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Beef Tips

Author: Jessica Jensen

Cold Stress Impacts and Resources

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

The New Year often brings with it some of the coldest months of the year.

Cattle are most comfortable within the thermonuetral zone when temperatures are neither too warm nor cold. During the winter months cattle experience cold stress anytime the effective ambient temperature, which takes into account wind chill, humidity, etc., drops below the lower critical temperature. The lower critical temperature is influenced by both environmental and animal factors including hair coat and tissue insulation (body condition). The table below lists the estimated lower critical temperatures of cattle in good body condition with different hair coats. In wet conditions cattle can begin experiencing cold stress at 59°F, which would be a relatively mild winter day. However, if cattle have time to develop a sufficient winter coat the estimated lower critical temperature under dry conditions is 18°F. Cold stress increases maintenance energy approximately 1% for each degree below the lower critical temperature, but does not impact protein, mineral or vitamin requirements. Thus, maintenance energy requirements of cattle may increase by 15-20% on those exceptionally cold and windy days that commonly occur in January and February. Increased maintenance energy requirements essentially means that less energy is available for production (gain), which translates to lower ADG, increased Feed:Gain, and greater Days on Feed.

The Kansas State University Mesonet now has an animal comfort feature that provides an index of animal comfort (heat and cold stress) for current condition as well as 7-day forecast. The Mesonet allows users to see both statewide maps and select specific weather stations across the state. The animal comfort page of the Kansas Mesonet may be accessed at https://mesonet.k-state.edu/agriculture/animal/current/.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu

Safe Work Practices for Working in the Cold

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

January and February are some of the coldest months of the year and often bring extreme weather conditions that can be challenging for agricultural workers who work in the elements. Although there are no specific standards or regulations regarding what employers must provide to employees that are required to work in winter conditions. Employers do have an obligation to provide workers with employment and a work place that are free from recognized hazards (Section 5a 1 OSHA, 1970). Thus, employers have an obligation to train employees and ensure that they are aware of the risks of cold stress and safe work practices for working in the cold. The U. S. Department of labor, OSHA website offers the following suggestions for preventing cold stress https://www.osha.gov/emergency-preparedness /guides/cold-stress.

Safe work practices to prevent cold stress.

  • If possible, schedule heavy work during the warmer part of the day.
  • Assign workers to tasks in pairs (buddy system), so that they can monitor each other for signs of cold stress.
  • Reduce the physical demands of workers (for example, use relief workers or rotate extra workers in and out of work for long, demanding jobs).
  • Workers can be allowed to interrupt their work, if they are extremely uncomfortable.
  • Employers should give workers frequent breaks in warm areas.
  • Acclimatize new workers and those returning after time away from work, by gradually increasing their workload, and allowing more frequent breaks in warm areas, as they build up a tolerance for working in the cold environment.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

Management Considerations for February 2024

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

By Jason M. Warner, Ph.D., Extension Cow-Calf Specialist

COW HERD MANAGEMENT

  • Target BCS at calving for spring-calving cows:
    • 5 for mature cows
    • 6 for young females
  • Be ready to start your post-calving nutrition program for spring-calving cows.
  • Evaluate fall-calving cows for BCS:
    • Adjust nutrition program as needed relative to weaning date
  • If conditions allow, keep grazing crop residues and dormant pastures but be prepared to move cattle or provide supplemental feed.
  • Increase energy content 1% for every degree F below the lower critical temperature (LCT) when dry, 2% if they have a wet hair coat.
  • Put down bedding, remove snow, ensure cattle have access to wind protection.
  • Supply adequate water volume and space in freezing conditions.
  • Don’t forget about your herd bulls!
    • Bulls need to be in a BCS ≥ 5.0 prior to the next season of use
    • Keep young and mature bulls separate if possible and provide plenty of space to prevent injury
    • Spread sufficient fresh bedding to help avoid testicular frostbite

CALF MANAGEMENT

  • Do you have a plan for weaning and marketing fall-born calves?
    • Evaluate your feed resources and cost of gain relative to the value of gain
    • Talk to prospective buyers in advance of selling
  • Evaluate calf health protocols, both spring- and fall-born calves.
  • Monitor growth and pubertal development of replacement heifers.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

  • For spring-calving herds this calving season:
    • How are you going to record your calving data?
    • What information are you going to record?
  • Take inventory of supplies and clean equipment prior to spring calving.
  • If making bull selection decisions:
    • Review your herd performance relative to your marketing and genetic goals.
    • Study EPDs impacting your marketing and genetic goals and do your homework well before sale day.

