Opportunities for open cows

While no one likes to see an open cow go, if a calf is not going to be born and weaned the next year, she must be marketed in order to pay the feed bills. The earlier open cows are identified, the more savings are seen on winter feed costs in the main herd. Yet, open cows don’t always mean money is lost. Yes, she isn’t going to wean a calf next year, but if the pencil is put to the paper and marketing plans are implemented soon enough, open cows may still provide some profit going into the winter. This Drovers CattleNetwork article by Taylor Grussing, SDSU Extension cow-calf field specialist, covers alternatives for open cows. Read more…