I want to thank everyone who attended our last session of the Bosque Beef Academy series. We had a nice crowd and enjoyed a bowl of chili with all of the fixings. The next session of the BBA will be Tuesday, March 26th at the Clifton Civic Center. We will focus on cattle nutrition with a focus on mineral and AR Liquid supplement. Mark your calendar now! We look forward to hosting you for the next continuing education meeting. Following is a summary of the key points from the last BBA session:

Economic Reasons for Good Working Facilities

1. Semi-annual vaccinations and de-worming.

2. Safety for animals and people.

3. Test herd bulls before the breeding season.

4. Palpate to cull non-productive cows.

5. Wean calves and sell as VAC 45.

6. Load out or ship calves safely.

7. Perform artificial insemination to improve genetics

8. Process potential embryo transfer cows (recipients)

Local Ranchers Share Their Thoughts

Mark New and Shawn Kettler, two seasoned cattlemen, visited with the group about what they like in a set of cattle pens. Here are several key points that they felt strongly about:

· Evaluate what your size operation needs to accomplish its goals.

· Have a good squeeze chute and ally that is safe and easy on the cattle.

· Consider the natural flow of the cattle as they enter and proceed through the working facility.

A comfortable catch trap (pen) that leads into the working pens will keep cattle calm and make the owner’s work easier.

Portable vs Permanent Pens

a. Portable pens have a lower initial cost.

b. Construction time will be shorter with portable pens.

c. Availability of knowledgeable welders can be a challenge with permanent pens.

d. Portable gives you the adaptability to changing needs.

e. Portable can be moved to other locations.

f. Portable is easily expandable as your operations grow.

g. Cattlemen can sell portable pens if you sell your ranch.

Both kinds of cattle pens have their place. Think ahead about the needs of your operation long-term.

Established Corral Designs Are Available

Priefert and several other manufacturers have template pen designs available on their website for ranchers to use. Priefert will also provide custom designs for bigger ranches or public venues such as equine farms or show barns. They also create all types of rodeo panels and chutes for arenas. Be sure and check these systems out before starting construction. They could save you time and money! Help is available!

FEBRUARY is the month when our winter grasses begin to grow again………..ryegrass, oats, wheat, rye, and all the varieties of native winter grasses. As you know, cattle will begin to “chase” the green grass as it tries to grow. The challenge is always whether there is enough dry matter in the forage to slow the passage through the digestive system of the cow. Good oats or wheat usually will have enough dry matter for cows and growing cattle. Ryegrass and the native varieties usually will not have adequate dry matter. Cows just can’t eat enough of the small green stuff to do any good. The best solution is to keep enough hay in front of cattle and keep feeding supplement. To compound the problem, calves begin to drop during this time of the year also, which increases the energy requirements of brood cows. Lastly, be sure to keep mineral out for cattle. Use the High Magnesium product with cattle on good oats or wheat. Continue with the regular Wind & Rain 7.5 or 12 with cattle on hay and supplement.