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Barns

All Barns Content

Newborn lamb feeding under a heat lamp.

Electrical Safety in the Barn

From heat lamps to extension cords, learn some important fire safety considerations when electricity is used to warm up your barn during lambing and kidding season.

Red angus cattle gathered in a feedlot in winter.

Livestock

South Dakota is home to a dynamic livestock industry.

small grain hopper next to a shed

Facilities

It’s always nice to learn what others have done before investing in new facilities or updating existing facilities for your farm or ranch.

Wind damage on a pole barn's exterior.

Wind Damage to Pole Barns: Things To Know

Windstorms can cause significant damage to agricultural structures, including post-frame buildings, also known as pole barns. Learn some expert tips for protecting, inspecting and repairing these structures in the aftermath of a storm.

A closeup shot of a sheep's eye.

Small Ruminant Abortions: Cleanup and facility considerations

Sheep and goat producers in the upper Midwest rely on annual lamb or kid crops to maintain economic viability. Reduction in the lamb or kid crop due to abortion (premature birth) and stillbirths are a common occurrence on many farms. Some of these problems have implications for human health as well as animal health.

A mother sheep cleaning its newborn lamb in a pen.

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.

A downed rural power line following an ice storm.

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.

A red and white holstein calf, looking through the fence from its calf hutch on a sunny, summer day.

Understanding and Mitigating Heat Stress in Young Dairy Animals

We often don’t focus as much on heat stress in young dairy calves and tend to focus more on cold stress. However, it is just as important and producers or calf raisers should have a plan in place to help mitigate heat stress in these animals also.

Dairy cattle in a feeding facility

Diminishing Personal Injury on Dairy Farms

Within the dairy industry there is a high percentage of contact time between animals and human beings on a daily basis.

Holstein Dairy Calves lying in fresh straw, wearing calf blankets to help keep warm.

Keeping Pre-weaned Dairy Calves Healthy and Growing in Cold Weather

Cold stress can result in calves turning to stored body fat to generate body heat, essentially losing weight. In addition, calves experiencing cold stress will have compromised immune systems making them more susceptible to disease.