Casual Cattle Conversations

Today on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, Shaye interviews Corteva pasture specialist, Rachel Walker, about prioritizing fall weed control to maximize usable forage and extend grazing days. Walker explains that winter-emerging weeds like plantain, thistles, and poison hemlock should be treated in fall when young, using options such as DuraCor and UltiGraze. She describes DuraCor’s two-actives approach and notes grazing is allowed, with hay sales restrictions depending on state. They discuss why weed control matters in drought and for preventing livestock losses to toxic plants, and how improved control can reduce hay feeding and enable adding diverse grasses and clover. Walker recommends frequent soil testing and taking advantage of free forage testing, and adds fall brush control timing guidance. Learn more about Corteva solutions here: RangeAndPasture.com/CattleConversations Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Fall Weed Control Urgency 01:10 Meet Rachel Walker 02:43 Drought and Hay Outlook 04:07 Grazing Longer Into Winter 06:19 Targeting Winter Weeds 10:21 Why Weed Control Matters 14:09 UltiGraze and Soil Testing 16:39 Forage Testing and Nutrition 18:23 Clover Integration With NovaGraze 20:16 Brush Control Timing

This week, Shaye interviews Dr. Robin Faulkner, a veterinarian with decades of beef industry experience, about fall calving systems and herd health. Faulkner outlines why fall calving can add value by spreading calf supply to better match year-round packing capacity and by producing more mature fall-born bulls, while noting location-specific challenges. He emphasizes aligning calving with weather “thermal neutral” windows to reduce stress, disease risk, and negative fetal programming, and highlights nutrition as the key constraint for rebreeding when forage quality declines into winter. He advocates proactive, season-ahead management: forage testing, equipment readiness, calving kits, and facility preparation. On vaccines, he stresses tailoring protocols to handling and marketing constraints, using vaccination and weaning to improve marketability, and timing products to their effective protection windows, including pre-calving scour vaccines for colostrum immunity. He discusses fall fly pressure and timing fly control to vulnerability periods, and urges responsible treatment and stewardship of insecticides, dewormers, and antibiotics to preserve efficacy. Learn more at https://farmanimal.elanco.com/us/beef Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Learn more about Vence here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Fall Calving Kickoff 01:18 Meet Dr. Faulkner 03:15 Why Calve in Fall 06:06 Weather Stress Window 09:50 Nutrition and Rebreeding 12:44 Pre Calving Prep 17:35 Vaccines for Value 23:20 Vaccine Timing Matters 29:42 Fly Control Strategy 32:46 Treatment Stewardship 42:45 Observe and Adapt

Today on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, Shaye talks with veterinarian Dr. Paige Schmidt-Rios about bovine respiratory disease (BRD), its impact across the cattle supply chain, and key prevention strategies for ranchers. Dr. Paige explains BRD (also called pneumonia or shipping fever) as a complex syndrome involving multiple viruses and bacteria, often triggered when stress and environment compromise immunity; she lists common pathogens and notes BRD is a major cause of post-weaning illness. They discuss treatment limits, including supportive care for viral cases and five antibiotic classes for bacterial pneumonia, highlighting mycoplasma’s lack of a cell wall and fluoroquinolone restrictions, plus the role and timing of diagnostics and the need for a VCPR. Prevention focuses on colostrum within 12 hours, clean/dry calving environments, proper vaccine handling, and timely boosters, including considerations around preconditioning versus vaccinating at weaning. Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Learn more about Vence here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Learn more abou Elanco here: https://farmanimal.elanco.com/us/beef Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 01:16 4-H Memories 03:09 What BRD Really Is 06:45 Mycoplasma Spotlight 08:01 Treatment Options 11:09 Diagnostics And Timing 12:59 Vet Partnership And Management 16:29 Prevention Starts At Birth 20:00 Vaccines And Boosters 22:11 Weaning And Preconditioning 24:32 Prevention Recap And Supply Chain

