An early burst of unexpected winter weather may have left many of us unprepared for colder temperatures.  With a couple of weeks of favorable weather in the forecast, there is still time to prepare your cattle facilities for winter. Taking some of these precautions ahead of time can save many headaches when real winter weather […]

It’s been a rough year. I think we can all agree that we have faced many challenges in the cattle industry and are looking forward to fresh cattle in the feed yard and a clean slate to work from. Starting cattle based on their risk factors has a lot to do with type and kind […]

Enter our NEW Form-A-Lic Calendar Photo Contest! We are creating a 2021 calendar featuring photos of beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, and sheep enjoying Form-A-Lic, and we are looking for great photos to fill our calendar! Please enter your photos using the form below by December 1, 2020.  Twelve photos will be chosen to be included […]

Beef producers often consider opportunities to improve the profitability of their operations and look for long-term success.  One of these opportunities is marketing their steers as retail beef directly to the consumer.  Read the profiles below about enterprising Tend-R-Leen producers who turned to marketing directly to retail beef customers to make their beef operations successful. […]

Spring planting is almost here. Before you take to the tractor seat, get your lot and buildings prepared for the heat and rain of summer. Here are 15 tips to help you be prepared! Put up shade cloth. Clean and adjust feeders to the summer opening of ¾”. Patch any holes that can allow rain […]

As you are getting ready for synchronizing your beef cows and yearling replacement heifers this year, your nutrition program should reflect your goals to improve fertilization rate and improve embryo survival rate. Research studies have shown that glucose can help improve embryo development.  Glucose is a major energy substrate for the developing conceptus in ruminants1.  […]

As part of Form-A-Feed’s overall mission to provide quality nutrition and professional service to our customers, we are now offering biodegradable tub options for our low moisture Form-A-Lic tubs in addition to our standard plastic tubs! Biodegradable tubs are made of all natural materials that disappear as the product is consumed. No need to worry […]

In years past many beef producers have used a texturized dairy calf starter as a Stage 1 creep feed for their baby beef calves. Over time, we have been able to focus on the details of animal’s requirements and diets to make improvements in the performance of the different segments of livestock. Since the formulation […]

It is estimated that the water requirements of beef cattle remain consistent up to about 40 °F and go up to the point of needing twice the amount of water at 85° F. If all is working well at the water source, there are usually no problems with meeting requirements during the winter. However, the […]

Foot health and lameness in feedlot cattle can have a significant impact on profitability and cattle performance.  While much research has been done on lameness in the dairy industry, there has been less emphasis on the impact of foot health and lameness in feedlot cattle.  Prevention, early diagnosis of the condition, and following the correct […]

Self-feeders have long been used in the beef industry as an effective means to feed cattle in a variety of cattle feeding operation types, from a backyard 4-H herd, to a large-scale feedlot. Self-feeders work effectively in cow-calf operations to creep feed beef calves as well as for confinement feedlot cattle. Self-feeders require less labor […]

Written by Don Cleaver and Daniel Kohls, Form-A-Feed, Inc. Not unlike TMR-fed cattle, warm-season stressors affect cattle finished on self-feeders as well.  In fact, summertime is when we see the greatest amount of management issues arise in cattle fed with this method, especially in heavyweight cattle.  Issues such as bloat, off-feed and founder seem to […]