Author: Aaron Berger

  Have you ever stopped to think about what the dollar value of the nutrients in the hay are worth as fertilizer once they have been processed by the cow? Here’s some math to provide an answer: Mature cows at maintenance should excrete 100% of the nutrients they consume in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus and […]

Thanks for this article go to Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator, Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist, and J. David Aiken, Extension Water and Agricultural Law Specialist. Watch the Sept. 2, 2021 webinar, “Considerations When Developing Winter Cow Care Agreements,” for a more in-depth look at creating good agreements for all parties.   […]

One of the most common problems I’ve been seeing lately is folks running out of forage for the number of animals they have. The problem grows when drought is factored in. Graziers have questions about what they should do in these cases, and Aaron Berger has some answers.   Current drought conditions across many parts […]

This is the time of year when many folks are choosing their replacement heifers. These tips from Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Aaron Berger and his colleagues at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will help you make good choices. First, get rid of heifers whose mothers were troublesome. Send on heifers that are: • from cows […]

Thanks to co-author Dr. Jerry Volesky, University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension range and forage specialist. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. Dry conditions in many parts of the country are […]

One of the ways that beef producers can be successful in their business is to identify what their competitive advantage is in relation to their competition.  What is it about your product, skills, reputation, business structure, location or service that sets you apart from others?  What gives you a “leg up” on the competition? Asking […]

This article comes to us from Aaron L. Berger, Extension Educator, and Rick N. Funston, Beef Reproductive Physiology Specialist, both from University of Nebraska Extension. In the past several decades, post-weaning development of replacement heifers has focused on feeding heifers to reach a target body weight of 60 to 65 percent of mature weight at […]

This article is a summary of the 2019 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report “The Effect of Cow Udder Score on Subsequent Calf Performance in the Nebraska Sandhills”. Joslyn K. Beard, Jacki A. Musgrave, Rick N. Funston and J. Travis Mulliniks were collaborators on this research study and report. Listen to a discussion of the content in […]

Flooding in many parts of the country may mean less hay for the winter. Drought is a problem in other places. No matter the reason, here are some tips for making it through the winter.

Are you looking for a new bull? This January 2018 article has some suggestions as you search. The purchase of a bull is a significant investment and represents the genetic future of the calves and in many cases replacement heifers that will go into the cowherd. The following are thoughts on a process that producers […]

Most of these tips apply to any kind of livestock that will be giving birth. So check it out!

  The fall of the year is often a convenient time for those involved in cow-calf share and cash leases of spring calving cows to revisit the terms of the agreement.  Market values of cattle, interest rates, pasture rental rates and feed costs can change significantly from year to year.  Discussing how the share or […]

The purchase of a bull is a significant investment and represents the genetic future of the calves and in many cases replacement heifers that will go into the cowherd. The following are thoughts on a process that producers can use when planning the purchase of their next sire. What do you want your cowherd and […]

More recent research is overturning old ideas about heifer development and providing ways to reduce costs while maintaining breed-back rates and longevity in the herd.

This article is also available as a BeefWatch podcast, if you’d like to listen instead. Just go to iTunes here, or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. Cow depreciation is frequently the second or third largest expense to the cow-calf enterprise after feed, but since it is a non-cash expense, it is often overlooked by cow-calf […]