Includes AHD Sponsor information
A January AHD post shared that 79 percent of farms with beef cows have 49 or fewer cows <Link>. For smaller cow-calf operations, committing to profitability and understanding the market buyer’s needs is key to garnering increased interest in their calves, writes Bruce Derkson. He emphasizes that profit must be the number one goal if a producer wants to make money.
From Derkson’s tips, we noted:
- being sure to identify which vaccines and when given at auction
- know the buyer and where cattle will be sold
- commit to a hard wean of 45 to 60 days
- castrate and dehorn before selling.
Source: Progressive Cattle, June 4, 2025. Link.
INSIGHTS: Derkson’s tips create a good outline for veterinarians to use as they work with producers who have smaller herds. We noted his comments about castration paralleled a recent post from AHD sponsor Lidoband™. Available in four sizes by animal weight, Lidoband™ offers a safer and less painful way to castrate calves at early age. The small size allows bull calves to be castrated within a few days of birth <Link>.
Image: Link.