“Proper stocking rate is the most important management decision a manager can make, regardless of goals,” says Steven Smith, wildlife and fisheries consultant for the Noble Foundation in Ardmore
The belief that bermudagrass causes colic in horses has been bantered around for a few decades. Though more common in urban areas where the population is further disconnected from agriculture, the tho
There are many problems that livestock producers have to deal with resulting from changing weather. If you’re grazing cattle, ergotism can be one of them. A cool, wet spring followed by early,
As a result of the cattle market and associated cash values dropping considerably, producers are being forced to make some difficult decisions this summer. Should you sell at weaning? Should
The potato leafhopper sneaks into alfalfa like a thief in the night. There’s no sound, no warning, no leaf chewing, no predictive growing degree unit chart, just the aftermath carnage of yellow-tipp
“Your cattle can be a tool used to improve the forage stand in less productive pasture areas,” said Ted Krasukopf, a Highland, Ill., beef producer. Krasukopf has observed significant ben
“Few farming operations invite as many different opportunities for injury or fatality as a silage program,” said Keith Bolsen, Kansas State University animal science professor. When it comes
“The beef industry is on an unsustainable path because aggressively selecting for enhanced mature size, muscle, and milk potential isn’t necessarily good for the commercial operation given
“High-quality silage is important because of its value as a source of energy and other nutrients for growing cattle, and as a roughage source for finishing cattle,” said Dan Loy, Iowa State
“While I think everyone should have some hay on hand for emergency feeding, baling pastures may not be the best option,” states Travis Meteer, University of Illinois extension educator. There
With the long, hot days of summer rapidly approaching and the inevitable possibility of drought, even the hardiest of perennial forages can struggle staying productive. “In order to protect our perennial
As temperatures begin to rise, pasture forages start to experience significant growth . . . but inevitably, so do weeds. Bill Curran, professor of weed science at Penn State University, notes that we
Already this season there have been reports of hay heating and a couple of stack fires. As many areas of the United States have been on the receiving end of persistent rain, hay gro
The vast majority of haymakers in the U.S. are at the mercy of Mother Nature for good harvesting weather at a specific point in time when the crop is at the desired forage quality. It’s
Stocks of all hay stored in the United States totaled 25.1 million tons, up from 24.5 million tons in May 2015, according to the most recent USDA Crop Production report. The 3 percent rise makes
The Southeastern Hay Contest is held in conjunction with the Sunbelt Ag Expo, the contest seeks to promote the production of high-quality hay and baleage
Spring is not just a time to harvest perennial forages. To be sure, more and more livestock producers are incorporating winter cereals such as rye and triticale into their crop rotations