Animal Management Articles

  • Feed, Ship, or Sell - Outlines the three main options to reduce stocking rates: supplement/substitute feed, ship cattle to non-drought areas and sell cattle.
  • Managing Cows Through Dry Conditions – provides insights on options for feeding the core cow herd during a drought.
  • Have a Drought Management Plan for Your Cow/Calf Enterprise - briefly outlines the three main drought management strategies: livestock inventory, use of existing forage resources, and alternative feeding programs.
  • Beef Cow Herd Culling Strategies - covers things to consider when trying to determine which animals should be culled due to the reduced availability pasture.
  • Early Weaning Beef Calves Sometimes Makes Cents - discusses the use of early weaning of calves as a tool to save forage for the cow herd.
  • Management, Health, and Nutritional Considerations for Weaning Calves - NebGuide G2057- discusses methods of separation, dietary considerations, and disease prevention to successful early wean calves.
  • Use the Feed Cost CowQLator to Compare Feed Options with Drought Conditions - outlines how to price and compare feed options using the Feed Cost Cow-Q-Lator an Excel® spreadsheet tool to determine what feed options may be most cost effective on protein and energy basis.
  • Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows: A Tool for Managing the Nutrition Program for Beef Herds, EC281 (PDF 2MB) - Discusses how to use body condition to assist in evaluating the nutritional program of cows to ensure a productive herd.
  • Management Considerations When Relocating Beef Cows in Drought Conditions - provides a series of questions that producers should ask when relocating animals to another location  as a part of a drought management plan.
  • Management Considerations for Beef Cows in Confinement - NebGuide G2237 - outlines things to consider when choosing to manage and feed cows in confinement as an alternative to liquidation. A companion webinar on Youtube called Drylotting Cows - How to Feed Them? is also available.
  • Siting Considerations and Environmental Management for Temporary Feeding Areas - provides information on two webinar recording which discuss: 1) regulatory considerations and options for managing a temporary confinement situation to minimize environmental impact,  and 2) logistics such as pen and bunk space requirements as well as managing temporary drylots.
  • Breeding Cows in Confinement - outlines the factors to consider when breeding in confinement including nutrition and bunk space needs.