Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt, Boyd, Garfield, Loup, & Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown, Rock, & Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt & Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer
August 24: DUE: Non-Perishable State Fair 4-H Exhibits in your County Extension Office by 4:00pm
August 25: DUE: Perishable State Fair 4-H Exhibits in your County Extension Office by noon
Aug 28 – Sep 7: Nebraska State Fair, Grand Island, NE
How to Solve Problems with Your Teens
Parents and teens usually don’t see eye-to-eye about everything. Conflict is a normal part of life, but it can be hard for parents and teens to discuss problems. These discussions can be angry and frustrating for both parents and kids. How can parents communicate with teens about problems?
“I” Messages
When you try to solve problems with your kids, you can talk to them using “I” messages or “you” messages. “I” messages describe problems and let kids know that you trust them and believe they can help you solve the problem. “You” messages blame kids and can make them defensive or angry – so kids are less likely to be interested in solving the problem. For example, let’s say that 17-year-old Judy comes home after curfew. Here’s how her mom could respond:
- You message: “You are late again! You should be home on time. What were you thinking?”
Judy’s response: “Leave me alone Mom! You are always yelling at me!” - I message: “When you come home late, I get worried because I’m afraid something has happened to you .”
Judy’s response: “I didn’t realize how worried you get.”
Can you see how, with the “you” message, Judy may become defensive and angry? She is more likely to understand the importance of her curfew with the “I” message – and more likely to come up with possible solutions. Judy’s mom may be angry that Judy didn’t follow the rules, but her real emotion is concern about her daughter’s safety. If she really wants to solve the problem of Judy coming in late, the “I” message has a better chance of working.
How to make “I” Messages
An “I” message includes descriptions of:
- the problem behavior
- your feelings about the behavior
- the effect of the behavior
For example, let’s say that Joe and his younger brother Jason are fighting in the car and disturbing their dad who is driving. To solve this problem using an “I” statement the dad could say: “When you two fight in the back of the car I get worried about driving safely because your fighting is so distracting.”
- When you two fight (description of problem behavior)
- I get worried about driving (description of feelings
- because the fighting is distracting (effect of the behavior)
The key to making an “I” statement is figuring out what your true feelings about the behavior are. There are times when you simply feel mad – but if you really examine your emotions, you’ll probably find that more often you feel worried, concerned, frustrated, or afraid. Identifying your true feelings and not just telling kids that you are angry at them, helps you make an effective “I” statement. Of course, sometimes you can have such strong feelings about a situation that it’s hard to think calmly. In this case, take a break and wait to discuss your feelings.
Source: Amanda Kowal, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Human Development & Family Studies, Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri
Using Drought-Stressed Corn for Forage: Evaluating Options and Managing Nitrate Risk
Drought can leave producers with non-irrigated corn that is unlikely to produce a profitable grain crop. Before terminating the crop, consider whether it has value as livestock forage. The best option depends on crop stage, expected yield, harvest logistics, herbicide restrictions, and nitrate risk. While drought-stressed corn often contains elevated nitrate concentrations, nitrate risk can usually be managed successfully with the right harvest and feeding strategy.
Herbicide Restrictions: Start Here
Before making plans to graze or harvest drought-stressed corn, review the label for each herbicide applied to the field. Many herbicides include restrictions on grazing, haying, green chop or silage use, and these restrictions vary considerably among products.
Remember that:
- Tank mixes can complicate decisions because the most restrictive label always applies.
- If multiple herbicides were used, each label should be reviewed before feeding the forage.
- If you're uncertain about a product or restriction, consult your agronomist or Nebraska Extension before harvesting or grazing.
Only after herbicide restrictions have been met should the corn be considered as a feed source.
Crop Insurance
Before harvesting drought-stressed corn as forage, contact your crop insurance agent. Harvesting or grazing the crop before it is released by your insurance provider may affect your claim or future Actual Production History.
Grazing
Grazing is often the most practical option for short, vegetative drought-stressed corn. Although these plants may contain high nitrate concentrations, grazing generally presents a lower risk of nitrate toxicity than harvesting the crop as hay. Cattle consume the forage more gradually and can selectively graze the leaves and upper portions of the plant, where nitrate concentrations are typically lower.
The risk of nitrate toxicity depends on more than just the nitrate concentration of the forage. It is also influenced by how rapidly nitrate is released in the rumen and whether rumen microbes have sufficient energy to convert nitrate into microbial protein.
Vegetative corn is a high-quality, lush forage that contains abundant moisture and digestible energy. The high moisture content slows nitrate release in the rumen, while readily available energy supports microbial conversion of nitrate. Together, these factors help reduce the risk of toxicity compared with feeding the same nitrate concentration as dry hay.
Management is still important. Turn cattle onto the field with a full rumen to reduce their initial rate of intake. Allowing cattle access to the entire field, rather than strip grazing, encourages selective grazing. It also reduces the likelihood that cattle will be forced to consume the lower stalk, where nitrate concentrations are highest. Gradually adapting cattle to higher nitrate forages can further reduce risk by allowing the rumen microbial population to adjust.
