Livestock

All Livestock Content

Group of farm employees and managers gathered at a table.

Building and Retaining a Skilled Agricultural Workforce: Challenges and Strategies

Building a strong, motivated workforce is essential to the future of agriculture. A team from SDSU Extension is exploring the challenges and opportunities facing our agricultural community.

Bison grazing rangeland.

Decoding Bison: Refining the Bison Body Condition Score

Body condition scoring is an effective management tool as it allows managers to safely assess the health of their mature animals quickly and non-invasively.

A green cut alfalfa field dries as the sun sets.

Forage Inventory and Demand Calculator

Calculator for inventorying livestock and forage on hand to determine additional forage purchase needs, or livestock sales.

stack of coins with faded chart lines showing in the foreground

Move the Cows or Move the Feed

This calculator is designed to aid producers making the decision to buy feedstuffs and haul the feed to the operation, or to haul the cattle to the feedstuffs.

a herd of brown and black cows in a field of green grass

Feed Nutrient Comparison Calculator

This comparison calculator is designed to assist producers with supplemental feed purchasing decisions for their operation.

Group of black cattle at a feed bunk.

Beef Cattle Budgets

What does it cost to maintain a cow for the year? This is a common question asked by producers across the nation.

Cattle grazing in a rangeland area. Three magnifying images show close-up photos of native pollinators visiting forbs growing in the same area.

Rangeland Wildflowers: Their Value to Livestock and Pollinators

Native wildflowers and shrubs are critical to providing a wide array of services that increase the resiliency of rangelands, provide pollinator habitat, and contribute to livestock nutrition.

Pigs in a feeding facility

SDSU Extension invites operators to CAFO environmental training

November 14, 2025

There will be an environmental training session for operators of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on Dec. 3, 2025, at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron.

A red sprayer in a green field with a cloudy sky in the background.

Commercial Applicator Training for Pesticides

Those who apply pesticides for hire or as a government employee that applies pesticides while performing work duties, must have a commercial applicator license.

Two ranchers participating in beef quality assurance training at a cattle facility.

Certified South Dakota BQA Trainers

Certified South Dakota BQA Trainers may assist producers with completing voluntary on-farm assessments. View a list of certified trainers throughout the state to get started today!