Working Ranch Radio Show

Weaning is one of the most stressful times in a calf’s life — where health, nutrition, and management all collide. In this episode, we dig into how producers can minimize stress, choose the right methods for their operation, and build a robust health program that keeps calves thriving long after weaning. Dr. Ron Lemenager with Purdue University is my guest as we discuss the Keys to Successful Weaning.

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How much is Heat Stress really costing your operation? It might be more than you think — and it’s not just about weight loss or conception rates. Dr. Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo with Elanco Animal Health joins us to talk about why heat stress is a problem, what the science says about its effect on both herd health and profitability, and what steps you can take to mitigate it.

Plus a conversation with Ted Perry(Purina) about mitigating s...

State and county fairs have long been a bridge between rural and urban. But as our society drifts further from production agriculture, that bridge is under pressure — financially, culturally, and politically. From rising costs to volunteer burnout, lack of participation to being a political football… So how do we refocus? How do we, in the ag industry, protect these events that tell our story. Today, Jeremy Parsons from the Iowa St...

It was a record-breaking "Week in the Rockies Sale" that delivered big numbers.  But what does it all mean for us heading into the second half of the year?  Superior Livestock’s Clint Berry is back with us as we unpack the results of the sale. We’ll cover everything from market fundamentals and program calf sales… to weaning decisions and delivery timing. We’ll also hit on heifer prices, signs of retention, and what Clint calls the...

The cattle market is at an all-time high which probably means for most of us we are seeing a pretty healthy profit this year.  So, the question is, how should we strategically use the profit? Dallas Mount (Ranch Management Consultants) returns as we work through this question… starting first at debt.  Then we'll work through the desire for business growth, cash flow, investing in yourself, benchmarks, and managing your business wit...

Today we dive into what it really takes to keep America free and strong: a food system that supports family farms and ranches—because a country that can feed itself stands independent. I’m joined by Amanda Radke—rancher, author, speaker and podcaster —who shares powerful insights on protecting private property rights, revitalizing rural America, and uniting as cattle producers. Keeping American Fed and Free on Today’s Episode of th...

Today we look at some very basic management practices that data shows will increase the value of your calves when you go to market them.  The values has been derived from data through a partnership between Superior Livestock, Kansas State University, and Merck Animal Health.  So today Dr. Chris Thomsen with Merck joins us as he walks us through the data.  From breeding management to calfhood management, that also includes looking a...

Dawn Hnatow (Cattle Up Stockmanship) joins us as we discuss Stockmanship.  What it is and what it isn’t.  The three areas where you and I as ranchers would see benefits to our operation: Economics, Production, & Life.  Dave Voth (Integrated Grazing Management) also joins us as we continue deeper into the conversation and work through the conflict many think about… is it worth my time? Which leads to the next thought… But I don’...

Dr. Allen Williams (Understanding Ag and Regenified LLC)is back with us today as he walks us through several things that can increase productivity and profitability through your grazing management. From the initial management in the early part of the grazing season, to the rule of Compounding, rule of Disruption, a great discussion on weeds and we'll conclude with a practice that is quite simple, but we rarely practice that ties th...

Today on the Working Ranch Radio Show we are covering three things. First Dr. Rick Machen with the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management joins us as we discuss some exciting modifications they’ve made to their Master’s Program in Ranch Management… especially for those current college students that will be getting an undergraduate degree with aspirations of a Master’s Degree in Ranch Management. Plus they have a Wildlife Managem...

The Common Ground Summit… a meeting of 40 people across the country.  These 40 represented various segments of the cattle industry. These 40 were comprised of what some might say would be small non-influential family operations to large influential registered operations, family feed yards, or sale barn owners.  If these 40 where a herd of cows… the term Heinz 57 comes to mind. But their purpose was simple.  Find common ground and u...

Bovine Congestive Heart Failure. For me I’ve always assumed it was the same as High Altitude Disease or Brisket Disease, but in our cattle industry today where we see a push for performance and high growth, we are seeing it manifest itself at a point in time that is extremely costly to the feeder... right before slaughter. Dr. Kirk Ramsey and Dr. Paige Pratte with Neogen join me today as we discuss the concern of Bovine Congestive ...

The story of the Maude Family in Western South Dakota took center stage this past week as criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude were dropped over a land issue in what many are saying was a rogue US Forest Service agent bringing charges of land theft over 25 acres of ground that have been fenced into the deeded ground for over 70 years. Today, Rachel Gabel, spokesperson for the Maude Family, returns as our guest as we t...

On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your Quality of Life (QOL) right now?  Today Allan Crockett returns as our guest as we rip the band aid off the question that may be bouncing off the walls of your mind, "Is this the Quality of Life that I want going forward? We take a three-leg'd approach as we start with looking at how we can generate "Time and Money" in one area of a QOL, then we discuss "Relationships" as a second leg and i...

Virtual Fencing. It’s a topic that spurs intrigue for many of us, but often from a distance. Whether it’s the newness of the technology or the cost to implement.  Today Matt Vermeesch with Nofence, joins as we explore the technology as a whole.  Additionally, we’ll hear from Idaho rancher Tyson Coles with his perspective as a user. So, what are the factors to contemplate when considering an investment in virtual fencing? It’s truly...

Managing a ranch in today’s industry is different that it was for the previous generations... and it continues to change.  So, what are the skills a manager needs on today’s ranch?  Rick Machen with the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management is my guest as he shares with us three umbrella areas that are critical for Ranch Managers. If you have aspirations of being a ranch manager, either for your family ranch or someone else; yo...

Losing calves during pregnancy may not be a big factor in your operation, but it’s still a loss and it does affect your bottom line. So today Chloe Collins (University of Missouri Extension) walks us through what can cause Gestational Pregnancy Loss during the Early Embryonic phase of the first 45 days to the fetal period from 45 days to birth. Plus, ways to mitigate those losses in both our young cows and older cows. It may not se...

Like it or not, AI Technology is here and today we continue in our discussion  with Mackenzie Burnett (Ambrook). Topics like how it could be used… for example to start the ball rolling on things like estate planning, enterprise analysis, or business negotiations.  But then we also head down a line of questions about things like the morality of AI technology and is it safe? But AI is not a silver bullet. While it may serve as a grea...

AI Technology… and I’m not talking Artificial Insemination.  I’m talking about tools like ChatGPT.  It has quickly risen to the surface in our vocabulary but what about our understanding of it? Today Mackenzie Burnett (Ambrook) returns as our guest as she walks through what it is, why it has suddenly come to the forefront, how it’s being used, and how could you and I as ranchers use it.  Does AI Technology give you cause to concern...