This week, Shaye Wanner interviews Haley Potter from the Ambrook team about how artificial intelligence can support ranch profitability and long-term continuity when used responsibly. Potter, who has North Dakota ranching roots and splits time between ranches in Dell and Alder, Montana, says AI fits best for producers who need help with information gathering and admin tasks while keeping humans in control of decisions and fact-checking outputs. She shares examples such as using Claude to summarize bull sale catalogs based on EPD parameters, building grazing plans, and analyzing financials for expansion scenarios, plus customer examples like an AI-assisted ordering/lead tool for direct-to-consumer beef and a “ranch command center” dashboard. Potter explains Ambrook’s AI-assisted bookkeeping features (tagging, invoice matching, receipt scanning) and emphasizes data quality, transparency, and privacy, including choosing trusted services and requiring approval for data use. See what Ambrook can do for your operation here: ambrook.com/casualcattle Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Learn more about Vence here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG 00:00 AI and Ranching Today 00:11 Meet Haley Potter 01:30 AI Not Insemination 01:56 Can AI Help Ranchers 02:51 Haley Ranching Roots 04:10 Responsible AI Basics 05:45 Real Ranch AI Examples 09:56 What Ambrook Does 10:39 AI Features in Ambrook 12:54 Time Savings and Better Data 15:25 Data Privacy and Trust

This week on the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Jay and Cheyenne Smith, cattle producers on Idaho’s eastern edge near the Montana border, about adopting Vence virtual fencing and coordinating with neighboring permittees to make it cost-effective. After the 2022 Moose Fire and grazing restrictions, they partnered with the University of Idaho and worked with BLM and the Forest Service to implement virtual fencing on rugged public-land range; five permittees now use shared base stations while owning separate collars. They discuss early hesitations about data being used against producers, onboarding lessons about placing fences to match natural cattle trails, and management gains including fewer emergency rides, more schedulable work, improved utilization control, and more efficient gathers. Virtual fencing enabled their shift from winter to fall calving by keeping cattle positioned to come home, reducing labor needs, and providing movement data useful for investigating events like wolf predation or other disturbances. Learn more about Vence here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Virtual Fence Neighbors 01:08 Meet the Smiths 01:34 Ranch and Grazing Setup 04:05 Fire Sparks Adoption 07:02 Getting Neighbors Onboard 09:32 Workload and Riding Changes 11:43 Sharing Towers and Data 14:14 Training and Fence Design 18:01 Better Utilization and Plans 19:15 Fall Calving Made Possible 22:33 Costs and Quality of Life 25:23 Wolves and Movement Clues 27:35 Next Generation Buy In

This week, Shaye sits down with Chance, a ranch manager at the Noble Research Institute, about extending grazing seasons to cut winter feeding and hay costs. Chance describes Noble’s 5,100-acre native-grass operation running about 200 cows, using intensive rotational grazing (moving daily to every few days) and aiming to remove only the top third to half of forage during the growing season so enough standing grass remains for winter. He stresses producers often plan too late, and recommends measuring pasture forage monthly to guide stocking decisions, destocking, or hay purchasing. Winter management includes protein supplementation (cubes/cake) for four to five months and occasional hay during heavy snow. They discuss other options such as cover crops (noting weather risk), rye winter pasture, crop residue grazing, and bale grazing/unrolling or pre-unwrapped bales to improve soil and return nutrients. Learn more about resources from the Noble Research Institute here: http://noble.org/find-a-course Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com 00:00 Cutting Input Costs 00:10 Meet Shay and Chance 01:31 Why Extend Grazing 02:05 Noble Ranch System 02:37 Summer Grazing Plan 04:51 Rotation and Calving Setup 06:42 When to Move Cattle 08:43 Stocking and Weather Limits 10:23 Cover Crops and Rye 12:14 Bale Grazing Methods 14:53 Put Nutrients Back

