By Alisa Boswell-Gore STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma Water Resources Center has contracted with the Hydraulic Engineering Research Unit to participate in a five-year research grant to update tools and guidelines regarding flood control structures. The project is in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. The HERU, a one-of-a-kind research laboratory under the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, is located downstream of Lake Carl Blackwell and focuses on the development…

Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky I decided to shift gears a bit this week and dive into a topic that often comes up when I visit with producers in extension settings. I am often asked whether I think it pays for a cow-calf operator to castrate bulls and sell steers. Castration is not without cost as it requires time and facilities and does stress calves for a period of time.…

Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, Extension Professor, University of Kentucky It is hard to believe that it is near that time of year when corn will start to be harvested for silage. We have been fortunate in many areas of the region to receive timely precipitation providing for good corn stands. As the price of corn is still over $6/bushel on the spot market and the futures prices is in the mid 5’s, folks are…

 Kirsten Nickles, Graduate Research Associate and Anthony J. Parker, Associate Chair and Associate Professor. Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio State University Weaning strategy should be designed to reduce stress in order to avoid BRD (photo credit: http://www.angusbeefbulletin.com/extra/2014/05may14/0514hn_sm-pneumonia.html#.YP7ekOhKiUk) Weaning is the start of an independent life for the beef calf. Though weaning can be a stressful time for the calf, beef cattle producers can minimize the stress at weaning by using science based weaning…

By Gail Ellis   STILLWATER, Okla. – July is National Grilling Month, and outdoor events are in full swing. As people step outside to cook those favorite summer dishes, smart food safety habits are critical to their health.  “Food safety isn’t just for food manufacturing plants. It’s important for consumers to be mindful of food safety in the home and wherever they prepare meals,” said Ravi Jadeja, a food safety specialist with the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products…

By Gail Ellis   STILLWATER, Okla. – Data compiled by an Oklahoma State University natural resource ecology and management professor is featured in a new study published in the journal Ecosphere on how wind turbines could reduce populations of some raptor species.  Scott Loss, an associate professor in the OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture who specializes in avian ecology, contributed years of research to the paper authored by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey. Existing collision fatality data leveraged by Loss and collected by…

K-State experts share tips for adjusting cattle diets to depleting pastures MANHATTAN, Kan. — As summer advances and the grazing pastures begin to mature and dry up, beef producers may need to look at alternative plans for meeting the maintenance requirements of the herd, according to the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said that producers first need to calculate the…

By Gail Ellis   STILLWATER, Okla. – The rainy spring season and hot, dry months of summer are ideal times for close inspection of cattle ponds, streams, creeks and spillways. Routine maintenance of these water sources can prevent costly repairs for landowners.  Marley Beem, an Oklahoma State University Extension specialist in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, recommends monitoring pond dams and watersheds after spring overflow events to check for erosion.  “If overflows are clogged with floating debris, consult with…

BIF Selects New Board, Officers | Beef Improvement Federation

The timing of the cutting has a direct correlation to the nutritional value of the hay. Cutting hay when the seed head first appears is best for nutritional value MANHATTAN, Kan. — For farming and ranching families, summertime often brings with it hay cutting. Knowing when to cut the hay is key for optimum nutrition, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. “When grass…