K-State: First milk important to successful calving experience

Calves need to nurse their mothers soon after they are born to maximize the immunity passed along in that first milk. Beef Cattle Institute experts offer advice on post-calving intervention MANHATTAN, Kan. – Once the calves are born into a beef cattle herd, there is no better sight than watching them get up and begin to nurse their mamas. However, experts in Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute (BCI) say that difficult deliveries,…

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Choosing a Supplement for the Cowherd

Jeff Lehmkuhler, PhD, PAS, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky The spring of 2019 delayed hay harvest in many parts of the state. This delay resulted in much of the hay being harvested at mature stages. Fescue was in full flower to soft-dough stage or even more mature in some cases. Mature forages have greater cell wall and lower digestibility. I tried to demonstrate the impact of late cutting on feed value by…

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Wildfire Awareness Week reminds Kansans to remain vigilant as wildfire season approaches

Now is the time to reduce wildfire risk, state officials say TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed Feb. 3-7, 2020, as Wildfire Awareness Week in partnership with the Kansas Interagency Wildfire Council and multiple state agencies. “Each year, wildfires endanger our firefighters, neighbors, and landscapes,” said Mick McGuire, the current chair of the Kansas Interagency Wildfire Council and lead meteorologist of the National Weather Service in Wichita. “Wildfire Awareness Week…

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Beef Exports (again) a Key Factor to Watch in 2020

Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University The latest Monthly Trade data for November 2019 was released by USDA Economic Research Service last week. The report continued the recent trend of lower monthly exports as compared to 2018. After three consecutive years of double-digit increases (2016-2018) in beef exports, current data show January-November 2019 exports to be down 4.6 percent compared to the same period in…

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The Art and Science of Developing Heifers

Les Anderson, Ph.D., Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky The older I get the more I realize that heifer development is as much art as science. The art is understanding what type of female best fits your operation and your marketing scheme. What size cow best fits your management system? Which cows will produce the best replacements? The science is understanding the principles enabling the “right” heifers to succeed. The first week of…

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Match EPDs to Your Ideal Grazing Management Style

Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator (originally published in Farm & Dairy) As we move into January the grazing season is over for most and ended long ago for many, such as me, thanks to a dry fall.  Now is the time to start putting some thought into breeding decisions.  Is this the year to purchase a new bull?  What semen do I need to order so it will be…

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USDA Announces School and Summer Meals Reforms

(San Antonio, TX, January 17, 2020) – Delivering on his promise to act on feedback from dietary professionals, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced two proposals today that will put local school and summer food service operators back in the driver’s seat of their programs, because they know their children best. Under the school meals proposed rule, school nutrition professionals have more flexibility to serve appetizing and healthy meals that appeal to…

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USDA Invests $7.1 Million in Broadband for Rural Arkansas Communities

YELLVILLE, Ark., Jan. 21, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Arkansas State Director David Branscum announced USDA has invested $7.1 million in two, high-speed broadband infrastructure projects that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 1,250 rural households in north central Arkansas. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments. “Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, more than 1,250 Arkansans living in…

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Alternative Calving Considerations

Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist Structuring a calving program that best suites farm and ranch operations can be challenging. Of primary concern are: weather, labor, market timing, and animal health considerations, with weather possibly being the most volatile factor, as it ranges from challenging to catastrophic in some years. Evaluating alternatives that can improve calving conditions and quality of life, while also reducing financial and health risks is an important step…

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Testing Your Beef Cattle for Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus

Written collaboratively by Russ Daly, Christopher Chase, Travis Clement and Matt Dammen. Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is among the most important pathogens affecting today’s beef and dairy cattle operations. Associated with reproductive, digestive, and respiratory illnesses in cattle, the virus can also create a congenital, persistent infection in calves, greatly aiding the virus’ spread within and between herds. Testing and removal of these persistently infected (BVDV-PI) calves is the hallmark of BVDV…

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