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We are feeding hay already this year. The grass has been good but we are recovering from 7 years of drought. I have reduced my stocking rate significantly trying to get the grass to recover.

Being mostly a weekend rancher, we use the tubs just to make sure that everyone has a better chance at nutrition. I do get out 3 times a week to feed cubes so the consumption of the tubs is not that quick. They are expensive and add significant cost to my program, but I like it for the insurance...

I know of one person who does it with roughly 250 head of cows. It is tough for her because she hires a full-time ranch hand to help with all of the labor.

Nice picture. I could never get my cows to line up like that and look at me all at once. It must have taken a while to produce that picture.

This one varies significantly based upon the services performed. If you are going to do heat detection and take the cow to the vet at the proper time, there is minimal cost. If you want someone to do heat detection for you, costs go way up because you are paying for days of boarding also. If you...

Depending upon what you are trying to do (get more replacement heifers), you may need to replace your bull. Bulls are just like men in that they carry the chromosone that determines the sex of the offspring. Just like men, there are clearly some bulls that throw a greater number of one sex over...

In our county, you can't show longhorns in conjunction with 4H events or the county fair. They are afraid of what the horns could do. Also, most longhorns will never stack up to an Angus or Charolais at the county fair. Completely different body types. My recommendation is that they look for...

My experience is that the minerals you need to feed varies by different locations. Different soils and forage lack different natural minerals that you therefore need to provide for optimum performance. I'm sure there are some general mineral programs out there that may have a blanket type effect...

I use one. It is a little different than the tumblebug model in the link above. The one I have has spikes sticking out the back and works like a bale spike on a tractor. It has a manual winch to lift the bale off the ground. Not too much work as my wife can operate it. I only paid $495 for it...

We are part-time ranchers and that is why I like defined breeding seasons. If a bull is out for three months and the cow didn't breed, I need to know why she didn't breed. Maybe we are having nutritional problems, she may be having problems, etc. For me to go out every day and check for calves...

I had an issue where my pasture ran along the back of a wheat field. I had been running cows there for several years until one day. My neighbor put a bunch of unbred heifers on his wheat field. The fence between the two was knee high in spots but it was never a problem because my cows always had...

I always make sure that I have my hay first also. When I do start selling, I sell the older stuff first since it has weathered a little more than the newer. I don't have lots of weeds in my fields so I'm not too concerned about the weed content. I typically wil wait till fall also and charge...

In most instances the Board of Directors is part of the issue. Most of them are good old boys that like things the way they are. In their favor of course. I believe that most cattle associations have similar issues. Some are better than others.

I run longhorns and brangus cattle (separate pastures). For my longhorns, I figure 30 - 35 lbs of hay per day. We use protein supplements in the winter in the form of a liquid mix. This increases their dry matter intake but keeps them healthier and more fit. They loose less body condition this...

I've seen boarding rates from $1.25 per day for just pasture grass to $5.00 per day for show feeding, etc. Can vary significantly. A lot depends upon how much the person really wants to accept boarded cattle.

Portable panels vary significantly in quality and strength. I have some Preifert's that are well over 8 years old. Powder Coated and heavy guage. On the other hand, I've had a few lighter weight painted ones get bent into a U shape by some bulls and they lasted a couple of months! If you go with...

We use portable panels, mostly for the cost. I lease most of my land and they are convenient to pick up and take with me when I need to move cows. Keeps my investment down and my muscles strong. :) I have a set that we use for working cows out back by the barn. I have them configured with...

I wouldn't be too concerned about a 7 month old bottle fed calf wanting to nurse off of another cow. She most likely will not associate a cow with milk. As far as getting hurt, she most likely will be run around a bit as she finds her place in the pecking order. However, I wouldn't be overly...

We use ear tags to control the flies.

AI is worth the money and time. You get a greater selction of bulls and can individually match certain bulls with cows to get the best traits. It takes more time, planning, and execution than just turning a bull out to pasture with "the girls". Many large operations will synchronize and then...