This week, Shaye Wanner welcomes Chris Rawley of Harvest Returns to discuss what makes ranches “investable” and why it matters for operators seeking outside investors or bank financing to expand herds, land, or infrastructure. Raleigh explains Harvest Returns’ model of pooling investor capital and investing as a single partner via loans, notes, or equity, and says investable operations have a solid plan, clear financial statements, defined marketing/sales strategy, and a realistic path to investor returns. He outlines that key first steps include transparency and documentation across complex land and entity structures, accurate balance sheets reflecting assets and debts, and building a team for missing functions like finance, bookkeeping, accounting, and sales. Common mistakes include poor herd tracking/accountability (amid “phantom cattle” scams) and attempting to raise public capital without proper SEC-compliant legal help. Raleigh emphasizes getting herd and financial numbers in order, including hiring professionals. Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Is Your Ranch Investible 01:24 Meet Chris Rawley 01:33 Why Investability Matters 02:38 What Harvest Returns Does 04:56 Investible Ranch Checklist 07:50 First Steps to Improve 09:30 Building the Right Team 11:09 Common Mistakes to Avoid 13:20 Raising Capital Legally

This week, Shaye Wanner interviews NDSU livestock development specialist Jon Biermacher about the economics of buying weaned/backgrounded heifers in spring, breeding them, and selling them about a year later as long-bred heifers or as pairs, using an Excel-based enterprise budget tool developed from a student producer’s plan. The model includes key costs (heifer purchase, pasture/feed/hay/mineral, health, breeding, transport, interest, marketing) and compares AI plus cleanup bulls versus natural service, finding about a $55/head advantage to not using AI (not counting added labor) and little observed revenue premium for AI’d breds. In their projections, pairs returned about $100/head more than bred heifers. Results show costs are dominated by heifer purchase and feed, with profit highly sensitive to purchase price; a ~$0.20/lb increase can erase roughly $200/head projected net return. This conversation is helpful for anyone looking to create projections on their operation with resources from the NDSU team. Join Rising Ranchers Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/risingranchers Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 01:31 Meet John Biermacher 04:54 Defining the Enterprise 06:08 Building the Budget Tool 13:03 Markets and Assumptions 15:04 AI Versus Bulls 19:48 Where the Costs Sit 22:26 Breds Versus Pairs 25:35 Break Evens and Risk 31:47 Tools Beyond Spreadsheets

In a solo episode of the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, host Shaye Wanner shares her background growing up on a ranch that evolved into a registered Red Angus seedstock operation and now living on her husband’s centennial family farm, to frame three key transition planning tips. First, she urges producers to honestly ask whether they truly want to be on the family farm or would rather farm/ranch independently while staying close to family, noting legacy isn’t limited to land ownership and that not all family members work well together. Second, she advises financially planning for the unknown by saving and working with bankers and financial professionals even without a clear transition timeline, since taking over must still be a sound business decision. Third, she emphasizes, “You don’t get to change what’s not yours,” encouraging respect for older generations and clarity about one’s current role. Join Rising Ranchers Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/risingranchers Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:08 Welcome and Ways to Connect 01:45 My Ranching Background 05:20 Three Tips Overview 05:41 Family Farm or Nearby 10:01 Plan for the Unknown 13:27 You Cant Change It

Today on the Casual Cattle Conversations podcast, Shaye Wanner talks with ag tech consultants Chelsea Good (Good & Associates) and Jared Wareham (Horizon Venture Management) about how cow-calf producers can decide which technologies are worth adopting. They stress that many tools enter agriculture from outside the industry and may be “solutions looking for a problem,” so ranchers should evaluate technology like a toolbox and demand ROI, especially in an asset-rich, cash-poor business. Examples include mismatched expensive tags for sale barns versus value-based traceability programs, strategic uses of GPS and estrus-detection tags (often for herd bulls or specific heifer programs), virtual fencing’s geography-dependent economics, and emerging biometrics, camera applications, and gene-edited pest control. They also discuss digital recordkeeping and payment systems as adoption challenges without policy drivers, and encourage producers to share pain points and explore tech that supports long-term generational sustainability. Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ Learn more about Chelsea and Good & Associates here: https://www.goodandassoc.com/ Learn more about Jared and Horizon Venture Management here: https://www.horizonventuremanagement.com/ 00:00 Tech That Pays Off 01:09 Meet Chelsea and Jared 04:40 Picking Tech by ROI 09:50 AI Is Not Magic 11:50 Genomics Fit and Value 14:39 Virtual Fencing Reality 17:09 Smart Tags and GPS 28:14 Cameras and Computer Vision 37:40 Gene Editing and Pests 43:17 Digital Records and Payments

