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
July 19-20: Boyd County Fair 4-H Shooting Sports Competitions, 2:30pm, Gross, NE
July 21: DUE: Holt County Fair Entries, https://holt.fairwire.com/
July 21: DUE: Holt County Fair, Stalls/Pens/Cages Requests
July 22: Entry Day for Boyd County Fair Static Entries
July 22-26: Boyd County Fair, Boyd County Fairgrounds, Spencer, NE
August 2-9: Holt County Fair, Holt County Fairgrounds, Chambers, NE
August 18: DUE: Non-Perishable State Fair 4-H Exhibits, at your County Extension Office, either Butte or O’Neill, NE
August 19: DUE: Perishable State Fair 4-H Exhibits, at your County Extension Office, Butte or O’Neill, NE
August 22–September 1: Nebraska State Fair, Grand Island, NE
Preschool Children and Pretend Play
Preschool children love to play, especially when their play activities involve "make-believe." This special type of play, known as "pretend play," is particularly important for young children's development. As children's thinking skills improve during the preschool years, they can create, remember, and tell stories that follow a sequence of events and make sense to others. Pretend play is a great way for children to learn and develop skills such as:
- Planning, including organizing the type of pretend play (e.g., beach), roles (e.g., lifeguard, scuba diver, fisherman), and items/objects needed for the activity (e.g., whistle, goggles, flippers, fishing pole, beach towels)
- How to solve problems and compromise (e.g., "This time I'll be the lifeguard who rescues you and next time you can rescue me.")
- How to communicate through words and actions
- How to express emotions (e.g., fear in the face of a child pretending to be a scary animal; delight (or jealousy) when a new baby comes home from the hospital
- Creativity and imagination; pretend experiences get more complicated and fantastic as children get older (e.g., instead of simply being a fisherman, they become deep sea explorers, searching for lost treasures on a sunken ship)
- Memory skills, as favorite experiences are acted out over and over again (e.g., getting a new pet, eating at a restaurant, taking a trip to the zoo)
LaDonna Werth
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: lwerth2@unl.edu
Parents and teachers can promote children's development by creating an environment that supports pretend play. For example:
- Create an area for children's pretend play and provide a variety of items, including purses, hats, shoes, clothing, telephones, kitchen materials, office supplies, junk mail, etc. Be sure to offer a storage area for pretend play items. For example, children can hang their "dress up" clothes on an old coat rack and store their other pretend play items in a laundry basket.
- Encourage children to talk about their pretend play. Ask them to describe their pretend play to you: Who were they pretending to be? Why did they want to pretend they were that person? What did they get to do? However, don't interrupt children with questions about their play when they are deep into a pretend play experience. Their fantasy experience can easily be disrupted if they have to "shift gears" and talk to someone outside of their make-believe experience.
- Engage in pretend play with children. Adults can enhance children's pretend play by offering suggestions for activities and introducing new words into children's vocabulary. Be sure to follow the child's lead. Let the child direct the fantasy play experience. Research indicates that children are more agreeable and can express their developing independence when adults follow the child's plan for the play. Examples of adult-child pretend play activities include having tea parties, bathing baby dolls, setting up a restaurant or beauty parlor, and being a librarian or mail carrier.
- Attend to the theme of children's pretend play. Research shows that, compared to children who engage in little or no violent fantasy play, children who engage in noticeably more violent fantasy play tend to be angrier and less cooperative. Examples of violent pretend play activities include aggressive monsters who hurt people or cops and robbers who kill each other.
Source: Amy Halliburton, Graduate Research Assistant, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia & Sara Gable, Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia
Mid-Season Forage Check
As we move through midsummer, it’s time to evaluate our forage situation. Depending on your location, meadow hay harvest might be starting, you could be on your second cutting of alfalfa or preparing to cut warm-season annual crops soon.
Now is a great time to assess your forage inventory. Most perennial grasses have completed their growth, and multiple alfalfa cuttings should be done. Even if not all meadow hay and summer annuals are harvested, we can estimate our total yield for the year.
Ask yourself: Does our current yield meet our winter feed needs? If not, consider options like late planting of summer annuals or fall forages like oats for grazing. Be cautious with planning fall hay harvests however, due to drying challenges.
