por qué) medir la grasa corporal en tu rebaño

Cattle Body Condition Scores - More tips on how to use this free and powerful management tool optimize cattle health and fertility.

Livestock Bedding and Shelter During Winter Grazing - This article explains to keep your cattle warm and dry while out on winter pasture, while minimizing your winter bedding, manure handling, and cattle sheltering expenses.

Cattle Nutrition Tips - Use these strategies to safely reduce your cattle's nutritional requirements so you can extend your grazing season even deeper into the winter.

NEW! Cattle Supplements and Minerals - A step-by-step guide to creating a mineral and cattle supplement program for your pasture rotation.

Version Española: Suplementación Nutritivo Para El Ganado

Compensatory Gain - the Secret Pasture-Based Cattle Farmer's Advantage - Using compensatory gain is a free cattle management trick to help you reduce your cattle feed costs while dramatically improving pasture weight gains.

Beef Cattle Management - How to use your pasture rotation (and electric fences) to solve countless cattle management challenges in your cow-calf herd, from disease resistance and cattle fertility issues to sub-par weight gains and high feed costs. Never mind how much torque you can get from buying the latest and greatest piece of farm machinery - for true low-cost high-octane beef cattle management discover what you can achieve with a simple cheap smart electric fence grid!

Grass Improvement: pasture management with electric fences (Part I) - Learn how to use your grazing management to naturally improve pasture yields, improve grass quality, loosen compacted soils, and reseed pastures.

Soil Fertility: pasture management with electric fences (Part II) - This article shows how to manipulate the behavior of your grazing cattle herd to improve soil fertility, manage riparian areas, and protect sensitive micro-climates in your pastures.

Soil Moisture: pasture management with electric fences (Part III) - Learn how to fine-tune your grazing management to increase soil moisture, improve your drought management strategies, and prevent erosion in your pastures.

Weeds: pasture management with electric fences (Part IV) - And this article digs into how to eradicate pasture weeds without pesticides, mowing or other expensive interventions simply by carefully controlling your cattle's grazing impact to give grass the competitive advantage while putting weeds at a competitive disadvantage.

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