Today, Shaye Wanner interviews Jamie Courter, a University of Missouri assistant professor and genetics extension specialist, about research and producer use of cattle hair shedding scores. Corder explains hair shedding’s link to heat stress—especially in the Southeast with endophyte-infected fescue—and summarizes findings that earlier-shedding cows wean heavier calves, including Simmental data showing hair shed score 1 cows weaned calves 45 pounds heavier than score 5 cows. She describes the 1–5 scoring system, typical shedding pattern, and recommends scoring the whole herd on the same day when variation is greatest, noting bulls shed earlier and younger cows score higher than mature cows within a year. She discusses recent genomic work suggesting shedding relates more to changing daylight than temperature, notes variation exists within all breeds, and points listeners to University of Missouri Extension publications for scoring guidance and research details. Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ Learn more about hair shedding research at https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g2049 Sign up for the upcoming RancherMind with Jasper here: https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ranchermind-events 00:51 Jamie’s background 01:37 Why hair shedding matters 03:39 Research results and economics 05:02 Daylight vs temperature genetics 08:37 Scoring timing and method 11:39 Bulls calves and age effects 16:47 Consistent scoring observers 17:48 Across breeds and selection 21:49 Culling signals and resources

Today on Casual Cattle Conversations, Shaye interviews Devlon Ford, a regenerative ranching advisor at the Noble Research Institute, about managing drought in cattle operations. Ford explains drought-stress indicators producers should watch for, including forage color and condition, lack of rainfall, and cattle manure consistency as a signal of declining forage protein. Reactive options discussed include early weaning, strategic destocking (culling old, open, ornery, and poor performers while considering market profitability), and carefully analyzing the costs of purchasing hay or supplements. He also suggests subdividing pastures to increase stock density, improve grazing uniformity, and extend recovery time. Proactively, Ford emphasizes calculating carrying capacity and setting stocking rate below it, using rainfall trigger dates for destocking decisions, avoiding overgrazing to protect soil cover and biology, and using flexible enterprises like stockers/custom grazing during high-forage years. Learn about carrying capacity and stocking rate with Devlon: https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/casual-cattle-conversations-podcast-shownotes/devlon-ford Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:00 Drought Reality Check 01:54 Meet Devlon Ford 02:36 Spotting Drought Stress 04:24 Early Weaning and Selling 05:24 Destocking for Profit 06:09 Feeding and Hay Economics 10:11 Grazing Tactics in Drought 13:10 Plan Ahead for Drought 13:37 Carrying Capacity Basics 17:43 Overgrazing Costs 20:21 Flexible Enterprises and Emotions 24:40 Cull Lists and Records 27:26 Final Field Reminders

Today on the Casual Cattle Conversations Podcast, Shaye interviews Jasper Oeltjen of Heritage and Horizons about why ranchers feel overwhelmed financially, mentally, and operationally, and how those areas intertwine. Jasper shares her background in education, IT strategy, and a 14-year cow-calf operation, describing how constant hustling led to plateauing and reactive decision-making that created domino effects in nutrition, calving, labor, medications, margins, and relationships. They discuss how unavoidable hard seasons are easier to navigate with a foundation of goals, clear expectations, and defined roles. Jasper outlines a four-phase “road trip” framework: set shared long-term goals, map the route with shorter targets, define day-to-day tactics and metrics aligned to goals, and proactively anticipate issues (like aging cows or replacement needs) to avoid “construction.” She also explains helping producers clarify goals via conversation and four focus categories: optimize, innovate, maintain, or grow. Start Building a More Intentional Operation 👇 https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ranchermind-events Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:59 Meet Jasper Oeltjen 02:32 From Hustle to Strategy 04:06 Reactive Decisions Dominoes 07:10 Financial and Operational Strain 10:23 Relationships and Tough Seasons 12:48 Root Causes Goals and Roles 17:34 Four Phase Planning Framework 20:56 Finding Your Real Goals 26:06 Keep It Simple and Take Action 29:10 Rancher Mind Series Invite

