With 5 to 6 dollar corn, efficiency is essential in the cattle industry.  Herefords have proved to efficiently convert feed in the feedlot.  Have you tried a Hereford lately?

A cow should have a calf, raise it and breed back without expensive supplements and extra attention.  I'd hate to be a cow on my place, they have to work!!!

Feeding hay sucks!!!  We do our fair share of it and I hate it.  $3.50 diesel, sky high fertilizer prices, and all the time it takes to put it up, stack it, and then feed it kills the bottom line and profitability.  We are in the process of building fences and implementing rotational grazing to extend the grazing season and cut down on the necessary evil.

If it weren't for fescue, most of Missouri wouldn't have grass!  This old statement still rings true today.

Heterosis is free!!!  Simply crossbreeding can improve the bottom line!!!   

The following are selected excerpts from:  Three Keys to a Profitable Cow Herd:  Low Maintenance, Longevity, and Reproduction by Martin Turner, Dec. 1, 2007

Not only do tall cows eat more than short cows, but higher-milking cows eat more than lower-milking cows, even when they're not lactating.

'Too much milk' means 'Costs more to feed' and 'Less likely to breed.'

The forage base required to support a herd of 100 7-frame cows (56 in. hip ht., 1390 lb. at BCS 5) could support a herd of 126 4-frame cows (50 in. hip ht., 1105 lb at BCS 5). 

The forage base required to produce a potload (50,000 lb.) of 475 lb. calves (105 hd.) could also produce a potload of 600 lb. calves (83 hd.), but the load of smaller calves is worth more.

Revenue: It's Mostly About Reproduction

Example:  After roughing our weaned heifers through their first winter gaining a pound a day or less, we usually get about 80% bred to calve as two-year olds.  If we fed enough to get 90% bred, we'd be feeding the 80% that don't need it in order to bring along the additional 10% that do need it.  And we'd also be feeding the 10% that still won't breed anyway.

Looking for feedback! Have you tried rotational grazing?  How was your success?  Did you increase your carrying capacity?  Send me an email with your thoughts/opinions!

I'm from Missouri and won't believe it till I see it.  I like the theory of MIG, so we are going to try it.  Don't know if it will do all that they say though.  On some farms we have been carrying a cow all year on 3 acres,(2 pasture and 1 hay).  Seems hard to improve much on that in our area.