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Determining Hay Prices
Before pricing forages, producers will want to have a good understanding about the cost of growing a ton of hay, alfalfa or straw.
Haying With Wildlife in Mind
Anyone who has spent time cutting hay knows that hayland can be a magnet for wildlife in late spring and early summer. Hay fields are often considered an “ecological trap” for wildlife; that is, they appear to be high quality habitat for nesting or feeding due to tall, dense grass and legumes, but often lead to increased mortality once harvesting is under way.
Field Pea Variety Trial Results
In 2023, field pea trials were planted at different locations in South Dakota.
SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Camp Policies and Procedures
Throughout the manual, various policies indicate that they are in addition to the policies and procedures in place at the camping facilities. As a renter of camping facilities, SDSU Extension and South Dakota 4-H will follow all policies and procedures outlined at the facilities rented and employ any additional policies as needed.
High-Quality Silage Making & Safe Practices: Both are necessities
Throughout the forage growing season many producers are putting up silage piles. To this point they have been predominately forages such as haylage or small grain silage; however, we will soon be moving into corn silage cutting season.
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.
Distillers’ Grains and Rumen Papillae Growth
Distillers grains are without a doubt one of the most versatile ruminant feedstuffs. Aside from their high concentration of sought-after nutrients (i.e. protein, energy, phosphorus), their impact on the digestibility of other feeds is minimal. In fact, by not interfering with the digestion particularly of structural carbohydrates, they allow for more energy to be obtained from forages.
Ditch Hay: Harvesting, Quality, and Feeding
Using ditch hay to feed cattle is a common practice across the U.S. It provides livestock producers with a source of readily available forage, which can be very useful, particularly during feed shortages.
Storing Wet and Modified Distillers Grains
One of the primary challenges for livestock producers in the coming months could very well be feedstuff cost and availability due to the fact that the corn planted acreage and crop progress are both well behind normal benchmarks. One opportunity that might help cattle feeders proactively secure feed supplies would be storing wet or modified distiller’s grains now to be fed at a later date.
Solubles Syrup from Microbially-Enhanced Soy Protein Processing: A potential protein supplement
The South Dakota State University (SDSU) Dairy and Food Science department recently conducted some initial preliminary research on feeding dairy heifers soluble syrup residues resulting from a microbial (fungal) treatment process of soybean meal.