Justin A Ramirez, M.S. - Livestock Nutritionist

09/09/2026

Topline is more than just adding protein.

I had a great conversation today with my friend who is a horse trainer about topline in horses and some of the factors that contribute to developing and maintaining muscle.

One thing that stood out to me is how often topline becomes a conversation about finding one missing ingredient that can be the tweak needed for improvement. More protein. A specific amino acid. A new additive.

But developing topline is usually a much bigger picture.

Protein and amino acids are certainly important. For example, lysine is one of the essential amino acids considered first limiting in equine diets.

An approximately 1,100 lb horse may require around 27 grams of lysine per day at maintenance, while requirements can increase to over 40 grams per day with very heavy work and muscle composition.

But protein alone is not the answer.

The horse also needs enough total energy to support maintenance, “exercise”, and performance. Vitamins and minerals contribute to normal muscle function and metabolism. Vitamin E, for example, plays an important role as an antioxidant in protecting muscle cells from oxidative damage.

Then there is the digestive system. Horses rely heavily on microbial fermentation in the hindgut to convert fiber into volatile fatty acids that provide a significant energy source.
Enzymatic digestion also helps the horse utilize nutrients such as starch, fat, and protein. If the digestive tract is loaded with inflammation from stress, a decline in fermentable energy can be a contributing factor.

And we cannot forget forage.

The same feeding program can look consistent on paper while the nutrition changes underneath it. Hay quality can fluctuate between cuttings, fields, growing conditions, and storage. That means the amount of protein, energy, and other nutrients being supplied can change as well. If the grass is more mature “stemmy” it can contribute significantly less nutrients which you visually see topline as the first to drop. Maturity also contributes to bulk fill and lower flank appearance.

Finally, nutrition provides the building blocks, but exercise provides the stimulus for muscle development.

So when someone asks what supplement they need to improve topline, I think we should first ask ourselves a few questions to guide our thought process:

Is the horse getting enough calories?

Is the protein and amino acid supply adequate?

What is the forage contributing?

Are vitamins and minerals balanced?

Is digestion and gut health being considered?

And is the horse receiving the appropriate exercise to develop muscle?

Topline is not built from one ingredient. It is the result of nutrition, digestion, exercise, and management all working together.

Sometimes the answer is not adding something to the diet. Sometimes the answer is identifying what is currently limiting the horse.

What are your thoughts on topline and how you’ve addressed it before?

God Bless and Gig ‘Em!

09/05/2026

Howdy! 👋 I’ve noticed a lot of new faces around here lately, so figured it was time to reintroduce myself.

I’m Justin A. Ramirez, livestock and equine nutritionist based out of Seguin, Tx where my wife and I along with our two kids run our cattle business and ride our horses when we can.
I grew up on a cow-calf and performance horse operation, and growing up I always thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Over time I realized my passion for caring for animals didn’t have to lead down that one path. There are so many ways to work with animals outside of veterinary medicine, and for me that turned into animal nutrition.

After finishing under grad at Texas A&M University Kingsville in Animal Science Pre-Vet, my senior seminar helped me realize I wanted to pursue nutrition. My continued passion eventually turned into a Master of Science degree in Animal Science with an emphasis in Ruminant Nutrition and minor in Equine Nutrition from Texas A&M University. My thesis research was studying the effects of residual feed intake on performance traits in Santa Gertrudis females from the King Ranch.

While I was in grad school, I taught Intro to Animal Science Labs and Feeds and Feeding Labs, and that’s where I found out I had a real passion for teaching. I love helping people connect the dots and understand the why behind the nutrition, not just the what.

I’m also a certified Artificial Insemination Technician, and I’ve been practicing that for the last 16 years alongside my nutrition work. It sure gives a unique perspective on the importance nutrition plays into getting females bred.

I believe this is God’s purpose for me, to be an open, honest, and transparent resource for others to learn nutrition. That’s really what this page is about. I like doing write ups on hot topics in the industry, clearing up misconceptions, and helping cattle ranchers, business owners, and equine owners take their programs to their fullest genetic potential through nutrition.

Glad to have you here! Drop a comment and let me know what part of the industry you’re in, I’d love to know who’s reading.

