As winter tightens its grip across the Midwest, now is the time to make sure your beef cows are set up for success – not just to survive the cold, but to thrive. Below are key action items for December that will support calf survival, rebreeding and overall herd health.

1. Test Your Hay – Don’t Assume It’s “Good Enough”

A recent Nov. 14, 2025, article in Farm World by Doug Schmitz reveals a striking finding: the Ohio State University beef team received 180 hay samples, and most were deficient in energy and/or protein. This was primarily due to the first cutting hay being made too late (overmature). This should serve as a red flag for producers: just because your hay looks “good” doesn’t guarantee it meets the nutritional needs of your cows.

What to do:

- If you haven’t tested your hay already this season, do it now. Collect representative samples from all hay lots (different fields and cuttings) and send them to a forage lab. There are many videos online that show how to collect a sample.

- Contact your nutrition company, extension educator or herd health veterinarian for help on where to send samples.

- Analyze not just crude protein (CP) but also total digestible nutrients (TDN) or energy measures. These will tell you whether your hay will maintain your cows or leave them in a deficit.

Don’t simply go out and buy protein blocks or tubs to supplement the cows. They have their place, but if the hay is low in energy – and overmature hay is usually deficient in energy – adding protein won’t help.

If you have a fall-calving herd and you are feeding hay that is low in protein and/or energy, this can lead to abysmal reproductive rates. I have seen forage analysis on mature fescue hay that is poorer in energy than corn crop residue. Testing your forages is a very small investment that always pays off for your beef business.

2. Focus on Body Condition

For optimal calf survival and rebreeding, mature cows need to be in body condition score (BCS) 5.5-6 heading into and throughout the winter. Because bred heifers are still growing, having them in BCS 6.5-7 is recommended. Under-conditioned cows (BCS < 5) are more likely to have weak calves, delayed estrus, or even fail to breed back.

Action steps:

- Assess BCS now. I always suggest having a neighboring beef producer assess your cows, and you do the same for them. The reason is that if you see your cows every day, you won’t see a slow change in their BCS.

- Based on hay test results, calculate how much supplemental feed is needed to bring under-conditioned cows to the correct BCS.

- If energy is lacking in your forage, consider energy-rich supplements (grain, byproduct feeds) rather than relying solely on protein tubs.

3. Prevent Lice Infestation During Winter

Winter is prime time for lice buildup, which can stress cows, reduce condition, and lower immune function.

Prevention tips:

- If you haven’t already, pour your cows to prevent lice now. The ideal time in our area is around Thanksgiving.

- Use a product with an insect growth regulator (IGR). Your herd-health veterinarian can give recommendations on the ones that contain an IGR.

- Pour from the poll back to the withers and then from the tailhead to the middle of the back. If you miss covering the area from the withers to the middle of the back, that is fine. Lice tend to be near the head, shoulders and tailhead. Be sure to get the product down on the skin. Spraying the product on the cow’s side as she runs past you is not adequate.

4. Pregnancy Check 

If you have a spring calving herd and you have not pregnancy checked yet, “Get ‘R Done.” An open cow eats your hay and gives you nothing in return. Would you continue to pay an employee who ate three meals a day at your business and never produced any work? Okay, I have young grandkids too, but you get my drift. We are at record prices in the beef industry. Don’t have freeloaders.

Your herd’s winter success hinges on being proactive. Testing hay now, focusing on BCS, preventing lice, and pregnancy checking are investments that pay off in better calf survival, earlier re-breeding and long-term herd productivity.