BeefWatch Archive

Beefwatch Archive

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

Cow eating hay
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Thin Cows and Limited Hay Resources: What are my options?

Drought conditions this last growing season, limited hay supply, and a wet winter have been very challenging to beef producers. This created a situation where many cows at this point were thinner than normal years.  In addition, we couple that with limited hay and lower-quality hay with the potential of having a late green up or delayed turn out to grass. With that in mind, we have to think about how to increase energy in the diet to meet the lactational requirements while gaining BCS and doing that past our traditional turn out to grass. 

Calves grazing rye
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Getting the Most Out of Grazing Cereal Rye and Other Winter-hardy Small Cereals

When grazed from early April to early May, forage quality of cereal rye, winter triticale, and winter wheat is similar. All three species can be very high quality. When managed correctly, growing calves can gain 3 to 4 lbs/day. Cereal rye can have greater growth during cooler conditions compared to wheat or triticale. This is the reason it can often provide earlier spring grazing. On the other hand, triticale retains its feed value better into late spring since it does not mature as quickly. This makes it well-suited for hay and silage, or for grazing well into June.

Cow grazing
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Preventing Grass Tetany in the Lactating Beef Cow this Spring

As spring nears and grass begins to turn green, producers are anxious to get cows out to grass. However, cool season predominate areas tend to have lush spring growth which can lead to grass tetany in cows. While there are treatments for cows caught quick enough, prevention is always the best policy.

Cows and heifers on pasture
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Options for Estrus Synchronization this Breeding Season

A successful breeding season requires planning. Estrus synchronization is one tool that can benefit cattle producers if used correctly. Estrus synchronization can allow more females to be bred earlier in the breeding season and can shorten the postpartum interval in late-calving females, allowing them to become pregnant earlier in the calving season.
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Winter Bull Management and What to Do if Your Bulls Get Frostbite on the Testes?

A recent BeefWatch article highlighted the importance of timing for a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) in our bull battery especially with the winter weather many of our producers have been experiencing. With that in mind, let us dive in a little deeper to how this harsh winter weather can impact bull fertility and how to address management for this next breeding season.

Cow
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Krutsinger gift helps contribute to Beef Scholar Minor

In December, Carol Krutsinger made a $1 million gift to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) to develop the next generation of beef industry leaders.

Calf at branding
Saturday, April 1, 2023

Best Practices for Calf Processing and Branding

Calving is just underway across the country, which means calf processing and branding (if applicable in your area) is just around the corner.

For those who may not be calving already or those looking for good calving reading material, it is good to revisit some calving best management practices. Previous articles listed in BeefWatch do a great job highlighting specifics related to calving.

Cows and calves in confinement
Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Mineral and Vitamin Considerations When Drylotting Cows

Managing cows in a drylot can be a way to maintain the herd when forage production is reduced due to drought or as a part of a system when pasture is unavailable for other reasons. When cattle are managed in a drylot over an extended period of time, minerals and vitamins that need to be supplied can vary significantly from those needed when cows are grazing.
Strip grazing cover crops
Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Getting More Out of Fall Forage Cover Crops: Is Strip Grazing Worth It?

Nebraska Extension hosted a webinar called Getting More Out of Fall Forage Cover Crops: Is Strip Grazing Worth It? March 23, 2023. The webinar shared the results of on-farm research at five Nebraska locations, evaluating the value of strip grazing cover crops over two years. The webinar included producer perspectives on balancing labor needs and increasing harvest efficiency in fall cover crop beef cattle systems.

Mineral for beef cattle
Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Nebraska Extension Seeking Producer Input on Mineral Supplementation Practices and Research and Education Needs

Nebraska Extension is looking to gather more information on cow-calf producers’ mineral supplementation practices. To better establish research and educational resource needs for beef cattle producers, Nebraska Extension has released a producer needs assessment survey targeting cow-calf producers.