Strategic Feedlot Bedding in the Winter

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Key Takeaways Bedding cattle during extreme cold conditions dramatically reduces maintenance energy costs and improves gain and feed efficiency with potential carryover effects to the end of the feeding period.Bedding during more moderate weather conditions also improved cattle performance, but to a lesser degree.Proving bedding is a viable management strategy to mitigate the impacts of winter on cattle performance, especially under severe conditions. Feeding cattle…

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Hay Quality: Beyond Proximate Analyses

Jeff Lehmkuhler, PhD, PAS, Associate Extension Professor My forage colleagues and I seem to get bombarded with questions on forage quality and interpreting forage test results this time of year. The timing coincides with folks starting to feed hay and looking at developing supplementation programs for the cattle receiving the forage. Getting the forage tested for nutrient content is the first step. Proximate analysis allows for separating a forage/feed into various macronutrient categories…

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Secretary Perdue Applauds USDA’s 2020 Accomplishments

(Washington, D.C., December 16, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today applauded the accomplishments made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the past year.“While this was a tough year with the coronavirus, historic wildfires, and weather damage, USDA met these challenges with a multitude of programs and services to support Americans and keep our agricultural sector running and responsive to the country’s needs,” said Secretary Perdue. “We salute our mission…

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Livestock producers have more risk management possibilities

K-State’s Jenny Ifft says insurance choices, coverage are better than in years past MANHATTAN, Kan. – The use of crop insurance by farmers is pretty common across the United States. Livestock insurance, not so much. A Kansas State University agricultural economist believes, however, that recent improvements in risk management products for livestock producers by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency may make them worth a second look. “We like to say the federal crop insurance program…

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Recipe: SMOKY CHIPOTLE POT ROAST WITH CORNBREAD

For best results use Certified Angus Beef ® brand SMOKY CHIPOTLE POT ROAST WITH CORNBREAD SERVES 8 Share your great taste! Beef shoulder roast coated with chipotle and simmered with tomatoes and chiles until tender. Serve Smoky Chipotle Pot Roast with Cornbread for a delicious hearty meal. INGREDIENTS: 4 pounds Certified Angus Beef ® shoulder roast or boneless chuck arm roast1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder1 tablespoon vegetable oil14 1/2 ounces can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrainedPrepared cornbread…

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Beef Production Almost Equal to Last Year

David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service After all 2020’s curve balls, here we are with 4 weeks left in the year and total beef production is almost the same amount as last year at this time. Through the week ending December 5th, 25.08 billion pounds of beef have been produced compared to 25.2 billion pounds last year. That difference will likely be made up in the next…

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Little Mouse, Big Problems!

Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension (This article was originally published by Progressive Forage magazine) Mice can find any number of comfortable places to nest! Photo: Keegan Gelley The damage that a little mouse can do to electrical systems may have great impacts on the functionality of farm equipment. Before putting equipment in storage for winter, do routine maintenance, including preventing mice from taking up residence in your…

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Employment Outlook is Promising for New College Graduates in Agriculture

This is a joint press release with Purdue University College of Agriculture. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., December 9, 2020 – A new report, released today by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Purdue University, shows a strong job demand for new college graduates with degrees in agricultural programs. U.S. college graduates can expect approximately 59,400 job opportunities annually between 2020 and 2025. This reflects a 2.6 percent growth from the previous five…

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