Range Cattle REC
Editorial Team
- Brent Sellers - Chair, Approver
RECENT & REVISED PUBLICATIONS
The Economics of Raising Replacement Heifers: Estimating Direct Costs Using the Replacement Heifer Calculator
FE1153/FE1153by Hannah BakerAugust 19, 2024Each year, cattle producers must decide what to do with new calves. There are two options for the females: sell them as weaned heifers or keep them to raise as replacements to build the herd. There are benefits to both. Raising replacement heifers can be costly, so selling calves can seem like the most economical option if the producer is considering only short-term revenues. However, the lowered biosecurity risks (because outside cattle are not introduced to the herd) as well as the opportunity to build and enhance herd genetics can make raising heifers as replacements the more economical choice long term. The decision must be made again each year based on the cattle market and short- and long-term goals of the operation. To help producers decide, this publications describes and explains the Replacement Heifer Calculator, a free cost estimation tool cattle producers may use to aid in achieving their herd goals.Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises
Wildlife of Florida Factsheet: Nine-banded Armadillo
UW456/WEC411 by Simon Fitzwilliam and Raoul K. BoughtonAugust 1, 2024Learn more about nine-banded armadillos!
The Wildlife of Florida Factsheet series was created to provide the public with a quick accurate introduction to Florida’s wildlife, including both native and invasive. We hope these fact sheets inspire people to investigate wildlife in their own backyard and communities and understand the amazing biodiversity of wildlife in the state of Florida.Critical Issue: 3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality
Analyzing the Price Gap between Steers and Bulls in Florida: The Effect of Price Slides on the Value of Additional Pounds
FE1152/FE1152by Hannah BakerJuly 29, 2024Castration of bull calves on cow-calf operations usually improves profitability. On average over the last six years, Florida prices for steer calves have been 5% higher than prices for bull calves. In 2023, a year of record-high prices, steer prices averaged 6% higher, with the average discount for bulls at roughly $64 per head. Buyers pay more for steer calves because they are docile, and because steer carcasses are more valuable. Cattle producers are therefore encouraged to castrate bull calves. Bulls may weigh more than steers at the time of weaning, bringing what seems like a higher price, but there is a price slide for entering the heavier weight class. Determining the value of those additional pounds, and whether it is enough to make up for the discount is key. Using prices from 2023 (with prices projected to remain favorable for at least the next year), this publication allows producers to determine what a bull calf would need to weigh to receive the same price as a steer calf.Critical Issue: 1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises
Hoja informativa de la vida silvestre de Florida: el puma de Florida
UW516/WEC422Sby Kelly Koriakin y Raoul K. Boughton. Traducido por Rebeca Prieto, Alejandra Areingdale y Miguel AcevedoJuly 1, 2024Esta es una hoja informativa de la vida silvestre en Florida, dedicada al puma (pantera) de la Florida. Este material busca informar sobre las características de este felino, la historia de su presencia en el estado, su distribución actual, biología y comportamiento. El objetivo es informar para que el público sepa identificar a los pumas, resguardar su hábitat y también contribuir con la investigación y el manejo de esta especie.Critical Issue: 3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality
Cómo prevenir encuentros entre niños y serpientes
UW514/WEC201Sby Steve A. Johnson y Martin B. MainApril 22, 2024La forma más efectiva de proteger a los niños de la mordedura de serpientes es simplemente evitar que interactúen con ellas. En este documento se recomiendan medidas que pueden tomar las escuelas para prevenir el ingreso de serpientes a la propiedad escolar. Además se ofrecen algunas ideas para desarrollar programas educativos sobre estos reptiles y para entrenar a los niños sobre qué hacer si se encuentran con una serpiente en su escuela o en otro lugar. Se incluye un programa educativo breve que los maestros pueden utilizar con los estudiantes. Critical Issue: 3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality
