Cow Nutrition Considerations at Calving and Early Lactation
This article was originally featured in Progressive Cattle.
Spanish:How Much Pasture do I Need and What are AUMs?
Determining how much pasture is needed for summer grazing can be difficult. There are many factors that affect pasture productivity including current year precipitation amounts and timing and previous year growing season’s conditions. The drought conditions that much of the U.S. experienced last year limited the amount of energy plants were able to store, especially if they were heavily grazed. It is important to consider this when developing a grazing plan for this year. This will aide in understanding how to set stocking rates and prevent further damage.
Spanish:Winter Tick
Winter has been much colder than last year. The colder temperatures enhance “Winter Tick” survival. Yes, we do have a tick species in Nebraska that is very active during winter, and it can impact livestock. Over the last 10 years I have received numerous tick specimens in January, February, and March. All specimens were removed from horses. Now is the time to carefully examine horses for the winter tick.
Spanish:Sire Selection FAQs
Given bull sale season is underway, addressing a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) might prove helpful as you begin to consider what bull(s) to buy this spring and the tools you use to select them.
1. I keep my own replacement heifers but also retain ownership on cattle through the feedyard. How can I keep cow weight down but ensure that hot carcass weights do not go down?
Spanish:Limit Feeding Cows Corn as an Alternative to Hay
The lack of forage due to drought and current hay prices have producers considering alternative options for feeding cows this winter. One competitive option to consider is replacing some hay in the diet with corn. Since corn has a higher energy content than hay, the cost of feeding hay is often higher than corn on a price per pound of energy basis. For example, corn priced at $6.76/bushel ($241/ton) with a total digestible nutrients (TDN) value of 88% equates to approximately $0.16 per pound of TDN while hay priced at $205/ton with a TDN value of 52% is nearly $0.22 per pound of TDN.
Spanish:Additional Calculating Annual Cow Costs Webinar Series to be Offered: February 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28 and April 4
Due to demand, a second webinar series on calculating annual cow costs will be offered starting in late February and running through early April. Being able to calculate and know total cow costs is foundational for evaluating and making management decisions that can improve profitability for a cow-calf enterprise. Significant increases in input costs are challenging producers to examine cost of production and identify where there may be opportunities to adjust the production system.
Spanish:Preparing for the Calving Season
1. Pay attention to nutrition needs of bred heifers or cows prior to calving.
Adequate body condition at the time of calving for young females and mature cows is important as it impacts stamina during delivery of the calf, colostrum quality, calf vigor, and also impacts subsequent rebreeding.
Spanish:Managing Hypothermia in Newborn Calves
Plans for calving season should include how to identify and manage cold stress in newborns. In the 2007 National Animal Health Monitoring System report, 25.6% of operations reported weather as the main cause for death in calves less than 3 weeks old. Preventing hypothermia is vital to survival in the newborn.
Spanish:Spring Annual Forages
With spring not far off, it is time to start planning and thinking about any spring annual forages that we might plant. Part of the process may be anticipating a need for extra feed or booking seed early.
Spanish:Four Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension Educators Among New Cohort of Fellows for the Center for Great Plains Studies
The Center for Great Plains Studies has welcomes 15 new Great Plains Fellows into their ranks. Through museum exhibits, periodicals and scholarly programs, the Center explores the relationship between the region’s natural environment and the generations of people who have inhabited it.
How to Increase Your Happiness in 2023—Part 2
In week 2 of “The Science of Well-Being,” we learn about misconceptions around happiness. When it comes to happiness, knowing is not half the battle, and our intuitions are often wrong. Even if we know what we need to do to be happier, actually changing our behavior is difficult because we default into the same routines. (Note—if you haven’t read the book Atomic Habits, by James Clear, I would highly recommend it to help you to change your habits).
Is Your Community a Destination Location for Weddings?
By the time this column gets published, my daughter will be married. That got me thinking about how weddings play into a community’s economic development and people attraction efforts.