Deadline approaching for UNL’s paid Timmerman Feedyard Management Internship
From genetics to feed and management, everything the beef industry works toward comes together in the feedyard.
Students in the University of Nebraska—Lincoln’s Timmerman Feedyard Management Internship see how all those things interact and ultimately produce the beef that feeds millions.
Spanish:For Immediate Release: Resources available for producers affected by central Nebraska wildfires
Adjusting stocking rates, weed management and fire break recovery after a fire
A: Rainfall in May and June will be most critical and should be the guiding factor affecting stocking rate decisions. With adequate rainfall, adjustments to stocking rate are not necessary. Research from the Great Plains shows that dormant-season fires do not reduce above-ground herbaceous production. In fact, plant regrowth following fire is considerably higher in quality which could lead to increased animal performance.
Spanish:Wildfire Response Continues in Central Nebraska
Grazing Management Following Wildfire
Spring wildfires that occur on range and pasturelands will happen when there is the right combination of high winds and low humidity. That has been the case here in 2024 and that threat will continue until we have new, green grass growth later this spring. Although the immediate aftermath of a fast-moving fire can look quite devastating, our perennial pasture grasses are resilient and will recover, especially since they are still dormant. Spring is also a time when many prescribed burns are conducted for the purpose of Eastern red cedar control. Of course, adequate m
Spanish:Bull Value Cow-Q-Lator: What is it and how to use it
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 at Noon (CT)
Spanish:Engaging Agriculture: Extension hosting multistate emergency preparedness workshop series for rural families
An upcoming four-part extension workshop for women in agriculture will focus on emergency preparedness for rural families.
The program will be held at numerous locations across Nebraska and Indiana. The series will focus on farm and ranch emergency management, first aid, fire protection, and hazardous materials. Workshops will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. CT on March 5, 7, 12 and 14.
The program is a collaboration between extension women in agriculture programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Purdue University.
Spanish:Bull evaluation & selection
Spring sale season in the Great Plains is in full swing. This is when seedstock producers get to showcase their program's progeny, and buyers can acquire bull power for the upcoming breeding season. The primary purpose of buying bulls is to improve herd genetics through an outside seedstock producers’ breeding program. Since nearly all herd improvements over time are a deliberate effort through purchased bulls or modern technologies such as artificial insemination, genetics are instilled in a herd through new bulls.
Spanish:Managing and developing young beef bulls
There are as many ways to feed and develop young beef bulls as there are seedstock producers. There are many and varied reasons that bulls are managed and fed the way they are. Whether bulls are developed on the ranch, in a commercial facility, or at a central bull test, they are usually fed to gain 2.8 to 4.0 pounds daily from weaning to one year of age.
Spanish:Bull selection criteria and cost
The spring bull sale season is underway. Producers are studying catalogs, comparing EPDs and individual animal performance numbers, and choosing which bulls will be the next herd sires. This article includes a link to a spreadsheet producers can use to figure actual bull costs, and addresses some of the things producers should consider before heading to the sale. Hint: It's more than just the lunch menu.
Spanish:Tips for managing calving in muddy conditions
Mud conditions in calving areas can lead to health concerns in both the cow and calf. Mud and moisture prevent the hair coat from insulating and maintaining body temperature, leaving newborn calves vulnerable to hypothermia. Mud also increases the energy requirements for the cow and may lead to decreases in body condition score (Nickles, et al. 2022).
Spanish:Producer Question: What do I need to know about coccidiosis?
Webinar Revisit: Preventing calf scours and using the Sandhills Calving Method
2024 Beef Feedlot Roundtable Series meetings scheduled across Nebraska
Weekly Weather Outlook and Update: February 8, 2024
Webinar Series: Fundamentals of Feeding the Cow
Feed costs are often the bigest expense for cow-calf producers in Nebraska. Understanding how the cow’s nutrient requirements change throughout the year and how to cost-effectively meet those requirements with the feed resources available can have a big effect on the bottom line.
Spanish:Tips for dealing with wet, muddy winter conditions in cattle feedyards
In unexpected warm, wet winter conditions cattle face challenges accessing feed, water, or a place to lie down. Muddy conditions affect requirements for maintenance, according to this UNL study. Even if feed intake is not affected by muddy conditions (cattle can reach the bunk and water trough and consume a full ration daily), mud depths of less than 9 inches increase maintenance requirements up to 80%. This means that cattle consuming a finishing diet containing 1 Mcal NEm/lb will require nearly d
Spanish:Managing mud in feedlots - Online Discussion Monday, Feb. 5 at Noon (CST)
Nebraska beef producers don't often have to deal with managing mud in January and February, but this year's precipitation and unseasonbly warm temperatures have created challenges even for those who often deal with muddy lots.
Here are a few suggestions that may help producers deal with cattle in muddy conditions in the short-term, said Rick Stowell, Extension specialist, UNL biological systems engineering.
Spanish:Market Journal: Weather Outlook Feb. 2, 2024
Market Journal: Cattle Market Update & Outlook with Don Close
The Cattle Inventory Report comes out twice a year. It contains the inventory numbers for all cattle and calves across the United States. Many look to this report for an indication if cattle producers are finally able to hold on to some heifers for breeding season. Market Journal caught up with Terrain's Chief Research and Analytics Officer, Don Close.
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