Betsy's Backyard Blog

I traveled with Bob to the McNay Research Farm in Clariton, Iowa, yesterday to attend a beef cattle research day for veterinarians. Much of the material could be helpful for anyone with a cow-calf herd. Here are some highlights.

4 Steps to Selecting Bulls Are you buying bulls that really help your herd? Become a better match-maker. Here are tips:

1. Determine the best bull breed for your operation (not just what is popular)

2. Evaluate bull performance using EPDs and other data. Don't forget the Docility EPD. "You better look at it if you have trouble getting over a 5-strand barbed wire fence," says Patrick Wall, Iowa State Extension beef specialist. Small herds, especially those owned by families with kids, do not want aggressive bulls.

3. Visually evaluate bulls and how that fits with your cow herd.

4. Who is your customer? (Define the market strategy for your beef product.)

Foot problems in bulls and cows are becoming more common. Two main issues are shallow heels with long toes and scissor/corkscrew claws. Data is being collected in the cattle industry and EPDs will be provided as soon as sufficient data is submitted. Meanwhile, before you buy a young bull ask about his genetic history as relates to feet problems.

Tall Fescue is a growing problem in pastures. The fescue belt is moving north. Fescue toxicosis is a health disorder, not nutritional, but you must meet cow mineral requirements. Fescue toxicosis causes narrowing of blood vessels, foot problems, low feed intake and rate of gain, birthing problems, poor milk production and more. Seed head and stems are the worst, but alkaloids are in the entire plant. Pasture management is crucial. Please see more information here.

What is the #1 Concern for beef cow herds in Iowa? Availability of grass. In five years, between the last two Census of Agriculture reports, Iowa lost 21% of its pastureland, mainly to row crops. YIKES.

Here is a new Grassroots Grazing Program for young and beginning graziers: http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/news/GrassrootsGrazing2015.html

There are so many wonderful sights to see in May, things to smell, things to do. I traveled on farms in Illinois and Missouri last week, collecting photos and interviews for Living the Country Life. There is nothing better than seeing the countryside and talking to farmers. Unless it's sitting under the blooming lilac bushes with a good book.

Of all the calves to come up to me in this pasture.

This is the east grove at our small farm in Iowa. The smell is out of this world. Bees loves these blossoms!

What's up?

I like to sit under the lilac bush while Bob mows. Score.

I really didn't want this fight to happen in front of me, and luckily it didn't.

Another photo of my flowering crabapple trees. Aaaahhh.

Little Speck is growing like crazy. This is one of the twin females I showed you earlier, the first lambs born on our farm this spring. Love the markings. They are racing around outside now, leaping in the sunshine.

Bob had to perform a c-section on a ewe this week. He set up a surgery station in her pen. She and her surviving lamb (another was dead) are doing fine today.

I love the photo below of a ewe sniffing out what Bob is doing.

Our first lambs of 2015 were born last night and they are spotted like tiny Holstein cows. So cute. The black spots are new for our herd, thanks to the two rams we bought from Dean Houghton in Missouri last fall. It will be fun to see how long the spots stay black and how many other lambs have these markings.

The Dorset ewe lamb above is a yearling. She's doing a great job with these twins. Below is another lamb Bob is warming up in a sink bath. I'm not sure it's going to make it. That ewe struggled to lamb.