Beef Industry and General Management

All Beef Industry and General Management Content

A South Dakota Mesonet station in a snow-covered field.

Livestock Stress Tool

Weather conditions in the Northern Plains can present more than a few challenges for livestock producers. From below zero or blizzard conditions during winter or even spring, to heat waves in the summer months, farmers and ranchers need to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions to provide the best care for their livestock and minimize their risks of losses.

Female FSA employee reviewing paperwork with a male producer.

Counties Designated as Disaster Areas and Qualify for Other Programs

Five South Dakota counties have been given disaster declarations due to dry summer conditions. This declaration gives producers in these counties and those in contiguous counties access to USDA-FSA emergency loans.

Producer and ag agent reviewing paperwork in a cattle shed.

Livestock Feed Assistance Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Farm Service Agency administers the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. The program assists producers who are dealing with drought and other grazing losses.

SDSU Extension and South Dakota Mesonet team up to release the Livestock Stress Tool

November 18, 2021

Weather conditions in the Northern Plains can present many challenges for livestock producers. Farmers and ranchers need to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions to provide the best care for their livestock and minimize their risk of losses.

Newborn black angus calf with mother cow.

Impact of Reproductive Technologies on Herd Success Set for Nov. 23

November 03, 2021

South Dakota State University Extension will host a reproductive technology program for beef cow/calf producers on Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. CDT at the Watertown Regional Extension Center.

Management Minder Tool: Staying Organized on the Ranch

Daily life is busy on the farm and ranch and it seems as if once calving season is done, there is barely time to rest before fields must be planted or hay made.

Freeze Branding Cattle

Freeze branding is a low-stress way to add permanent identification to cattle that will elicit minimal hide damage.

Mother cow with calf in a dry, drought-stressed rangeland.

Early Registration for 2021 Range Beef Cow Symposium Ends Nov. 1

October 25, 2021

The two-day meeting will be held Nov. 16-17 at the Monument (formerly the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center) in Rapid City, South Dakota.

A rancher sitting at a laptop near a cattle pen.

Simplifying the Replacement Heifer Dilemma: To Buy or To Raise?

Purchasing or raising replacement females represents a significant investment for cow/calf operations and the impact may be felt for years after.

Three John Deere Tractors moving silage and packing the corn silage to make a drive over silage pile.

Be Safe and Smart Around Silage

Corn silage making season will soon be upon us. It is important to take the time to communicate with employees proper protocols while making silage, along with safe practices around silage piles or silos.