Livestock

All Livestock Content

A group of black heifer calves in a feedlot.
Apr 16

Estrous Synchronization with Natural Service Cattle HQ Live

Join SDSU Extension's beef team to gain valuable insights to improve the health, productivity and profitability of your herd. This month we will cover how estrous synchronization can be an effective and cost-efficient tool to be used with bulls.

Cow with newborn calf in late-winter pasture.

Preparing for the Calving Season

Calving season is a busy time of year as beef producers prepare themselves for less sleep each night, while spending more time observing cows close to calving. So, what can we do to make calving season less stressful for everyone involved?

Three generations of a family farm gathered in a barn.

Three Parts to a Farm Plan: And you need all three

Farmers and ranchers need to create three plans to efficiently transfer the management and ownership of their operations to the next generation. These include: an estate plan, a transition plan, and a retirement plan.

Black angus cow with calf in a well-kept cattle pen.

SDSU Extension to host cow/calf calving camp

December 11, 2025

South Dakota State University Extension is hosting interactive Cow/Calf Calving Camps for cattle producers.

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.