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Articles by Eldon Cole
Performance bull sale averages $3,678
Forty-four performance and genomically tested bulls averaged $3,678, Oct. 25 at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center. The Angus sale-topper brought $6,200 for longtime consignors Wiles Ridge Ranch, Willow Springs. The successful buyer was an even longer buyer at the sale, Brackenridge Brothers, El Dorado Springs., Their first bull purchase was made in 1994 at the tested bull sale when it was held at Mt. Vernon.
Missouri Steer Feedout accepting entries
Entries will be accepted through Oct. 10 for the next Missouri Steer Feedout, with weigh-in on Nov. 2, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. An entry consists of five or more head of steers born after Jan. 1, 2021. At delivery they should be weaned at least 45 days, weigh over 500 pounds, be dehorned, castrated and healed, and have had two rounds of modified live vaccines. The Missouri Steer Feedout started in 1981 at a small feedlot in Dade County near Lockwood.
Missouri cattlemen's tour planned Sept. 11
The Southwest Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Tour is set for Sept. 11, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The first stop is at Ronnie Veith’s, Purdy 8358 Farm Road 1055. From Purdy, go west on State Road B to 1055 then south 1/4 mile. Veith runs around 150 cows that calve spring and fall. The cows are mostly Angus crossbred with Simmental, Hereford, Brangus and Santa Gertrudis mixed in.
Time to evaluate herd for hair shedding
Mid-April to mid-June is the ideal time to evaluate your cow herd’s hair shedding ability. This may seem to be a silly thing to do, but hair shedding is a moderately heritable trait. Thus, if you’ve noticed some animals in your herd are still pretty shaggy this time of year, take notes regarding them and their performance.
Calving Age for Heifers
Klaire Howerton February 22, 2021 Calving Age for Heifers2021-02-22T09:46:16-06:00 Farm Help Is 2 years old too young to calve heifers? On many operations in the Ozarks, producers aim to have their heifers produce their first calf at 2 years old, which means heifers are bred around 15 months of age. On paper, heifers should calve at 2 years of age so they can pay for themselves and earn a profit over their productive lifetime.
Calving Age for Heifers
Klaire Howerton February 11, 2021 Calving Age for Heifers2021-02-11T12:00:51-06:00 Farm Help Is 2 years old too young to calve heifers? On many operations in the Ozarks, producers aim to have their heifers produce their first calf at 2 years old, which means heifers are bred around 15 months of age. On paper, heifers should calve at 2 years of age so they can pay for themselves and earn a profit over their productive lifetime.
Entries low for tested bull sale
The 96th Southwest Missouri All-Breed Performance Tested Bull Sale will be held at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center 7 p.m. on Oct. 26. Bull entries are low this sale with 34 Angus and two Gelbvieh. Even though the number of bulls are lower than normal, the expected progeny difference numbers are very high on the bulls.
Missouri Steer Feedout entries being accepted
The 2020-21 Missouri Steer Feedout entries are now being accepted through University of Missouri Extension field specialists in livestock. The entry deadline is Oct. 10 and the desired deadline to wean the prospect steers is Sept. 19. The steer feedout is designed to give cow herd owners a chance to discover how their calves perform after they leave the friendly confines of their farm of origin.
Cattlemen’s tour planned
The Southwest Missouri Cattlemen’s Association will hold its annual fall tour on Sept. 12. This year’s event will be in the Halltown vicinity of eastern Lawrence County. The tour begins at 1:30 p.m. at Blue Silo Beef 1 mile south of I-44 on Highway O at Halltown. The hosts will be Kassi and Ian Glassman. They own 330 acres and run a Simmental-based cow herd of just over 100 head. They attended a grazing school and are utilizing the management-intensive grazing practices from the school.
Extension offers perspective on buying and selling hay
Missouri ranks fairly high in the nation in hay production. Unfortunately, our hay production is not always the greatest quality. The category we excel in is other grass hay, specifically cool season grass or mostly fescue. As far as high quality hay, such as alfalfa, we end up around 20th place most of the time. This year, Missouri ranked second in the nation, behind South Dakota, for carryover of hay stocks.
Summer Equals Eye Infections
Photos courtesy of Mo. Extension An example of a bad case of pinkeye is shown above. By Eldon Cole A panel of three local veterinarians addressed local beef herd health issues at the Monett Beef Cattlemen’s Conference earlier this year. When asked what the number one problem was year-in and year-out, they agreed it was pinkeye. As summer approaches I’m sure we’ll start hearing about pockets of eye infections around southwest Missouri.
Show-Me-Select Heifer Sale in Joplin Shows Solid Results
By Eldon Cole JOPLIN, Mo. – The May 15 Show-Me-Select Replacement Heifer Sale at Joplin Regional Stockyards saw a large turnout and active bidding on most lots, according to University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. The 215 heifers averaged $1,687. “The sale started off hot with four of the first six lots topping the $2,000 mark,” said Cole. The top price of $2,200 was paid for two red Angus heifers consigned by Kunkel Farms, Neosho. The buyer was Jordan Thomas, Columbia.