Cold Stress in Cattle

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

Winter is here and most cattle producers appreciate that cold weather increases nutrient requirements. However, what increases and by how much?
Cattle are most comfortable within the thermonuetral zone when temperatures are neither too warm nor cold. The upper and lower boundaries of the thermonuetral zone are referred to as the upper and lower critical temperature. During the winter months cattle experience cold stress anytime the effective ambient temperature, which takes into account wind chill, humidity, etc., drops below the lower critical temperature. The lower critical temperature is influenced by both environmental and animal factors including hair coat and tissue insulation (body condition). The table below lists the estimated lower critical temperatures of cattle in good body condition with different hair coats. In wet conditions cattle can begin experiencing cold stress at 59°F, which would be a relatively mild winter day. However, if cattle have time to develop a sufficient winter coat the estimated lower critical temperature under dry conditions is 18°F.

Cold stress increases maintenance energy requirements but does not impact protein, mineral or vitamin requirements. The general rule of thumb (for a cow in good body condition, BCS = 5 or greater) is to increase the energy density of the ration by 1% for each degree (Fahrenheit) below the lower critical temperature. The classic response to cold stress in confinement situations is an increase in voluntary intake. However, it has been documented that cattle maintained in extensive environments (native range, wheat pasture, corn stalks) may spend less time grazing as temperatures decline below freezing, which reduces forage intake (Adams et al., 1986) and makes the challenge of meeting the cow’s nutrient requirements even greater. In many cases feeding a greater amount of low-quality hay will replace grazed forages but may not provide sufficient energy. Therefore providing additional energy by feeding a higher-quality hay or fiber-based supplement (DDGS, Corn gluten feed, or Soybean Hulls) may be required.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

Organizational Reflection

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

The current year will soon be ending. This is a great time for individuals and organizations to reflect back on the events of the past 12 months. The value of reflection within an organization dramatically increases if it used as a tool to evaluate not only where the organization has been but also where it is headed. A few basic questions may be used to guide the process.
What did you or the business succeed at?
What were your failures?
What was learned from those successes and failures?
What would you like to do more of or what generated positive outcomes for the organization?
What should you stop doing?

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

Management Considerations for January 2024

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

COW HERD MANAGEMENT

  • Body condition score both spring- and fall-calving cows.
    • Target BCS for spring calvers at calving: 5 for mature cows, 6 for young females.
    • Adjust nutrition program prior to calving as needed for spring-calvers
    • Ensure fall-calvers maintain BCS through winter if still nursing calves
  • Continue grazing crop residues and dormant pastures as they are available but be prepared to move cattle or provide supplemental feed as conditions dictate.
  • Be ready to react to severe winter weather effects on cow nutrient requirements by providing additional feed which may be more challenging this year with a tighter supply of forages.
  • Review your nutrition program and test harvested forages for the following:
    • Moisture/dry matter
    • Crude protein
    • Energy (NEm, NEg, and/or TDN)
    • Fiber components (ADF, NDF)
    • Macro-minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, salt)
    • Nitrates when appropriate
    • Starch for silage crops
  • Manage young and mature bulls during the offseason to ensure bulls are BCS ≥ 5.0 prior to the next season of use and have adequate winter protection.

CALF MANAGEMENT

  • Consider your plans for weaning and marketing fall-born calves.
    • Watch the feeder calf market
    • Evaluate your feed resources and cost of gain
    • Talk to prospective buyers in advance of selling
  • Review/update your health protocols as needed for newborn calves.
  • Consider either supplementing fall-calving pairs or creep feeding fall-born calves to maintain calf performance on low-quality winter forages.

