Small grains are an excellent choice as a double-cropped forage for a spring silage crop. However, making good quality small grain silage takes careful moisture management.
Each May we celebrate National Beef Month. One of the great things to enjoy in the Beef State is the moment in which producers and consumers come together over a juicy steak. As delicious and nutritious beef recipes are shared in local newspapers and across social media, it is a great reminder that the beef industry has a large impact on Nebraskans far and wide.
Spring is an appropriate time for tick education. Ticks may be active all year long if temperatures outside are above freezing, but May and June are the months when people pick up the most ticks. There are three tick species established in Nebraska that carry and spread diseases to humans and animals, including the lone star tick. Lone star ticks are widely distributed across the East, South and Central United States, extending across the southeastern portion of Nebraska (see figures at the end of the article).
Current cattle market conditions along with the price and short availability of hay has created a scenario where the growing winter wheat crop may have more value for producers for grazing or as a hay crop this spring than to harvest it for grain. The current market value of good quality prairie hay and alfalfa ranges from $180 to $270 per ton. Hay stocks are short. Harvested feed costs at current hay prices range from $3.00-$4.00 per cow-calf pair per day.
Note: Mention of trade names and growth-promoting implant manufacturers in this publication is necessary as FDA approvals are specific to trade names and manufacturers.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating information to beef cattle producers concerning a group of growth-promoting implant products (implants) that do not specify on the labeling whether reimplantation is approved. Three important developments must be considered by all cattle producers:
Once again wildfires have plagued Nebraska rangelands. That rangeland will need a time of deferred grazing to recover. Some producers may have harvested forages available to feed while the rangelands recover. Annual forages may also be an option when native perennial forages are recovering.
Some producers may have access to pivots or other farming ground. Some of this ground may be established in introduced perennial forages, and traditionally used for hay, but could be grazed if another source of hay could be located, providing much needed deferment for recovering range.
Resista la tentación de pastorear antes de que el pastizal esté listo y tenga cuidado si no hay otra opción. Las prácticas de gestión del pastizal usadas ahora pueden tener impactos duraderos.
Many farmers and ranchers make inquiries to Nebraska Extension about prevailing rates paid for various kinds of custom farm services. In addition to the regular biennial custom rates survey, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability has launched a new survey designed to provide market rate information for the Nebraska livestock industry. Producers and operators that perform and provide custom services for others, or that utilize custom services and pay others, are invited to participate in the survey.
