Beef Industry and General Management

All Beef Industry and General Management Content

An orange plastic hoop placed around a portion of tall grass on a range to provide a measurement.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Range Record Keeping

Range record keeping helps detect and demonstrate landscape changes that have a direct impact on your ability to maintain or grow your herd.

herd of beef cattle grazing in a pasture

Beef

Home to more than 1 million head of cattle, South Dakota’s producers can rely on SDSU Extension for research-based information, best management practices and resources to support healthy and profitable herds.

Dry spring pasture near Highmore, South Dakota.

Spring Pasture Report: Dry Soil Conditions Threaten 2025 Grazing Season

As the grazing season inches closer, dry conditions have become very apparent, and producers should take time to assess resources and regularly monitor soil moisture and weather outlooks.

Cattle grazing a section of a vast, well-managed pasture.

Grazing Calculator

The SDSU Extension Grazing Calculator eliminates the guesswork and mess associated with doing calculations by hand. It requires a few inputs on your end, and you will be able to save a downloadable Excel file for your record keeping.

Red angus cattle gathered in a feedlot in winter.

Livestock

South Dakota is home to a dynamic livestock industry.

Group of mixed cattle grazing drought-stressed pasture.

Maintaining Cow Herds in Times of Limited Fall and Winter Moisture

Lack of moisture has been a common theme for a majority of beef cattle producers in the Northen Great Plains the last few years. These conditions cause beef producers to stretch grazing resources and feed inventory reserves.

open rangeland with smooth bromegrass growing throughout

Smooth Bromegrass Grazing Management

Smooth bromegrass is a cool-season introduced grass with an advanced root system that tolerates temperature extremes and drought exceptionally well.

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.

Two black angus cattle grazing on a variety of grasses.

Grass-Fed Beef: Understanding Terminology in Conventionally Raised Beef and Grass-Fed Beef

What makes grass-fed beef different from conventionally raised beef? This is perhaps the most-common and sometimes most-complex question that arises amongst those hoping to understand the similarities and differences between conventional and grass-fed beef.

A vast, rolling, well-managed rangeland.

Range Beef Cow Research: Rangeland Soil Health

For rangelands to maintain productivity and produce adequate levels of forage, soil health must be sustained and function properly.