Montana Ranching
A Hurt Bull Quits in June, and the First Sign Is a Bunch of Cows Cycling Back
Turning bulls out isn't the end of breeding season—it's the start of the part where a lame or wrecked bull can cost…
Water & Irrigation
Check the Pumps and Floats in June, Because a Dead Tank on a 95-Degree Day Costs You by Noon
Stock water systems fail in the heat when cattle need them most. Walk the pipelines, pumps, and float valves now, while a…
Land & Grazing
Cattle Graze the Bottoms Bare While the Ridges Go Untouched—Move the Salt and Fix It
On big summer country, cattle overuse the creek bottoms and swales while good grass on the ridges and back corners never gets…
Cattle
Mark the Bull Pull Date on the Calendar the Day You Turn Them Out
A breeding season with no end date scatters your calves across four months and quietly costs you money at every marketing. Setting…
Cattle
Heat Stress Hits Cattle Before the Thermometer Scares You, and the Damage Happens Overnight
Montana cattle handle dry heat well until a humid stretch and warm nights stack up. Here's how heat load builds, what it…
Land & Grazing
Set Your Destocking Triggers in June, Not the Day the Grass Runs Out
Deciding when and what to sell before summer turns dry keeps you in control of the market instead of the other way…
Cattle
A Bull That Quits in the Middle of Breeding Season Can Leave a Third of Your Cows Open
You turned the bulls out and the branding's done, but a bull that goes lame or gets whipped in the first three…
Calves, Cattle, Farming, Livestock Fencing
Ride the Boundary Fence Before the Cattle Find the Hole—and Your Neighbor Does First
Winter snowload, elk, and spring runoff leave gaps in the summer fence that cattle find fast. A few days of riding wire…
Water & Irrigation
Walk Your Summer Water Lines Now, Before a Stuck Float Empties the Tank on a 95-Degree Day
Stock water fails on the worst possible afternoon. A June check of tanks, floats, pipelines and solar pumps is cheaper than hauling…
Cattle
A June Thunderhead Builds in an Hour, and a Whole Bunch of Cattle Under One Tree Can Die at Once
Summer lightning kills more range cattle than most producers expect, and the losses come in bunches. Here's what raises the odds and…
Land & Grazing
Cattle Pound the Creek Bottom While the Ridge Grass Goes to Waste—Here’s How to Spread Them Out
On big summer country, cattle bunch in the bottoms and leave half the pasture standing. Salt placement, water, and a little riding…
Cattle
Summer Pneumonia Sneaks Into the Calves on Grass, and You Won’t See It Until One’s Down
Respiratory disease in nursing calves shows up on green pasture in June and July, long before weaning, and the ones you catch…
Land & Grazing
The First Week on Summer Range Decides Where Your Cattle Graze All Summer
Turn pairs out on a big allotment and they'll pile into the creek bottoms and shade unless you set them up to…
Cattle
Legume Pasture Bloat Fills a Cow Up Fast on Lush June Alfalfa and Clover
Turning cattle onto wet, fast-growing alfalfa or clover in June can froth up a rumen and kill a good cow in an…
Cattle
Keep Loose Mineral in Front of the Cows All Summer, and Keep Them Coming Back to It
A summer mineral program only works if the cows actually eat it and you put it where they'll find it. Here's how…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur Drops Cattle on the Foothill Range Just as the Grass Gets Good
Tall larkspur is most dangerous in June and early July, right when cattle move into the foothill country. Knowing when it's toxic…
Cattle
Check the Bull Halfway Through Breeding, Not Just Before You Turn Him Out
A breeding soundness exam in May tells you a bull was good the day the vet looked at him. What happens in…
Cattle
The First-Calf Heifer Is the First One to Come Up Open, and June Is When You Lose Her
The two-year-old nursing her first calf is pulled harder than any cow in the herd. If she doesn't rebreed this summer, you…
Calves, Cattle, Farming, Livestock Fencing
Ride the Fence Before the Cattle Find the Hole in It
Spring runoff, snow load, and elk pull down more fence than most people expect. Walk it now, because a cow that gets…
Water & Irrigation
Run the Water Line Before the First Heat Wave, Not During It
Stock water fails on the hottest day of the year, not the coolest. Walk your springs, pipelines, and tanks in mid-June while…
Livestock
A Rattlesnake Bite to the Nose Is a Breathing Problem Before It’s a Venom Problem
Prairie rattlers come out with the warm weather, and a cow or horse bitten on the muzzle can be in trouble from…
Montana Ranching
Lightning Kills Cattle in Bunches, and June Is When the Storms Start
Summer thunderstorms put cattle at real risk on open range. Here's how lightning kills, why it takes several head at once, and…
Cattle
Blackleg Drops the Best Calf in the Bunch, and It Does It in Summer
Clostridial diseases like blackleg kill fast-growing calves on lush summer grass, usually before you ever see a sick one. Here's why the…
Cattle
Handle Cattle in the Cool of the Morning: Beating Summer Heat Stress Before It Costs You
Heat builds in cattle all day and doesn't shed until night. Knowing the signs and timing your work around them keeps weight…
Montana Ranching
Foot Rot Shows Up Lame and Swollen After the First Wet Stretch on Summer Grass
Foot rot turns up every June once cattle are walking wet ground and rocky trails. Catch the lame cow early and it's…