Category: Farm Management
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Low-Stress Cattle Management
Jared from Strong Roots Farm has created a great video on everything you need to raise cattle. He puts a lot of emphasis on low-stress management, and for good reason! Stress can really impact your bottom line. It affects the health of your cattle, as well as the taste and texture of beef.
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Small Herd Spring Considerations
As breeders of dual purpose cattle, it can be hard to find all-encompassing management information. Over the years I have pieced together info and practices from beef and dairy offerings. This is a solid article about managing a small beef herd in the spring, and offers some helpful insight. Is it catered to Dexter cattle…
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When Can My Cows Start Grazing?
The question that starts rolling around in all our brains the moment the weather turns and we see the fresh green forage poking through the soil is, when can I start grazing my cattle? This is an important question and one that requires some observation. Turning the cows out too soon could have significant impact…
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Managing Mud
The article below has some simple, cost-effective solutions to managing mud on your farm or ranch. there are also a few more in-depth, long term solutions if you have the time and resources to complete them. We have used wood chips in high traffic areas of our farm with good results. And, we get free…
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Designing a Dexter Cattle Operation for Extreme Winter Weather
An Educational Resource for New Dexter Owners Dexter cattle have a well-earned reputation for being hardy, efficient, and capable of handling conditions that challenge many larger beef breeds. That reputation draws new owners in. It can also quietly set them up for trouble if it leads to the belief that winter preparedness is optional. It…
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Make the Jump to Full Time Farming
Do you have the Homesteading/Hobby farming down, and now you’re wondering what’s next? Is making 100% of a living on the farm a dream? Joel Salatin talks about the essentials, an ingredient list if you will, for transitioning from weekend farming to full-time farming.
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Cattle and Kids Safety Tips
What an idyllic picture kids and animals paint. County fairs are full of animals, including cattle, being lead around the show ring by their young owners. The homestead dream, complete with family milk cow, gives off major romantic vibes. But what does it actually take for children and cattle to interact safely on the farm…
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Financial Record Keeping
If I had a dollar for every time I said, “I’ll remember that later” I’d be a millionaire. But, the times I actually do remember are really rare! If you’re like me, and you need a little help creating better permanent records here is a great podcast to listen to: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/livestock-walaau/id1580454679?i=1000611070012
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Line Breeding vs. Inbreeding
I really enjoyed listening to this Chute Side podcast with Dr. Ryan Rathmann on the definitions and nuances of line breeding vs. inbreeding. As a beef producer he favors cross breeding, but I got a lot of good take-aways for my registered/purebred Dexter breeding program. He talks about the benefits line breeding can add to…
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Heavy Use Pad DIY
If you raise livestock, chances are you’ve dealt with mud. Every year is different, some more challenging than others when it comes to managing livestock and mud. Here is a great DIY video on building a heavy use pad for feeding or high-traffic areas on your farm or homestead. https://youtu.be/euvTtLgaThs?si=aeJKf3S87E3zL8hR
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AI Plans vs. Real Life on the Farm
The Naughty Heifer and the Fence That Failed We had a plan. A good one, too. Three cows—technically two cows and one heifer—were supposed to be prepped for AI. Schedules were coordinated, semen was purchased (expensive, carefully chosen semen), and optimism was high. And then… cows happened. Instead, last night I caught the naughty Jersey…
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Planning Farm Succession
The hard, but important conversations around family succession on the farm. With the price of land and start-up costs at an all time high, it is more difficult than ever to get into farming. In this podcast, Elaine Froese, and her guest, Walt Moore, talk about the key aspects of keeping a farm in the…
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Cheap Hay Isn’t Cheap
“Poor-quality hay robs cow herds of nutrients and producers of profits. So does poor storage and poor management…”
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How to Know When to Begin Grazing After Winter Dormancy for Optimal Growth and Output
If you have any stockpiled forage left from the previous season,.
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Honoring the Matriarchs of the Pasture
Seasoned, Sensible, and Still Running the Herd There is a certain peace that settles over a pasture when mature cows are part of the herd. It’s not loud or dramatic, but it is unmistakable. These cows move with confidence, graze without hurry, and respond to the rhythms of the day as if they were written…
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Avoiding Injury
There have been more times than I care to admit where I did something dumb while working our Dexter cattle. In those situations I am always grateful we have chosen to raise Dexters. Even if I sustain an injury, it is much less severe than if I had been handling a full size cow. Having…
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2025 Agricultural Trends
Reviewing trend predictions at the beginning of 2025. I would say these have been pretty accurate. What trends have you seen in the past year?
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Rotational Grazing During Winter
Winter feed represents one of the largest costs for a livestock production enterprise. https://extension.sdstate.edu/rotational-grazing-during-winter#:~:text=Conventionally%2C%20winter%20grazing%20involves%20turning,finally%20prevents%20access%20to%20grazing
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Tips for Small Farm Management
Tips from a 10 year small farm veteran. Short and sweet and full of experienced, honest wisdom.
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Chores to Keep You Warm in Winter
There are some chores and activities that are more effective in the winter months. Like, for instance, the soil’s freezing and thawing causing seeds to be drawn in, and seeding to be more productive. Some farm tasks are just more enjoyable in the chilly winter air (who wants to split wood in the summer heat?).…
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Grazing Through Snow
Here is a great video from Greg Judy about the benefits of grazing cattle through snow. He includes tips on keeping water from freezing, looking out for parasite issues, and keeping your operation profitable.
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Building a Solid Foundation
This podcast sent me into a few fits of laughter with the speaker’s dry humor. Obviously this experienced vet has been around, and has seen a few things. And while Dexter cattle (including the bulls) tend to be smaller and easier to handle, I highly recommend implementing the recommendations in this podcast. Not only will…
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Guide To Ice Free Livestock Water
Devising a way to keep the stock tanks from freezing solid. https://www.dexterstoday.com/post/ice-free-livestock-water
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“Graze to Save”
The temptation is there, to graze fall pastures too short in hopes of prolonging feeding hay. But, grazing fall pasture too short before the dormant season can actually affect plant health and growth next spring. Click the link to read more
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“Winter Prep for your Herd”
Winter is coming, and it’s time to think about how you can make winter farming/ranching easier on you and easier on your Livestock.
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SHIPPING CATTLE
Preparing cattle to travel to their new home can be overwhelming. Reliable transportation, health papers, disease testing – here’s what you need to know before shipping livestock across state lines. https://www.agproud.com/articles/61584-cattle-drives-preparing-your-livestock-for-interstate-travel#:~:text=Tagging%20along:%20Identification,before%20shipping%20recently%20sold%20livestock
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Looking Stupid
How easy it is to make yourself look stupid, and just how long a country person will let you go on doing it.