Blair Fannin recently published an article in Texas A&M's web-page, AgriLife Today. In the article she quotes Dr. Larry Redmon as he discusses different strategies to increase cattle production in spite of the current drought. Dr. Redmon is a Texas AgriLife Extension Service state forage specialist who shared these strategies and more at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course recently in College Station:
Having a written plan. “You can not manage what you do not measure,” Redmon said. “Keep good records of your stocking rates and your operation overall. It doesn’t do any good to have a plan if you don’t have records. We look back and see if we’ve made progress. If we haven’t made any progress, then what does that tell us about our plan? It may need to be tweaked or modified a little.”
Don’t guess when it comes to evaluating forages for protein content. Redmon suggests having hay tested for nutritive value. “Overestimating your hay’s nutritive value can severely effect animal performance. Underestimating your hay’s nutritive value can lead to excess supplementation costs.”
Redmon also said that your grandfather’s cows that weighed 800 pounds aren’t today’s cattle, in which case many weigh 1,200 pounds. Redmon recommends adjusting your stocking rates to your current cattle and breed characteristics.