Cattle Chat

In this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, the team mixes listener questions with expert insights on cattle production and education. The team discusses strategies for growing a small herd, emphasizing clear goals, strong local relationships, and patience in a long-term market, while noting that tight supply and strong demand may keep cattle prices elevated in the near future. They also explore animal health decisions, highlighting that vaccinating or implanting newborn calves is highly context-dependent and often reflects broader challenges in management systems. The episode wraps with advice for students, encouraging a balance of broad agricultural knowledge, critical thinking skills, and practical business understanding.

3:36 Small Family Wanting to Expand

5:52 Expected Beef Price

10:40 Vaccinating Newborn Calves 

16:59 Classes Recommended by the Experts 

21:09 What the Vets are Looking for in Vet School Essays

For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to [email protected]. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!

In this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, Abby Heidari, the director of nutrition for the Kansas Beef Council, discusses the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss medications and their effects on appetite, weight loss, and muscle maintenance. She explains that while these drugs help reduce food intake, maintaining adequate protein and physical activity is essential to prevent muscle loss and support long-term metabolic health. The conversation highlights beef as a nutrient-dense, high-quality protein source that can support muscle preservation and overall nutrition during weight loss. The group also touches on updated dietary guidelines, emphasizing that beef can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in appropriate portions and in conjunction with balanced eating habits.

6:17 GLP-1 Use

18:52 Beef Dietary Guidelines

For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to [email protected]. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!

Abby Heidari Contact Info

In this week’s episode of BCI Cattle Chat, the team discusses research on reducing heat stress in feedlot cattle and best practices for managing calf scours. Guest Maddie Mancke, a PhD candidate, explains her study comparing morning feeding with nighttime feeding to see whether shifting digestion-related heat production to cooler hours would benefit cattle. The results showed no performance differences, indicating night feeding could be a practical option without harming cattle. The experts also answer a listener’s question about calf scours, emphasizing that treatment should begin quickly when calves show signs of dehydration or depression. They stress that prevention through clean calving environments and separating newborn calves from older calves is the most effective way to reduce scours outbreaks.

4:03 Research Update: Maddie Mancke

16:52 Scours Management

For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to [email protected]. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!

In this episode of BCI Cattle Chat, the team discusses estrus expression and synchronization strategies used in cattle breeding programs with guest Adrienne Lulay from Select Sires Cooperative. They explore how the intensity of estrus can reflect hormone levels and fertility, helping producers make more informed breeding decisions. The conversation also highlights key factors for reproductive success, including nutrition, body condition, age, and proper herd planning. The episode is sponsored by ESTROTECT, whose estrus detection tools help producers better identify heat activity and improve breeding management.

In this episode of Cattle Chat, the team discusses what it takes to get into veterinary school, including prerequisites, gaining diverse experience, standing out in the application process, and preparing for interviews. They also explore ways to encourage interest in rural and livestock veterinary practice. The team answers a listener’s question for a 125-cow producer, highlighting simple metrics like pregnancy rate, pounds of calves sold, and winter feed use to measure progress over time.

4:38 Veterinary School Application Process  

16:36 Simple Record Keeping Metrics 

For more on BCI Cattle Chat, follow us on X at @ksubci, Facebook, and Instagram at @ksubci. Check out our website, ksubci.org. If you have any comments/questions/topic ideas, please send them to [email protected]. You can also email us to sign up for our weekly news blast! Don’t forget, if you enjoy the show, please go give us a rating!