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Early Weaning as a Drought Management Strategy
Successfully managing drought conditions requires balancing the amount of forage demanded by grazing livestock with the amount produced.
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.
Noxious Weed Control in Pasture and Range
Noxious weed control in pastures is becoming more of a challenge. Most ground commercial spray businesses are no longer spraying pastures. If they are, there may be restrictions on the time they will spray, what products they will spray, or they may only spray if they also have all of the rest of your spraying business.
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.
Move the Cows or Move the Feed
This calculator is designed to aid producers making the decision to buy feedstuffs and haul the feed to the operation, or to haul the cattle to the feedstuffs.
Feed Nutrient Comparison Calculator
This comparison calculator is designed to assist producers with supplemental feed purchasing decisions for their operation.
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.
2017 Weed Control: Pasture and Range
There are 24 million acres of native and tame pasture and range as well as 1.4 million acres of grass hayland in South Dakota.
June 2019 Climate Outlook for South Dakota
As South Dakota emerges from the wettest 12-month period in 124 years of climate recordkeeping (June 2018-May 2019), June has started warmer and drier than average. The outlook, however, turns towards cooler and wetter than average again for the middle of the month.
Buying or Selling Oats for a Cover Crop? Be Sure to Follow the Rules
As a challenging 2019 row crop planting season wraps up in South Dakota, many producers are looking to plant cover crops on unplanted acres. One popular cool-season grass cover crop is oats. Most oats in South Dakota are grown as certified varieties, and it is important to be aware of the legal ramifications behind purchasing oat seed for use as a cover crop.