BeefWatch Archive

Beefwatch Archive

To read articles prior to September 2017, please visit the article archive on UNL Announce.

Cow grazing corn residue
Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Cornstalk Residue Grazing with Weaned Calves, Dry Pregnant Cows or Pairs – What Supplementation Do They Need?

With approximately 9.8 million acres of corn yielding an average of 182 bushels/acre, cornstalk residue can be an accessible and economical winter grazing forage option for producers in Nebraska. Historic research at the University of Nebraska has suggested cattle select mostly dropped corn, husks, and leaves. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) of the selected diet can be variable, but tends to range from 50-60% TDN.

Steer in lot
Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Livestock Facility Inspections: Do I need one? If so, what should I expect?

Inspections collect information about livestock facilities and are how the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) determines whether the facility is in compliance with regulations. There are two different kinds of inspections for livestock operations. Initial inspections help NDEE determine whether a permit is needed. Routine inspections allow the NDEE representative to make sure permitted operations are in compliance with their permit.

What facilities need to be inspected?

Cow eating hay
Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Winter Tetany in Beef Cattle

Grass tetany is considered a problem that usually occurs when cattle or sheep are eating lush, spring grass or annual cereal forages such as rye, wheat or triticale; but, it can also occur when cattle are being fed harvested forages.

Heifers grazing
Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Annual Beef Heifer Replacement Forecasts for the 2020 – 2021 Production Season (Summary Briefing)

What is a respectable beef replacement heifer value for the coming 2020-2021 production season? The weather and COVID-19 gave the beef industry a wild ride this past year and may affect the decision to buy or sell replacement animals for the upcoming year.

Heifers
Tuesday, November 10, 2020

December 2020 Beefwatch Webinar Series Registration Now Open

The BeefWatch Webinar series is designed to highlight management strategies in grazing, nutrition, reproduction, and economics to increase cow/calf and stocker production efficiency and profitability. Each session will feature industry experts and plenty of opportunity to interact to get your questions answered. More information about the BeefWatch Webinar Series can be found on our webpage: https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch-webinar-series

photo of the Great Plains Veterinary Education Center building
Monday, November 9, 2020

Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center - Meet the Faculty

Since its dedication in 1990, the Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center has served as an information source for the beef industry. With its primary focus in beef cattle production systems, it provides training of veterinary and graduate students, veterinary practitioners, beef producers and industry stakeholders.
Cattle grazing corn residue
Sunday, November 1, 2020

Crop Residue Exchange Links Available Residue with Cattle Producers

The Crop Residue Exchange (http://cropresidueexchange.unl.edu) is a free online tool designed to link cattle producers to crop producers with available grazing resources. The Exchange makes it possible for crop producers in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota to list fields of crop residue they have available for winter grazing and for cattle producers to connect with them. 

Cow eating meadow hay
Sunday, November 1, 2020

Do You Know the Difference Between 9% and 7% Crude Protein Hay?

When feeding harvested forages to the cow herd, you need to know what you have in order to know what to feed. This is vital when faced with some of the challenges we have seen in the past couple years such as flood, excessively cold and harsh winters, and drought. Over-feeding spends money unnecessarily and can deteriorate your bottom line. Underfeeding results in thin cows, which can lead to calving issues and disappointing conception rates.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Common Mullein and Cheatgrass Control in Rangeland

On October 7th, two articles on rangeland weed control were published on CropWatch which may be of interest to Nebraska ranchers.

cow on rangeland
Sunday, November 1, 2020

Beef Profit Tips Programs for 2020

During the fall and winter of 2020 Nebraska Beef Extension Educators will host six Beef Profitability Workshops to help the beef producer evaluate their operations to make them more profitable through the latest research information.  Topics will vary depending on presenter and specific location.  These workshops have been held across Nebraska for the past seventeen years.  Please pre-register to the local extension office 3 days prior to the meeting.

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