Annual Beef Heifer Replacement Forecasts for the 2020 – 2021 Production Season (Summary Briefing)
What is a respectable beef replacement heifer value for the coming 2020-2021 production season? The weather and COVID-19 gave the beef industry a wild ride this past year and may affect the decision to buy or sell replacement animals for the upcoming year.
Spanish:Winter Tetany in Beef Cattle
Grass tetany is considered a problem that usually occurs when cattle or sheep are eating lush, spring grass or annual cereal forages such as rye, wheat or triticale; but, it can also occur when cattle are being fed harvested forages.
Spanish:Livestock Facility Inspections: Do I need one? If so, what should I expect?
Inspections collect information about livestock facilities and are how the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) determines whether the facility is in compliance with regulations. There are two different kinds of inspections for livestock operations. Initial inspections help NDEE determine whether a permit is needed. Routine inspections allow the NDEE representative to make sure permitted operations are in compliance with their permit.
What facilities need to be inspected?
Spanish:Cornstalk Residue Grazing with Weaned Calves, Dry Pregnant Cows or Pairs – What Supplementation Do They Need?
With approximately 9.8 million acres of corn yielding an average of 182 bushels/acre, cornstalk residue can be an accessible and economical winter grazing forage option for producers in Nebraska. Historic research at the University of Nebraska has suggested cattle select mostly dropped corn, husks, and leaves. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) of the selected diet can be variable, but tends to range from 50-60% TDN.
Spanish:December 2020 Beefwatch Webinar Series Registration Now Open
The BeefWatch Webinar series is designed to highlight management strategies in grazing, nutrition, reproduction, and economics to increase cow/calf and stocker production efficiency and profitability. Each session will feature industry experts and plenty of opportunity to interact to get your questions answered. More information about the BeefWatch Webinar Series can be found on our webpage: https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch-webinar-series
Great Plains Veterinary Education Center - Meet the Faculty
2020 Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Webinar Series
The Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle (ARSBC) meeting is considered the premier national event in beef cattle reproductive management. It has a long history of providing the latest information on the application of reproductive technologies and includes a range of topics related to cow herd reproduction — such as nutritional interactions, management and male fertility.
Spanish:Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) Round 2 and Beef Cattle Producers
The application process for the second round of national relief payments from the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) has begun. Local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agencies are accepting applications through December 11, 2020. These payments will provide livestock producers some relief from production risk, as well as market losses, related to the fallout from continued shutdowns across business sectors.
Spanish:Valuing Corn Stalk Bales
With dry conditions still plaguing much of the state, baling corn residue following harvest might be an optional roughage source if hay supply is getting tight. What value should be put on baling corn residue?
Figuring out the true value of corn stalk bales can be a bit tricky, but breaking down the costs can help it make sense. First, look at the value of nutrients removed from the field that will need to be replaced by fertilizer. Stalks this fall will contain between $3-5 worth of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur per ton.
Spanish:Things to Consider before Harvesting a Market Animal at Home
Many people are looking for opportunities to buy market animals to harvest at home, which has led to many questions about the best way to complete that task. Prior to making the decision to try home harvest, there are a few important things to consider:
1. Food Safety: Can you properly cool the carcass and keep it clean to ensure meat safety?
Leading Farm and Ranch Employees Virtual Seminar Series to be Held in December
Finding, hiring and retaining quality employees are major challenges for agricultural business in Nebraska. Competition for the available workforce comes from area industries, and the labor market is tight.
Nebraska Extension will host a virtual seminar series in December (Dec. 8, 11, 15 and 18) designed to help agricultural employers learn techniques and leadership practices to help motivate and empower employees.
Spanish:2020 Traveling Road Show to focus on Protecting the Last Grasslands
The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition (NGLC), Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Sandhills Task Force will be hosting the 2020 Traveling Road Show at four locations in November. This year’s road show will focus on winning strategies for woody encroachment featuring Dirac Twidwell, UNL Associate Professor in rangeland and fire ecology.
Dirac Twidwell is a Science Advisor for the USDA NRCS, Great Plains region, and a national science team member for a new Great Plains Grasslands Strategy under the Working Lands for Wildlife Program.
Spanish:Beef Profit Tips Programs for 2020
During the fall and winter of 2020 Nebraska Beef Extension Educators will host six Beef Profitability Workshops to help the beef producer evaluate their operations to make them more profitable through the latest research information. Topics will vary depending on presenter and specific location. These workshops have been held across Nebraska for the past seventeen years. Please pre-register to the local extension office 3 days prior to the meeting.
Spanish:Common Mullein and Cheatgrass Control in Rangeland
On October 7th, two articles on rangeland weed control were published on CropWatch which may be of interest to Nebraska ranchers.
Spanish:Do You Know the Difference Between 9% and 7% Crude Protein Hay?
When feeding harvested forages to the cow herd, you need to know what you have in order to know what to feed. This is vital when faced with some of the challenges we have seen in the past couple years such as flood, excessively cold and harsh winters, and drought. Over-feeding spends money unnecessarily and can deteriorate your bottom line. Underfeeding results in thin cows, which can lead to calving issues and disappointing conception rates.
Spanish:Crop Residue Exchange Links Available Residue with Cattle Producers
The Crop Residue Exchange (http://cropresidueexchange.unl.edu) is a free online tool designed to link cattle producers to crop producers with available grazing resources. The Exchange makes it possible for crop producers in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota to list fields of crop residue they have available for winter grazing and for cattle producers to connect with them.
Spanish:November 2020 Beefwatch Webinar Series Registration Now Open
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension will host the 2020 BeefWatch Webinar Series. The second installment of webinars will take place weekly beginning on Tuesday, November 3.
The BeefWatch Webinar series is designed to highlight management strategies in grazing, nutrition, reproduction, and economics to increase cow/calf and stocker production efficiency and profitability. Each session will feature industry experts and plenty of opportunity to interact to get your questions answered.
Spanish:Grazing Alfalfa in Fall or Winter
- Alfalfa needs 6 weeks of growth, uninterrupted by grazing or haying
- Fall grazing should maintain 8 inches of stubble height; Winter grazing should maintain 4 inches of stubble height
- Bloat risk can be reduced by making sure livestock are full prior to grazing
- Feed additives such as poloxalene and ionophores can limit bloat risk, but require regular consumption to be effective
What Are Total Export Commitments Telling Us About Beef’s Potential in 2020: Positive Signs?
This article was originally published in the Aug. 30, 2020 edition of In The Cattle Markets.
Spanish:What Are the Barriers and Benefits of Manure Use in Cropping Systems? (part 2 of 2)
Animal manures can be a valuable asset or a “pain in the assets”. During winter of 2020, 957 farmers and their advisors shared their perspective on the benefits and barriers to manure use. A previous article (part 1) focused on perceptions of manure’s benefits.
Spanish: