Livestock

Our Experts

Robert Thaler

Bob Thaler

Professional portrait of Erin DeHaan

Erin DeHaan

Professional headshot of Jaelyn Quintana

Jaelyn Whaley

Professional headshot of Jessica Drum

Jessica Drum

Professional portrait of Julie Walker

Julie Walker

Professional portrait of Kaylyn Rudy

Kaylyn Rudy

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Kim Ricardo

Professional portrait of Logan Vandermark

Logan Vandermark

Maristela Rovai

Maristela Rovai

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South Dakota producers face new challenges each day. SDSU Extension is your partner, providing resources and expertise to help meet production goals.

Featured Resources

A South Dakota Mesonet station in a snow-covered field.

Livestock Stress Tool

Weather conditions in the Northern Plains can present more than a few challenges for livestock producers. From below zero or blizzard conditions during winter or even spring, to heat waves in the summer months, farmers and ranchers need to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions to provide the best care for their livestock and minimize their risks of losses.

A vast, open rangeland with a few patches of weeds.

Noxious Weed Control in Pasture and Range

Noxious weed control in pastures is becoming more of a challenge. Most ground commercial spray businesses are no longer spraying pastures. If they are, there may be restrictions on the time they will spray, what products they will spray, or they may only spray if they also have all of the rest of your spraying business.

Upcoming Events

Participants of the 2023 Precision Livestock Field School at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station, looking at differences among long-term grazing treatments and precision livestock technology. (Photo courtesy of Hector Menendez)
Jun 12

Cottonwood Field Station Field Day

Attend the Cottonwood Field Station field day on Friday, June 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MT at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station. The Cottonwood Field Station is located approximately 19 miles east of Wall along U.S. Highway 14 at 23738 Fairview Road, Philip, SD 57567.

Black beef cattle at a feedbunk at an SDSU research facility.
Jun 23

Environmental Training for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)

SDSU Extension will host an environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on June 23 at the Crossroads Convention Center (100 Fourth St. S.W., Huron, SD 57350).

Research plots at the SDSU West River Research Farm.
Sep 09

West River Research Farm Field Day

Attend the West River Research Farm field day on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. MT at the SDSU West River Research Farm near Sturgis, South Dakota (13370 Alkali Road, Sturgis, SD 57785).

Aerial view of the SDSU Southeast Research Farm.
Sep 10

Southeast Research Farm Fall Field Day

SDSU Extension, the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at SDSU and the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation will host the Southeast Research Farm fall field day on Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT.

Related Topics

Dairy Cattle, Goats, Horse, Poultry, Rabbit, Swine, Animal Welfare, Quality Assurance, Animal Health, Pasture, Range, Barns, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, Beef Feedlot and Backgrounding, Beef Herd Health and Quality Assurance, Beef Industry and General Management, Beef Marketing and Economics, Beef Nutrition, Beef Reproduction and Genetics

Related Content

Group of SDSU Dairy Club members serving “all you can drink milk” at an event.

National Dairy Month

Each June, National Diary Month celebrates the hard work of dairy farmers and the agricultural community, and it's an important time to highlight the many nutritional benefits associated with consuming dairy products

Two young producers inspecting a herd of cattle in early spring pasture.
Jun 19

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training @ Sioux Falls

A Beef Quality Assurance training will be held on June 19 from 2:30-4:45 p.m. for anyone involved in raising or handling cattle.

Small group of cattle at the SDSU Cow-Calf Education and Research Facility.

Basis for Lighter-Weight Feeder Cattle

With higher overall price levels, the price differences across cattle of different weights have also increased. As a result, producers may want to revisit some pricing rules reflected in price slides and in basis levels for lighter-weight feeder cattle.