Getting bulls ready for the breeding season

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Any coach of a winning athlete will say that success in competition is the result of the athlete’s nutrition and fitness preparation. Beef cattle experts at Kansas State University say that same mentality applies to preparing bulls for the breeding season. “A single bull is responsible for many pregnancies, so it is critical that he goes into the breeding season healthy and fertile,” said veterinarian Bob Larson, speaking recently on…

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Twins need special care, say beef cattle experts

K-State beef experts discuss reasons why twins occur and how to care for them MANHATTAN, Kan. – The goal of every cattle birth is a live, healthy calf, but every so often ranchers find a surprise: a second calf. Understanding how twins develop and best practices for managing their care was a topic recently discussed by the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute during their weekly podcast. “It is estimated that…

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Ways to minimize death loss in calves

K-State beef experts offer common sense advice MANHATTAN, Kan. – Growing up on a livestock operation teaches agriculturists such life lessons as the value of hard work, the miracle of birth, the joy of caring for animals and, sometimes, the loss of livestock. Recently, experts from the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute tackled the topic of calf death loss on a weekly podcast. Leading the discussion was veterinarian Bob Larson with BCI…

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K-State makes move to developing canola hybrids

Kansas State University canola breeders have begun developing hybrids that will be well suited for conditions in the southern Great Plains. | Download this photo. New varieties will be suited to the southern Great Plains MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University is hoping to give a boost to growing canola in the southern Great Plains as it embarks on developing hybrid varieties that are specific for the region. “We’ve traditionally developed open pollinated varieties,”…

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K-State veterinarian: No evidence that livestock can transmit COVID-19 to humans

Foods from farm animals also are considered safe from the virus MANHATTAN, Kan. – The director of a Kansas State University veterinary laboratory that responds to animal health issues across the state says that while coronavirus is a disease familiar to livestock producers, it is not the same strain of the virus that is grabbing headlines across the globe. The novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, is transmitted through humans. There is no evidence…

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Minimizing antibiotic resistance in beef cattle

Using the appropriate antibiotics is best for both livestock and people, say veterinarians at Kansas State University. K-State experts discuss proper use of antibiotics in a treatment protocol MANHATTAN, Kan. – Remember going to the doctor when you were a kid and you left after receiving a shot to cure your ailments? Contrast that to today when patients often are told that it is just a virus and they leave the office with…

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K-State researchers test fertilizers for best results in Kansas, other soils

Liquid fertilizers are best in calcareous soils, they say MANHATTAN, Kan. – Ganga Hettiarachchi knows that farmers want to be good stewards of the environment. And as a soil scientist at Kansas State University, she is in a good position to help them along the way. Hettiarachchi and former doctoral student Jay Weeks recently completed a study of how phosphorus – an important nutrient for growing farm crops – reacts in alkaline farmland,…

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Cattlemen’s Day highlights new advances in beef industry

More than 600 attend 107th annual event at K-State MANHATTAN, Kan. – A leading official for one of the United States’ leading providers of cattle genetics told producers Friday that the future is very bright for their industry. Lorna Marshall, vice president of beef programs for Select Sires of Plain City, Ohio, gave a lively, one-hour talk during the 107th annual Cattlemen’s Day, held at Kansas State University. Officials said there were more…

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Fire season returns to Kansas

Kansas Forest Service, K-State Mesonet advise Kansans to prep for potentially active fire season MANHATTAN, Kan. – Rising temperatures and breezy conditions are quickly drying fuels across the state, increasing concerns for an active fire season in Kansas. “Despite recent moisture, Kansas's primary fuel – grass -- is abundant due to last year's above normal precipitation,” said Chip Redmond, Kansas State University assistant meteorologist. The timing of future precipitation between dry frontal passages…

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