Search
SDSU Extension welcomes new swine specialist
March 11, 2025
South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Rafe Royall as a new assistant professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist.
SDSU Extension hosting 2025 Swine Summit for youth
March 18, 2025
South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to host the 2025 South Dakota Swine Summit on June 12, 2025, on the SDSU campus in Brookings.
Pre-weaning Pneumonia in South Dakota Beef Herd: A Persistent Problem, Suddenly Gone
This case report describes a southeastern South Dakota cow-calf herd’s experiences with pre-weaning pneumonia. Unlike many beef herds that experience pneumonia in calves on pasture, this herd’s problems were consistent year after year: widespread calf illness was documented in each of 6 consecutive summers. Anecdotally at least, the occurrence of pre-weaning pneumonia in beef herds is more likely to be sporadic and unpredictable from year to year. This herd’s persistent problems were followed by a year in which, after a change in calf vaccination protocol (informed by herd diagnostics), very little pre-weaning pneumonia was observed.
Maintaining Cow Herds in Times of Limited Fall and Winter Moisture
Lack of moisture has been a common theme for a majority of beef cattle producers in the Northen Great Plains the last few years. These conditions cause beef producers to stretch grazing resources and feed inventory reserves.
Bangs Vaccine and Talking to Your Veterinarian
As spring arrives, many cattlemen have selected their replacement heifers for breeding and should be considering pre-breeding and brucellosis vaccination in their replacement females as soon as possible to set them up for a successful breeding season.
Conserving Soil Moisture During Dry Conditions
Dry conditions can create difficulties for agricultural producers. Using soil health principles can improve the resilience of agricultural systems to dry conditions.
Increasing Adaptability With Alternative Grazing Strategies
The greatest sum in most cattle budgets is simply keeping cows fed. Whether grazing cropland or grassland, there are countless opportunities to improve your operation's bottom line through alternative grazing strategies.
Spring Pasture Report: Dry Soil Conditions Threaten 2025 Grazing Season
As the grazing season inches closer, dry conditions have become very apparent, and producers should take time to assess resources and regularly monitor soil moisture and weather outlooks.
Breeding and Marketing Strategies
The debate as to when or if the U.S. beef cattle herd will begin rebuilding this year is yet to be determined. While cattlemen operate record low cattle inventory numbers, the decision to retain females will be unique to each operation.
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.