Developing Heifers to Fit Their Production Environment

Determining the most cost-effective system to develop heifers in a given production environment is critical to keeping those females in the herd long-term. Photo credit Troy Walz. This article was originally featured in Progressive Cattle. As producers begin selecting replacement heifers, a commonly asked question is, “What is the best method for developing heifers?” Considering the expenses involved in developing replacements, determining the most cost-effective system for a specific production environment is important…

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Safely Grazing Frosted Sorghums

Connor Biehler, Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator During a freeze, the plant’s cell membranes are broken open by ice crystals. Photo credit Troy Walz. The first light frosts are still a few weeks away in Nebraska. However, planning for these events should be considered by beef producers grazing plants in the sorghum family. In addition to sorghum, plants such as sudangrass, and milo or grain sorghum fall under this same…

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Test, Don’t Guess – sampling and testing hay

Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator Accurately testing hay takes time and money. Photo credit Troy Walz. Fall is here and the weather reminds us of the changing of the seasons. This is the time of year when many producers are hauling hay home for the winter as well as pricing and purchasing hay. There is a tremendous range in hay quality depending upon level of maturity, fertilization, growing conditions, harvest circumstances and…

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Making Soybeans as Hay or Silage

Steve Niemeyer, Nebraska Extension Educator Harvest soybean forage when leaves start to turn yellow; just before they drop off. Photo credit Steve Niemeyer. Some parts of the state are not getting the moisture for their soybean crop so the decision to salvage them for hay or silage may have to be made. Soybean hay or silage can have feed values very similar to alfalfa; but it is very important to put it up…

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What to do with High Nitrate Forage?

Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist Drought stressed forages can be high in nitrates and may be potentially toxic to cattle. Photo credit Troy Walz. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. Given the drought conditions in some locations this year, many producers may be asking themselves how to handle the annual…

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Impact of Higher Grain Prices on Feedlot’s Decision to Feed Distillers Grains

Elliott Dennis, Livestock Marketing and Risk Management Economist Galen Erickson, Nebraska Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist Photo credit Troy Walz. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app.The historical demand from China and domestically low stock-to-use ratios has led to the most recent run-up in grain prices. The direct impact of higher grain prices is…

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Beware of Stocking Rate Creep

Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator T.L. Meyer, Nebraska Extension Educator Larger cows eat more, and if an operation is running the same number of cows today for the same amount of time on the same amount of rangeland as 10 or 20 years ago, the stocking rate has increased. Photo credit T.L. Meyer. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe…

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Tips for Managing Free Choice Mineral Intake

Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist Ensuring that cattle are getting enough mineral without overconsuming can be a struggle. Photo credit Troy Walz. Listen to a discussion of the content in this article on this episode of the BeefWatch podcast. You can subscribe to new episodes in iTunes or paste http://feeds.feedburner.com/unlbeefwatch into your podcast app. Free choice mineral mixes are commonly used to provide the mineral that grazing cattle need. However, ensuring that cattle are getting enough…

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Where are your priorities and How does your operation stack-up to the competition (Benchmarking)?

Matt Stockton, Nebraska Extension Ag Economics Specialist Randy Saner, Nebraska Extension Educator This summary looked at 31 commercial beef cow-calf operations with 100 or more cows. Photo credit Troy Walz. Benchmarking a cow-calf operation by comparing it to other similar operations provides producers a tool to look at ways they can improve their businesses. This summary looks at 31 commercial beef cow-calf operations with 100 or more cows. The information comes from the…

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Pasture and Forage Minute: The Right Stocking Rate

Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator Proper stocking depends on two factors, animal intake and pasture productivity. Photo credit Troy Walz. Stocking pastures with the right number of animals is one of the cornerstones of proper grazing management.  It’s tempting to take the easy route and keep using the same rate year after year.  After all, if it’s not broke, why fix it?  But over time, could this approach do more harm than good? …

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