Getting Ready for Winter on the Range

Sean Kelly SDSU Extension Range Management Field Specialist With much of South Dakota experiencing drought conditions this past summer and now continuing into fall, the opportunity for winter grazing may be very limited or not available at all. A ranch manager must try to ensure that enough residual plant height and vegetation cover of the soil surface is available through the winter to aid in recovery of the rangeland. In order to capture…

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Water: The Unappreciated Nutrient

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Water might be the Rodney Dangerfield of nutrients—it just doesn’t get any respect. We could use the latest edition of “Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle” as an example. Of the six classes of nutrients discussed in that resource, water is the last topic and the shortest chapter even though water makes up 99% of every molecule in an animal. It is easy to fall into…

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Invest time into caring for calves

K-State experts advise careful monitoring for best health outcomes in newly weaned calves MANHATTAN, Kan. — Parents and pediatricians often work together to determine the signs of illness in little ones too young to talk, and the same can be true of cattle caretakers and veterinarians as they work to keep newly weaned calves healthy. “It is important to take time to observe the calves when they come up to the feedbunk,” said…

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2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer® National Show and 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Sale Moved to Oklahoma City

Due to the recent cancelation of the 2021 National Western Stock Show, the American Gelbvieh Association board of directors has made the decision to hold the 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer® National Show and 2021 Gelbvieh and Balancer National Sale at the Cattlemen's Congress taking place January 4-17, 2021, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This board decision comes from recommendations of both the Association's national show committee and national sale committee.  Below is the tentative…

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Gelbvieh Association 50th Anniversary Celebration Postponed to 2021

The American Gelbvieh Association (AGA) board of directors has made the difficult decision to postpone the association's 50th anniversary celebration to late 2021. The event was originally scheduled to take place December 2-4, 2020, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Association will now hold a one-day meeting on December 4, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to conduct the business of the Association. The decision was made to postpone the celebration due to current gathering restrictions surrounding…

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Corn residue: cheap grazing for cattle

Grazing corn can benefit both cattle and cropland. by Eldon Cole, University of Missouri Extension Grazing drought-dried corn and cornstalks offers cattle inexpensive, nutritious forage, say two University of Missouri (MU) Extension specialists. Many corn and livestock growers turned to longtime MU Extension Livestock Specialist Eldon Cole to ask about grazing dried-up corn after persistent drought in southwestern Missouri this season. Cole says damaged corn makes suitable grazing for cattle — with some…

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New cutout futures will help pork industry with risk management, K-State’s Tonsor says

CME Group to launch new contracts that will reflect wholesale product price after processing MANHATTAN, Kan. – The CME Group’s plan to launch pork cutout futures and options on Nov. 9 is good news for pork buyers as well as producers, a Kansas State University agricultural economist said. “There indeed is significant interest from U.S. and Canadian hog producers in having additional risk management alternatives available,” said Glynn Tonsor, livestock market specialist with…

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Plant growers, scientists invited to North American Summit, Oct. 27-29

Free, online event brings together ornamental plant experts from four continents Oct. 2, 2020 MANHATTAN, Kan. – The combined knowledge of plant growers, scientists and entrepreneurs from four continents will come together when Kansas State University hosts the International Plant Propagators’ Society’s North American Summit on Oct. 27-29. Cheryl Boyer, the K-State Research and Extension state leader for horticulture and natural resources, is the host and facilitator of the digital event. She said the Summit…

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Livestock Producers Celebrate Legislation To Protect Calves And Lambs From Vultures

WASHINGTON (Oct. 1, 2020) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and the Public Lands Council (PLC) today released the following statement in response to the House of Representatives passing bipartisan legislation to protect livestock from predation, compensate livestock producers who experience depredation by federally protected species, and fund methods to reduce conflicts between humans and predators.Introduced by Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.),…

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Money does grow on trees

Harvesting black walnut seed provides opportunity to get outdoors and earn extra money MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Outdoor activities are almost limitless, and the cycles of nature provide a revolving door, constantly changing to create new and exciting opportunities throughout the year. Dave Bruton, utilization and marketing forester with the Kansas Forest Service, says one of those opportunities is harvesting black walnut seed. “Black walnut trees are commonly found throughout Kansas communities and woodlands,…

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