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- Yesterday24 min
Reducing Stress for Cattle
On this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews first-generation Texas rancher Kim Jungkind about staying curious to reduce cattle stress and improve performance. Kim shares how observing cattle led her to test music and color preferences: her herd moved away from rock music but gathered closely to Bach, especially Yo-Yo Ma’s cello, which she now plays during feeding and stressful events like trailering or difficult births to calm the herd; she connects stress reduction to better weight gain by preventing metabolic energy loss. She also found cattle are drawn to yellow after placing art in a corral, and notes cattle see yellow best and blue well, inspiring practical changes like using yellow flags on sorting sticks. Kim recounts transitioning from nursing and academia to ranching after inheriting her father-in-law’s operation, receiving community support through a local church, and facing a major fire early on. She recommends helping new ranchers network and directs listeners to order her book, “Back to the Barn and Bach,” at www.insightskj.com. Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:48 Why Curiosity Matters 01:15 Yellow Flags Reduce Stress 02:14 Testing Music Preferences 04:00 Stress Economics Weight Gain 04:46 From Nurse To Rancher 07:14 Finding Help Through Church 09:32 Wildfire Wake Up Call 10:57 Learning Cow Personalities 12:45 Grandin And Behavior Research 14:08 Playing Cello For Cows 17:33 Art In The Corral Colors 19:25 Key Takeaways Curiosity Community 21:13 Where To Get The Book
- 1 weeks ago39 min
Tips for AI'ing Cattle
On this episode of Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, Shaye interviews Jaclyn Ketchum, who grew up on a registered Red Angus ranch using AI and embryo technologies, earned advanced degrees in reproductive physiology, and now runs her family’s custom AI business while expanding embryo work. Ketchum explains benefits of AI and fixed-time AI with synchronization, including access to superior genetics at lower cost than buying bulls, use of sexed semen, improved early conception linked to heavier calves, more uniform calf crops, and reduced bull-to-cow ratios with cleanup bulls. She discusses why some producers still heat-detect, heifer protocol considerations, and how weather can reduce estrus expression and conception. Key success factors include communication, strict protocol timing, facility readiness, proper product handling and dosing, semen storage and shipping, skilled technicians, and managing expectations before and after AI. Mentioned Episodes Lacey Quail on Improving Preg Rates: https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/casual-cattle-conversations-podcast-shownotes/lacey-quail Jennifer Koziol on Bull Fertility: https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/casual-cattle-conversations-podcast-shownotes/p4fffrydex27m1zkm1cj7bmrgpp56d Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Corteva here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Learn more about CattleMax Here: https://bit.ly/4aG7K5q Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Why AI Matters 00:18 Meet Jaclyn Ketchum 01:50 AI and Fixed Time Benefits 07:53 Why Skip Synchronization 11:17 Heifer Protocol Basics 13:20 Planning a Successful AI Day 22:07 Heat Detecting 21 Day AI 24:35 Weather and Conception 27:45 Resync and Backup Plans 30:18 Sync for Natural Service 32:37 Repro Efficiency Big Picture 34:45 Final Takeaways and Wrap
- 2 weeks ago39 min
Cybersecurity: The Biggest Overlooked Threat to American Agriculture
On this episode of Casual Cattle Conversation, Shaye interviews Chris Sherman of Tech Support Farm about why farmers and ranchers are at risk for cybercrime and how to improve security. Sherman explains that cybercriminals target finance, information, and service disruption, and notes agriculture’s scale, liquidity, critical-infrastructure status, rapid tech adoption without “security by design,” a culture of trust, generational transition risks, and reliance on residential-grade hardware. He cites examples, including a Minnesota cooperative ransomware attack during harvest and spoofed bank emails that led to lost money and a land deal, plus invoice fraud against ag businesses. Action steps include using a custom domain with commercial email and security tools, stronger 12+ character passwords and multifactor authentication, reviewing social media/device access, locking phones/computers, spotting phishing via headers, links, timestamps, and PDFs, segmenting farm Wi‑Fi, and using tools like antivirus, endpoint monitoring, and mobile device management. Wrapping up, Chris also recommends Tech Support Farm’s “Fence Check” assessment. Learn more about what Chris does at https://techsupport.farm/services/. Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Corteva here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Learn more about CattleScales Here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Cyber Risk Warning 01:34 Why Ag Is Targeted 04:08 Five Ag Cyber Gaps 08:41 Spyware Routers Cameras 09:55 Chris Background Mission 13:07 Email Domains Encryption 16:37 Real World Attack Stories 20:31 Action Steps Passwords MFA 27:52 Phishing Emails Links 30:05 Security Tools MDM WiFi 35:48 Fence Check Takeaway
- 3 weeks ago45 min
Stop Haying to Improve Your Bottom Line
Have you ever considered that haying might not fit your operation anymore? This week on the podcast, Carson Roberts, a University of Missouri state forage specialist with a background in alfalfa production and cattle, discusses why producers must treat haying as a separate business enterprise and know the true cost of production to evaluate profitability. He outlines using regional hay budget sheets and accounting for income, seed, fertilizer, herbicides, custom hire, labor (including the producer’s time), fuel, repairs, overhead, land charge, and especially machinery ownership and opportunity interest. Carson argues hay often becomes unprofitable due to rising and excess equipment costs, over-equipped farms, and mismatched cattle-to-equipment inflation, suggesting some operations may profit more by selling hay equipment, converting hay acres to pasture, and buying tested hay while building reliable supplier relationships. He highlights cheaper feed alternatives such as grazing/stockpiled fescue, corn stalks, and grazing milo, and notes that aligning calving date with spring forage can reduce winter hay needs and costs. Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Corteva here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Learn more about CattleScales Here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 02:56 From Agronomy to Forages 05:00 Why Know Hay Costs 06:52 Building a Hay Budget 11:31 Equipment Overload Trap 15:50 When Hay Doesn’t Pencil 19:45 Scale and Reality Check 22:10 Buying Hay Strategically 26:43 Grazing Beats Haying 29:32 Hay Testing and Sourcing 33:11 Winter Grazing Options 36:35 Calving Date and Profit 39:40 Weaning Weights Myth
- 4 weeks ago31 min
The Value of Weighing Cattle
Why is weighing your cattle important? In this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations, Shaye interviews Dawn Anderson from the CattleScales team about why weighing cattle is valuable and how different scale options fit different ranch setups. Dawn shares her family’s ranch background and explains how their weighing systems evolved from beam and hanging scales to load bars and chute-side scale heads. They discuss how accurate weights improve confidence in breeding and culling decisions, reveal herd consistency, guide feed testing and ration changes, track average daily gain, help market seedstock and finished cattle, and ensure proper medication dosing. Dawn emphasizes that scales are an investment, there are portable and stationary options, and ranchers can call to match a system to their goals. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr. Links and Resources Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Why Weigh Cattle 02:01 Meet Dawn Anderson 05:16 Scale Evolution on the Ranch 08:56 Better Data Better Decisions 12:56 Backgrounding and ADG Tracking 14:22 Cow Performance and Culling 17:18 Accurate Treatment Dosage 20:39 Feeding and Pen Decisions 22:24 Marketing With Confidence 26:33 Choosing the Right Scale
- Apr 13, 202624 min
Fly Control Strategies That Protect Your Bottom Line
Today, Shaye welcomes Jonathan Wells of the Cargill Animal Nutrition Team to discuss fly control strategies for pasture cattle, focusing on horn flies’ economic impact and how to choose tools for an operation. Wells says horn flies drive about $2 billion in annual losses and can spread diseases like mastitis and anaplasmosis while reducing performance through increased heart rate, higher water intake and urinary nutrient loss, reduced nitrogen retention, and about a 15% drop in average daily gain. They compare adult-killing topicals and ear tags (and resistance concerns) with feed-through IGRs like Altosid (methoprene) that break the fly life cycle in manure. Wells explains the Altosid XRB extended-release bolus, given once at season start and releasing IGR for about 195 days, dosing guidance for cows and calves, application tips, compatibility with other controls, and visual signs of adequate control. Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS 01:33 Why Fly Control Matters 03:12 Hidden Performance Losses 05:04 Fly Control Options 07:24 Breaking The Fly Cycle 08:24 Altosid XRB Bolus 10:57 Bolus Release Science 12:27 Dosing Cows And Calves 14:08 Safety And Application Tips 18:17 How To Judge Control 20:36 Producer Field Experience
