From My Side of the Fence Spring 2025
Cows
By Dennis Kenning
This past January I sat at the sale barn and watched our feeder cattle sell. The price was good, but I couldn’t help and think about all the work, dollars, and resources that went into raising these calves. And the sad part is this payday only occurs once during the year. Sometimes I wonder why we raise cattle. I must like working with these creatures, or maybe I’m just stupid! I guess if raising cattle was easy everyone would do it. As one cattleman told be me, “if you raise livestock there is always going to be problems.” That never ends.
As these calves walked out of the sale ring, I started to think about the cycle of production. It started with helping that cow deliver her calf, taking pairs to grass, bringing them home in the fall, weaning them, feeding them in the lot, and a bunch of steps in-between the process. Raising cattle is truly a journey with many detours along the way. It’s truly includes 365 days of the year with many late nights and early mornings. I hate to say this but, you’re kind of married to the cattle. Cattle are not going to feed themselves, the sick must be attended to, and cows calving don’t have a schedule of 8:00 to 5:00.
While the cattle are selling well, input costs continue to rise. Higher land prices bring about higher pasture rent. And while sluggish corn prices help the cattle feeders, protein will always be expensive. Mineral prices will be high because many of the precursors to make those minerals are only produced in China. Medications, Vaccine, Wormer, and Vet supplies are not going down in price, anytime soon. Pinkeye and Fly control go hand in hand. Pinkeye is highly contagious and is spread by flies. This seems to be an on-going battle.
During the week of sub zero temperatures, we had 11 calf’s drop within 24 hours. Normally cows lick their calves and the calf will nurse for the first time to get that much needed colostrum. A wet calf in these low temperatures would surely freeze immediately. So as soon as the calf dropped we hauled the calf to a warm barn with a calf heater and gave them milk replacer with colostrum. We used tape to bring the calf’s ears back to its head, in an effort to protect the ears. This tape also provided a location to label the calf so we could keep the pairs straight. Once the calf was dried off we reunited the pair. Because we disrupted this natural process some of the mothers were slow to claim their newborn.
Most Producers don’t talk about the safety issue while working around cattle. Getting kicked, butted, or ran over can be part of the business. Anytime you have more than one bull, they will fight. I’ve always told the help when bulls start fighting; get the heck out of the way. Bulls are tough on fence, feeders, and anything in way. Cows are very protective of their young and some cows are just nasty, once they give birth. Years ago we had a Brahma cross cow that you don’t want to mess with and you better not be anywhere around her calf. She would take your head off. Even when she didn’t have a calf you had to use your eyes in the back of your head. The positive side of this was, this mad cow was the herd protector to keep predators away.
And there is another issue for cattle producers, Predators. Coyotes, Bobcats, Foxes, and Mountain Lions are all looking for their next meal. A baby calf is easy prey for these types of wildlife. That mother cows likes to hide her calf in tall grass or below trees in an effort to protect their young. The problem is that the mother cows go off to forage, and leaves her calf for prey. A few years ago we had a calf that simply disappeared from a pasture and we could not find any remains. Also in this pasture was a calf that clearly had scratch marks all over the top of its back. And guess what, this predator problem is directly related to Trapping and Hunting. Coyotes pelts are not worth anything, so few people harvest these predators anymore. So the Coyote population increases creating more predator pressure.
Then we have the crazy things that take place when you raise bovine. March 1st we had a first calf heifer that somehow got a wire cut from the top of her hoof down. That became a trip to the vet, with several more visits to follow. A couple of years ago, I remember a heifer that had 3 calves nursing on her at the same time and not one calf was her own. Once, there was a feeder calf that got stuck in a hay feeder and I had to use a hacksaw to cut it free. Then a bull that stuck its head in a 5 gallon bucket and it took awhile to remove it.
Along the way I find rewards in raising cattle. Saving that new born calf or watching those calves run and play. Treating a cow and seeing her become healthy once again. Going to check cows with the grandkids, and letting the kids call the cows to the truck. (Don’t tell the kids but the cows know we have feed on the back of the truck.) Riding a horse to sort off cattle and throwing a rope and actually catching a calf for once, is something I enjoy. Raising cattle gets in your blood and it becomes a way of life. Yea I’m stupid, but I like raising cattle.
Winter 2024
THE AUTONOMOUS RANCHER
From My Side of the Fence by Dennis Kenning
I think about how agriculture has changed over the years. My father started farming with horses and later farmed with a small gas tractor. He was thrilled when chemicals like 2-4-D could be used as an effective weed killer. If Dad was around today, he would be totally amazed of the fully autonomous John Deere Tractor.
The general population is unaware of how much technology is involved in agriculture today. Most people on the street think that agriculture is some old guy driving a tractor down the road pulling a plow. And for the future, who knows what will be invented next. Every sector of agriculture has benefited from some type of new technology. There have been so many improvements in seed genetics, chemical platforms, fertilizer application, and irrigation systems. Even the delivery methods have seen changes such as drones applying pesticides, autonomous equipment, robotic harvesters, and selective weed sprayers.
One of the biggest advantages for using technology is that it allows producers to improve decision making, based on many factors, thus increasing production through better management. It can also provide better use of resources, all in an effort to increase profits. It can have many disadvantages such as that high initial cost, and it can be a long process when getting started. Much of the technology is dependent on other technologies such as satellite signals, computer models, or artificial intelligence. Technology is expensive and becomes affordable when you can spread that cost out over many acres. Like any technology it’s really great when it works and not so fun when it doesn’t work.