Summertime equals eye infections
A panel of three local veterinarians addressed local beef herd health issues at the Monett Beef Cattlemen’s Conference earlier this year. When asked what the No. 1 problem was year-in and year-out, they agreed it was pinkeye. Fly control. (Courtesy photo.) As summer approaches I’m sure we’ll start hearing about pockets of eye infections around southwest Missouri.
Adding Weight to Stockers
Forage height will limit dry matter intake and daily gain. Should not be able to see dew claws. By Eldon Cole Persons running stocker steers or heifers usually want them to gain weight and the more the better. A typical target in southwest Missouri is for them to gain at least two pounds per day. Most stocker operators buy in the 500 pound range and sell at 800 to 900 pounds.
Beef Cattle Hair Shedding
By Eldon Cole, MU Extension On a hot, early summer day in 1993, Dr. Rich Crawford and I were weighing steers at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, Mt. Vernon.The research trial involved mineral supplements for yearling steers grazing “hot” Kentucky 31 fescue.Rich was a research associate at the time.
Plan now for fly control
As warm weather arrives so does fly problems in cattle operations. Flies not only feed on cattle they can transmit diseases such as pinkeye. Researchers even attribute mastitis problems to horn flies that feed around the udders of heifers while they’re still on the cow. Horn flies become an economical concern when over 200 flies per animal can be estimated on their sides and back.
Learn More About Your Cow Herd
By Eldon Cole, MU Extension Do you really know all you should about your beef cows?Chances are most cattle farmers think the answer to that question is a no-brainer.They know whether the cow had produced a calf to sell in the last 15 months or so.Beyond that indicator of the cows’ production merit, most owners fall short when it comes to knowing the true performance strengths and weaknesses of their cows.
Learn more about your cow herd
Do you really know all you should about your beef cows? Chances are most cattle farmers think the answer to that question is a no-brainer. They know whether the cow had produced a calf to sell in the last 15 months or so. Beyond that indicator of the cows’ production merit, most owners fall short when it comes to knowing the true performance strengths and weaknesses of their cows.
What do order buyers really look for in cattle they buy?
For years, cow-calf and stocker operators have asked, “what do buyers value the most when trying to fill orders for a client?” Now we have a look into the mind of buyers and it might surprise you. Dec 27, 2018 By Eldon Cole There’s a range of prices paid for calves at any sale barn you choose. And for years, cow-calf producers have wondered why. Extension specialists from Lawrence County, Mo., took advantage of the experts on hand at the weigh-in for calves entered in the Missouri Steer Feedout.
Beef Farmers Learn from 50 Feedouts
By Eldon Cole Missouri beef herd owners learn profits and risks of sending their calves to a feedlot. They’ve entered 50 Missouri Steer Feedouts run by University of Missouri Extension. To cut risks in learning, they enter samples of five to 20 head, said Eldon Cole, MU Extension livestock specialist. The Missouri Steer Feedout for winter-spring born calves began Nov. 6 at the Joplin Regional Stockyards in Carthage.
Cold brings threat of fescue foot in beef herds
Odd fall weather and fescue pasture growth set up potential poisonous pastures, causing fescue foot in cow herds. Fall growth after a drought produces more toxins in infected tall fescue grass. The poison develops after rains start regrowth following a drought, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension specialist. An extreme example of “fescue foot.” Blood flow is restricted in the extremities, which can lead to limping, swelling, and in extreme cases, loss of the hoof.
Drought takes toll on Missouri farmers' crops, cattle
ST. LOUIS – Parts of Missouri are so dry that corn crops are suffering and hay for cattle is in short supply, with water becoming increasingly scarce, experts say. Missouri has had below-average rainfall since winter. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that nearly all of Missouri is experiencing drought, with several counties in the northwestern part of the state facing “exceptional” conditions – the most dire classification assigned by the monitor.
Drought takes toll on Missouri farmers' crops, cattle
ST. LOUIS – Parts of Missouri are so dry that corn crops are suffering and hay for cattle is in short supply, with water becoming increasingly scarce, experts say. Missouri has had below-average rainfall since winter. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that nearly all of Missouri is experiencing drought, with several counties in the northwestern part of the state facing “exceptional” conditions – the most dire classification assigned by the monitor.
Drought takes toll on Missouri farmers' crops, cattle
In this Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the University of Missouri Extension, a steer takes shelter under a bush near a dry pond on a farm near Monett, Mo. Drought conditions across most of Missouri are causing concerns for farmers. Corn yields could be lower than normal and hay, vital for feeding cattle, is proving scarce. About three-quarters of Missouri pastures are in poor or very poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Drought takes toll on Missouri farmers' crops, cattle
In this Aug. 10, 2018 photo provided by the University of Missouri Extension, a steer takes shelter under a bush near a dry pond on a farm near Monett, Mo. Drought conditions across most of Missouri are causing concerns for farmers. Corn yields could be lower than normal and hay, vital for feeding cattle, is proving scarce. About three-quarters of Missouri pastures are in poor or very poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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