Welcome to the 123rd edition of Ranching.com – the leading cattle management resource for a community of 96,000+ ranchers and farmers.

 📊 Measure Herd Yield - Weaning rate is one of the clearest ways to measure how productive a cow herd really is because it accounts for both open cows and calf loss. Combining weaning rate with average weaning weights gives producers a better picture of pounds weaned per cow and helps identify where profitability can improve.

🧠 Low-Stress Handling Lessons - A Texas rancher is taking an artistic approach to cattle behavior by using sound, color and observation to create lower-stress handling experiences. Simple changes like calmer environments and better understanding how cattle respond to sensory cues can improve movement, reduce stress and make working cattle easier on both animals and handlers.

💧 Liquid vs. Dry Supplements - Liquid and dry supplements both serve important roles in cattle nutrition, but the best choice often depends on forage quality, labor and how consistently cattle consume them. Liquid supplements can improve intake consistency, while dry supplements offer flexibility and easier storage for many operations.

⚖️ Meatpacker Investigation Begins - Texas officials have launched an investigation into major meatpackers over concerns about market concentration and potential anticompetitive practices in the beef industry. The move comes as producers continue raising concerns about shrinking competition, strong beef prices and the gap between what ranchers receive and what consumers pay at the store.

🌾 Prep for Hay Season - A productive hay season starts long before the first cutting by setting clear goals, preparing equipment and managing fields early. Focusing on timing, forage quality and weed control now can help ranchers put up better hay and get more value from every acre.

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