A few years ago I ran into a producer that was really upset. The producer had purchased a new combine with all the bells and whistles. He ordered this equipment with all the technology which included yield mapping. The producer had a lot of trouble with this combine itself and it sounded like he needed some training on using the technology. I remember the producer saying, “all this technology does me no good when that combine is not running in the field”.
I know animal producers have benefited greatly from advances in technology. The uses of animal cloning, electronic identification, embryo transfer, and improved pharmaceuticals have benefited animal agriculture. Some of these technologies have really benefited those producers using a confinement system. As a cow-calf producer I would welcome the autonomous rancher robot. I need someone to fix fence, treat sick calf’s, and clean out the livestock trailer. It would be great to have some kind of machine that determines when a cow is having trouble calving, run the cow into the barn, and finally automatically pull that calf out of the cow. Well I can dream, can’t I?
Technology is an excellent tool to help producers become more efficient and there is much more to come with the use of Artificial Intelligence. The fact remains that even with all that technology there will always be those tasks that a farmer will simply have to do the old fashion way. It’s called labor.
AROUND THE FARM
I think we harvested for a little over 40 days with dry harvest weather. A couple of days we cut short due to the high winds and that very dry residue. Starting a combine fire can happen way too easy. Parts get hot, a bearing goes out, or a sickle throws a spark, and the residue sticks to the machine thanks to the aid of static electricity. Beans yields were not good, but corn did alright for such a dry year. Corn stocks degraded due to the rainfall that occurred after harvest, but I’m not complaining. Mommy cows are running on corn stocks with some supplemental protein and mineral.
Soon cows will come home and the calving process will start and let the fun begin.
Barry Weber Livestock Systems Extension Educator
Hello! I’m Barry Weber, the new, as of December, Livestock Systems Extension Educator for Nemaha, Richardson, Johnson, Pawnee, Gage, Jefferson, and Saline counties. I grew up outside of Friend on a farm with crops and cattle before I attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to study Animal Science. I returned to UNL to complete a master’s degree in Ruminant Nutrition. After working with a few different companies and having traveled around the country visiting all types of cattle operations, I’m happy to have landed back in southeast Nebraska.
On February 27-28, the inaugural sessions of the Midwest Forage, Education and Efficiency in Diversified Systems Practicum (Midwest FEEDS) were held. This is a yearlong course that examines a whole system approach to cattle and crop production and fits the demographic of many operations in southeast Nebraska. Each session is designed to discuss topics that are timely for a typical crop and livestock operation.
This session opened with the importance of knowing and monitoring the body condition scores (BCS) of your cows. (For more information on the BCS scoring system, visit https://beef.unl.edu/learning/condition1b.shtml). A BCS of 5 for a mature cow and 6 for first calf heifers is a logical target for calving season. Since those heifers are still physically growing and will be channeling a healthy portion of their energy toward lactation, not to mention repairing their reproductive tract, the fat from that extra condition score serves as an energy reserve during the most nutritionally challenging time of her life. As Dr. Rick Rasby so eloquently said, “Young cows aren’t elastic like old cows.” It’s important to have cows at the target BCS before calving, as playing catch up can be expensive and is not always practical. A study (Mayo, 2002) found that 70% of supplemental energy is directed toward lactation, so not only is that cow only putting 30% of the extra feed toward her energy needs, the increased milk production can lead to milk scours.
The emphasis on correct BCS at calving is rewarded with that cow’s prompt return to estrus and higher pregnancy rates. For a cow to maintain her yearly calving interval, she will have approximately 80 days post-partum to rebreed. One study (Funston, 1998) found that cows in a BCS 3 or 4 had an 80 day interval between calving and first estrus, while cows in a BCS 5 or 6 had a 55 day interval between calving and first heat. Cows in good condition should breed back sooner and have more estrus cycles to be bred during the breeding season, resulting in a tighter calving window and older, heavier calves at weaning. It is also important to note that in terms of BCS, more is not always better. Cows at a 7 or above tend to have more difficulty calving and lower pregnancy rates.
This is also the time to consult with your veterinarian and make plans for your vaccination program. Consider the timing of your breeding season and when and what type of vaccines should be given according to labels. Keep any possible cull cows in mind prior to vaccinations or other shots given so that you’re aware of withdrawal times before selling. This is also a good time to clean and calibrate syringes, make sure you’ve got plenty of new, sharp needles, and check on any pharmaceuticals that may be resting in your refrigerator. Vaccines or medicines that have been frozen can be altered in such a manner as to turn toxic if given. It’s also a good idea to make sure your working facilities are functional. A little oil or grease ahead of time can prevent an emergency karate session while the alley is full of cattle.
Finally, now is the time to make contingency plans for your grazing season. Drought is never too far away and having an idea of what to do if and when it rears its ugly head gives you options. Since we are in a bromegrass dominant area, with a peak of growth and nutritional quality in April and May followed by a decline in growth and quality during the mid-summer months, have an idea of what you can do during those months. Procuring or stockpiling future feed requirements now, identifying and selling culls early, creep feeding and/or early weaning are all options to consider. The goal is to sell cows when you want to sell, not when you must sell.
The next session will be at the end of April where topics covered will be breeding season and forage systems. While admission is closed for this year, it is my hope that someone reading my summaries throughout the programs is interested in attending next year. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. I may not have the answer right away, but I know people that will!
Barry Weber
(402)335-3669