BeefWatch Archive

Beefwatch Archive

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

Calf being implanted
Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Implanting the Suckling Calf

As branding season approaches, consider using calfhood implants as a management strategy to maximize returns.
Calf in a field
Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Should You Creep Feed Your Calves This Summer?

Creep feeding must be carefully appraised in view of economics of cost of gain, potential market, and the influence on sale price of the calves.
Producers in a field
Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Characteristics of Top Agricultural Business Managers

In this month's BeefWatch Producer Perspective Podcast, Dr. Danny Klinefelter who is a retired agricultural economics and professor from Texas A&M University shares about The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) which is a designed for ag business owners and managers looking to develop their skills.

Topics discussed include:

A group of cows in a field
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Injectable Trace Mineral did not Influence Reproductive Performance in Beef Heifers

Many producers provide a free-choice trace mineral to grazing cattle throughout the year. Trace minerals have been shown to have an essential role in reproduction. When a free-choice trace mineral supplement is provided, some individual animals will consume more than the recommended amount, while others may consume none at all.
Cool-season perennial grasses
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Dryland Pastures for Western Nebraska

Planting perennial grasses on marginal dryland cropping areas has long been recommended as a sound conservation practice. Planting perennial grasses for conservation also may provide opportunities to increase livestock production.
Cows in a field
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Dry, Wet, or Average: Planning for the Grazing Season

The start of the growing season will be here soon and it is time to finish up grazing and forage plans for the upcoming year. In 2017, many areas in the state experienced dry conditions during the month of June and some areas were very dry during both June and July.
Truck applying manure to a field
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Manure's Impact on Yield, Nitrogen, and Carbon

Manure is often viewed by many as an environmental liability. However, if manure is applied at rates equal to or less than the nitrogen (N) requirement of a crop, can manure produce environmental benefits over commercial fertilizer?
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Grass Tetany Considerations with a Late Spring

The cool spring followed by a quick warm up could make for the perfect storm. Grass tetany usually occurs in the spring when cool weather is followed by a warm period. It is typically seen in early lactation cows grazing cool-season grasses during cool, cloudy, and rainy weather. 

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Capturing Value in Cropping Systems Using Cattle

The University of Nebraska is conducting research around the idea of integrating cattle and cropping systems to best use the resources in Eastern Nebraska. Recently, a field day was held at ENREC (formerly ARDC) near Mead to showcase this work.  The proceedings for the field day are available at https://go.unl.edu/2018capturingvalueresources.

Heavy windrows
Sunday, April 1, 2018

Using Annual Forages as Part of the Feed Resource for the Ranch – A Producer's Perspective

In this month's BeefWatch Producer Perspective Podcast, Brian Sprenger who is part of a family owned and operated ranch near Sidney shares how his family utilizes annual forages as grazing resource. Some of the topics that Brian discusses in the interview include: