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Livestock

All Livestock Content

cows and calves separated by a fence

Low-Stress Weaning

Low-stress weaning methods, such as fenceline weaning and two-step weaning, can reduce calf stress and potentially improve health and performance.

stack of coins with faded chart lines showing in the foreground

SDSU Extension Silage/Earlage Calculator

The Silage/Earlage Calculator is designed to help corn and livestock producers answer questions regarding the value of standing fields of corn either as grain, silage and earlage.

Beef cattle grazing summer pasture.

Summer Pasture Report: Discussing Rain, Pasture Recovery, and Preparing for Fall

Drought conditions across northern South Dakota have seen some relief due to the precipitation received in the past few months. Despite some decent rainfall occurring, most of the state is still behind normal for the water year.

A cattle trailer.

Livestock Emergency Response Planning (LERP)

The scene of an accident is not the place to build your team!

Left: Small group of cattle in a bud box pen. Right: Cattle gathered in a round tub structure.

Bud Box vs. Round Tub Systems

Cattle working systems have evolved, giving producers more options than ever before. Two of the most popular designs today are the bud box and the round tub.

Cattle lined up along a feed bunk as a truck loads feed.

How Protein Source Affects Protein Metabolism in Ruminants

While it is common to balance beef cattle diets based on the crude protein system, it does not paint an accurate picture of what is occurring inside the animal, leading to gaps in nutrition and economic losses.

Digital padlock over a circuit board, representing data encryption.

Protecting Your Data: The Role of Authentication and Encryption in Agricultural Cybersecurity

Precision agriculture emphasizes using data to make smarter farming decisions. In the digital world, authentication and encryption are two prevalent ways to keep farm data secure, accurate, and trustworthy.

Landowner viewing information on a laptop computer in a farm office.

South Dakota Ag Land Income Tracker

The South Dakota Ag Land Income Tracker is designed to estimate and display changes to the annual revenue per acre derived from standard agricultural practices on an average, unimproved cropland acre in South Dakota counties.

A logo of a cow with a calf over the words Sweetheart Ranch

SDSU Extension hosting hands-on soil health workshop at Iona ranch

June 18, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is hosting an educational soil health workshop for women and couples involved in agriculture at the Sweetheart Ranch near Iona.

Producers working cattle in a holding pen.

What Cattle Working Facilities Are the Best?

Research is continually being conducted to better understand cattle behaviors and develop working facilities that work with them. Learn some basic aspects of working facilities so you can design a system that best fits your operation.