Structuring a calving program that best suites farm and ranch operations can be challenging. Of primary concern are: weather, labor, market timing, and animal health considerations, with weather possibly being the most volatile factor, as it ranges from challenging to catastrophic in some years.
![A herd of cattle gather around a stock pond on a vast, lush grassland. Courtesy: USDA [CC BY 2.0]](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2019-05/W-00231-00-cattle-grazing-grassland-pasture-range.jpg?h=8f818b46&itok=RphA7XsP)
There are 24 million acres of native and tame pasture and range as well as 1.4 million acres of grass hayland in South Dakota.
A guide of common dung beetles of South Dakota.
January 14, 2020
Learn about the most-recent, beef-related research at South Dakota State University during the first annual SDSU Beef Day on Jan. 16, starting at 10 a.m. in the Club 71 meeting room of the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings.
Prairie dogs are an important component of the grassland ecosystem. They feed on grasses and forbs, as well as seeds and some insects. They can consume large amounts of vegetation. This is a problem for livestock producers as they compete with livestock for forage.
2019 has been a year fraught with challenges for ranchers across South Dakota. Abundant precipitation is usually a blessing, however, wet conditions coupled with a cool spring followed by warmer temperatures has caused another problem across the rangelands of South Dakota: ergot poisoning.
The chances of a wet October increased with the latest climate outlook update, released on September 30, 2019. In the first few days of the month, rain or snow has scattered across much of the state. There hasn’t been a heavy rain or snow event this month. The outlook shows odds leaning towards much of the same pattern in the weeks ahead.
September 30, 2019
Fall is the time to control tough perennial broadleaf lawn weeds. Good moisture in most places in August will have set up good fall growth of perennial weeds.
Broadacre spraying of pastures is intended to reduce undesirable plants and increase grasses for livestock. This practice often results in unintended consequences, including damage and reduction of native forbs and reduced profitability. One approach to managing perceived “weedy” plants is incorporating different species of livestock into a grazing operation.
September 26, 2019
Youth and adults of the Sicangu Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) and the Oglala Lakota Nation participated in range workshops this summer put on by SDSU Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and partners.