Drought Assistance Webinar May 4
Options and Resources for Beef Producers Making Ends Meet after Wildfire
Recently, several fires raged across native range in the Sandhills. That rangeland will need a time of deferred grazing to recover. Unfortunately, prolonged drought throughout Nebraska coupled with an extremely cold and snowy winter has reduced harvested feed supplies, making extended hay feeding an unlikely option for many producers.
Spanish:New Report Shows Nebraska is Thriving, but Challenges Remain
The 2022 Thriving Index indicates that most rural regions of Nebraska are thriving compared to their peers, though most also face at least some challenges.
Pasture and Forage Minute: Calculate ROI Before Fertilizing Pastures
Entendiendo a Las Diarreas Perinatales
Highlights of Feedlot Implant Labeling Changes Coming June 2023
Note: Mention of trade names and growth-promoting implant manufacturers in this publication is necessary as FDA approvals are specific to trade names and manufacturers.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating information to beef cattle producers concerning a group of growth-promoting implant products (implants) that do not specify on the labeling whether reimplantation is approved. Three important developments must be considered by all cattle producers:
Spanish:Crop Progress: Soybean Planting Underway in Nebraska
Winter Wheat may have more Value as Forage than Taking it to Grain
Current cattle market conditions along with the price and short availability of hay has created a scenario where the growing winter wheat crop may have more value for producers for grazing or as a hay crop this spring than to harvest it for grain. The current market value of good quality prairie hay and alfalfa ranges from $180 to $270 per ton. Hay stocks are short. Harvested feed costs at current hay prices range from $3.00-$4.00 per cow-calf pair per day.
Spanish:Practice Tick Safety to Avoid Getting an Allergy to Red Meat
Spring is an appropriate time for tick education. Ticks may be active all year long if temperatures outside are above freezing, but May and June are the months when people pick up the most ticks. There are three tick species established in Nebraska that carry and spread diseases to humans and animals, including the lone star tick. Lone star ticks are widely distributed across the East, South and Central United States, extending across the southeastern portion of Nebraska (see figures at the end of the article).
Spanish:Opciones Para La Sincronización Del Estro en Esta Temporada De Cría
Nebraska – the Beef State
Each May we celebrate National Beef Month. One of the great things to enjoy in the Beef State is the moment in which producers and consumers come together over a juicy steak. As delicious and nutritious beef recipes are shared in local newspapers and across social media, it is a great reminder that the beef industry has a large impact on Nebraskans far and wide.
Spanish:Why Grazing Before Pastures are Ready Can Have Lasting Impacts and How to Limit the Damage
Key Points
Spanish:USDA Farm Service Agency Offers Disaster Assistance to Nebraska Farmers, Livestock Producers Impacted by Drought
Packing Small Grain Silage When It Is Too Wet Can Be a Costly Mistake
Small grains are an excellent choice as a double-cropped forage for a spring silage crop. However, making good quality small grain silage takes careful moisture management.
Spanish:Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for May
Nebraska Hemp Acreage in 2022
PREEC Battles Growing Palmer Amaranth Problem
Horn flies and Control Options
Nebraska’s spring weather conditions have made it more difficult to predict the emergence of horn flies. If the current weather pattern continues, we should start to see horn fly emergence in the southeast part of the state in early May, reaching northern Nebraska by late May. If we experience an abrupt and sustained warm-up, horn fly numbers could reach or exceed the Economic Injury Level (EIL) statewide by the end of May. The EIL represents a fly population of 200 flies per animal that negatively impacts cattle production enough to warrant paying for a fly control measure.
Spanish:Garlic for Horn fly Control
Many livestock producers have shown a strong interest in using garlic to reduce horn flies on pastured cattle. Garlic is commercially available in a pre-mix mineral or can be purchased and mixed by the producer in mineral or salt, normally at a concentration of 2% garlic.
Spanish:Insecticide Impregnated Ear Tags Available for 2023
Insecticide-impregnated ear tags were first introduced in the late 1970s and have been used to reduce face fly and horn fly populations. Active ingredients in insecticide ear tags kill flies by direct contact. Small amounts of insecticide are released from the ear tag into the oils present on animal’s hair. The face, neck, topline and flanks receive the most product through natural grooming behavior. Interaction between cattle enhances the transfer of product between animals.
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