Monitor replacement heifers to ensure they are adequately growing and developing, take check weights and adjust your plane of nutrition accordingly.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

  • Update herd records and use them to assess performance.
  • Review your genetic selection strategy to ensure your goals are met.
  • Develop and/or revise your risk management plans for the coming year.
  • Discuss herd health protocol with your veterinarian.
  • Take inventory of supplies and clean equipment prior to spring calving.
  • Ensure plans are in place to provide bedding, wind protection, and snow removal.
  • Make arrangements to ensure sufficient water is available in freezing conditions.
  • Evaluate your short and long-term herd inventory goals with current conditions.
  • Renew lease arrangements as necessary.
  • Schedule an annual meeting with your lender, insurance agent and extension professional

What’s it Cost to Produce a Calf

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

Previously in this column I have discussed calf revenue, which is principally driven by 1) the number of calves marketed 2) sale weight of calves and 3) price received. Now I would like to examine the other component of the profit equation (Revenue – Expenses = Profit) and discuss production expenses/costs and more specifically “What does it cost to produce a calf (in Kansas)?” The Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA) Enterprise Reports, which may be accessed at https://www.agmanager.info/kfma, are an excellent resource for production cost data in Kansas. This information may be used by cattle producers to benchmark their operations with other comparable enterprises (Spring vs. Fall calving etc.). The total feed and operational costs (total of all non-feed costs) per cow from 2018 to 2022 for all KFMA cow-calf operations is illustrated below.

Figure 1. Total feed and non-feed costs (operational) of Kansas cow-calf producers

This figure demonstrates that both feed and non-feed costs have increased over the last five years and that non-feed costs are often greater than or equal to feed costs. The average cost to produce a calf in 2018 was $1041/cow and was $1,239/cow in 2022. When expressed as a percentage the total cost to produce a calf in Kansas increased 19% from 2018-2022. Further increases in production costs may be expected in 2023 given current economic conditions and the persistence of drought conditions.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu

Define the Culture of Your Organization

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

The term “organizational culture” continues to be a popular topic among management and leaders in the business world. Michael Watkins, in an article for the “Harvard Business Review” (https://hbr.org/2013/05/what-is-organizational- culture) explains this is the strategy which an organization or business uses to hire, manage, retain, and develop current employees for leadership roles. Many businesses, organizations and even universities lose exceptionally talented employees because their strengths and talents were not recognized. Additionally, an effective talent management strategy provides a mechanism to develop future leaders and managers. Managers play a key role in an organizations talent management strategy, as they must identify talented, exceptional employees. Managers also serve as mentors, providing coaching and feedback to develop employees. Research conducted by the American Society for Training and Development documented that those organizations with the most successful talent management systems, asked managers to discuss the talents and skills of their most talented employees with other managers and leaders. Discussing the organizations most talented employees creates an internal talent pool that various departments can draw from to fill current positions. Do you have exceptional employees in your organization? What is your talent management strategy? Are you at risk of losing your best employees? He suggests that organizational culture is often debated because we know it’s important, but there is little consensus on what it actually is. The classical definition of organizational culture is the shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution or organization. Others define organizational culture more simply as “who we are and how we do things.” Most employees spend more time in the workplace than their homes. Thus, the culture of an organization becomes an important component of a healthy workplace environment. A recent Gallup poll reported that employees who “strongly agree” with the statement “I feel connected to my organizations culture” are 3.7 times as likely to be engaged in their work and 68% less likely to feel “burned out.” Culture is important. So, what is the culture of your organization? Independently and anonymously asking your staff or employees to “Define the culture of your organization in one word” can be great way to capture and define the culture of your organization.
For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

