Livestock
All Livestock Content
Fetal Programming of Carcass Characteristics
Fetal programming effects on carcass traits as well as offspring growth are currently a large focus area in beef research.
Using Feed Testing to Control Variation
By now all the summer and fall’s work of getting forage harvested has wrapped up. Now comes the task of converting all of that work into animal protein (at a profit)!
Swath Grazing: Extending the Grazing Season
One proposed way to cut fall/winter feeding costs is to extend the grazing season and allow the livestock to harvest the resource instead of relying on mechanical harvest.
Resources and Options When Feed is Short
SDSU Extension offers resources to help producers find and evaluate feedstuffs to help meet their livestock’s needs.
Ditch Hay: Harvesting, Quality, and Feeding
Using ditch hay to feed cattle is a common practice across the U.S. It provides livestock producers with a source of readily available forage, which can be very useful, particularly during feed shortages.
Ergot in Western Wheatgrass and the Potential Effects for Winter Grazing
2019 has been a year fraught with challenges for ranchers across South Dakota. Abundant precipitation is usually a blessing, however, wet conditions coupled with a cool spring followed by warmer temperatures has caused another problem across the rangelands of South Dakota: ergot poisoning.
New Technology for an Old Problem
One of the last projects I was involved with as coordinator for the Lower James River Watershed Project was the installation of a deep pit monoslope barn for a feedlot operation near Alexandria, SD. A deep pit confinement barn is a manure storage system that employs slatted flooring with pit manure storage underneath.
Trees for Abandoned Feedlots
Finding trees to plant over former feedlots or surrounding existing ones is not an easy task.
Foot Problems in the Feedlot
While we usually think of foot problems in feedlot calves occurring in conjunction with warm, muddy conditions, wintertime also brings a certain set of conditions that can create lameness in these animals.
Weaning Calves on Cover Crops
What do we do if it is time to wean calves, but the pen isn’t ready? That can be a real concern during wet fall seasons, such as 2019. Putting calves into muddy pen conditions is far from desirable, but holding calves on the cows deep into fall increases the risk of adverse winter weather and tends to pull body condition off the cows.