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Winter Preparedness on the Dairy Farm
Weather this time of year can change in a hurry. So how many of you as dairy producers have heeded the warning and taken the time to prepare for the upcoming winter?
Power Outages and Your Cold Foods
South Dakota is no stranger to power outages and power surges from weather events. Learn some key actions to take before, during and after power outages to keep your cold foods safe.
Newborn Lamb Care Management
Proper newborn lamb care is a critical component of flock profitability. In the U.S. lamb mortality from all causes is approximately 20% with more than 80% of those losses occurring in the first two-weeks following lambing.
New Technology for an Old Problem
One of the last projects I was involved with as coordinator for the Lower James River Watershed Project was the installation of a deep pit monoslope barn for a feedlot operation near Alexandria, SD. A deep pit confinement barn is a manure storage system that employs slatted flooring with pit manure storage underneath.
The Challenges of Farming and Ranching: Identifying the signs of depression
When weather conditions impact farming and ranching, producers can experience large amounts of stress. A normal amount of stress can be productive; however, abnormal amounts of stress can be harmful both physically and emotionally. With the drought that is currently impacting producers, it is important to understand the signs and symptoms of depression.
Caring for Animals When the Power Goes Out
Power outages bring with them a different set of circumstances to every animal operation. Questions about animal care and animal health products in the midst of electricity loss should be directed to your veterinarian.
Cold Weather Management Options
Winter weather conditions impact cattle as well as the cattle producers. Cold temperatures combined with wind creates more stress and increased management to achieve similar animal performance.
How Does Cold Stress Affect the Energy Needs of Cattle?
Most beef producers understand that when the weather gets colder their cattle need more energy for maintenance. The questions are when do cattle start experiencing cold stress and then how much more energy do they need? Both the actual temperature and the wind speed interact to determine the effective temperature.
Nitrates and Livestock Water Quality
Nitrate poisoning is something we think about with forages such as millet, oats, corn, sorghum, sudan, kochia and others that have been fertilized or if there is a drought, but water can also be a contributing factor.
Blue-Green Algae and Livestock
With warmer temperatures, the conditions are right for blue-green algae blooms. Different species of blue-green algae contain various toxins, which can poison livestock, resulting in rapid death.