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Life on an Illinois Farm
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Special Feeder Cattle Auction (Seasonal)	GX_LS132
Greenville Special Feeder Cattle Sale (Seasonal)	GX_LS133
Walnut Special Feeder Cattle Sale (Seasonal)	GX_LS134
Galesburg Livestock Auction (Wed)	GX_LS136
Reels Livestock Auction (Thu)	GX_LS137
Schuyler Livestock Sales at Rushville (Thu)	GX_LS138
United Producers Inc, Shelbyville IL Livestock Auction (Wed)	GX_LS139
Greenville Livestock Auction (Thu)	GX_LS140
Walnut Livestock Auction at Walnut (Fri)	GX_LS141
Schuyler Special Feeder Cattle Auction (Seasonal)	GX_LS142
Galesburg Special Feeder Cattle Auction (Seasonal)	GX_LS143
Reel Special Feeder Cattle Auction (Seasonal)	GX_LS144
Eastern Cornbelt Direct Feeder Cattle Summary (Fri)	GX_LS161
Illinois Direct Slaughter Sows And Boars (Fri)	GX_LS230
Eastern Cornbelt Direct Feeder Pig Weekly Summary (Fri)	GX_LS255
Feeder Pig Auction For Greenville (Fri)	GX_LS265
Greenville Sheep And Lamb Auction (Fri)	GX_LS320
Eastern Cornbelt Direct Weekly Sheep Report (Fri)	GX_LS335
Carthage Wtd Avg Livestock Auction (Fri)	GX_LS750
Illinois Weekly Combined Wtd Avg Cattle Report (Fri)	GX_LS755

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CattleToday.com
CattleToday's Q & A Boards are a Cattle Forum for swapping information and asking and answering questions about breed, health problems, beginners questions and jokes about cattle and horses.

Cow won't let calf nurse....
by robertwhite (Posted Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:56:04 GMT)
Well, looks like this just may work out after all.

I observed the cow stand for nursing on 3 separate occasions today/tonight with the hobbles on. Tomorrow, I will let the pair out into the pasture (still with hobbles) with the rest of the herd and see if she will stand for the calf out there too. I will let her deal with the hobbles for another 4-5 days before taking a chance on removing them. She may have a hard time getting around, but is sure as he!! beats having to bottle feed a calf for 4 mths and getting rid of the cow.

baseball
by tsmaxx47 (Posted Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:33:14 GMT)
same here Highgrit. i wish ted turner would buy them back though. i've been watching all winter waiting for them to buy a big bat and it looks like i'll be waiting for awhile more. at least they got rid of derrick lowe and kowakami........

Just looking for a few comments.
by houstoncutter (Posted Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:22:44 GMT)
Red Bull Breeder wrote:
Here is a step back in time and a bull i fall back on quite often. Kinda think Houston will like him.

WhoBoy!!!! yea thats more what I like to see. Whats the bulls name or number.....unless of course, if its Orion. Nope.... that Orion bull was just a big frame making bull, but he did have good numbers across the board, but to me his offspring were hard doing animals

Winter photos
by hillsdown (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:55:36 GMT)
Beautiful pics as usual Dylan, your daughter has an amazing eye for detail !

Feeding Cows in Winter
by SRBeef (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:50:14 GMT)
I have been asked about how I feed my cows over the winter while the steers are grazing corn. What I have found to be the best for method for me is to just put out good hay (10-12% protein) along with Mineralyx tubs and good well water from heated waterers.

here is a rather non descript picture for the CT poster that asked by PM. This shows a few of my cows recently. I tried bale grazing and found it was not for me.

Settled on putting out 4 of my purchased 1500 lb 5x6 bales (6000 lb of hay) at one time, 3 bales in the cradle feeders shown which are preferred by the cows and 1 bale in the ring feeder which is easier for the retained heifer calves.

the cows and retained heifer calves were put back together around Jan 1 after 8 weeks of fenceline weaning.