If you’d like a hot topic of yours covered, drop it in the comments and you’ll get a shout out soon for it!!

Thanks and Gig ‘Em!🐄🐴

Photo Credit: Katie Rossow Rossow Photography

09/03/2026

I had the honor of being asked to join Lauren on Cattle USA Media to discuss cattle nutrition decisions and how those affect fetal programming in cow/calf, farm to table and seed stock operations. Give this one a listen and leave your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

Be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and keep an eye out for more as I’ll be featured to speak regularly!

Thanks and gig ‘em! 👍🏼

Nutrition plays a much bigger role in cattle production than simply...

09/02/2026

406: Fetal Programming: The Nutrition Decisions That Shape Your Calf’s Future with Justin Ramirez, CattleUSA Daily Podcast

Nutrition plays a much bigger role in cattle production than simply...

08/13/2026

Did I Do My Job?

Every time I breed a female via artificial insemination, I think about everything that had to go right before I ever picked up the AI gun.

When I put my AI technician hat on, usually by the time a female gets in front of you, a lot of the work has already been done.

You’re hoping she’s been managed correctly, her nutritional needs have been met, she’s in adequate body condition, healthy, cycling and that everything leading up to breeding has been handled the way it should.

Then it’s my turn to do my job.

At that point, my job is to handle the semen correctly, take my time through the reproductive tract and deposit the semen in the uterine body with as minimal stress as possible.

What I think is easy to forget is that getting a female bred doesn’t come down to what happens in those few minutes at the chute, although it can certainly undo a lot of hard work. So make sure you trust your AI technician!!

It may be the nutrition decisions that were made months ago. Her body condition going into breeding. Her health program. Mineral intake. Heat detection. Timing after standing heat. Semen quality and handling. And finally, the technician doing their job correctly.

Keep in mind, research has shown just how much body condition can influence reproductive performance. In one dataset, cows at a BCS 4 had a 58% pregnancy rate compared to 85% for cows at a BCS 5. That’s a pretty significant difference for one body condition score.

There are a lot of opportunities along the way for something to go right or wrong.

By the time I have the AI gun in my hand, I can’t fix poor body condition from three months ago or make up for management not putting out mineral or watching standing heat. I can only make sure I do my part and don’t become the weak link in the chain.

And even if we do everything right, biology still gets the final say.

I think that’s one of the things I enjoy most about reproduction and nutrition. They constantly remind you that livestock production is a system built on teamwork.

My wife Kristy and I work together watching heats in our herd to make sure we’re on time, not too early and definitely not too late. Very rarely is success or failure tied back to one single thing.

Do the little things right, stay consistent and give your females the best opportunity to do what we’re asking them to do.

God Bless and Gig ‘Em

08/07/2026

Reflecting back one key takeaway, I really enjoyed Dr. Jason Banta’s practical session at the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course discussing whether excess minerals could actually be hurting cattle performance.

It reminded me of something I see all too often in the field, not only with cattle, but on the equine side as well.

When we’re trying to do everything we can for our horse and cattle, it can be easy to take somewhat of a “shotgun approach” to nutrition “to make sure they get everything they need.”
A tub goes out. Then another a salt block, a sulfur block, a mineral block, then liquids gets added. Maybe an injectable product is used. The feed contains additional trace minerals. Before long, we may have several different sources supplying some of the same nutrients because it may give us a false sense of security. “It makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing,” is something I commonly hear.

The intention is good. But more of a nutrient doesn’t necessarily mean more performance.

I think about it like my son asking me for a popsicle, then another. Just because he wanted a red one instead of that John Deere green one he already ate doesn’t automatically mean he needs one.

As his dadda, it’s my job to understand the difference between what “he wants” and what “he actually needs.” Now he asks if there’s protein in candy because he knows what I’m looking for!

Equine and ruminant nutrition aren’t all that different. Our job isn’t simply to keep adding things because they might help. Our job is to understand what the animal is already receiving, what the animal actually requires, and then determine if there is a nutritional gap that needs to be filled. That’s when we’re both economic and efficient.

Minerals are especially important because they don’t operate independently of one another. Supplying nutrients well beyond an animal’s requirements can create antagonisms that affect the availability or utilization of other nutrients. And sometimes, we may simply be spending money on something the animal doesn’t need.

This is one of my favorite parts! Mostly because I love helping programs and businesses gain confidence by making those adjustments early on. Teamwork makes the dream work.

That’s why I believe we have to evaluate the entire nutritional program instead of looking at each product individually. What is the forage supplying? What’s already in the feed? What’s in the mineral? What other supplements or products are being used? And ultimately, what does the animal actually require?…. Oh wait, what about the number one nutrient they need, water?

Sometimes improving a nutrition program isn’t about figuring out what else we can add.

Sometimes it’s figuring out what we don’t need.

Another great session and another reminder of why continuing education is so important in this industry! You’re never too old to stop learning.

God bless and Gig ‘Em!

08/05/2026

Reminiscing in Aggieland!

The Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course is an event I look forward to every year. It seems like every time I come back to College Station, I’m reminded just how much this place shaped my career and my passion for animal nutrition.

One of the highlights today was getting to catch up with my graduate school professor and mentor, Dr. Gordon Carstens. Seems like just yesterday I was worrying about how much red ink he was going to leave on my thesis draft and whether I was going to pass my defense or not!

It’s funny how walking around campus brought back memories of long days in class, research projects, teaching Feeds and Feeding labs, and spending long days in Kleberg.

As much as I enjoy reconnecting with old friends and mentors, I come back each year to keep learning. Our industry is constantly evolving, and there’s always something new I can take back to implement in our personal program and with the producers I have the privilege of consulting with.

I consider myself blessed for the education I received at Texas A&M, the people like Dr. Carstens who invested in me along the way, and the opportunity to continue learning.

Already looking forward to another great Beef Cattle Short Course next year!

Gig ’em! 👍🐂

&m

08/04/2026

Excited for this session here at Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course. You’re never too far in your career or too old to continue learning.

Your replacement heifers today are your milking/breeding herd tomorrow and how you feed and manage them now sets the tone for their entire productive life. I like to think about it like this: The heifers you raise right the first time are the ones that don’t cost you twice. 💪

Thank you Dr. Karl Harborth for sharing knowledge and insights!

08/02/2026

28 days post artificial insemination.

It’s amazing how much hope and anxiety can fit into a small tube of blood.

This video was taken while I was collecting a blood sample from one of our percentage Simbrah females, 28 days after artificial insemination. Within minutes chute side we’re able to determine if she’s bred or not.
In those minutes of stress waiting to see if we get 2 lines leaves me time to think.

Since calving, shes been facing higher energy demand in addition to healing before she’s ready to cycle again, we’ve been hoping all of the pieces came together.

Now it’s a matter of did we catch her in standing heat at the right time? My wife and I check heats religiously!

Did I do my job with an insemination timed correctly?

Did I handle the semen properly?

Was her body on time with fertilization to occur?

Will she maintain her pregnancy through those critical first few weeks?

There are so many variables that have to line up before a calf is ever born. This blood sample is a milestone that tells us whether everything has gone according to plan…so far.

As a nutritionist, it’s also a reminder that reproductive success doesn’t begin on breeding day. It begins months before with good nutrition, proper body condition, sound herd health, low-stress handling, and day-to-day management.

We also have to take into account what the environment is providing and decide accordingly.
Believe me, my brain and my wallet tend to have conflicting ideas when it comes to our personal program.

Moments like this are why I enjoy what I do. When I have my rancher hat on, I’m excited about what new genetics are in the works for next calving season. When I have my nutritionist hat on, it helps validate the nutrition program I’ve implemented is working as it should.

Every breeding season is another opportunity to stack the odds in our favor and hopefully celebrate nine months later when a healthy calf hits the ground.

PS, this percentage Simbrah, Billie, was confirmed bred via Idexx Alertys!

God Bless and Gig Em!

07/29/2026

Howdy!

Next week I’ll be attending the 2026 Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course in College Station.

If you’ll be there, I’d love to meet you! Whether you want to visit about cattle, horses, nutrition, or just introduce yourself, feel free to stop me and say howdy!

One of my favorite parts of Short Course is learning what’s new from some of the best in our industry and bringing those ideas back to continue helping producers, including myself, make practical, research based nutrition decisions.

Looking forward to it! Hope to see y’all there! 👍