Farm Management

All Farm Management Content

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

SDSU Extension and South Dakota Mesonet team up to release the Livestock Stress Tool

November 18, 2021

Weather conditions in the Northern Plains can present many challenges for livestock producers. Farmers and ranchers need to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions to provide the best care for their livestock and minimize their risk of losses.

Rows of corn growing inside a research facility.

Consumer Demand for Genome-Edited Crops: Implications for Farmers’ Adoption Decisions

Genome-editing is a breakthrough technology for crop improvement that makes site-specific modifications in the genomes of cells and organisms.

Newborn black angus calf with mother cow.

Impact of Reproductive Technologies on Herd Success Set for Nov. 23

November 03, 2021

South Dakota State University Extension will host a reproductive technology program for beef cow/calf producers on Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. CDT at the Watertown Regional Extension Center.

Several red angus cattle feeding at a feed bunk.

SDSU, UMN Extension to Host Interstate Cattle Feeders Day

October 26, 2021

Cattle feeders from South Dakota, Minnesota and northwest Iowa are invited to attend an Interstate Cattle Feeders Day Dec. 7 at the Holiday Inn Express Event Center in Brandon, South Dakota.

a young, red-colored calf at pasture

Fall Calving Cows: Management and Breeding Decisions

As producers with spring calving herds are completing weaning and moving cows to winter range, fall calving herds are gearing up for the next breeding season.

image of a video screen of cattle in a pen

Calving Barn Video Technology: Keeping Cattlemen Warm During Calving Season

Labor is one of the most valuable resources on the ranch, and producers often try to utilize their time wisely to decrease hours spent on a project. Producers can potentially decease time spent in certain areas of the ranch with the use of modern video technology thus allowing them to multitask.

group of cattle resting in spring pasture. Courtesy: Krista Lundgren/USFWS

Parasite Control for Cow Calf Operations

Spring is coming and with calving season underway it is important to keep our eyes forward on to the next step in production.

black angus cow with green tag on ear

Getting Replacement Heifers Ready to Breed

Producers should take some time to evaluate replacement heifers’ health, nutrition and reproductive status to ensure high-quality females entering the cow herd.

Two beef heifers standing in a pasture. One is red, the other black and white.

Setting Up Replacement Heifers for Breeding with CIDR Protocols

Replacement heifers are the most common group of females on the ranch to be artificially inseminated. An option available for heifer (and cow) synchronization is use of a CIDR (Controlled Internal Drug Release).

A young man analyzing the results of a pregnancy check on an electronic device.

Checking for Success: The Value of Pregnancy Checking the Cow Herd

Successfully managing drought conditions not only requires careful monitoring of pastures and inventory of feedstuffs, but management should also take into account the productive cow herd size.