Winter Cow Supplementation: Protein and Energy Explained

By Caitlin Hebbert, Livestock Consultantand Ryon Walker, Ph.D., Livestock Consultant In the article “Nutrient Synchrony: Protein and Energy Working Together,” we discussed how protein and energy act synergistically in the rumen to booster animal performance: Each requires the other for peak function. We also mentioned how winter supplementation often consists of a protein supplement but that protein is not always the limiting nutrient. In this article, we will talk about both protein and energy supplementation and how…

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Food safety tips for novice holiday meal hosts

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – For many people, heading home for the holidays is a long-standing tradition. However, with the world in the midst of a pandemic, traditions need to take a slightly different turn this year. Barbara Brown, Oklahoma State University Extension food specialist, said millennials and others who typically travel to their parents’ or grandparents’ homes for holidays should consider staying away this year due to health safety concerns. “This younger generation…

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Cattle Chat: Tips for feeding steers at home

Hand-feeding a steer through the finishing phase can be an option for those seeking locally sourced beef. K-State beef cattle experts say understanding rations, controlling expenses can be challenging MANHATTAN, Kan. — Locally sourced food has grown in popularity in recent years, leading some cow-calf producers to raise steer calves through the finishing phase rather than selling them at weaning. Experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute said it is important…

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Food waste finds new use as compost in K-State program

University says it recycles 50 tons of food yearly MANHATTAN, Kan. – Several Kansas State University groups have worked together to find a second use for nearly 50 tons of food each year that would otherwise be headed for a landfill. They’re mixing food waste from three dining halls on the Manhattan campus with other compostable materials to provide a boost to soil, as well as support some agricultural research projects at the…

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Freezer Beef Sales Explode During COVID-19 . . . Will Your Customers Be Ready to Buy Again?

Mike Estadt, OSU Extension Educator, Pickaway County Do you know if your freezer beef customers are satisfied? It is well documented that early in the coronavirus pandemic, major meat processing facilities across the United States became supply bottlenecks due to employee infections shutting down production.  In response to seeing less meat available in the retail case, or limits on the amount of proteins that a consumer could purchase, farm raised, direct marketed meat,…

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Blackleg: Frequently Asked Questions

Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory 1. What is “blackleg”? This is a rapidly fatal disease of cattle, typically calves 6-12 months of age, caused by the bacterium Clostridium chauvoei. Sheep may also be affected. In a majority of cases, affected calves are simply found dead in the pasture with no symptoms of disease. It usually affects calves in good nutritional condition (the “fattest and slickest”) within a group. As the bacterium grows,…

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Winter is around the corner; are you ready?

Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist Winter is around the corner; are you ready? Photo by Chris Hollen The rains are finally replenishing reserves in most areas. Though a bit late for some things, it is still a boost for forages that have been stockpiled and they have leaped in compensatory growth! Ideally, this stockpile is best used after it goes dormant in order to not slow next spring’s growth. Dormancy often requires…

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Gray Wolf Removed from Endangered Species List

The Department of the Interior announced it has removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list, signaling a successful recovery under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The gray wolf spent more than four decades on the endangered species list. The population is now thriving in the lower 48 states. State and tribal wildlife management agencies will now be responsible for the management and protection of the gray wolf. “This is an Endangered…

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Hot, dry, windy events are occurring in Western Kansas, west Texas more frequently

Study shows Dodge City, Kansas has most occurrences MANHATTAN, Kan. – You don’t need to tell folks in western Kansas that it can get hot there. And sometimes windy. And sometimes really dry. But when all three conditions happen at the same time – and especially for a long period of time – droughts develop, crops produce less grain, and wildfires are sparked more easily. And according to a new Kansas State University…

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