Two factors influence whether or not there is benefit to feeding cows a protein supplement when grazing cornstalks. Consider the following when determining whether or not the feeding of a protein supplement is needed.
The first factor is the quality and quantity of forage available. The amount of c Continue reading…
MANAGING YOUR TAXES IN A HIGH INCOME WORLD
For the past 5 years I’ve been writing articles for crop farmers on how to manage the unprecedented amount of income flowing through their operations and now it is the turn of the livestock producer to worry about what to do with all the extra income.
Ag Continue reading…
Storing big round hay bales by lining them up along the fence row may be easy, but it is not economical. Baled forage probably constitutes the highest percentage of winter feed cost we have wrapped up in a cow. The production of hay uses a large amount of resources and the ration of beef cattle can Continue reading…
To answer the question, “is my hay feeding program meeting the cowherd’s nutritional requirements?”, two key pieces of information are needed. The first piece of information to obtain is the animal nutritional needs. Nutrient requirements are not consistent for all classes of livestock, so some kn Continue reading…
Some good pasture still may be available this fall – from your alfalfa fields! But make sure you do it safely with your animals.
Alfalfa can provide considerable, high quality grazing this fall. Grazing avoids the problem of slow curing of hay that often occurs durin Continue reading…
With cow numbers at a record low and drought conditions easing in much of the Great Plains, cattle producers are thinking about rebuilding the cowherd. Nebraska’s rich resources of corn, by-products, residues, forages, and feedlots make it a prime location for cowherd expansion. The inaugural State Continue reading…
As crops come out of the field, manure application equipment typically begins going in. While knowing the nutrient concentrations in your manure, the nutrient levels in the soil, and the nutrient needs of future crop needs are important, another critical component of the manure application process i Continue reading…
If you haven’t experienced a freeze yet this fall, you soon will. And remember, a freeze can cause hazards for using some forages.
When plants freeze, changes occur in their metabolism and composition that can poison livestock. But you can prevent problems.
Continue reading…
Tell EPA to ‘Ditch the Rule!’ That’s the message being shared by livestock commodity groups nationwide as the October 20th deadline for commenting on the proposed rule quickly approaches. The proposed “Waters of the United States” rule was issued March 25, 2014 by the Environmental Protection Agency Continue reading…