July workshop helps beef producers with reproduction management

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension will hold a July 7-8 workshop on the management of reproduction in beef cattle to help producers learn about management practices to improve profits.

MU Extension beef reproduction specialist Jordan Thomas and beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey lead the event at North Central Missouri College’s Barton campus in Trenton.

They will outline critical factors associated with nutrition, genetics, health and management so that attendees understand reproduction as a system that requires thoughtful planning and adaptive management, Thomas says.

“By managing reproduction with a multiyear perspective and taking a whole system approach, cow-calf producers can manage both proactively and reactively to achieve profitable reproductive outcomes,” he says. “Reproductive technologies such as synchronization and artificial insemination are covered, but the emphasis is on yearlong management of the overall system.”

Topics include

• Managing for an ultra-short calving season in the cow herd.

• Managing cow body condition economically.

• Heifer selection and building a profitable heifer development enterprise.

• Maintaining cows in positive energy balance in variable forage conditions.

• Minimizing effects of stress (heat, fescue toxicosis, etc.) on reproduction.

• Bull management in and out of season.

Thomas says participants will leave with a new perspective on reproductive management of cow-calf herds, viewing common causes of variability in reproductive performance now as leverage points for future improvement.

All participants receive a copy of the manual Whole System Management of Beef Cattle Reproduction, released in 2021 by MU Extension.

To register, go to cvent.com/d/6kq4cx or contact Eric Bailey at 573-884-7873 or baileyeric@missouri.edu.

— MU Extension