If you have excess hay, plan on how to manage it. For selling or storing, prevent quality loss by keeping hay dry. Store it under a roof or tarp, if possible, elevate it from the ground, line bales with the topography and sun, and ensure good airflow around bales to maintain quality.
Finally, if you haven’t done so, send in hay samples for quality testing. Hay quality varies year-to-year, even from the same field. Testing helps us match hay to livestock needs or set appropriate selling prices.
Assessing forage stores now, while plants are still growing and hay is being harvested, helps close forage gaps, manage surplus,
Amy Timmerman
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: atimmerman2@unl.edu
and ensure quality use later.
Source: Ben Beckman – Extension Educator (CropWatch – July 14, 2025)
Rained-On Hay
Rained-on hay can still be a valuable resource; even if rain fell on cut hay windrows has lowered both yield and quality during the drying process. However, losses will vary and will likely be less if…the rain occurred soon after cutting and the forage was not re-wetted many times.
Wisconsin research indicates that 1 inch of rain on alfalfa after 1 day of drying caused 22% dry matter loss compared to 6% yield loss without rain damage. Yield losses, doubled to 44%, though, with 1.6 inches of rainfall on alfalfa over a few days. Grass hays pegged less dry matter losses.
University of Minnesota research indicates that rainfall wetting of dried alfalfa has little impact on protein content unless high leaf droppage losses occur. Rained-on hay carbohydrates, though, declined 6 to 40%; thus, lowering overall forage energy content.
Rained-on hay has increased risk of forage mold and heat damage during storage. Further, windrows remaining in fields for longer periods can injury regrowth and reduce yield of future cuttings. So the best option for wet windrows is to remove the cut hay as quickly as possible. Consider turning wet windrows and baling; chopping the forage; OR using severely damaged forage as mulch.
To know the true quality of rained-on hay, submit a forage sample to a lab for testing. Remember that a hay test is truly the best way to know the quality of forage.
Amy Timmerman
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: atimmerman2@unl.edu
Finally, monitor rained-on windrows for insects and weeds invasion; and treat to prevent further problems.
More alfalfa and forage hay management guidelines are available at: https://cropwatch.unl.edu or https://beef.unl.edu.
Source: Todd Witney - UNL Irrigation and Cropping Systems Extension Educator (CropWatch – July 14, 2025)
When Estrus Synch Goes Sideways: Practical Troubleshooting for Beef Producers
Estrus synchronization is a game-changer for beef producers aiming to tighten calving windows, improve artificial insemination (AI) success, and streamline herd management. But when protocols don’t go as planned, it can lead to poor conception rates, extra labor, money, and frustration. Understanding the hormones involved, the timing required, and how to troubleshoot common mishaps is key to making synchronization work for your herd.
The Hormonal Toolbox
The estrous cycle in cows is characterized by hormonal changes that regulate ovarian activity, including the development of follicles and the corpus luteum (CL). This cycle typically recurs every 21 days, with ovulation occurring approximately 24 to 32 hours after the onset of standing estrus.
Estrus synchronization protocols rely on a carefully timed sequence of hormones:
- Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α): Regresses the CL, allowing cows to return to estrus. Administration is effective between days 6 (6 days after estrus) and 16 of the estrous cycle. Prostaglandin does not induce cyclicity in anestrous (non-cycling postpartum) females.
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH): Triggers ovulation or synchronizes follicular waves. Can induce estrous cycles in anestrous females that are close to cycling. If cattle have large, healthy follicles, ovulation will be induced approximately 24 to 30 hours after GnRH injection without estrus behavior.
Bethany Johnston
Extension Educator
Phone: 402-336-2760
E-mail: bjohnston3@unl.edu
- Progesterone: Mimics the luteal phase, suppressing estrus until withdrawal. Can induce estrous cycles in anestrus females that are close to cycling and “jump start” them. Generally utilized in a 5-, 6-, 7- or 14-day protocol.
- Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR): A T-shaped device that releases a constant dose of progesterone once inserted intravaginally.
