Beef Management Tips

Livestock Update, June 2006

John B. Hall, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef, Virginia Tech

June Beef Management Calendar

Spring Calving Herds

• Finish AI; turnout cleanup bulls
• Check bulls regularly for performance and injury
• Feed 1st calf heifers separately; give them best forage and supplement
• Use 48 hour calf removal for thin cows and 1st calf heifers at beginning of breeding season
• Begin fly control program
• Begin creep grazing
• Continue feeding high magnesium minerals to prevent grass tetany; may be able to switch to high Se trace salt late in month
• Do mid summer deworming and implanting late in month or early next month
• Finish making first cutting hay early in month
• Start grazing warm season grasses

• Body condition score cows; plan nutrition/grazing program based on BCS
• Begin fly control program
• Do mid summer deworming on replacement heifers and preg heifers (2yr olds)
• Plan marketing program for calves
• Vaccinate calves for VQA programs; line up certification
• Wean calves if selling in VQA weaned program in August (weaned for 45 days)
• Switch to high Se trace mineral salt
• Start grazing warm season grasses

Stocker cattle benefit from re-implanting and ionophores
Stocker cattle will gain an extra 20 to 25 lbs if re-implanted in mid summer. Producers should use the same implant as previously given or another implant for that weight and sex of cattle. Ionophores can also benefit grazing stockers. Products like GainPro® or Rumensin® are approved for grazing cattle and can result in increased gain of 10 to 15%. Remember that response to implants and especially ionophores require abundant good quality pasture. Results with these products after July may be disappointing if you are grazing over-mature grasses or have limited grazing available.

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