By Jason M. Warner, Ph.D., Extension Cow-Calf Specialist
COW HERD MANAGEMENT
- For spring-calving cow herds:
- Score cows for BCS concurrent with grass growth.
- 2-4 year old females and thin females will respond most to early-weaning.
- If you plan to early-wean:
- Develop your plan for feeding and marketing calves.
- Prepare weaning/receiving pens and waterers in advance.
- If feeding early-weaned calves, test your forages and have your ration plan and ingredients in place 2-3 weeks prior to weaning.
- Schedule early pregnancy checking activities if not already done.
- For late-summer and early-fall calving cowherds:
- Evaluate cows for BCS and adjust your plan to ensure mature cows are ≥ 5.0 and 2-4 year old females are ≥ 6.0 at calving.
- The final 60 days prior to calving represents the last opportunity to add BCS economically.
- Review your calving health protocols as needed.
- Closely manage free-choice salt and mineral programs.
- Record date and amount of salt and mineral offered and calculate herd consumption on a pasture or group basis.
- Adjust how you are offering product to cattle if needed to achieve target intake.
- If consumption is 2X the target intake, then cost will be too!
- Properly store bags and pallets to avoid damage and product loss.
- Continue to monitor bulls and their activity throughout the breeding season.
- Monitor BCS, particularly on young bulls.
- If pulling bulls from cows to manage the length of the breeding season, schedule those dates and have them on the calendar in advance.
- If bulls are BCS ≤ 5.0 after breeding, consider supplementing to regain BCS going into fall.
CALF MANAGEMENT
- If creep feeding calves, closely monitor intake and calf condition/fleshiness.
- Monitor calves for summer respiratory illness.
- Schedule any pre-weaning vaccination or processing activities.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
- Evaluate grass growth and adjust your grazing plan as needed.
- Continue efforts to control invasive species in pastures.
- Employ multiple strategies, chemistries for late-season fly/insect control.
- Begin taking inventory of harvested forages for fall feed needs.
- If planning to harvest corn silage, prepare your pile/bunker site and equipment.
- Use the Management Minder tool on KSUBeef.org to plan key management activities for your cow herd for the rest of the year.
- With high feeder calf prices, consider price risk management tools.
- Visit with your local FSA and extension office if you plan to utilize CRP acres for emergency forage use or other assistance programs.
