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How Important Is Water Quality to Livestock?
Water is the most important nutrient to all livestock animals and is sometimes overlooked. Poor quality water can have a negative effect on growth, reproduction, and general productivity of the animal.
How Do Sulfates in Water Affect Livestock Health?
Poor-quality water will cause an animal to drink less. As a result, they also consume less forage and feed, which leads to weight loss, decreased milk production and lower fertility.
You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping
Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.
Feed & Water Testing Laboratories
A partial listing of available feed testing laboratories.
Qualifying Livestock Forage Program Applications
As drought conditions worsen, livestock producers will find feed assistance from the Livestock Forage Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Learn how to qualify, apply and certify your application for assistance.
Forage Resources for South Dakota Farmers and Ranchers
Producers often have difficulties locating fellow producers to buy, sell or rent forages and grazing acres too. South Dakota now has two widely recognized, free resources to aid in these connections.
Drought Assistance Questions Answered
Dry conditions persist across the state, and many new questions are being asked regarding the federal assistance programs available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.
Drought Assistance From USDA: CRP Haying and Grazing
As this year’s drought intensifies, folks are quickly running short of forage. Due to the D2 Drought Monitor classification, most South Dakota counties qualify for Conservation Reserve Program haying and grazing for emergency and non-emergency use.
Be Careful Grazing the Green this Fall
With fall grazing on the horizon, nearly all of South Dakota is still experiencing drought conditions. Regardless of where your ranch is located, a rancher must be very careful when grazing the fall green-up of cool-season grasses.
Range Roundup: Precision Technology to Measure Cattle Methane Emissions and Intake on Western S.D. Rangelands
In a recent research project, our precision livestock team deployed technology to measure individual cattle methane emissions and feed intake by disappearance. Learn how this data can be used to help improve day-to-day management decisions on the ranch.