Nebraska Extension in the Central Sandhills

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Hay quality varies depending on when it was cut, growing conditions and how it is harvested and stored. While we had more rain this year, hay quality tests on some meadows appear to be lower in crude protein than expected. Accurately sampling and testing hay is the only way to get an accurate nutritive value to make sure cows are meeting requirements and to minimize hay waste. Central Sandhills Area Extension loans out hay probes for ranchers to collect hay samples. Call 645-2267 if you would like to borrow one or just have questions on sampling hay.

Beef Quality Assurance is a voluntary, producer-driven program based on recommended national guidelines and research. Currently the program influences the management of more than 80% of U.S. cattle today. To attend an in-person training or get certified online, please visit https://bqa.unl.edu/ or call TL Meyer, beef educator, at the Central Sandhills Area Extension office. Upcoming trainings include December 5 in Hyannis.

Planning for winter feed, marketing the calf crop, or other management decisions? Looking for information to help with those decisions? You can find a wide range of resources at https://beef.unl.edu/ or contact T.L. Meyer, your local Nebraska Extension beef systems educator at 308-645-2267, tl.meyer@unl.edu, or in-person. You can also follow her daily posts on social media by searching Central Sandhills Beef Educator.

Nebraska Extension offers free, self-paced QuickBooks and Quicken training for ranchers and farmers.

Registration is required for access. A URL and password will be emailed to you when you submit the registration form.

QuickBooks training: https://cap.unl.edu/quickbooks-register

Quicken training: https://cap.unl.edu/quicken-register

Questions? Email Jessica Groskopf, extension educator, at jgroskopf2@unl.edu.

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