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Updated: 3 min 43 sec ago

Packing Small Grain Silage When It Is Too Wet Can Be a Costly Mistake

Wed, 04/26/2023 - 10:35
Monday, May 1, 2023

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.

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Horn flies and Control Options

Wed, 04/26/2023 - 09:51
Monday, May 1, 2023

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.

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Garlic for Horn fly Control

Tue, 04/25/2023 - 16:28
Monday, May 1, 2023

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.

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Insecticide Impregnated Ear Tags Available for 2023

Tue, 04/25/2023 - 15:40
Monday, May 1, 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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Pasture Fly Resistance

Tue, 04/25/2023 - 14:53
Monday, May 1, 2023

Regardless of your choice of livestock fly control product and application method, plan for resistance. For example, many horn fly populations in Nebraska exhibit a level of resistance to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides.

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Keeping Stress in Check – Strategies and Tools that May Help

Tue, 04/25/2023 - 14:11
Monday, May 1, 2023

The weather impacts producers right and left. A storm can come up suddenly and be short-term, whereas a drought can build and persist long-term. Stress can be similar in nature. We can have acute, stressful moments when we get into town too late to pick up that important part to fix equipment before chores the next day.  Stress can become chronic when one bad thing happens after the other. Many have experienced the effects of drought, first with not enough rain for pasture and forage production leaving us short and having to spend extra money to find additional hay or forage.

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Sizing and Siting a Shade Structure

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 16:25
Monday, May 1, 2023

With winter reluctantly fading in the rear-view mirror, those hot days of late spring and summer are not very far off for cattle operations here in the Central Plains.  It’s certainly not too soon to take another look at the role that shade can play in limiting heat stress in cattle.  Consider the recently published findings of two studies overseen by Dr. Terry Mader (now retired UNL feedlot environment extension specialist).

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Zoonotic Disease Risks during Calving Season

Fri, 04/21/2023 - 15:57
Monday, May 1, 2023

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), zoonotic diseases are pathogens that can be spread from animals to humans, leading to illness.  The CDC reported 59 zoonotic outbreaks in 2017, causing over 1500 illnesses and three reported deaths.  There are several different germs that have the potential to be zoonotic, with some more prevalent than others.  The disease lists can be categorized in different ways, such as route of transmission, type of pathogen, or production season.  While it is important to familiarize yourself with all potential areas

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New Nebraska Custom Rates Survey Related to Livestock Services

Wed, 04/05/2023 - 14:51
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 Many farmers and ranchers make inquiries to Nebraska Extension about prevailing rates paid for various kinds of custom farm services. In addition to the regular biennial custom rates survey, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability has launched a new survey designed to provide market rate information for the Nebraska livestock industry. Producers and operators that perform and provide custom services for others, or that utilize custom services and pay others, are invited to participate in the survey. Spanish: 

Calf Processing and Branding

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 16:22
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Calving is just underway across the country, which means calf processing and branding (if applicable in your area) is just around the corner.

For those who may not be calving already or those looking for good calving reading material, it is good to revisit some calving best management practices. Previous articles listed in BeefWatch do a great job highlighting specifics related to calving.

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Krutsinger gift helps contribute to Beef Scholar Minor

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 15:37
Saturday, April 1, 2023

In December, Carol Krutsinger made a $1 million gift to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) to develop the next generation of beef industry leaders.

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Winter Bull Management and What to Do if Your Bulls Get Frostbite on the Testes?

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 15:23
Saturday, April 1, 2023

A recent BeefWatch article highlighted the importance of timing for a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) in our bull battery especially with the winter weather many of our producers have been experiencing. With that in mind, let us dive in a little deeper to how this harsh winter weather can impact bull fertility and how to address management for this next breeding season.

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Winter Bull Management and What to Do if Your Bulls Get Frostbite on the Testes?

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 15:21
Saturday, April 1, 2023

A recent BeefWatch article highlighted the importance of timing for a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) in our bull battery especially with the winter weather many of our producers have been experiencing. With that in mind, let us dive in a little deeper to how this harsh winter weather can impact bull fertility and how to address management for this next breeding season.

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Options for Estrus Synchronization this Breeding Season

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 12:09
Saturday, April 1, 2023

A successful breeding season requires planning. Estrus synchronization is one tool that can benefit cattle producers if used correctly. Estrus synchronization can allow more females to be bred earlier in the breeding season and can shorten the postpartum interval in late-calving females, allowing them to become pregnant earlier in the calving season.

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Understanding Scours

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 11:46
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Neonatal calf diarrhea, or scours, is a common concern among cow-calf producers.  Understanding why scours occurs is the first step in preventing the problem.  Calf scours outbreaks are the result of a contaminated calving and nursing environment.  This environmental contamination develops following a period of pathogen (germ) buildup, or amplification.

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Preventing Grass Tetany in the Lactating Beef Cow this Spring

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 11:34
Saturday, April 1, 2023

As spring nears and grass begins to turn green, producers are anxious to get cows out to grass. However, cool season predominate areas tend to have lush spring growth which can lead to grass tetany in cows. While there are treatments for cows caught quick enough, prevention is always the best policy.

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Getting the Most 0ut of Grazing Cereal Rye and Other Winter-hardy Small Cereals

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 11:17
Saturday, April 1, 2023

When grazed from early April to early May, forage quality of cereal rye, winter triticale, and winter wheat is similar. All three species can be very high quality. When managed correctly, growing calves can gain 3 to 4 lbs/day. Cereal rye can have greater growth during cooler conditions compared to wheat or triticale. This is the reason it can often provide earlier spring grazing. On the other hand, triticale retains its feed value better into late spring since it does not mature as quickly. This makes it well-suited for hay and silage, or for grazing well into June.

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Thin Cows and Limited Hay Resources: What are my options?

Tue, 03/28/2023 - 10:53
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Drought conditions this last growing season, limited hay supply, and a wet winter have been very challenging to beef producers. This created a situation where many cows at this point were thinner than normal years.  In addition, we couple that with limited hay and lower-quality hay with the potential of having a late green up or delayed turn out to grass. With that in mind, we have to think about how to increase energy in the diet to meet the lactational requirements while gaining BCS and doing that past our traditional turn out to grass. 

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Cortavientos para Protección y Desvío de Nieve

Thu, 03/09/2023 - 11:21
Thursday, March 9, 2023

Brad Schick, Educador de Extensión de Nebraska
Traducido por Pablo Loza, Especialista en feedlot, Universidad de Nebraska, Lincoln.

Resumen

Spanish: Spanish

Programar temprano los exámenes de aptitud reproductiva para toros debido a condiciones invernales extremas

Wed, 03/08/2023 - 08:56
Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Karla H. Wilke, UNL Sistemas de cría y recría Bovina.
Hannah Smith, Educadora de Extensión de Sistemas de producción de Carne Bovinade Extensión de Nebraska.
Traducido por Pablo Loza, especialista en Feedlots, Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln.

Spanish: Spanish