Growing up on a farm raising 4-H livestock projects, my family and local extension agents always told me if I wouldn’t drink the water in the troughs, I shouldn’t expect the livestock to drink it...

In recent weeks, much of the U.S. has experienced high temperatures with little relief from rainfall. David Barker with The Ohio State University states, “Although the experts don’t all agree if t...

Methane accounts for only 10% of the greenhouse gases emitted in the United States. Of that, only 3.8% originate from enteric fermentation of dairy cattle. Still, the industry is under pressure to kee...

As a warm-season grass, pearl millet is given its due credit for producing ample amounts of high-quality forage when other cool-season species are not, but it is often underutilized on cow-calf operations. The summer annual can be used for hay or silage, but Mark Mauldin, an extension educator in Calhoun County, Fla., addresses its qualities as a grazing forage in the University of Florida Extension’s Panhandle Ag e-News.“There are periods in a mature cow’s production...

Cattle-ingested forage seeds can potentially pass and disperse across pastures, but the journey through the digestive tract is hazardous for the seeds.While past studies show that this natural process of overseeding works, the rates of viable seeds producing plants are extremely low, which is why University of Arkansas Extension Forage Specialist John Jennings prefers frost seeding to feeding seed to cattle. Jennings cites a 1991 Auburn University study that examined...

Whether you’re considering a liquid or limestone calcium supplement, Charles White, an assistant professor of soil fertility and nutrient management at Penn State, suggests you calculate the calcium...

There is no debate that replacing a Kentucky 31 (KY31) tall fescue stand with a novel, nontoxic fescue variety improves livestock performance. In a recent webinar, Leanne Dillard mentioned two key components to consider before renovating KY31 pastures. The Alabama extension forage specialist said that plants must be actively growing for herbicides to effectively kill existing stands, and she has observed better establishment results from stands planted on or near September...

Legumes offer many advantages when added to perennial or annual grass pastures.Mississippi State University Extension Forage Specialist Rocky Lemus shared his experiences with adding legumes into a mi...

During the dog days of summer, cool-season grasses slack off in productivity, but this period is prime performance time for summer annuals. Supplementing your permanent pastures with summer annu...

Photo: Dennis HancockSometimes the difference between a solid stand and one with patterned skips is taking extra time to double check that the equipment has been properly serviced and calibrated...