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Brown Swiss Dairy Calf, lays outside calf hutch in straw bedding with blue calf coat on, sunning itself in the winter sunshine.

Winter Preparedness on the Dairy Farm

Weather this time of year can change in a hurry. So how many of you as dairy producers have heeded the warning and taken the time to prepare for the upcoming winter?

Color-coded map of South Dakota and other Midwestern states. Colors indicate a higher risk of unplanted areas in Eastern and Northeastern South Dakota.

Stretching Corn Silage Supplies

During the 2002 drought there was a need to stretch corn silage supplies as a result of the drought that affected the U.S. Now we deal with the opposite scenario, where excessive spring rains have not allowed farmers to get to the fields. In both situations livestock producers face challenges.

Dairy cattle on a dairy farm.

Heat Stress in Dairy Cows: Is Genetic Selection a Solution?

The summer season is just around the corner, and the knowledge and understanding of the effects of heat stress on cow production and how to mitigate these effects are important for dairy operations.

Black steer at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station outfitted with a virtual fence collar (black strap and grey box) from the company Vence™.

Virtual Fencing: Emerging Companies, Functionality and Benefits

Research conducted in the past few years has shown promising results for virtual fencing to be a viable option in many scenarios.

A person holds a sheep to their chest and uses shears to shear the sheep's wool off it's stomach

SDSU Extension to host Sheep Shearing School

September 03, 2024

Professional sheep shearers will provide hands-on training in safe animal handling, maintenance equipment and repair, wool quality and how to manage a sheep shearing business.

A horizontal bed biofilter diagram. Contact SDSU Extension for more information.

Horizontal Bed Biofilter Construction: Lessons learned at the SDSU gestation unit

This article outlines the design considerations, experiences and cost to construct a horizontal bed biofilter for a pit fan on the new South Dakota State University Swine Education and Research Facility gestation room.

A group of black heifer calves in a feedlot.

Choosing the Right Custom Feeding Partner

Custom cattle feeding can be a “win-win” strategy when done correctly. Feeding someone else’s cattle provides a method to market feedstuffs without tying up the capital required to own the livestock.

Pig being shown at county fair

SDSU Extension hosts swine transporter, producer training during 2023 Pork Congress

January 09, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension will help swine producers, transporters and handlers update their Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus and Transportation Quality Assurance (TQA) training at the South Dakota Pork Producers Congress in Sioux Falls on Jan. 11, 2023.

Artificial Insemination school attendee working with a liquid nitrogen filled semen tank.

Artificial Insemination (AI) Checklist

A checklist to prepare for artificial insemination for cattle.

Cottonwood Creek on the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station.

Ranching and Prairie Streams: Why Riparian Areas Matter

For many producers, riparian pastures are essential to their operations. However, land managers need to balance grazing and utilization needs with riparian health for the long-term benefit of their operation.