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Icebreakers: Winter Water Supply
Cold weather creates a challenge for producers who house their herds in areas where there are limited water resources and available natural water sources may be frozen over.
2018 Annual Climate Summary
In 2018, South Dakota saw the typical weather extremes of all kinds. New Year’s Day 2018 started out with record cold temperatures and wind chills; the year ended with a blizzard on December 31, with a lot of extremes in between.
Economic Considerations for Early Weaning
There is an excellent reason why ranchers use early weaning as a drought management tool: Weaning calves early reduces the amount of feed required to maintain the cow.
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Precision Agriculture
Fact sheet on cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Precision Agriculture
Dairy Calf Respiratory Disease: Treatment in the Aftermath of Cold Weather
Cold weather is not just hard on the people taking care of animals, it can be tough on the animals themselves. Consider respiratory disease (pneumonia) in dairy calves.
Bookwork, The Missing Management Component: Farm Income Determination
Many ag producers do not like bookwork. Many times this job gets pushed to the side, until a bill is due or taxes need to be filed. It is also fair to say it is a missing component to the management of most operations. A missing component that could lead to the collapse of the operation.
Liver Abscesses: The Unseen Profit Thief
Liver abscesses are a great example of an important value robber in feedlot cattle that’s not immediately apparent.
Managing and Protecting Grasslands for the Future
Grasslands are a valuable resource for South Dakota, and many of our core industries rely on the perpetuation of healthy grasslands for agriculture, recreation and tourism. Regardless of goals and objectives, many grassland landowners desire assistance with short and long-term grassland management goals.
Late Gestation Planning Prior to Calving
For most, weaning is in the books and pregnancy detection is complete or soon to be underway. Now is the time to pay attention to those pregnant cows out on crop residue or grass.
Summer Maintenance in Outside Yards
Spring mud and poor drainage are two of the biggest production drags associated with feeding cattle outside. Summer months represent an opportunity to address and correct any problems that might be present in open lots.