As spring approaches with warmer temperatures and grass growth, the risk for grass tetany in cattle accelerates. Grass tetany is a metabolic disorder that occurs when blood magnesium concentrations ar
Hay harvesting is around the corner and with that comes the question of what is the most cost effective and efficient storage option. Baleage involves additional costs, but producers across the countr
Controlling pasture growth is an ongoing struggle in many pasture systems. Yet, it is often a major determinant of livestock performance. The balancing act of offering enough forage quantity to p
Net wrap is widely used as a hay binding material, but it does come with its disadvantages. Unwrapping a bale is time consuming and sometimes frustrating. Labor is a valuable resource so producers are
Botulism is a deadly disease with a direct relationship to certain types of compromised forage fermentation. Historically, it has not been a common occurrence, but with a higher volume of baleage bein
There are numerous rules people follow to make grazing decisions. Keith Harmoney, an extension range scientist with Kansas State University, recently expanded on a few of these rules in the March issu
Even with all of the economic and environmental advantages of producing alfalfa, sometimes winter injury or death can prematurely terminate hardy perennial alfalfa stands. About this time every year
If you missed the opportunity to get winter annual cereals planted last fall, spring-planted oats often make for a good Plan B if you’ll quickly need additional grazing or haying acres. Beef sp
There are several options to establish legumes into perennial grass sods. One method is to frost seed early in the spring while the grasses are still dormant. Another strategy is to interseed legumes
Photo: Noble Research Institute Cool-season annual grasses are used by producers across the Great Plains, but the forage comes with several downsides. Some of the concerns include delayed plantin
Double cropping annual forages is a good way to boost profits and provide extra pasture for livestock. However, it takes some planning, timely operations, and adequate rainfall at the right time.Bruce
Photo: Auburn University While areas of the U.S. are still in the depths of winter’s cold and snow, some Southeast states are being deluged with rain. As a result, flooding and extensive water
Pitchers and catchers report to Major League baseball spring training camps this week. Beginning in the South, that’s a cue to be thinking about frost seeding pastures to bolster both productivity
Annual ryegrass is typically seen as a high-quality, cool-season forage and is utilized by many livestock producers for winter grazing. However, the annual forage can also become a weed issue in warm-
There was a day when establishing alfalfa with a cereal grain companion crop was a standard operating procedure; then, better herbicide options were brought to market.Although companion crops are not
The health and body condition of cows during late pregnancy is critical to their overall health and that of their calves. The body condition of a cow during its last trimester also affects subsequent
Determining the correct stocking rate is one of the most important decisions a livestock producer makes. It needs to be conservative, flexible, and adaptable.A smart stocking rate plan is more than ju
Although global positioning systems (GPS) have been widely adopted in many agricultural applications, their use in lower input, pasture management situations is much less commonplace.Researchers at th
Being without a permanent director since June 2018, the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center (USDFRC) will now operate under the leadership of Dennis Hancock, who assumes its directorship beginning today
