AoR 170: Dr. Jim Sprinkle on The Perfect Range Cow

Cattle growth goals and livestock use of large, topographically challenging landscapes have been at odds for some decades. Weaning weights went up, cow weights went up, and herd distribution on rangelands went down. Dr. Jim Sprinkle, an Extension beef specialist at the University of Idaho, has been doing research that is providing guidance on developing cows that do both, leading to herds that are more efficient on feed and graze hillsides -- the Perfect Range Cow. This has significant implications for reducing land use conflicts, particularly with riparian grazing concerns on public lands, but also profitability and sustainability of range livestock operations. The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. Visit the episode page at for a full transcript of the interview and links to resources mentioned in the episode. Music by Lewis Roise.

You can listen to AoR 170: Dr. Jim Sprinkle on The Perfect Range Cow online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

AoR 170: Dr. Jim Sprinkle on The Perfect Range Cow is an episode from The Art of Range by Art of Range.

This episode is 01:04:58 long.

This episode was published on Nov 13, 2025.

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