Nutrition

Kochia – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:42:00 +0000

For many cattlemen, kochia is a fact of life. That can be a good thing, if you manage your kochia pastures correctly. If you don’t, it can quickly turn into a major forage-related wreck.

Evaluate Alfalfa Stands

Mon, 21 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

OSU Beef Extension Newsletter, By Rory Lewandowski

Should I keep this alfalfa stand or rotate it to a different crop? This question comes up at this time of the year because often the farmer plans to harvest a first cutting and then, if the stand is questionable, there is still time to plant corn for silage. There are two basic methods that can be used to evaluate stand productivity. Evaluate the stand density in terms of plants/sq. ft. or evaluate by counting the number of stems/sq. ft.

Preparing For Heat Stress In Cattle

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:52:00 +0000

iGrow.com

Summer heat waves pose a serious danger to cattle. It’s not only the death loss, but also the loss in performance and the potential for poorer reproductive performance of bulls and breeding females caused by heat stress that cause economic harm to beef producers. Taking some steps now to plan ahead will put producers in a better position to deal with heat waves when and if they occur.

Corn Planting Starts Early – Record Production Needed

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Farmers intend to plant almost 96 million acres of corn this year, the most since 1937, according to the March 30 USDA Prospective Plantings report. Specifically, the report projects 95.9 acres will be planted to corn. That’s about 1.2 million acres more than the average guess heading in.

Wrapping Up Hay Quality

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Wrapping slightly tough hay in plastic can improve forage quality and reduce weather losses, says Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist.

The Big 5 Management Areas

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:01:00 +0000

The five big management areas of beef production are nutrition, animal health, reproduction, genetics and marketing. Of course, cost optimization, grazing management, labor, strategic planning, understanding industry trends and issues, and helping to build a more accurate vision of the future, are important as well. But if you’re not concentrating and improving on the first five, your longevity in the business is at risk.

My View From The Country

Early Planting Could Mean More Ethanol Production

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:50:00 +0000

Hoosier Ag Today

Corn planting is running well above normal across the country, fueling speculation that this year’s crop could be huge. USDA reported that this week that 7% of the nation’s corn crop is now planted – more than double normal for this time of year.

University Of Wyoming Research Eyes Forage Kochia For Feed, Reclamation Efforts

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:02:00 +0000

University of Wyoming Extension

Researchers at the University of Wyoming will begin studying whether or not a drought-resistant plant unfazed by poor soils is an answer to reclaiming sites disturbed by oil and gas extraction.

Bull Nutrition Impacts Semen Production

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:50:00 +0000

SDSU Extention, iGrow.com

While breeding season may still be a ways off, bull nutrition now can have an impact on semen production, says Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist.

Tips For Feeding Wet Distillers Grains To Cattle

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:42:00 +0000

By Scott Laudert

Allowing wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) to spoil in the bunker during storage doesn’t affect growing cattle or feedlot cattle performance but will result in increased shrink and nutrient losses.