I dont move these feeders through the winter - just keep putting more hay in them and dont refill until they are all cleaned out. I figure 2.5% of the total weight of the cattle in this pasture per day when using wrapped bales, 3% with unwrapped (netwrap only) bales due to more waste this time of year. So this group is good for about a week on 6000lb of hay.

Since this picture, I have finished the unwrapped bales and all bales put out from now until May 1 have been OD wrapped with plastic. Much less hay waste, especially as we get into late March and April.

I used to move the feeders but lost a good cow a week or two before calving when she laid down in the soft spot where one of the feeders had been after I moved it and she went caste, couldn't get up and died overnight. A sad and expensive lesson.

so now those feeders don't move all winter. this leaves a nice pack of manure and dropped hay (not significant hay loss) which I cleanup in the spring after moving the cows and their new calves to green grass in a different pasture. I pile the pack with a manure fork on my loader into a couple big compost piles. The remains of my last compost pile are visible on the far left background in the picture. I use this composted manure/hay on my grazing corn strips and to fuel my raised bed gardens. It is like rocket fuel for vegetables.

Not a good picture but hope it helps. I like the http://www.balefeeder.com cradles and the Applegate 2-pc red rings fwiw.

Jim

Job Opportunity
by jedstivers (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:43:33 GMT)
Relationship based on cheating and lying with a big dose of stupidity thrown in. Least they are saving two other people.

Pic of a good heifer
by GRTiger85 (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:38:46 GMT)
I have to agree with Alan, at the present time she looks like an average heifer at best to me.

Bagged mineral vs. Block
by B&M Farms (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:27:55 GMT)
There are blocks that are made just as loose mineral with 2 to 2 and 2 to 1 ratios. They are coarser and more expensive than the normal salt or mineral blocks. I still think loose mineral is the way to go because the cattle can get what they need in a short time instead of constantly having to lick a block. Blocks are easier might be one reason they are still popular but most people using them are not reading the label or don't understand their cattles mineral needs. There are very few places that are not deficient in a few minerals cattle require to reach there maximum levels. I have seen cattle do fine here with nothing more than white salt blocks and we are low in copper and a few other minerals. But those same cattle might have done better as far as breed back, milk and other issues if on a better mineral program. I feel that there are some things you can do without when it comes to cattle but a good mineral program and improving your soil are probably the two things that will show the most impact on herd health.

TiGerstripe cattle
by B&M Farms (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:11:46 GMT)
Not all brahman hereford crosses are tigerstriped either but most make good mamas.

fertilizer cost
by B&M Farms (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:08:46 GMT)
cattlepower wrote:Can all this fertilizer be applied while cattle are grazing the areas being fertilized?

I have fertilized pasture with cows on it with no problems. I would avoid big clumps and not put a huge amount at one time to an acre. All the ground I run cows on call for about a third of the nitrogen my hay meadows call for. I usually put down about 200lbs of total fertilizer at a time on pasture. Double that on hay meadows at a time provided the soil is wet and there is a good chance of rain. I think its a waste to put down fertilizer and not get a rain on it soon.

chopping corn stover
by inbredredneck (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:56:09 GMT)
fargus wrote:Do you use a V-rake after the shredder so you can gather more of it up? Or just run the baler through it and get what you get?
we rake it, hybrid and variety determine windrow size same as hay.

3rd round of our bull photos
by S&S Farms (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:52:09 GMT)
Are you concerned about the second bull, looks to have a weak prepuce? The rest look good.

What is better for you ......
by Dylan Biggs (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:47:59 GMT)
Its the butter!!!

Smallest US Cattle Herd since 1958
by inbredredneck (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:46:55 GMT)
BRG wrote:inbredredneck wrote:Per capita Americans consume less beef in 2011 than they did in 1958.

Herd size in 2011 is at or about at the same level as 1958, however production has increased 103% in the period between 1958 and 2011. The population increase during that period it was 78% so in reality we have more beef production per American capita now than in 1958.

