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Livestock

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

South Dakota State University on-site wean-to-finish barn.
Apr 01

SowBridge Webinar: Managing large litters

Join swine industry experts from around the nation for a webinar about strategies to effectively manage increasing litter size on April 1 beginning at 11:15 a.m. CDT.

Small group of black cattle grazing a grassland area.
Mar 19

Tools for Managing Cattle Nutrition and Preparing for the Grazing Season Cattle HQ Live

Join SDSU Extension's beef team to gain valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd. This month we will discuss online tools to help with managing cattle nutrition and preparing for the grazing season.

A group of black heifer calves in a feedlot.
Apr 16

Estrous Synchronization with Natural Service Cattle HQ Live

Join SDSU Extension's beef team to gain valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd. This month we will cover how estrous synchronization can be an effective and cost-efficient tool to be used with bulls.

Cattle outfitted with virtual fence collars on an open rangeland.
May 21

Virtual Fencing Cattle HQ Live

Join SDSU Extension's beef team to gain valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd. This month, we will discuss current virtual fence systems on the market, considerations for producers interested in utilizing this technology, and current research being conducted at SDSU with virtual fence.