Management Considerations for December 2023

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

By Jason M. Warner, Ph.D., Extension Cow-Calf Specialist

Cow Herd Management

  • If not already done, take inventory of and test harvested forages for the following:
    • Moisture/dry matter
    • Crude protein
    • Energy (o(NEm, NEg, and/or TDN)
    • Fiber components (ADF, NDF)
    • Macro-minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, salt)
    • Nitrates and/or prussic acid when appropriate
    • Starch for silage crops
  • Calculate forage needs based on herd inventory, cattle weight, and days, and develop a plan to ensure that adequate harvested forage is available if grazing is limited (https://www.agmanager.info/hay-inventory-calculator.)
  • Body condition score cows to develop informed supplementation strategies (both spring and fall-calving herds.)
  • Consider utilizing crop residues for late-fall and winter grazing needs.Assess down grain in the field and be aware of nitrates and prussic acid (around the time of frost for sorghums.)
  • For spring-calving cow herds:
    • Schedule pregnancy checking if not already done.
      • How were pregnancy rates relative to last year?
      • Do we need to re-think our fall/winter nutrition program?
  • For fall-calving cow herds:
  • Review your marketing strategy for cull cows.
    • Cows with a BCS ≥ 6.0 will likely sell well with current market prices.
    • Look for opportunities to increase value by adding weight prior to market.
  • Ensure bulls undergo breeding soundness exams prior to fall/winter service.
  • Manage young and mature bulls during the offseason to ensure bulls are BCS ≥ 5.0 prior to the next season of use.

Calf Management

  • If not already done, make arrangements to wean spring-born calves.
    • Finalize plans to either market calves or retain and add weight post-weaning.
    • If marketing calves, communicate your strategy to prospective buyers in advance.
  • If not already done, schedule your breeding protocols for fall replacement heifers in advance of the breeding season.
    • If synchronizing with MGA, make sure intake is consistent at 0.5 mg of melengestrol acetate per hd per day for 14 days, and remove for 19 days prior to administering prostaglandin.
  • If retaining calves post-weaning:
    • Review your nutrition plan.
    • Ensure you have sufficient forages available to match cow herd needs.
    • Closely observe feed and water intake the first few weeks.
    • Make sure all cattle have sufficient access to feed and water.
  • Review/update your health protocols as needed for either weaned or new-born calves.
  • Consider either supplementing fall-calving pairs or creep feeding fall-born calves to maintain calf performance on low-quality winter forages.
  • For replacement heifers, manage your program to properly develop them prior to your given breeding time.

Forest/Pasture Management

  • Make plans for controlling invasive species for the next growing season.
  • Winterize water sources if applicable.
  • Work on fencing/facility projects as time/weather allows.

General Management

  • Develop and/or review your risk management plans for the coming year.
  • Evaluate your short and long-term herd inventory goals with current conditions.
  • Update lease arrangements as necessary.
  • Schedule an annual meeting with your lender, insurance agent, and extension professional.
  • Consider opportunities to lock prices in, if possible, for co-products and commodity feeds.
  • Understand what nutrients you are targeting to purchase and price feeds on a cost per unit of nutrient basis.

Feeding Newly-Weaned Calves

Posted on by Jessica Jensen

One of the primary challenges associated with weaning calves is simply getting newly-weaned calves to consistently consume feed. The transition from a milk and grazed forage to grazed forage and supplement, hay and supplement, or a ration containing novel feeds delivered in a bunk isn’t always easy. However, a little preparation and following a simple feeding management strategy can help calves make this necessary transition. Feeding both cows and calves a small amount of the supplement or weaning ration prior to weaning, in the weaning pen or pasture can be used help acclimate calves to both the feeds and the environment. Additionally, feed intake of weaned calves is often low (1.0 to 1.5 % of bodyweight, dry basis) immediately following weaning. Calves also have relatively high nutrient requirements. Thus, the weaning diet must be nutrient dense to meet the nutrient requirements of the calves at the expected intakes previously mentioned. Unfortunately, the dry feeds calves are often most familiar with (typically grass hays) are not necessarily nutrient dense. At the K-State Agriculture Research Center in Hays, a feeding management protocol for weaning calves has been developed that works well for transitioning weaned calves to a total mixed ration. The protocol is summarized in the table below. Essentially, high-quality grass hay and the weaning ration are offered each at 0.5% of the calves’ current bodyweight, dry basis, on the day of weaning. The weaning ration is placed in the bottom of the bunk and the hay is placed on top. The amount the weaning ration is steadily increased, while the amount of hay offered remains constant. In addition, on day 4 the hay is placed on the bottom of the bunk. Over a period of 7-10 days the dry intake of the calves is steadily increased and should reach approximately 2.2-2.5% of the calves bodyweight by 10-14 days following weaning.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.