- Melengestrol acetate (MGA): An orally active progestin labelled for use in heifers to suppress estrus. For this protocol, the target feeding rates are 0.5 mg/day per heifer for 14 days, followed by a PGF2α injection 19 days later.
Protocols that use these hormones can all be found at beefrepro.org and can be used with natural service breeding and AI. Estrus synchronization protocols available include options for heat detection, heat detection and timed AI, fixed time AI, and protocols for use with sexed semen.
Make sure to follow proper hormone handling by storing them at the right temperature and following Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines.
How important is timing?
Timing of protocols with a timed AI component is very important and requires calculation of the specific time that CIDRs need to be removed, injections need to be administered, and AI completed. Heat detection only and natural service protocols require hormones to be administered and CIDR’s be inserted/removed on specific days but there are no specific time constraints on the specific day.
When a hormone is given out of order in an estrus synchronization protocol, it can disrupt the entire reproductive sequence, leading to poor estrus response, missed ovulation, or failed conception. Here’s what typically happens depending on the hormone involved:
Giving PGF2α Too Early or Late
- Too early: The CL may not be mature enough to respond, so luteolysis (regression of the CL) doesn’t occur, and the cow/heifer will not come into standing estrus
- Too late: The cow may already be in estrus or ovulating, making the shot ineffective or even disruptive.
Mistiming GnRH -- Giving GnRH at CIDR Out
- Too early: The dominant follicle may not be ready to ovulate, so GnRH won’t induce ovulation.
- Too late: Ovulation may have already occurred, and insemination will miss the fertile window.
Incorrect CIDR (Progesterone) Timing
- Inserted too late or removed too early: The cow may not have enough progesterone exposure to suppress estrus, leading to premature follicular development or ovulation.
- Left in too long: Can suppress estrus excessively, delaying ovulation and reducing fertility.
- Missing CIDRs: Occasionally, heifers or cows may remove CIDRs before the scheduled removal time. Visually assess the animal and be prepared to adjust your synchronization protocol as needed and/or may have to breed earlier depending on timing. You could cut CIDR strings to 2 inches to help reduce the chance of removal.
Timing of insemination after an animal is detected in standing estrus
- Too early: Risk inadequate sperm life and decreasing the fertilization rate.
- Too late: The cow/heifer may have already ovulated leading to an aging oocyte and reduced embryo quality.
What Can Go Wrong?
1. Poor Estrus Response
- Cause: Cows are not cycling (anestrous), often due to low body condition or postpartum status.
- Fix: Ensure cows are in good nutritional condition and are an adequate number of days postpartum. A CIDR can be utilized to induce cycling in anestrus females that are close to cycling.
2. Mistimed Hormone Administration
- Cause: Giving PGF2α too early (immature CL) or GnRH too late (missed ovulation).
- Fix: Stick to the exact timing of the protocol. Use timers, calendars, or apps to stay on track.
3. Missed Heat Detection
- Cause: Subtle estrus signs or poor observation.
- Fix: Use heat detection aids (tail paint, Estrotect) or switch to fixed-time AI (FTAI) to eliminate guesswork.
4. Low Conception Despite Good Estrus
- Cause: Poor semen quality or handling, AI technique, or uterine health issues.
- Fix: Evaluate semen handling, review AI technique, and check for reproductive tract infections.
Best Practices for Success
Producers can utilize the Estrus Synchronization Planner to create and print customized calendars for hormone treatments, CIDR insertion and removal, and AI timing. Success will depend on knowing your cows’ cycle status, following protocols precisely, and ensuring your team is trained for consistent hormone handling and semen handling if utilizing AI.
Producers who successfully use synchronization and AI plan weeks or even months ahead of their target window. Early planning helps avoid last-minute surprises, ensures product availability, and allows time to address potential challenges - because we’ve all had that call: 'Can I AI next Tuesday?'
Final Thoughts
Estrus synchronization is a powerful tool - but only when used correctly. By understanding the hormones, respecting the timing, and troubleshooting issues early, producers can turn a frustrating experience into a reproductive win.
Source: Kacie McCarthy - Nebraska Extension Cow-Calf Specialist, Becky Funk, DVM - Animal Health Teaching and NE Extension Specialist (BeefWatch - July 1, 2025)