

Livestock
South Dakota is home to a dynamic livestock industry.
South Dakota is home to a dynamic livestock industry.
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.
Proper semen handling is crucial for the overall reproductive success of an operation utilizing artificial insemination. Learn some expert tips for equipment selection, product storage and semen handling.
Take time to understand the stages of labor and ensure best practices are in place to minimize dystocia during the calving season.
When the calving season is consolidated, nutritional requirements are more synchronous across the herd, and these benefits extend beyond improved feed management.
First-calf heifers pose specific challenges for cattle producers. Learn how strategic weaning decisions can impact the performance and profitability of this challenging group.
Drought poses many challenges to the beef cow herd. Nitrates in feed is one of the challenges that producers need to be aware of, especially in the reproductive herd.
One of the most-important traits in the beef herd is reproduction. Any female that ends up open at the end of the year is costing the operation additional money. Strategic management decisions should be made within the reproductive herd to help maximize revenue.
Fact sheet about understanding effects of body condition score on reproductive performance.
There is much value in preg-checking spring-calving cow herds in the fall. The most common is to cull open cows from the herd. The second reason would be to reduce the number of late calving cows in the herd.