Pasture

Online Eastern South Dakota Water Conference set for Oct. 20

December 29, 2021

The theme for this year’s conference is “Ground Truth – Water Resource Management and Remote Sensing.”

Does Crown Rust in Oats Cause Problems for Livestock?

When wet, cool conditions predominate in the spring, crop producers may have to deal with crown rust in oats. When this crop disease is abundant, questions from livestock producers arise. Could crown rust in oats harm livestock if it’s present on pasture or in hay?

Multi-Species Grazing as an Alternative to Pasture Spraying

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.

Forage Resources Available to S.D. Farmers and Ranchers

Forages are a very important part of the South Dakota livestock and cropping industries. Often, producers have difficulties finding enough forage for their herd or locating a fellow producer to buy, sell or rent forages and grazing acres too. South Dakota now has two widely-recognized, free resources to aid in these connections.

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.

Fall Calving Cows: Management and Breeding Decisions

As producers with spring calving herds are completing weaning and moving cows to winter range, fall calving herds are gearing up for the next breeding season.

Parasite Control for Cow Calf Operations

Spring is coming and with calving season underway it is important to keep our eyes forward on to the next step in production.

Hay: Stop the Waste

In an effort to prevent increasing the winter feed bill, a new bale feeder design or feeding plan may need to be developed and put into action in order to manage hay waste this winter.

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.

Importance of Pregnancy Detection During a Dry Year

With weaning wrapping up, pregnant cows should be identified and turned back out to pasture or crop residue. By removing open or even late cows from the herd, valuable feed resources are saved if drought conditions continue.