Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Winter in South Dakota is often not for the faint of heart, especially for livestock producers. The good news is that eventually there will be some signs of spring. The bad news is we there are often significant challenges to overcome. As the snow melts, we are going to be left to deal with mud at a minimum and extensive flooding as a possible worst-case…
Russ Daly Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian The routine “calving check” is one of the most important tasks on the list of beef cattle producers during calving season. Most producers have their own plan for how often they give their calving herd the once-over, but some may have not considered how their animals’ physiology should guide this schedule. Incredible advances in technology have made it easier for producers to perform…
Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist Cold temperatures coupled with wind chill and precipitation make it challenging to meet a cow’s nutrient requirements during the winter months. A Polar Vortex is set to bring below normal temperatures to much of the country for the next week. With these below normal temperatures come challenges of ensuring adequate nutrition and protection for livestock, including being prepared to provide additional feed and shelter. There are…
Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Key Takeaways Bedding cattle during extreme cold conditions dramatically reduces maintenance energy costs and improves gain and feed efficiency with potential carryover effects to the end of the feeding period.Bedding during more moderate weather conditions also improved cattle performance, but to a lesser degree.Proving bedding is a viable management strategy to mitigate the impacts of winter on cattle performance, especially under severe conditions. Feeding cattle…
Adele Harty SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist As cattle producers begin thinking about calving season and management practices to ease the work load a bit, night feeding is something to be considered. Producers have questioned whether or not time of feeding affects time of calving, and the answer is “Yes.” What Research Shows Research indicates that feeding cows later in the day and evening will increase the number of calves born during daylight…
BROOKINGS, S.D. - SDSU Extension will kick off the second month of its Crop Hour Series, with a week focused on field peas, sorghum and polycropping practices. During the virtual coffee hour February 2-5, participants will get to hear the latest research in this area and why including these alternative crops in rotations is beneficial. “We will share SDSU’s Field Pea Variety Trials as well as cover root and other common diseases of field…
Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist This represents an update of an article originally written by Kalyn Waters, former SDSU Extension Cow-Calf Field Specialist. The energy reserves of a herd are a direct correlation to nutrient supply and balance. Feed prices account for greater than 60% of South Dakota producers’ annual operating expense, so it becomes critical for producers to understand how to evaluate and manage the energy reserves of a beef…
Amanda Blair Professor & SDSU Extension Meat Science Specialist A trend that has become more prominent in recent years is for ranchers to finish a few animals and sell beef direct to the consumer. Consumers have a desire to know where their beef comes from, value the story and are seeking ranchers to purchase beef from. At the same time, ranchers have been seeking opportunities to add value to their cattle and reduce…
Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate Key Takeaways Bedding cattle during extreme cold conditions dramatically reduces maintenance energy costs and improves gain and feed efficiency with potential carryover effects to the end of the feeding period.Bedding during more moderate weather conditions also improved cattle performance, but to a lesser degree.Proving bedding is a viable management strategy to mitigate the impacts of winter on cattle performance, especially under severe conditions. Feeding cattle…
Tracey Erickson SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist One of the most difficult things farm managers have to master is coaching employees. Coaching enables employers to optimize the performance they desire. Once mastered you will see employees that understand goals and expectations more clearly, are more motivated, taking ownership of their work, showing greater responsibility, along with maximizing their potential, talents and problem-solving ability. What you as an employer receive is more productivity, lower…