Research findings and industry updates will be the focus of the Nebraska Extension Beef Feedlot Roundtables Feb. 12-14.

Topics were selected to benefit feedlot managers, owners, employees, and those working in the allied industry. 

One issue facing all producers is the ability to attract and retain employees. Because this is the biggest issue facing our feedyards, Dr. Scott MacGregor was invited to offer some options for feedyards to enhance employee retention and management succession.

Moldy hay.  No matter how hard you tried, last summer you baled some hay a little too wet and now you have some mold.  So how do you go about feeding this moldy hay safely? 

Feeding moldy hay to livestock is a tough decision.  Although all hay contains some mold, when mold becomes easily noticeable the decision becomes important.

For many, this is the time of year when bull purchasing decisions occur. Before you buy a bull, consider what you need to improve.

The key questions that every rancher needs to answer are:

1)      What are my breeding/marketing goals?

2)      What traits directly impact the profitability of my enterprise?

3)  Are there environmental constraints that dictate the level of performance that is acceptable for a given trait in my enterprise?

Efficiency and sustainability are important topics to beef consumers and the future success of the beef industry. These topics are also the theme of Nebraska Extension’s Ranching for Profitability session in 2019.

In January, Ranching for Profitability will be offered as a webinar that beef producers can join from any of 13 downlink locations across Nebraska, or from their home via the internet. A list of sites and registration information follows.