- Apr 6, 202629 min
Cut Feed Costs by Improving Pastures: Weed Control and Soil Fertility Strategies
On this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Corteva forage specialist, Sam Ingram, about prioritizing pastures and hay land to maximize forage production and improve cattle margins by lowering feed costs through grazing. Ingram explains how fertility, weed control, and grazing rest increase tonnage, forage quality, and carrying capacity, emphasizing soil testing and sticking to a consistent testing time to guide nutrient plans. He discusses the value of legumes like white clover and annual lespedeza for quality and nitrogen fixation and introduces Corteva’s NovaGraz, a non-residual broadleaf herbicide that controls weeds such as biennial thistles, ironweed, buttercup, plantains, wild carrot family species, poison hemlock, and parsnip while maintaining key legumes, offering flexibility for hay sales and crop rotation. He also describes UltiGraz, which combines herbicide and fertilizer in one pass for efficiency. The conversation addresses drought and wildfire impacts, stressing post-disaster planning, avoiding grazing too soon, and using sacrifice areas and stored feed to protect forage cover. Learn more about Corteva Pasture Products here: https://www.corteva.com/us/products-and-solutions/pasture-management/product-finder.html Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ Other Links and Resources Learn more about CattleScales here: https://bit.ly/4dqqTtr Learn more about Cargill here: https://bit.ly/4e1qygS Learn more about Performance Livestock Analytics here: https://bit.ly/47PxY3W 00:00 Pasture Profit Boost 00:16 Meet The Forage Expert 01:10 Why Prioritize Pastures 03:56 Fertility And Grazing Basics 04:49 Weed Control Matters 06:26 Legumes And NovaGraz 09:02 Target Weeds And Application 11:36 Hay Fields And Residue 15:16 Soil Testing Fertility Plan 18:08 Weed Control Plus Fertility 21:19 Drought And Recovery Planning 25:24 Key Takeaways And Wrap Up
- Mar 30, 202626 min
Family, Technology, and Entrepreneurship in the Beef Industry
In this episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Andrew Bredeweg about his multi-generational family farm in southwestern Indiana and why supporting family agriculture businesses helps rural communities thrive. Andrew explains how their operation evolved from a sustenance farm and dairy into a cattle-focused business that also farms under 500 acres, and how his kids are gaining ownership and business experience through feeding cattle and selling beef locally. He discusses their approach to adopting practical technology—highlighting rotational grazing, TMR feeding, and the Performance Beef app to improve feeding accuracy, billing, and decision-making for custom-fed cattle. Andrew also shares his role managing a co-op feeder calf auction barn with seasonal sales and describes a local high school internship program that places juniors and seniors with area businesses to keep young talent in the community. Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Andrew’s Family Farm Story 01:10 Why Support Family Ag 02:32 Life in Southern Indiana 03:31 Generations on the Farm 05:14 Raising the Next Gen 06:10 Learning Business Leadership 08:27 Adopting Farm Technology 12:35 Performance Beef App 15:47 Managing the Sale Barn 19:56 Internships for Rural Youth 23:30 Community Keeps Talent Home 25:18 Final Takeaways 26:19 Wrap Up and Thanks
About Casual Cattle Conversations
Casual Cattle Conversations is a podcast that utilizes rancher-to-rancher education to share experiences, stories and information about beef cattle producers and other individuals in the cattle industry. This podcast covers all topics related to ranching from time management, entrepreneurship, finances and anything in-between. Join the host, Shaye Koester-Wanner, each week to connect with fellow cattle producers and industry leaders.Link to website, episodes, merchandise & transcripts: https://linktr.ee/cattleconvos
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