The ability of ruminant animals to turn forage fiber into milk and meat is the cornerstone process of livestock production, and it has a direct effect on the sustainability of human food systems. The

While writing this last weekend, the wind was whipping outside my window, and I was surprised it didn’t take some of the siding off the house. To make matters worse, the 30 mph winds — and

As the hay cycle transitions from making to selling, be reminded that most people are honest and well intentioned, but just one nefarious hay buyer can make for a really bad day.KXII, a television sta

If you’re like me, your kitchen has a cupboard designated for leftover containers, which may or may not all have the correct lids. Those containers get some extra use this time of year to prevent

As my wife and I prepare to move to a different house, I find myself carrying a lot of boxes. Many of the boxes are the uniform type that reams of paper are shipped in. Although all the boxes are fill

Bale grazing saves time and labor during the coldest months of the year. Moreover, putting bales out on a pasture in a grid pattern, and using temporary fence to strip graze cattle through the rows, f

Mother Nature dictates how we farm. The problem, of course, is that we can’t predict the fickle nuances of rain events or droughts. As such, we play the odds and hope to roll sevens instead of snake

Slow pasture growth due to drought conditions limits more than forage yield and grazing potential — it can reduce beta carotene levels in plants and raise the risk of vitamin A deficiencies in

Is it beneficial or is it harmful?Could it be both?It’s always been interesting that a few forage species garner a wide range of opinions. People often either love them or hate them for good or not

Generally speaking, wet spring conditions evolved into a dry summer and fall for a large part of the central U.S. While those early rains may have interfered with new alfalfa seedings and the first ha

Overgrazed pastures continue to haunt the livestock industry. In case you didn’t notice, that was a purposeful and obligatory Halloween reference, but one loaded with truth.Overgrazing occurs for

In any debate, there are often two camps that form on either side of the issue and support opposing views of the topic at hand. Then, there are the people who sit on the fence. Over time, that fence g

Photo: Shannon Beck at the University of Missouri Greenley Memorial Research Farm in Novelty, Mo. Shannon Beck at the University of Missouri Greenley Memorial Research Farm in Novelty, Mo.Grazing cove

Best corn silage feeding practices include removing only a day’s worth of material from storage to limit spoilage and ensure animals always receive fresh feed. But in order to maintain this feeding

People never call their power company to give them props because the lights are on and their food is cold; however, should the lights go out and the milk spoil, phone lines become jammed with disgrunt

Cornstalks are an economical forage source to take advantage of for fall and winter grazing. Provided some supplementation, cattle can thrive on corn residue, and research has debunked previously held

The Southeastern Hay Contest celebrated its 21st year with record-high participation at the Sunbelt Ag Expo being held this week in Moultrie, Ga. A total of 540 entries comprised the competition’s

A total of 232 entries from 16 states represented the competition at the 41st World Forage Analysis Superbowl. The winners of each of the 13 categories were presented last week at World Dairy Expo in

For many years, it seemed winter annual cereal forages fell almost exclusively into the “emergency forage” category, but times have changed. These days, nobody finds the practice of seeding

First frosts and freezes suggest the need for heavier Carhartt attire and mark the cessation of plant growth, if not life. Alfalfa will often slow or cease growing before a frost or hard freeze, and i