Feed aggregator

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

As cow-calf producers strive to reduce feed costs by finding different avenues to increase grazing days, many still have to use harvested forages in their year-round feeding program.  Sampling and testing forages for quality can make designing a feeding program easy and economical.  Nutrient concentration can vary considerably in feeds especially forages.  Protein in alfalfa hay can range from 10-25% on a dry matter basis and grass hay will contain between four and 18 percent protein.  Using book values to balance rations can result in many times over or under feeding ce

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Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Feed costs make up the largest expense in a cow-calf operation. While hay is often used to feed cows through the winter, current prices make corn a competitive option to feeding hay. Considering 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 $3.30/bushel ($118/ton) equates to approximately $0.08 per pound of total digestible nutrients (TDN) while hay priced at $100/ton is nearly $0.11 per pound of TDN. 

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Tuesday, September 1, 2020

In many areas of Nebraska, drought conditions have resulted in reduced forage production on rangeland and pasture.  This is resulting in a shortage of feed for many producers and a need for forage between now and when cornstalks are available for grazing.  Windrow grazing annual forages allows producers to cut the crop at an optimum time for quality and increase harvest efficiency through strip grazing the windrows.   

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Alfalfa stand previously interseeded with grass and legumes near Columbus, NE. – Megan Taylor Thin stands that need renovated have a few options to consider. Typically, alfalfa’s autotoxicity makes planting into established stands impossible. However, in new stands that are less than 12 months old, there is a chance that reseeding alfalfa in areas that are extremely thin or void of alfalfa may see success.

Dr. Iqbal’s research and extension lab has started a nitrogen rate and timing trial in corn which focuses on the efficient utilization of fertilizer nitrogen with the right rate and right time of fertilizer application.

Following their dreams in an age of pandemic, 4-H youth from 17 states gathered online for the national 4-H film festival. The 10th annual FilmFest 4-H was held on August 1-2. FilmFest 4-H is a national film festival for youth filmmakers, visual artists, actors, as well as any 4-H'ers interested in learning more about the film industry and meeting other creative people from across the country. FilmFest 4-H helps youth become producers, not just consumers, of digital media. Now in its 10th year, FilmFest 4-H celebrated its decade-long run with the film industry workshops and youth-produced films it has become known for. 

Two Nebraska 4-H members were recognized for their films.

• Riley Peterson (15) of Lancaster County was awarded 2nd Place Documentary for his video titled Inspiring 4-H Archers.
• Andrew Donlan (12) of Lancaster County received 2nd Place Animation with his stop-motion film, Journey in July.  

The 2020 FilmFest 4-H was open to youth ages 11-18, and participants hailed from Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Video categories included Animation, Documentary, Narrative, One Minute Movie, Promotional, and Voices of 4-H History.

In addition to submitting their own digital video creations, participants also engaged in educational film industry workshops over the weekend. LA-based actress Linara Washington shared strategies from her career working on tv series like NCIS and Grey's Anatomy, and in films alongside Brad Pitt and James Gandolfini. From New York, Emmy winning producer Matthew C. Mills helped youth understand film industry roles ranging from interns to executive producers, sharing career advice from his work with companies like HBO, MTV, CBS, and Food Network. Producer Chad Freidrichs taught youth how to secure archival footage for documentaries, using methods that are both professional and legal. This year also featured the first FilmFest 4-H Screenplay Challenge, with youth submitting scripts that were evaluated by LA-based writer-producer Mariana Hope (Friday Night Lights, The Kicks). 

2020 FilmFest 4-H Winning Films

Similarly to our previous forecast, there is a high probability of near-average yields for the majority of the irrigated sites. For rainfed corn, the scenario is diverse across regions.

Southern rust continues to spread across eastern Nebraska. To date, southern rust has been reported in 45 Nebraska counties. Gray Leaf Spot, Bacterial Leaf Streak and Frogeye Leaf Spot are increasing as well.

Photo by Glennis McClure

Image source: Lynn DeVries, Learning Child Educator

In a world that is filled with devices and such to prevent boredom and children spending more and more time inside looking at a screen rather than outside playing, children have started to lose time for creativity. The imagination is such a wonderful thing when it is used, and as parents, it is our job to push our children to expand their imagination. With that, here are a few easy ways to culture creativity.

Painting Station

Now, I realize giving a young child paint is not always the most appealing idea, but this can either be done outside where you don’t have to worry much about the mess, or get paint that is easily cleanable. Having a blank paper sheet forces them to paint whatever comes to mind and it can help them express themselves though art. You can even grab a sheet for yourself and paint with your child!

Sidewalk Chalk

Another great way to use art for your children to show their creativity is sidewalk chalk. It gets them outside which opens doors to so much creativity. Like painting, they can use the chalk to portray what they are feeling, thinking, or dreaming about. Not to mention, it easily comes off with water and that’s good news for us!

Nature Walk

A nature walk is exactly what it sounds like: taking a walk in nature. Strolling through your neighborhood or even just sitting in your lawn serves as a way to strengthen your child’s listening skills and offers growth in creativity as they try to decide which animal, vehicle, etc. made the noise they heard.

I know it can be easier to just hand over the social device to your child simply because we, as parents, need some quiet time, but are we doing that so much to as limit our child’s creativity? I’m not saying we cannot ever do it, but it’s important to keep a good balance so they can develop their imagination.

LA DONNA WERTH, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Leanne Manning, Extension Educator, The Learning Child, Lisa Poppe, Extension Educator, The Learning Child, and Lynn DeVries, Extension Educator, The Learning Child

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Saturday, August 1, 2020

This article was originally published in the June 9, 2020 edition of In The Cattle Markets.

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Saturday, August 1, 2020

This article was originally published by In The Cattle Markets on July 20, 2020.

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Saturday, August 1, 2020

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension will host the 2020 Calf Health Management on Arrival Webinar Series. The webinars will take place weekly beginning on Aug. 18.

The Calf Health Management on Arrival Webinar Series is designed to highlight management strategies relative to biocontainment, stress mitigation, nutrition, and treatment options that will set calves up for success. Each session will feature a presentation from an industry expert and a segment featuring a veterinarian or producer perspective.

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The recently completed 2020 Nebraska Custom Rates Survey and accompanying report summarize current rates charged for specific machinery operations and custom services across the state.