Brown County Extension Agent Scott Anderson gives cattle producers 50 tips to make their business more profitable. Some of these are applicable to more than just the cattle business.
1. Take advantage of hybrid vigor. Crossbreed
2. Pay the extra money for a good bull.
3. Learn how to use EPDs.
4. Pregnancy check cows within 1-2 months of the end of breeding.
5. Work with a good veterinarian.
6. Vaccinate your cattle.
7. Observe cattle frequently & closely.
8. Treat cattle injuries & disease conditions promptly.
9. When dealing with death loss, do not wait to have a necropsy performed.
10. Parasites are thieves. Deworm cattle, control the flies.
11. Know how to identify poisonous plants.
12. Take your time when laying out fence lines, water sources & facility locations.
13. Maintain your fences.
14. Invest in decent cattle handling facilities.
15. Livestock scales are invaluable.
16. Handle your cattle with care.
17. A fast horse is nice. A fast cow is trouble. Cull the crazy cattle.
18. Keep safety as the top priority in everything on the farm.
19. Look into farm liability insurance.
20. Be a good steward of your natural resources.
21. Soil test.
22. Use management intensive grazing techniques to get most of pasture.
23. Develop a forage supply & demand budget.
24. Whether grazing or haying, do not let forage become too mature.
25. Know your hay quality & supplement accordingly.
26. Manage body condition for good reproductive success.
27. Supplement minerals & vitamins properly.
28. Avoid grain overload & other nutritional nightmares.
29. Implants & ionophores are proven to be great investments.
30. Castrate feeder calves to avoid the intact bull calf discount.
31. Take the horns off of feeder calves.
32. There is power in numbers.
33. Develop & grow a good business reputation.
34. Network.
35. At least use a record keeping book
36. Benefit from electronic & information technology
37. Know your expenses & income. Budget.
38. Keep all farm receipts for tax time.
39. Pay bills on time.
40. Shop around for inputs.
41. Beware of “silver bullet” products.
42. Buy feed by the truckload.
43. Support the local economy.
44. Know when to get rid of equipment & other assets that become money pits.
45. Promote your product.
46. When not sure, ask questions.
47. Do not overextend your resources.
48. Implement management practices properly to get the intended result.
49. Do not be afraid of change.
50. Never stop learning about the cattle business.