The main economic driver of a cow-calf operation is dependent on the number of calves weaned alive. The next two drivers are weight and phenotype. For these reasons, outstanding calf health is a directly correlated variable to calf growth and performance. The following guide will review management strategies that are associated with excellent newborn calf health.
Local Interest
The best time to seed cool season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, is between August 15th and September 15th, so its time to start your site preparation.
Getting your seeding done as early as possible is really important, because each week of delay in seeding translates into 2-4 additional weeks required for the grass to mature in fall. It is critical to seed tall fescue no later than mid-September. Tall fescue seedlings take a longer time to develop cold hardiness, so get your seeding done early.
Winter Dieback of Trees and Shrubs
A recent discussion thread launched on the Shady Lane listserv by Justin Evertson of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum asked observers how trees in their landscapes weathered the negative double-digit cold of winter. Used to extreme cold conditions, native trees and shrubs weathered the tough winter best. Others (that were thought to be very cold hardy) lost all living canopy growth and are now sending out sprouts at the base. Still others are no surprise at all, such as the Japanese maple, a marginal species for this region at best, which had major dieback and/or outright death.
Understanding the How and Use of NASS Cattle Reports
Thursday, April 29, noon
With: Nick Streff, USDA NASS, and Elliott Dennis, UNL Agricultural Economics
Nick Streff is the Director of the USDA NASS Northern Plains Regional Field Office in Lincoln NE. Nick oversees data collection, analysis and publication of NASS estimates for the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Prior to moving to Nebraska, Nick was the hogs and pigs statistician for USDA NASS. Nick will be taking us through an in depth look at the NASS cattle reports.
Registration is open at https://farm.unl.edu/webinars
Ag Econ’s Farm and Ranch Management webinar series will close out the month with a session on winter wheat this week, followed by an overview of NASS Cattle Reports next Thursday.
Registration is open at https://farm.unl.edu/webinars
The Economic Viability of Winter Wheat
Thursday, April 22, noon
With: Cody Creech, Dryland Systems Cropping Specialist, Nebraska Extension; Dave Petersen, Area Claims Manager, Rural Community Insurance Services; and Cory Walters, Associate Professor and Grain Economist, UNL Agricultural Economics.
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2024 Nebraska Soil Health School has successful launch
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The first installment of a planned 2024 Nebraska Soil Health School series was held on April 24 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln High Plains Ag Lab in Sidney, Neb. The event addressed the semi-arid Panhandle climate and potential management practices for soil health and had over 60 attendees.
Building Bridges in Conservation: Nebraska hosts inaugural natural resources workshop
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Overlooking the iconic Platte River, over 100 natural resource professionals and students met to build and foster new collaborations at the first Natural Resources Conservation Connecting Points Workshop.
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