Fly Population Management on Dairies

Tracey Erickson SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist Fly control in dairies is a challenge, due to abundant moisture and organic matter available for fly breeding grounds. Flies not only are a pest, but they also decrease production efficiency. Flies cause livestock to expend extra energy fending them off instead of resting, feeding and milking. Other issues directly associated with fly pest problems on dairies include increased medication costs, veterinary costs, increased potential for…

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Don’t Stop Managing Now: Preconditioning Pays

Garth Ruff, Extension Educator OSU Extension Henry County (originally published in the Ohio Farmer) As we approach fall, now is the time to maximize the value of your spring calf crop. Cattle buyers have placed a premium on preconditioned cattle, and as preconditioning becomes more of the norm across the U.S., unweaned, uncastrated, and unvaccinated cattle are receiving greater discounts. Here in the Eastern Cornbelt where cow herds tend to be smaller, the number…

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Blue-Green Algae and Livestock

Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field SpecialistAdditional Authors: Robin Salverson With the expanding drought conditions across Western South Dakota, there are increased concerns about livestock water quality. One water quality concern stems from the algae blooms on stock dams. The predominant question is whether the algae presents health concerns for livestock. Depending on the type of algae, it can be a concern. With warmer temperatures, the conditions are right for blue-green algae blooms. About…

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11 Forage Cultivars That Grow Well on the Great Plains

By Malay Saha, Ph.D., Professorand Mike Trammell, Senior Plant Breeder A cultivar, also known as a crop variety, is a collection of plants with specific desirable characteristics that are maintained throughout generations. The goal of any breeding program is to develop improved cultivars for the growers. Noble Research Institute has been involved in developing superior cultivars of different forage species for grazing in the Great Plains. Noble established its forage breeding program in the early…

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Supplementing to Stretch Pastures

Jeff Lehmkuhler, PhD, PAS Associate Extension Professor, University of Kentucky Drought continues to impact the high plains area stretching down to the pan handle of Texas. The dry conditions will continue to impact pastures potentially lowering beef cattle numbers at year’s end. The recent high temperatures and limited rain will dry out pastures and limit forage regrowth on recently cut hay fields here in the Commonwealth. As forage growth slows, supplementation may be…

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Could early weaning increase your profits?

Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator (originally published in the Ohio Farmer) Early weaning can reduce daily forage consumption between 25 and 40%. Over the last couple of years, making hay in a timely manner has been nearly impossible.  There just were not 3- or 4-day windows of dry weather without water standing in the fields.  The result was a lot of poor-quality hay resulting in poor body condition scores of…

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USDA Meals to You Partnership Delivers Nearly 30 Million Meals

HOUSTON, TX, July 16, 2020 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue lauded the achievement of its Meals to You partnership, which has now delivered more than 28.5 million meals to the doorsteps of low-income kids in rural communities across America during the COVID-19 health crisis. Perdue announced the milestone during a visit today to McLane Global, one of USDA’s partners in the initiative, which has served kids across 41 states and…

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Fall garden planning should start now

By Trisha Gedon STILLWATER, Okla. – With triple digit heat across the state, many Oklahomans are looking forward to fall and cooler weather. Although there will be several more weeks of intense heat, gardening enthusiasts can get a jumpstart on fall by planning their fall gardens now. July through September is the optimal time to begin planting several vegetable varieties in order to have a bountiful fall harvest, said David Hillock, Oklahoma State University…

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K-State experts lay out criteria for evaluating bulls

Summer is a good time to evaluate bulls as they leave the breeding pastures. | Download this photo. K-State experts lay out criteria for evaluating bulls Summertime culling decisions hinge on several factors MANHATTAN, Kan. — As bulls come off the summer breeding pastures, producers have several criteria to consider when making culling decisions, according to experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. In a recent CattleChat podcast, they debated whether fertility…

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