Once ears begin developing, the situation changes. Nitrate concentrations often decline as the plant matures. However, the presence of grain also increases starch intake. If cattle consume large amounts of grain without adequate adaptation, there is a risk of ruminal acidosis. At that stage, strip grazing or controlled forage allocation may be desirable to manage grain intake.
Silage
Ensiling drought-stressed corn is often one of the best options when there is sufficient forage yield to justify harvest. Because nitrate concentrations are typically greatest in the lower 8–12 inches of the stalk, raising the cutter bar at harvest can substantially reduce the nitrate concentration of the harvested forage.
Additionally, proper fermentation generally reduces nitrate concentrations by 30%–60%, making silage a lower-risk feeding option than green chop or hay. However, the amount of nitrate reduction is variable, so fermentation should not be relied upon to eliminate nitrate risk. Drought-stressed silage should always be tested for nitrate concentration before feeding.
Yield is about one ton per acre of silage for each harvested foot of earless corn (not counting the tassel). Feeding value is about 70%–80% of well-eared corn silage. Corn with some grain (less than 50 bu/ac) tends to produce about one ton of silage for every five bushels of grain with a feed value of about 80–90% of regular corn silage.
Successful ensiling depends on harvesting the crop at the proper moisture. Whole-plant moisture should generally be about 65% for bunker or pile silage (slightly lower for upright silos).
Immature, earless corn often remains too wet for proper fermentation, even after leaves have dried, because the stalk retains a large amount of moisture. In these situations, delaying harvest until the crop reaches the proper moisture content will improve fermentation and silage preservation.
Once harvested, allow the silage to ferment for at least three to four weeks before feeding to maximize fermentation and nitrate reduction
Hay
Harvesting drought-stressed corn as hay is generally the least desirable forage option. Corn stalks are thick and retain moisture, making it difficult for the forage to dry sufficiently for safe baling. Baling before the stalks are adequately dry can result in heating, mold, and substantial dry matter losses during storage.
Unlike silage, the haying process does not reduce nitrate concentrations. In addition, unlike grazing, cattle cannot selectively avoid the lower portions of the plant where nitrate concentrations are often greatest. As a result, the risk of nitrate toxicity is generally higher with hay than with grazing or properly fermented silage.
If drought-stressed corn is baled, collect a representative sample with a hay probe after baling and have it analyzed for nitrate concentration before developing a feeding plan. The results can be used to determine whether the hay can be fed directly, diluted with other feeds, or should be avoided altogether.
Making the Best Decision
Drought-stressed corn can be a valuable forage resource, but the best harvest option depends on the condition of the crop and the available livestock enterprise. Grazing vegetative corn is often the simplest option and may reduce nitrate risk through selective grazing. If sufficient forage is available, silage provides another excellent alternative because fermentation typically reduces nitrate concentrations. Hay is generally the least desirable option because it can be difficult to dry properly and does not reduce nitrate concentrations.
A nitrate analysis is relatively inexpensive and provides valuable information for developing a safe feeding plan. Hay and silage should be sampled after harvest using appropriate sampling methods.
If the corn will be grazed, clip the portions of the plant cattle are expected to consume and submit those samples for analysis. The results can then be used to determine whether the forage can be fed directly, whether it should be diluted with lower-nitrate feeds, or whether another harvest or feeding strategy would be more appropriate.
Source: Mary Drewnoski - Beef Systems Specialist, Ben Beckman - Extension Educator, Jenny Brhel - Extension Educator (CropWatch – July 27, 2026)
The Cost of Overgrazing
There is a saying with regard to grazing, “Take half and leave half.” However, with the weather events this past year, some producers are concerned about long-term overgrazing since this can reduce grass production and profits for years. Overgrazing often leads to higher feed costs, lower carrying capacity, and more expensive pasture recovery over time.
Lower forage production means fewer grazing days. In this case, producers may have to purchase hay or supplemental feed earlier than planned and reduce stocking rates in future years. Overgrazing can also cause weeds, pest invasion, soil erosion, additional management costs, and delay pasture recovery for years to regain original grazing capacity.
For example, if overgrazing reduces forage production by 20%, on a 100-acre pasture producing two tons of forage per acre, the range loses the equivalent of 40 tons of forage. Replacing that forage with purchased hay can quickly add thousands of dollars in feed costs.
The best option to avoid overgrazing is to be proactive. Some things producers can do are rotate livestock before plants are grazed too short, monitor forage availability throughout the season, adjust stocking rates during the season, and increase the rest period between grazing periods.
The cheapest forage you will feed is the grass already growing in your pasture. Protecting that resource through proper grazing management can improve profitability today and preserve productivity for years to come.
Source: Shannon Sand - Agricultural Economics Extension Educator (CropWatch – August 10, 2026)
