Health Tips

• Reduce cattle stress during hot weather; provide adequate shade and water.
• Watch for pinkeye and anaplasmosis problems as biting insects remain abundant.

Forage & Nutrition Notes

• Monitor body condition scores and adjust nutritional program as needed.
• Plan winter grazing and feeding programs in advance– locate seed!
• Watch dallisgrass pastures for ergot contamination as seedheads begin to appear.
• Avoid grazing heavily nitrogen-fertilized warm-season annual pastures during drought to avoid nitrate poisoning.
• Prepare to stockpile tall fescue and bermudagrass pastures for winter grazing.

Winter Calving Herd

• Perform pregnancy check on cows/heifers and cull cows/ heifers based on pregnancy status, soundness, health, and performance.
• Acquire supplies for weaning ahead of time.
• Allow bulls to rest and regain condition.
• To precondition calves, vaccinate for respiratory diseases 45 days before shipment.
• Make sure calves are weighed to collect weaning weights within age range accepted by breeding associations and for performance record keeping.

Spring Calving Herd

• Maintain good breeding records.
• Observe cows and heifers for return to heat.
• Remove bulls by mid-August to end calving season by late May.
• Schedule pregnancy checks 45 to 60 days after the end of the breeding season.

Fall Calving Herd

• Evaluate herd sire options for the next breeding season.
• Organize calving supplies and move fall-calving females close to handling facilities.