Beef Feedlot and Backgrounding

All Beef Feedlot and Backgrounding Content

Sydney Vanderhoff stands in front of a building. Her long hair is down and she is wearing a black polo and blue jeans

SDSU Extension welcomes new Beef Nutrition Field Specialist to Mitchell office

September 08, 2023

South Dakota State University Extension is pleased to welcome Sydney Vanderhoff as a new Beef Nutrition Field Specialist.

A group of mixed cattle in a feedlot.

Adding Value to Corn Through Cattle

What is the “best” way to evaluate profitability of an enterprise, more specifically feeding cattle?

rancher observing cattle at a feedbunk

Feed Bunk Management

A successful slick bunk feeding program matches dry matter intake (DMI) to the cattle’s appetite as closely as possible and keeps DMI consistent from day-to-day.

A group of white cattle standing in a feedlot.

Feeding Value of Light Test Weight Corn

Whether due to planting delays, a cooler growing season, or an unexpectedly early frost, stress factors sometimes result in crops that do not meet standard test weight requirements. So how does reduced test weight affect the feeding value of corn and cattle performance?

A loader depositing soil into a trailer being pulled behind a tractor.

Summer Maintenance in Outside Yards

Spring mud and poor drainage are two of the biggest production drags associated with feeding cattle outside. Summer months represent an opportunity to address and correct any problems that might be present in open lots.

Rancher cleaning a cow's hear before applying an implant.

Getting Implant Application Correct

How would you like to make a few thousand dollars per hour? When cattle backgrounders and feeders use growth promoting implants correctly, those returns are not a pipe dream. The key is administering the implant correctly.

Group of beef calves in a pen.

Managing Earlier Weaned Calves

Weaning calves at an earlier-than-normal age is a proven strategy to reduce grass demands by 25% or more during drought conditions. Learn some key management considerations for getting started.

Producer analyzing and grading a cow.

Live Weight vs. Carcass Weight: Effect on Cost of Gain and Margin

More cattle each year are marketed using carcass weight to determine value, sometimes combined with grid premiums and discounts. Can we use the same assumptions for growth and cost of gain when marketing methods differ?

Group of black cattle at a feed bunk.

Comparing Soybean Meal to Distillers Grains for Finishing Cattle

Do different protein sources lead to significant performance differences in finishing cattle? The results of a recent experiment at the SDSU Southeast Research Farm offer cattle feeders some encouraging findings.

Several red angus cattle feeding at a feed bunk.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations training June 28 in Huron

June 08, 2023

There is an environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on June 28, 2023, at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron, South Dakota.