Drovers 2023 State of the Beef Industry Report
150th Anniversary State of the Industry report is designed to provide a benchmark of information to help producers make successful decisions.
USRSB Provides Step-by-Step Guide For Grazing Management Plan Development
New Resource: See the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef Grazing Management Plan Development Module. The majority of ranchers have a grazing plan in their heads that evolves as they evaluate their pastures in real time. But having a baseline management strategy on paper can help extract the full value of your experience and the full […]
Producer Perspectives: Animal Health’s Role in Balancing Economic, Environmental and Social Aspects of Production
Dr. Jessica Fink of Merck Animal health recently moderated a panel discussion on how producers are improving the sustainability of beef cattle production in their operations, covering animal care, grazing management, documentation, animal productivity and how best practices in production feed into sustainable operations. Hear from producers Jake Cowen, Cowen Cattle Company, Seymour, Texas; Debbie […]
How To Manage Risk By Creating A Drought Management Plan
The two kinds of risk generally associated with drought are production risk and market risk. Production risk naturally emanates from the fact that drought limits forage production and availability, which directly limits the total productivity of the operation. Increased market risk is realized when those affected by drought act in unison and dump animals on […]
Strategies For Adjusting Livestock Inventory During Drought
Nebraska’s cattle producers face almost annual pressure to consider options for reducing stocking rates on rangeland and pasture when dry conditions persist. There are three main options to reduce stocking rates: supplement/substitute feed, ship cattle to non-drought areas and sell cattle, according to Aaron Berger, beef educator at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Supplement/Substitute Feed Feeding cattle […]
7 Techniques For Grazing Efficiency During Drought
When you have cross-fencing pastures and use a rotational grazing system, you experience your biggest benefit when managing drought conditions, according to Dr. Rick Rasby, professor of animal science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Grazing systems don’t have to be extensive (check out these four basic types of grazing systems from South Dakota State University), […]
Understanding Feed Costs
Feed costs represent the largest annual operating cost for most commercial cow-calf enterprises. In order to maintain an optimum balance between feed costs and production, you must analyze feeds and use these analyses to formulate rations and/or supplements, according to Rick Rasby and Jeremy Martin with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Feedstuffs vary widely in nutrient […]
Important Financial Benchmarks Every Ranch Owner Should Know
On a ranch, measuring financial benchmarks is important to give you a true picture of the financial health of your operation. Regardless of your type of operation, you can use three standardized measures to judge your efficiency, according to the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. They include: Ratios: This includes measures such as the debt-to-equity […]
Are You Running a Marginal Farm Business?
There are plenty of worthy ideas floating around about ways to improve the economics of the cattle business, and it’s hard to choose which one is most important. According to the National Grazing Lands Coalition, the business of understanding the concept of margin is critically important to improving our economic outcome. The formula really is […]
What is Estate Planning and Why Should a Rancher Embrace It?
Estate planning is the process of accumulating, preserving and distributing assets to achieve your financial goals during your lifetime, as well as to provide for your heirs according to your wishes at death. As such, estate planning is not a one-time event. Instead, it is an ongoing process designed to accomplish accumulation, preservation and distribution […]