How Important Is Water Quality to Livestock?

Robin Salverson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Water is the most important nutrient to all livestock animals and is sometimes overlooked. Poor quality water can have a negative effect on growth, reproduction, and general productivity of the animal. In some cases, death could occur within days or hours after consumption of contaminated waters or water deprivation. Therefore, continuous monitoring of water quality and quantity are important to maintain a productive livestock program. What…

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You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Krista Ehlert Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Range Specialist Written collaboratively by Krista Ehlert and Pat Johnson. The best businesses are the ones that are properly managed in ways that result in profit. However, if you’re a livestock producer this is probably where you’re thinking, “easier said than done.” At the core, though, livestock production is no different than any other business out there – effective management requires good metrics, and metrics come…

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Mineral Consumption: It Matters!

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cattle mineral nutrition is complex and often confusing, but one strategy to help ranchers better evaluate their mineral program is to monitor mineral consumption. This goes back to the old adage, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Mineral supplement tags provide the recommended daily intake based on specific product formulations. Recommended intakes can vary widely depending on the brand and type of product, with the…

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Calving Season Benchmarks

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cows that calve on time are the number one indicator that cattle within that operation fit the managerial program. This happens simply from timely reproduction. Reproductive performance of an operation is important to the overall success and bottom line of that operation. Benchmarking may be beneficial as it can help focus limited management time on critical areas of an individual’s beef cow business. This year may…

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Cow Herd Options

Heather Gessner SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist April 2018 and 2019 blizzards caused stress to the region’s cowherds, and for some herds changed the calving distribution. 2020 brings a chance to re-establish a preferred calving distribution. Calving distribution can have an economic effect on the income received for calves in the fall, as well as a long term effect for the herd. Cattle producers have options to bunch the herd back…

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Bigger Cattle. Warmer Weather. What Can Go Wrong?

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Key Takeaways Marketing delays caused by production problems at processing plants will result in greater numbers of heavier cattle on feed going into summer.Heavier, fatter cattle are more susceptible to heat stress, especially if they are black-hided.Risk of digestive upset increases as cattle are on feed for longer periods of time and the onset of hotter conditions.These cattle need to be handled with care especially…

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Crop Residue, Cover Crops Impact on Soil Health Parameters

David Karki SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist Additional Authors: Anthony Bly Written collaboratively by David Karki, Anthony Bly, Sandeep Kumar and Shannon Osborne. Interest in no-till and cover crops has been on the rise among South Dakota (S.D.) crop producers. In 2019, half of S.D. crop ground was under no-till management and about 900,000 acres were planted to cover crops (U S.D.S-NRCS). Growers have indicated that improvement in soil health is one of…

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Protein Supplementation Options With Grazing Cattle

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Additional Authors: Ken Olson COVID-19 and the energy economy has had a dramatic negative impact on the ethanol industry, resulting in limited availability of corn distiller’s grains. This has changed availability and pricing of protein feeds. As cow/calf producers consider how this affects their feed purchases currently and into the future, there are some key points to consider and evaluate. In South Dakota grazing operations, many…

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Minimizing Synchronization Costs

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist With the word, “uncertainty” looming in many of our heads, it’s a prime time to consider strategic management approaches to maintain an operation’s bottom line. With calving season quickly coming to an end and breeding season right around the corner, it’s time to look at how money can be invested intelligently and outcomes can be beneficial. Consider Lower Input Estrus Synchronization Protocols With the rising costs…

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Managing Through Feed Supply Disruptions

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Key Takeaways Availability of distillers grains may be limited in some locations because of production slow-downs related to COVID-19 and changes in the supply-demand picture for fuel.Alternative protein sources are available, including oilseed meal, commercial supplements with and without urea, and high-protein roughages.Cattle feeders should visit with their nutritionist or Extension specialists to make sure that all the implications of changing supplemental protein sources are…

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