Management Considerations for August 2024
By Jason M. Warner, Ph.D., Extension Cow-Calf Specialist
For spring-calving cow herds: Monitor BCS through late summer, particularly on young females. Use the BCS Record Book from KSRE to record scores! 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 managing cull cows, evaluate the cost of gain relative to the value of gain for marketing decisions. 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. Have calving equipment cleaned and available to use as needed. Closely manage free-choice salt and mineral programs through late summer. 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! Continue to monitor bulls and their activity throughout the breeding season. Monitor BCS, particularly on young bulls. If bulls are BCS ≤ 5.0 after breeding, consider supplementing to regain BCS going into fall. Schedule breeding soundness exams for bulls used for fall service.
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.
Evaluate grass growth and adjust your grazing plan as needed. Employ multiple strategies, chemistries for late-season fly/insect control. Begin taking inventory of harvested forages for fall feed needs. Use the forage inventory calculator (https://www.agmanager.info/hay-inventory-calculator). If planning to harvest corn silage, prepare your pile/bunker site and equipment. If using a custom harvester, communicate with them well in advance. Closely monitor whole plant moisture levels. Have silage tarps in place and ready to cover once harvest is complete. Use the Management Minder tool on KSUBeef.org to plan key management activities for your cowherd 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 for information on other assistance programs.
