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December 2, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Keep your Winter Herd Comfortable

Winter is finally gripping most of the country in its cold grasp, which means it’s time to get serious about ensuring your cattle herd makes it through the winter comfortably. Whether you’re new to cattle or this is your 20th year on the range, we have a few tips that we believe will help you.

Watering is just as important

Even in the winter, with the abundance of snow and ice, having enough water at a decent temperature (we recommend 37 degrees Fahrenheit and up) is critical. Cattle can’t just eat snow and ice all day, as they have the same problem humans do when consuming that much frozen water – it lowers core body temperature.

Enough roughage

A great way to keep your herd warm is to ensure there’s enough roughage, in addition to whatever winter diet you have them on, to help warm them up. Hay is great because the digestion process of it causes more body heat, keeping your herd warm and lowering any heating costs you may incur if you’re housing your herd in a barn.

It also gives your herd more energy, meaning their meat stays firmer and healthier until slaughtering time.

Keep them dry

It’s also critical to keep your herd dry. Wet animals get cold as easily as wet humans, and if they stay wet and cold too long you can risk losing the animal.

In light of that, we recommend double-checking all housing structures to ensure there are no leaks, so your herd stays dry all winter long.
If you have any other questions regarding your herd’s winter health, call us today at [phone] for more information.
November 8, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Advantage of Hot-Dipped Galvanized Steel

Here at [practice_name] in [city], [state], we’re proud to be one of the few livestock equipment manufacturers in the country offering hot dipped galvanized products to our consumers. We know how important it is to have products that work like they’re supposed to, which is why we offer this service.

However, not everyone is aware of the advantages of hot-dipped galvanized steel products. Let’s look at what some of them are.

Less maintenance

If you’re tired of constantly checking all your steel equipment for rust, removing the rust, and checking for structural support, then you should consider galvanized equipment. It requires far less maintenance than traditional steel products – you don’t have to paint it, and there’s no rust! That saves a ton of work in the winter and spring so you can focus more on your livestock and less on your equipment.

Complete protection

Even if you use a rust-resistant paint or other product to protect feeders, doors, and chutes in the best shape possible, it’s almost impossible to protect every nook and cranny of the metal. With hot-dipped galvanized products, however, every inch gets covered in the protection which ensures that you don’t have to worry about the integrity of your essential livestock products.

While the initial cost for these products may be higher, they pay off in the long run by being less of a headache for you to deal with. If you’re interested in hot-dipped galvanized livestock products, or want to know more, call us today at [phone].
November 3, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Health Benefits of Organic Beef

Organic beef – or as it’s accurately described, grass-fed beef – is said to have many health benefits. This isn’t only good for you as a rancher to be eating some of your own stock, but it’s a selling point that enables you to charge more per pound for your product.

So if you’ve thought about setting aside a portion of your cattle to be completely grass-fed, then look at the following health benefits you can tout as a result of raising your beef in that manner.

Less fat

Everyone’s obsessed with fat these days. From trans-fat to regular fat, it’s tough to find food with the right balance. Grass-fed beef has less fat than their raised-on-feed counterparts, and this makes the meat that much more valuable come selling time.

More fatty acids

Wait, didn’t we just talk about why we don’t like fat? Well, grass-fed beef is proved to have more omega-3 fatty acids, one of the main ingredients in many heart health multivitamins. If you tell someone they can eat a medium rare steak and help their heart, you’ll have an easier time selling your beef.

More antioxidants

Grass-fed beef also has more antioxidants than beef raised on feed. Vitamin E is especially high in this type of beef.

If you’re interested in raising grass-fed beef and need some tips on how to get started, call us today at [phone]. We’re more than happy to help.
October 14, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Prep your Cows for Winter

Winter is coming quickly, which means you’re running out of time to ensure that your cattle are ready for the coldest season of the year. Failing to do so can cause some serious health problems for your herd, including robbing them of body fat to keep them warm.

Let’s look at what the experts here at [practice_name] recommend you do to get your cows ready for winter.

Take care of pregnant cows

If you have any cows that are pregnant going into the winter season, you’ll need to have all your calving supplies in order. We have the supplies to help with that particular process. You’ll also need to ensure that any calves born during the winter are properly vaccinated, as well as the mother. Otherwise, serious health issues could arise.

Sorting

You should sort your cattle into groups, based on their size and age, and feed them accordingly. This ensures that your feed lasts all winter and that all of your stock is getting the nutrition they need to make it through the winter.

You may also want to think about sorting your cattle based on nutrient needs. For example, your younger cows need extra feed to help them become sexually mature, and they need special attention if they’re two-year calves.

If you have any other questions about taking care of your stock during the winter months, don’t’ hesitate to call us today at [phone] for more information.
October 5, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Winterize your Ranch

The whole country is getting a bit colder, which means it’s time to start getting things ready to winterize your ranch. Here at [practice_name] we have the expertise and products to help you do just that.

Let’s take a few minutes to look at some tips that’ll help your winterization go more smoothly.

Get your feed ready

The most important thing when winterizing your ranch is ensuring that all your feed is ready. If you grow your own hay, make sure it’s out of the fields and in the barn. You’ll also want to remember not to keep your feed too close to your stock, and have a clear path to delivering it to your stock even if a winter storm dumps five feet of snow on the ground.

Prep for Calving

If you calve during the winter, you don’t want to be searching for calving supplies when it’s freezing. Make sure all your calving supplies are in line for when your cows start to calve.

