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A male and femail dung beetle rolling a ball of dung in a pasture. Courtesy: Beverly Skinner/USFWS (CC BY 2.0)

Managing Livestock for Dung Beetles and Other Beneficial Species

South Dakota researchers have taken a closer look at the function of dung beetles in Eastern South Dakota over the last few years. This article summarizes findings related to management of livestock grazing and chemical pesticides in relation to dung beetle and insect community health.

NOAA climate map with preciptation outlook as of July 12, 2020. Most of South Dakota is predicted to have average to above average precipitation.

Late Summer 2020 Climate Outlook

Drought concerns in South Dakota may be relieved later this summer, according to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal outlook released this week.

A color-coded precipitation probability map of the United States. The majority of South Dakota is predicted to have wetter than average precipitation, with the highest likelihood being in the southwest corner of the state. For a complete description, call SDSU Extension at 605-688-6729.

May 2020 Climate Outlook

On April 16, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released their climate outlook for May and the coming three-month period of May through July. There is a lot of uncertainty in the temperature outlook for the next one-to-three months in the Northern Plains Region.

a red shed with grain stored inside

Managing Through Feed Supply Disruptions

August 10, 2020

One of the latest issues to result from the COVID-19 pandemic is the changes in the distillers grain marketplace.

A small herd of cattle grazing on green pasture.

Protein Supplementation Options With Grazing Cattle

COVID-19 and the energy economy has had a dramatic negative impact on the ethanol industry, resulting in limited availability of corn distiller’s grains. This has changed availability and pricing of protein feeds.

An aerial view of a series of swine finishing facilities.

Methods to Slow Finishing Pig Growth

In abnormal situations, like with the packing plant closure we’re currently dealing with, pork producers may need to “hold” their pigs past normal marketing dates in order for other processing options to open up. We can accomplish that in two ways: altering internal barn environment and changing diets.

Two blue feed buckets filled with distillers grains.

Evaluating Feedstuffs on Nutrient Cost-Comparison Basis

Feed costs in dairy diets typically make up half or more of the input expenses of a ration. Thus, it is imperative to keep a handle on input costs by comparing ingredients on an apples-to-apples basis when looking for cost-effective diet solutions.

Group of weanling pigs inside a wean-to-finish facility.

Tribasic Copper Chloride Source Shows Promise in Weanling Pig Performance

One of the many challenges in swine production is getting newly weaned pigs off to a good start. Research has found that tribasic copper chloride supplemented into nursery pig diets can be effective at improving growth performance and intestinal health of weanling pigs.

Single red and white cow standing in harvested cornstalks.

Grain Overloads: A Possible Consequence of Cornstalk Grazing

Corn residues are a great source of winter feed, but in certain situations, cattle producers should be aware of the possibility of grain overloads, which can impact herd health.

A stock pond with algae blooms developing throughout.

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.