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Managing Cow/Calf Pairs With Excess Spring Moisture
Flooding, blizzard conditions and excess snow can wreak havoc on livestock producers. While there is little one can do to stop the melting snow and rising waters, we can try to manage around the water by preparing alternative livestock and feeding areas.
Sheep Breeds
Everyone has heard the fairytale “Baa Baa Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?” but what about the double-coated California Red, the multi-colored Katahdin sheep with hair, or the East Friesian dairy ewe that produces over 1,100 pounds of milk a year? Sheep come in different shapes, sizes, and colors and all of them provide different functions and uses for producers. These can range from meat, wool, and milk production or a combination of characteristics.
National Sheep Improvement Program: Performance-based data you can rely on
Sheep producers continually look for opportunities to improve their flocks through the introduction of genetic traits that will contribute to both improve the performance and physical appearance of the offspring. For hundreds of years, producers used the phenotype or physical appearance traits to select replacement stock, followed by performance trials and wool testing to quantitatively define the traits a specific animal may possess.
Cover Crops & Livestock Integration: A Profit Opportunity for S.D. Farms
Cover crops have been gaining a reemerging acceptance over the last decade, with very few producers disagreeing about the potential soil health benefits of adding cover crops to their farming operation.
Ergot: A Potential Livestock Poisoning Problem
Cool, damp weather followed by warmer temperatures favors grasses becoming infected with ergot bodies, which can cause a certain kind of poisoning that can affect cattle on pasture.
Sweet Clover Poisoning
Hay that contains sweet clover can be an excellent feed as long as the dicoumarol level is known and feeding management is used to prevent poisoning.
Feeding Damaged Wheat to Cattle
Feeding damaged wheat to livestock is one way to salvage value from the crop. Wheat can work well in cattle diets with some limitations.
Food Safety: During & After Flooding
In the event of flooding, having a plan in place for food safety is beneficial. Knowing how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help reduce the potential for food waste and reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Here are some tips to keeping your food safe.
Where to Find Weather and River Forecasts
Weather and flooding concerns can develop and change rapidly. There are some excellent resources for real-time information for weather forecasts and river flooding that can be accessed online.
Floodwater: Road Crossing Hazards
During flooding, and when driving in the countryside we oftentimes encounter a creek or stream running on top of the road. Be aware that a course of water running over the road can turn into a very dangerous, even life-threatening situation if you attempt to cross it with your vehicle.