Winterizing your ranch takes a lot of work, and these are just two tips that’ll help you make sure you’re ready for what’s shaping up to be a long, cold winter. If you need to any other advice about ranch winterization, please call us today at [phone] to see what we can do to help.
September 20, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Tips for Transporting Goats

Whether you’ve just purchased goats for the first time and need to bring them back to the ranch, or you’re looking for some new safe ideas to transport goats from one point to another, we have the tips you need to transport your goats safely.

Low-stress

The key to transporting your goats safely is to ensure that their experience is a low-stress one. Stressed goats can be a problem, and the last thing you want is to arrive back at the ranch with goats exhausted from unnecessary travel stress.

Use a topper for the bed of a pickup

If you plan on transporting your goats via the bed of your pickup, using a topper is best. You can squeeze in more goats, and they have much more room to move around in.

Dog Crates

If you want to prevent the goats from moving around too much, you can also put them in dog crates or kennels. This will help them stay in one spot and ensure their safety. However, you can’t haul as many goats this way.

If you have any other questions about how to safely haul your goats, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today at [phone].
September 8, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

How to Raise Calves in Cold Weather

With summer nearly over and fall quickly arriving, you’re probably thinking about getting your ranch ready for the snow. Part of that preparation comes in the form of ensuring that your calves are ready to endure a cold winter.

So let’s take a look at a few tips for correctly raising calves in colder weather.

Use the right bedding

Dr. Noah Litherland is quoted on ProgressiveDairy.com as saying that wheat straw is, “The preferred bedding substrate for calves in winter.”

Wheat straw works because it absorbs water, meaning that your new calves are going to be drier when sleeping on wheat straw than on other materials.

Consistency in the feeding schedule

Calves are quite like human babies in some circumstances, and feeding time is one of those. You need to make sure that you’re keeping their feeding time consistent, even if it is 10 below outside. This consistency will ensure as many calves as possible make it through the winter.

Well-ventilated barns

Even though it’s cold outside when the snow’s flying, you need to make sure that your calves’ barn is well-ventilated. This makes sure there’s fresh air and a removal of toxins and noxious gasses.

If you have any other questions about raising calves in colder weather as winter approaches, please don’t hesitate to call us today at [phone].
August 15, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

Tips for a Healthy Goat Herd

Farming isn’t an easy business, and it’s made harder if your herd isn’t as healthy as possible. And when you’re dealing with goats (a herd that’s notoriously difficult to profitably manage) you need them as healthy as possible.

Let’s look at a few examples of how to keep your goats healthy and your operations running smoothly.

Find a Vet you Trust

Your goats will need a vet, largely to help against parasites. If you’re planning on selling their milk, this is imperative. Make sure to find a good vet whom you trust, and one who has experience with goats. A vet that knows and understands goats is going to be far more
efficacious for you in the long run than someone who doesn’t deal with goats on a regular basis.

Reduce Stress

Your goats won’t be as healthy if they’re unduly stressed. While it may seem odd to think about what could “stress” a goat, consider how much change in things like their usual routine, travel, diet, or environment could stress your herd.

Trim Hooves

Goats need their hooves trimmed on a consistent basis. The schedule depends on the breed of goats you own, and how active they are. For the best trimming experience, try and make it pleasant, or neutral at the very least, for your goats.

Following these tips will help you have a healthier and profitable herd. If you have any questions, or need goat equipment, contact us today at [phone].
August 15, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

How to Safely Haul your Cattle

Hauling cattle is one of the most important parts of running a successful cattle ranch operation. It’s also one of the most stressful. That’s why, here at [practice_name], we decided to put together a short list of a few tips on how to more effectively and safely haul your cattle.

Pay attention to weight

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of issues that arise in cattle hauling come from people not paying attention to common-sense items. Make sure that you’re loading your truck and trailer with cattle that don’t exceed the maximum weight limits. This will do wonders to increase the efficacy of your hauling operation.

Don’t use electric prods

To ensure that your cattle stay calm and relaxed during transportation, it’s recommended that you not use electric prods to get them into trailers. Instead, use flags and paddles to get the animals where they need to go. If they continue to balk, examine what may be in the trailer, or in the way, that’s putting them off.

Ensure bulls are separate

If you’re hauling any bulls, make sure they’re separate from one another, or the rest of the herd. Otherwise, they’ll try to establish hierarchy and end up causing significant damage to your trailer and the rest of the herd as well.

Hauling your cattle is a serious business, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you have any more questions about the process, don’t hesitate to call us today at [phone].
July 15, 2016 BY
IN Livestock Equipment News

The Basics of Raising Sheep

Sheep are a great option to raise for livestock ranchers who wants an animal that provides more than just meat and milk, like cows. Sheep provide wool, meat, milk, and cheese, and to top things off, they’ll eat weeds that other livestock won’t even look at. With their high reproductive rate and relative low expense to raise and maintain, sheep are an ideal animal to add to your livestock ranch.

Let’s look at a couple of the basics of raising sheep that any enterprising rancher needs to know.

They’re harder to fence than cattle

As any rancher can attest, fences are one of the most important parts of running a successful operation. Sheep are a bit harder to fence, since they have a tendency to wander, than cattle, but that problem is easily solved by building a solid, reliable perimeter fence with an interior fence to keep sheep feeding in whichever paddock has the most feed at any given time.

Feeding sheep

A lot of folks ranching sheep will use a natural pasture, supplemented with hay, for at least part of the year. You can add minerals and other grains to the natural grass if you desire, but it’s not necessary.

Here at [practice_name] we have all the equipment you need in order to feed your sheep, in addition to knowledge to answer questions you may have. Call us today at [phone] for more information.

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