Cull Cow Management and Marketing Opportunities
Cull Cow Management and Marketing Opportunities (sdstate.edu)
Strategic Replacement Heifer Selection at Weaning
Originally written by Taylor Grussing, former SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. Now that calves are weaned and pregnancy checks are occurring, it’s time to start thinking about selecting replacement heifers to breed in the spring. Due to the differences in goals and needs between operations, there is no one size fit’s all selection equation that producers can follow. However, there are some common characteristics and questions that all producers should consider to help…
Forage Sampling Procedures
Warren Rusche Assistant Professor & SDSU Extension Feedlot Specialist Proper sampling of forage is essential if we want to obtain an accurate indication of the nutrient composition, dry matter content, or value of any feedstuff. Correct sampling and analysis is even more important under conditions that might increase feedstuff variability, such as challenging growing conditions. Sampling procedures vary depending upon the type of forage and whether or not sampling occurs pre-harvest or after…
High Nitrates and Pregnant Cows
Olivia Amundson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Drought poses many challenges to the beef cow herd. Nitrates in feed is one of the challenges that producers need to be aware of, especially in the reproductive herd. Nitrates can be found in multiple forages and weeds, such as millet, oats, wheat, corn, sorghum, sudan, kochia, pigweed, lambsquarter, brome grass and orchard grass, to name a few. Nitrates are taken up from the soil by…
Five Tips to Keeping Livestock Vaccines Viable on Farm
BROOKINGS, S.D. - Vaccines are crucial to keeping livestock healthy and productive. While vaccines do not provide absolute protection, the “added insurance” helps stimulate the animal’s immune system and increases its ability to fight off an infection or lessen the impact of disease if it should occur. However, with timing, labor constraints and the necessity for boosters, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Veterinarian and State Public Health Veterinarian Russ Daly says there are several factors…
Prussic Acid Precautions
Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist During periods of drought, it is important to consider and be aware of the factors that can be a concern during these conditions, specifically nitrates and prussic acid. In normal years plant growth is normal, and these compounds do not accumulate to levels that could be toxic to livestock, but when plant growth is inhibited, the risk increases significantly due to the plant not developing at…
Reducing Development Costs for Replacement Heifers
Kiernan Brandt Background Regardless of how efficiently reproductive success is managed on the ranch, beef producers are tasked annually with incorporating new females into the herd in the form of replacement heifers. Whether purchasing females off the farm or retaining heifers from this year’s cohort of marketable calves, both represent significant input costs to replace the 10–15% of cows leaving the herd annually, plus any additional heifers to expand the size of the…
Hot Days Ahead and the Need for Water
Robin Salverson SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Hot summer days are still ahead, and we need to account for water. We all know water is the most-important nutrient to the animal, but we are always concerned about protein, energy, minerals and vitamins; even though water is required for regulation of body temperature, digestion, absorption of nutrients, waste removal, fetal growth and lactation. All the grass in world means nothing without water. The amount…
Managing Orphaned Calves
Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Written collaboratively by Adele Harty and Taylor Grussing, former SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. No matter the circumstances, it seems that, for one reason or another, cattlemen end up with an orphaned calf or two every year. Situations, such as twins, a heifer or cow not claiming her calf, a sick or dead cow, or a weather event, such as a blizzard, can orphan calves. No…
Lameness in Cattle: Causes Associated With Infections
Russ Daly Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian When lameness is identified in beef cattle, determining the cause of that condition is one of the first considerations. One way to classify the various causes of lameness in cattle is to group them into two different categories: bacterial infection and injury. Some lameness cases will bridge these two classifications, as lameness-causing infections sometimes are the direct result of injuries. This article will focus on causes…
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