Economic Considerations for Early Weaning

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Beef specialists and nutritionists often advise ranchers to wean calves at younger ages as a response to drought conditions. However, what about when moisture conditions are normal? Can weaning calves at 100 to 180 days of age be profitable? For any management practice to be economically feasible, income must increase more than expenses, or expenses must decrease more than income declines. Almost by definition, early…

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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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Cattle Chat: Evaluating bulls for breeding soundness

Veterinarians routinely perform breeding soundness exams to assure bulls are ready for the season ahead MANHATTAN, Kan. — In high level sports, coaches not only train their athletes to perform on the field, they also make sure players are in top condition by offering them strength training and managing their diet to make sure they are ready for peak performance at the time of the competition. In much the same way, veterinarians and…

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Ag Economist discusses pandemic changes to beef cattle industry

Purdue’s Lusk was a featured speaker during K-State Cattlemen’s Day MANHATTAN, Kan. – A top analyst said recently that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused several changes in the beef industry, many of which could be here to stay. Jayson Lusk, Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, was a featured speaker during the 108th annual K-State Cattlemen’s Day. His talk focused on the impacts of the pandemic…

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Cattlemen Support the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2021

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2021) – The Death Tax Repeal Act of 2021 was introduced this week by U.S. Senator John Thune of South Dakota and U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop (D-GA) and Jason Smith (R-MO). The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) issued the following statement in support of bipartisan legislation to repeal the federal estate tax, commonly referred to as the death tax.    “The estate tax disproportionately harms cattle producers because with few…

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Studies indicate patch burning of tallgrass prairie is a valuable option

Practice provides a method to offset carbon emissions from a cow-calf operation MANHATTAN, Kan. – To the uninitiated, it’s an awesome and sometimes scary sight, coming over a hill to encounter a burning prairie as far as the eye can see. But planned burning – also called prescribed burning – of the tallgrass prairie is a proven effective and widely used way to control invasive plant species. The practice also improves forage quality…

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Free environmental law enforcement training available April 1

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – A Sunday drive down the backroads of Oklahoma to enjoy the countryside can be a relaxing adventure – at least until the route crosses an unsightly, illegal and dangerous dumpsite. To help reclaim the rural environment, Oklahoma State University Extension is joining forces with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to host the Oklahoma Environmental Law Enforcement Training Seminar. The free event will take place…

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Cattle Chat: Managing mud

K-State beef cattle experts offer advice for reducing the impact of mud on cattle performance MANHATTAN, Kan. — Snow thawing and warm days may lift the spirits of many, but for cattle producers it often leads to extra work managing around mud.  Not only is mud an inconvenience, but the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute said if not managed properly, it can negatively impact cattle performance.   Addressing this topic…

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Cattle breeders should check bull fertility after recent snowstorms

By Donald Stotts  STILLWATER, Okla. – The extreme winter weather that hit the southern Plains States in mid-February may have reduced bull fertility in herd sires – potentially bad news for the economic well-being of cow-calf operations.  Cattle breeders should have a veterinarian check their bulls for frostbite to the animal’s scrotum and testicles as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to protect the herd’s reproductive efficiency, said Dr. Rosslyn…

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Sub-zero temperature won’t have big effect on insect pests

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – Although recent subzero temperatures put the big chill on the human population, the insect population fared better. “While some insects leave the area in the winter and return in the spring, there are others that make their own antifreeze,” said Tom Royer, Oklahoma State University Extension entomology specialist. “The greenbug, for example, can withstand temperatures of up to minus 9 degrees Fahrenheit, so they often survive the kind of…

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