Cattle
Summer Pneumonia in Nursing Calves: The Sickness That Hides in a Healthy-Looking Herd
Pneumonia in calves still on the cow catches a lot of Montana producers off guard in midsummer. Here's what triggers it and…
Cattle
Foot Rot in Summer Pastures: Catch the Limp Early or Pay for It Later
Foot rot shows up every summer in Montana, usually in wet corners and around water. Here's how to spot it early, treat…
Land & Grazing
Make June Grass Work for You: Pasture Rotation When Growth Peaks
Cool-season grass on Montana range hits its hardest growth in June, and how you move cattle through it now sets up the…
Cattle
Summer Mineral on Grass: Don’t Let the Tub Run Dry When It Matters Most
Free-choice mineral isn't a set-it-and-forget-it chore. Here's how to keep your cows getting what summer grass can't give them through breeding and…
Land & Grazing
Larkspur Season Is Here: Keeping Cattle Alive on Montana’s High Country
Tall larkspur kills more cattle on Montana mountain range than most ranchers want to admit. Here's how to time your grazing and…
Hay & Feed
First-Cutting Hay: Cut at the Right Stage, Then Beat the Weather
Putting up good first-cutting hay in Montana comes down to two fights — cutting at the right maturity and getting it dry…
Cattle
Bull Turnout Done Right: Getting the Breeding Season to Pay Off in Montana
Mid-June is breeding season on most Montana ranches. A little attention to bull soundness, cow-to-bull ratios, and pasture observation now decides what…
Water & Irrigation
Summer Stock Water: Keep the Tanks Full and the Algae Out Before It Bites You
As Montana heats up, water becomes the limiting factor on most summer pasture. Here's how to keep cattle drinking clean, stay ahead…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm While Cash Trade Waits: What Montana Ranchers Should Read Into It
Live and feeder cattle futures moved higher this week, with market watchers largely waiting on broader negotiated cash cattle trade to show…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm While Corn Slips: What the Board Signals for Montana Feed and Calf Prices
Grain and livestock futures ended mixed Thursday, April 9, with cattle contracts pushing higher while corn and wheat drifted lower. Reports indicate…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Slip as Feeders Wait on Cash Trade — What Montana Ranchers Should Read Into It
Live and feeder cattle futures moved lower this week as traders waited for negotiated cash cattle business to develop, according to reports…
Farming
Grain and Cattle Futures End Mixed: What Montana Producers Should Take From Monday’s Close
Grain and livestock futures finished Monday with a split personality: corn and soybeans nudged higher, wheat drifted lower, live cattle posted a…
Ranching
USDA Weighs Reopening Mexican Cattle Imports: What Montana Producers Should Know
Reports indicate USDA is weighing whether to resume live cattle imports from Mexico, a policy question that always lands at the intersection…
Ranching
Cash Cattle Trade Stays Quiet Midday; Northern Dressed Bids Reappear
Midday reports indicate the cash cattle market was mostly a waiting game, with very light trade and buyers and sellers still feeling…
Farming
Donating Hay in Montana: Where the Tax Breaks Get Tricky
When drought or wildfire squeezes feed supplies, Montana producers often step up with hay. From the Bitterroot Valley to the Hi-Line, it’s…
Ranching
USDA Weighs Mexican Cattle Imports: What Montana Ranchers Should Know About Herd Health and Markets
Reports indicate the U.S. Department of Agriculture is again weighing whether to resume live cattle imports from Mexico, a policy decision that…
Ranching
Montana Cattlemen Eye Border Policy as USDA Weighs Mexican Imports
Reports from national ag outlets indicate USDA is weighing whether and how to resume or adjust live cattle imports from Mexico, a…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm Up While Corn and Beans Slip: What Montana Producers Should Take From April 2 Closes
Thursday’s close in the grain and livestock futures markets sent a mixed signal: cattle contracts strengthened while corn and soybeans softened. For…
Farming
Grain Markets Slip After USDA Reports: What Montana Feed and Fuel Costs Could Do Next
Grain futures turned lower after a round of USDA data and a softer tone in outside markets, with reports pointing to profit…
Ranching
Record U.S. Corn Stocks Could Keep Feed Costs in Check—But Montana Ranchers Should Watch Basis and Freight
New federal numbers suggest the U.S. is sitting on a very large pile of corn heading into spring—bigger than what’s typically available…
Farming
Grain Mixed, Cattle Higher: What Monday’s Futures Signal for Montana Producers
Monday’s board trade ended with a split tone across the ag complex: corn futures weakened, soybeans and wheat edged higher, and cattle…
Ranching
Cattle Rally While Corn and Soy Slide: What Friday’s Futures Signal for Montana Producers
Friday’s board action sent a split message to the countryside: cattle futures pushed higher while key feed grains moved lower. Reports indicate…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Jump While Corn and Soybeans Slide: What Montana Producers Should Take From Friday’s Board
Friday’s closing board action leaned in two directions: cattle futures strengthened while most major feed grains and oilseeds moved lower. Reports indicate…
Ranching
Cattle Futures Firm While Soybeans Slip: What Montana Producers Can Read Into March 24 Closes
Grain and livestock futures finished mixed on Tuesday, March 24, with cattle contracts generally higher while soybeans and soybean meal weakened. Reports…
Ranching
After Plains Wildfires, Montana Ranchers Brace for Tighter Feed and Cattle Markets
Wildfires in the central Plains are adding a new layer of uncertainty to a cattle industry that was already trying to rebuild…