K-State’s Winter Ranch Management Series Set for Late January and February

The seminar series will focus on management, nutrition and vaccine management for beef producers and allow producers to ask questions of their local, district and state extension specialists. MANHATTAN, Kan. – Vaccine management and storage will be one of the topics for the 2021 Kansas State University Winter Ranch Management Seminar Series. Hosted by three areas across the state of Kansas, the meetings will feature presentations and comments by extension educators to enhance…

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Preventing Calf Disease Starts with the Pregnant Cow

Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Every year, the UKVDL receives calves that died suddenly in the first week of life, usually with few or no symptoms. Often the owner will describe the situation this way: “calves will nurse, be 2-3 days old and found dead” or “calf was 3-5 days old, lying around more than normal and nursing very little, found dead the next day”. At necropsy (an animal “autopsy”), the…

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K-State launches Finances and the Farm: An online class to enhance farm management skills

Self-paced course for ag producers can fulfill FSA borrower requirements MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State University has launched a new self-paced online course, Finances and the Farm, now available to Kansans and others. “It is important, especially during these challenging times, to be proactive with your farm financial management,” said LaVell Winsor, agricultural economist with the K-State Research and Extension Farm Analyst Program. “Making this training online and self-paced means individual producers or…

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Livestock producers have more risk management possibilities

K-State’s Jenny Ifft says insurance choices, coverage are better than in years past MANHATTAN, Kan. – The use of crop insurance by farmers is pretty common across the United States. Livestock insurance, not so much. A Kansas State University agricultural economist believes, however, that recent improvements in risk management products for livestock producers by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency may make them worth a second look. “We like to say the federal crop insurance program…

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Mineral imbalances need to be considered in cattle deaths

Texas A&M AgriLife offers expertise, assistance in livestock mineral toxicity, testing Ranchers need to keep in mind that the wrong quantities of minerals can be dangerous or even deadly to cattle, said experts from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. What works for one livestock operation will not always work for a neighbor when it comes to mineral supplements. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can help producers test for their needs. (Texas A&M AgriLife…

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Late Gestation Planning Prior to Calving

Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist For most, weaning is in the books and pregnancy detection is complete or soon to be underway. Now is the time to pay attention to those pregnant cows out on crop residue or grass. While these females may be the last thing on your mind, this time is critical for her success the following year. Annual Cow Cycle Cow calf operations are more profitable when cows…

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Cornstalk Residue Grazing with Weaned Calves, Dry Pregnant Cows or Pairs – What Supplementation Do They Need?

Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker ManagementMary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems SpecialistKacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist Cornstalk residue is an economical forage resource across Nebraska, which can help producers reduce annual cow costs. Photo credit Troy Walz. With approximately 9.8 million acres of corn yielding an average of 182 bushels/acre, cornstalk residue can be an accessible and economical winter grazing forage option for producers in Nebraska. Historic research at the…

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Cattle Chat: Controlling costs is key to making profits

Cattle producers should understand their objective for having cattle in order to make a profit for the business. (K-State Research and Extension file photo) K-State beef cattle expert discuss factors for business success MANHATTAN, Kan. -- If a business wants to keep its doors open, it has to make a profit. Similarly, cattle operations must turn a profit, according to the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. To that point, agricultural…

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Reducing Winter Feed Costs

Clif Little, OSU Extension Agriculture Natural Resources, Guernsey County (this article was originally appeared in Farm and Dairy) Stockpiled fescue with small round bales can be utilized for winter strip grazing. Photo by Clif Little Winter feed represents one of the largest components of annual cow cost. Approximately seventy five percent of the annual feed cost for cattle is winter feed. One way to increase the profit potential in the cow herd is to…

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Tuberculosis in Cattle: What You Need to Know

Russ Daly Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic and slowly progressive disease of cattle that emerges periodically in the U.S. Its incubation time ranges from months to years. Most often, infected cattle will show little to no outward signs of infection. When clinical signs are present, they will often be vague, such as weight loss, depression, and sluggishness. Transmission of tuberculosis between animals occurs when susceptible…

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