That was the bottom line result reported to beef producers at a field day, Sept. 6, at the University of Missouri Thompson Farm. Kendra Graham, MU graduate student, reported on feeding groups of cows at the research farm in Grundy County. It was one of several projects on breeding and feeding now under way. The studies are aimed at increasing the number of calves weaned from beef-cow herds. Graham said they did not yet know why the feeding of soybeans helped conception rates.
Researchers speculate it has to do with improved hormones in the mother cow.
For now, all we know is that it works and that it can help producers. The work is aimed at reducing time and labor spent on artificial breeding. The goal is to have all cows in a herd come into heat at the same time. That would greatly reduce the labor beef producers spend in heat detection and sorting cows to be bred. Patterson gave his report in front of a new research barn at the farm that will be used for winter calving and for teaching farmers and veterinarians new breeding techniques.