That all may be true, but the world population is growing and that is who we market to, not just here at home.Prior to this year the US imported more beef than it exported.

What breed and a few other questions
by greenbean (Posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:39:19 GMT)
Awesome, thank you

cattletoday.xml

ADAMS RANCH 33RD ANNUAL SALE AVERAGES $3,100
Adams Ranch held their 33rd Annual Cattle Sale on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at the home ranch in Fort Pierce, Fla.
REPOPULATION AFTER DROUGHT SPAWNS NEW RULES
Looking into the future has always been somewhat tricky in the beef business. Far sighted visions or crystal ball predictions stemming around what next year's calf crop is going to look like or where future prices will be are often put on hold by more immediate tasks at hand. Planning ahead can often be tied to the immediacy of Mother Nature.
SOUTHEASTERN CATTLE PRODUCERS COULD MAKE MONEY WITH STOCKERS
“Rain or shine, wet or dry, do you want to make more money from your cows next year?” asks a Texas AgriLife Research forage scientist.
WATER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT NUTRIENT FOR CATTLE
Many producers take water for granted. They have ponds in many pastures or they make sure the float valve in the metal stock tank is working properly, keeping the tank full. But what happens if the pond is low or dry or if the flow to the stock tank is interrupted?
IT'S THE PITTS -- WHAT'LL YOU HAVE?
Did you read where scientists have been successful in implanting human genes into cows? This is no joke. It seems that scientists wanted to make cow's milk more like human milk so that soccer moms will never have to be inconvenienced to nurse their young.
TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT SCOURS IN CALVES
Many ranchers experience a few cases of diarrhea in young calves, and some years are worse than others. Scours can be caused by certain kinds of bacteria, viruses or protozoa.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HOOTER MCCORMICK -- WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Lonnie Johnson had plenty of phobias if you paid close attention, or if you'd known him since he was a kid like Hooter and the gang had.
STUDY CONFIRMS BEEF'S ROLE IN A HEART-HEALTHY DIET
In a first of its kind study, researchers at The Pennsylvania State University demonstrated that eating beef everyday as part of a heart-healthy diet can improve cholesterol levels.
SOUTHERN CONNECTION CHAROLAIS SALE AVERAGES $2,286
The Southern Connection Charolais Sale was held October 22, 2011, in Calhoun, GA.
IT'S THE PITTS -- FROM LEEUARY TO PITTSTOBER
Whenever I get the much-appreciated free calendars at the start of every year there are a few months I'd like to tear out right then and there and be done with them. Sadly, I have to go through the process of living through these much-dreaded months.
PROPER NUTRITION REQUIRES RESEARCH AND PLANNING
This article is the fifth and final installment of a series discussing supplementation options, considerations and strategies. Given the challenges that 2011 “enjoyed” every producer is looking for a bit of breathing room in the coming year.
HUNTIN' DAYLIGHT -- TIME TO PATCH THE ROOF
By all reckoning, 2012 is going to be one of those years when cow-calf producers will have the economic opportunity to fix what needs fixing, be it genetics, management, facilities and whatnot.
BLACK INK -- COMMON GROUND
They say it takes all kinds to make the world, and the adage is all about people. Look around the mall, watch TV or check out the Internet and you find ready evidence of the individuality of individuals.
I AM ANGUS AIRS TONIGHT AT 6 PM CENTRAL ON RFD-TV
A special Christmas edition of the American Angus Association®'s popular I Am Angus television series will air at a new time, Monday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. Central) on RFD-TV.
ENERGY REQUIREMENTS IN FEED NOT AS CLEARLY DEFINED
Over the last few weeks we've been discussing supplementation basics and economics – and how these can be applied by the cattle producer. Up to this point we have largely focused on meeting the protein needs of the animal, the different forms and some of the costs.

Illinois Cattle Links

Ag Universities

Illinois State University
Illinois State University welcomes you. On our Web site you will find many helpful links to important information. From applying online to the Freshman Link, and others.
http://www.ilstu.edu/
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