University of Minnesota Cow/Calf Reproduction Extension Educator Eric Mousel says improving or maintaining the weaning percentage of cow herds is an issue everywhere. “We really struggle particularly with winter and spring calving with calf health because of the cold. We tend to see weaning percentages around 85 percent, so we’re giving up a lot of dollars.” Mousel recommends backgrounding calves to add profit potential. “Producers that aren’t already backgrounding calves, should see what their options are. We see a lot of profitability in background calves, and it’s definitively a rising market.”
