Livestock

All Livestock Content

Producers cutting meat with a band saw.

Butcher's Guide to Red Meat

The purpose of this guide is to serve as an educational resource to help bridge the knowledge gap between livestock producers, meat processors, and consumers to aid in furthering processor education and to serve as a resource to reference when answering consumer questions.

Producer unloading fresh, farm-grown produce from a delivery truck at a super market.

Regulatory Guidance for Selling Foods in South Dakota

Now more than ever, we are seeing food processors and entrepreneurs in South Dakota bringing their food products, not only to farmers markets, but also to retail stores. This article provides regulatory guidance and outlines the necessary steps required to allow for the sale of foods to retail stores.

Two cows graze in a green pasture

SDSU Extension hosts risk management webinar series

March 20, 2026

South Dakota State University Extension is hosting a series of free Strong Minds, Strong Farms webinars for anyone involved in agriculture.

Field with field peas and blue sky with fluffy white clouds

Weed Control: Pulse Crops

Weed competition can cause significant yield reduction in pulse crops. Pulse crops are weak competitors with weeds, therefore planning an effective weed control program is one of the keys to profitable production.

Two young women observing a group of sheep in a holding pen.

Managing Sheep Keds

Sheep keds (Melophagus ovinus) are blood-sucking external parasites that can significantly impact sheep production.

Cattle HQ

SDSU Extension's beef team provides valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd through the Cattle HQ podcast and monthly webinars.

grass with field bindweed, a viny green weed with white flowers

Weed Control: Noxious Weeds

Weed control recommendations for noxious weeds in South Dakota.

Group of meat processing trainees inspecting parts of a beef carcass.

Testing for E. coli in Raw Meat Products: Basic information for meat processors

While the risk of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) should be taken seriously, the incidence of positive STEC tests can be mitigated by proper animal, carcass, and product handling, as well as robust sanitation policies and practices.

Russ Daly, Professor and SDSU Extension Veterinarian, examining young beef cattle in a pen with two students.

Health Considerations for Beef Heifers Transitioning to the Breeding Herd

The length and success of a heifer’s breeding career depends on preventing and managing their health challenges – starting well before they’re even identified as breeding herd candidates.

small group of dairy cattle grazing in a pasture near a red monoslope barn

Dairy

As a member of the I-29 Moo University Collaboration, SDSU Extension connects South Dakota’s producers with peers and industry experts across a five-state region.