Today, Shay interviews NDSU Extension Livestock Environmental Stewardship Specialist, Miranda Meehan about how cattle water quality affects intake, performance, abortions, central nervous system disorders, and death. Meehan explains how geology influences salts, sulfates, TDS, nitrates, and phosphorus in springs, ponds, creeks, and wells, with drought concentrating minerals and increasing risk; she also notes regional concerns such as higher nitrates in the Southern Plains. She recommends testing at least a week before turning cattle into a pasture and more often during drought, using simple screening tools like handheld TDS meters and sulfate strips, then submitting samples for lab panels (pH, sulfates, TDS, nitrates) when elevated. If water is unsafe, options include fencing off sources, hauling water (including possible ELAP/FSA assistance), and longer-term infrastructure like wells, pipelines, or rural water, while checking aquifer test data. They also stress monitoring for cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms, which can occur earlier or later in the year and can kill within 15 minutes, using visual checks and tools like trail cameras. Learn more about what Vence could look like on your operation here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 00:41 Meet Miranda Meehan 01:05 Why Water Quality Matters 02:43 What Impacts Water Sources 05:11 How Often to Test 05:56 Easy Screening Tools 07:38 Reading Lab Results 09:47 Fixing Bad Water 11:50 Blue Green Algae Danger 13:56 Tech for Monitoring

Today, Shaye welcomes back Nebraska rancher, Jaclyn Wilson to discuss how extensive international travel has shaped her ranch management and views of global agriculture. Wilson describes how travel began through the Nebraska LEAD program and expanded into regular international speaking and industry visits, leading to operational changes at home such as organized team planning with whiteboards and calendars and greater delegation. She contrasts U.S. open-pasture wintering with UK/Ireland winter confinement driven by mud and heavy clay soils, and shares a Netherlands example where turning cows out to grass becomes an agritourism event. Wilson outlines Dutch regulations and subsidies tied to nitrates, water runoff, stocking limits, and methane, and questions measurement accuracy for emissions and carbon credits. From Kenya, she highlights corruption concerns, diverse agricultural tours, and a “My Tank” water project. She emphasizes U.S. beef efficiency and safety but notes persistent overseas perceptions about sanitation, traceability, confinement, and antibiotics, and encourages producers to stay aware of global concerns and opportunities, including genetics and investment abroad. Learn more about what Vence could look like on your operation here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Learn more about Noble here: https://bit.ly/3DD7uG0 Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 01:24 Jaclyn’s Travel Bug Origins 03:29 Ranch Changes From Travel 05:35 Whiteboards And Planning 07:16 Winter Housing Culture Shock 10:16 Netherlands Dairy And Agritourism 12:00 EU Rules Subsidies And Nitrates 15:21 Methane Carbon And Measurement 17:52 Africa And Nuffield Journey 20:33 Kenya Corruption And Water 24:43 Water Links Every Country 25:48 Why Home Matters Most 28:08 US Beef Strengths And Perception 31:13 Genetics Trade And Open Minds

On today's show, Shaye Wanner interviews Saskatchewan ranchers John and Deanne about using Vence virtual fencing on their 400 cow-calf commercial operation near the Bronson Forest. They explain how virtual fencing improves utilization on rough, boggy forest lease country where conventional fencing is difficult and expensive, while saving labor, supporting planned/rotational grazing, and helping soil health by controlling stock density and drift with back fences. They describe added benefits like better monitoring for predation claims, reducing temporary electric fencing on rented land, and sorting groups (heifers, main herd, and open cows) using different virtual fences, achieving about a 95% success rate in a week. They discuss software tools like maps and heat maps, training protocols, cow-to-cow variation in responses, challenges with bull collar retention, collar loss rates improving with tighter fitting, and battery life lasting closer to six months than nine. Learn more about what Vence could look like on your operation here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG Catch more conversations like this one and learn more at https://www.casualcattleconversations.com/ 01:01 Biggest Grazing Wins 02:42 Why Vence 03:30 Ranch and Region Overview 06:04 Secondary Benefits and Predators 08:24 Sorting Cows with Maps 13:31 Software Insights and Training 16:42 Heat Maps and Logging Changes 19:47 Bulls Learning Curve and Next Steps 24:10 Challenges Battery and Retention

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 Learn more about Vence here: https://bit.ly/4kfWrCG 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

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

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

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