Maximizing Profit and Opportunity: Sell, Keep or Buy Open Cows?

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:51:32 GMT

The goal for every cow should be to produce a calf every 365 days. One of the hardest decisions at pregnancy check time is deciding what to do with open or late-bred cows.

Kansas State University veterinarian Bob Larson says cows that don’t rebreed or that calve late are often sold because they no longer fit into a producer’s management program.

When deciding which option is best for an open cow, it is important to consider multiple economic and management perspectives.

Larson explains there are two producer approaches to open cows:

Detail-oriented, tight breeding program. He says these managers “run a really good, tight ship.” These producers calve early, keep costs under control, sell all opens and even late bred cows because they don’t fit their tight management system.
Risk-takers, opportunity seekers. “The other group who are pretty economically viable are guys who will do anything,” Larson says. “They are looking for undervalued cattle to add value to them.” These producers will keep or even buy open or late bred cows with the goal to increase value and profitability.

During a recent “ Beef Cattle Institute Cattle Chat ,” Larson and his K-State colleagues Brad White and Brian Lubbers, veterinarians; Phillip Lancaster, beef cattle nutritionist; and Dustin Pendell, ag economist, discussed cull cows. The team shares these considerations when evaluating cull cows.

Reproductive factors. Lancaster says an important question to consider is if an open cow results from a reproductive biology issue or a nutrition problem. The consensus by the Beef Cattle Institute team was that determining the exact cause can be challenging and each cow requires individual assessment. White says first-calf heifers can be a challenge due to nutrition needs and the fact they’re still growing.
Economic analysis. Pendell emphasizes the importance of putting pencil to paper and calculating costs of keeping an open cow versus selling. The cull cow market tends to have seasonal value changes. For example, White says in the fall the cull cow market tends to be lower because of the large influx of open spring-calving cows.

To overcome this potential loss in value producers could retain ownership. Larson explains winter feeding costs could be up to $2 per day. If low winter-feeding options are available, retaining ownership and feeding to add weight and trying to re-breed for next-season calving could add value to the cow. The producer could then sell as a bred cow or keep.

Another option discussed was feeding the cow as a feeder. Larson explains previous research investigating the use of a growth implant and putting the cull cow on the corn diet. He says this is a good option if the cow is thin, as she will gain efficiently and could add profit to the cow compared to selling during a lower market.

Open cows can be viewed as either a loss or an opportunity, depending on a producer’s management approach.

White summarizes the cull cow strategy by saying: “Producers don’t have to make a knee-jerk reaction. It might not be the same every year, depending on feed cost and forage availability. Do the math and decide.”

Listen to the podcast .

Your next read: Cull Cows – Should They Stay or Should They Go? And When Should They Go?

Calving Tips: Dealing with Protective Moms

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:48:39 GMT

As spring calving season continues, producers continue to monitor and assist when needed as their next calf crop hits the ground. Dealing with protective moms can be a challenging situation, two industry leaders and a producer share their tips on how to prevent and cope with the situation when faced with an unruly cow.

The first 24 hours is a key time in the newborn’s life. Ron Lemenager, Purdue beef specialist, says calves older than 24 hours are typically hard to catch, so if you plan to process the newborn, it should be done as soon as possible after birth.

“Outside of colostrum, I don’t often talk about some of the other chores that might need done in that time period,” says AJ Tarpoff, Kansas State University Extension veterinarian. “Simply because it’s different for every operation.”

Work as a team: It’s hard to know if you are in danger without someone watching your back. One person can entertain the cow, while the other can tag or accomplish what is needed.”

(Angie Stump Denton)

Depending on your management program, producers may choose to perform some of these tasks in the first 24 hours: tagging, castrating, dehorning, taking birth weights, giving selenium injections or recording calf information in a calving book.

It might be necessary to use nutritional supplements/injectables depending on the operation and cow status. Tarpoff encourages producers to discuss proper products and protocols to use at calving with your veterinarian prior to the first calf hitting the ground.

Commercial cattle producer Tyler Tobald, JTAC Farms, Glasco, Kan., shares his process for newborn calves.

“In the first 24 hours after calving, I will usually put ear tags into the calf,” he says. “If the calf is a bull, I band it. Then, I give the calf some oral vitamin A, D, E, B12 gel while I use a leg band to get its weight. We rotate our calving areas in different parts of the pasture and attached field. After I’m all done tagging, I enter the calf into CattleMax and record any other notes about the cow and calf that I deem important to know for the future.”

Obviously, cow behavior can be a factor when processing a newborn. Just like the video published with this story, sometimes a protective mom decides she is not happy with a producer touching her calf. Tobald says his goal is to keep a cow’s stress levels down as much as possible.

“I check the pair out on a side-by-side,” he explains. “When I roll up, I try to be as quiet as possible and not just zoom up on them. After that, I try to be as quiet as I can. I don’t hoop, holler, talk or anything that will add stimulation to an already stressful situation. I also always keep the cow in front of me as best as possible. The last thing I want is for an amped up 1,300-lb. animal behind me where it can sneak attack me.”

Tobald says his philosophy on dealing with cows, even the over-protective ones, is using the most important of the Roadhouse Rules: Be nice until it’s time to not be nice.

“Thankfully this is a very rare occurrence,” he says. “I make notes of any cow that is over-protective, so I know what I’m dealing with when I approach them in the future. But if the cow gets more aggressive the next year, then the calf doesn’t even get tags and gets loaded into a trailer with the cow and they go to the sale. Life is too short for crazy or mean cows.”

Lemenager explains that right after a cow gives birth, her hormones are raging.

“That’s part of the process that helps her bond to that calf,” he says. “She also needs to stimulate the calf, so it gets up and nurses. If any part of that natural process is interrupted, the cow can become very aggressive.”

Tarpoff shares these tips for dealing with overly protective mother cows.

Have some type of physical separation from mom. This might be a fence, panel, gate, truck, side-by-side. “The only truly safe location is to have a physical barrier between you and the cow while working with the calf”
Work as a team. “It’s hard to know if you are in danger without someone watching your back. One person can entertain the cow, while the other can tag or accomplish what is needed.”
Be efficient and thoughtful with the calf manipulation. “It only takes one painful bellow from the calf to set the cow off. Save potentially painful manipulations until last (ear tags or castration).
Be smart. “Don’t assume cows are faking a threat. When in doubt, always take the safe approach. The chore can always be completed later if the cow is on the fight. Keep records and plan to handle the situation when she calms down.”
Stay safe. “If we get injured, we put stress on the rest of our family and operation.”

Different strategies can help keep the producer and calf safe during newborn processing.

“Some ranchers use a cage on the side of their ATV,” Lemenager explains. “This allows for bringing that calf into the cage while handling it. Another option is to have two people working with the calf. One to care for the calf and the second to keep the cow away.”

If you are going to try to move a calf to another location, an option is a polypropylene plastic sled or a calf carrier on an ATV (calf sling). Lemenager says a cow will typically follow because she can smell and see her calf.

“Ideally, when working with a cow-calf pair, I try to keep the calf between me and the cow,” Lemenager says. “Most, but not all cows, are calmer and less aggressive when they can see and smell their calf.”

Lemenager summarizes a key to improving your cow herd behavior is to consistently use low-stress handling to help desensitize cattle to the presence of people.

Follow Tobald or JTAC Farms on Facebook or TikTok for more examples of low-stress handling and cow management.

Your Next Read: Calving Signs in Cows and Heifers

Cattle Reproduction

Maximizing Profit and Opportunity: Sell, Keep or Buy Open Cows?

Calving Tips: Dealing with Protective Moms