Beef Tips

Author: Angie Denton

Tally Time: Management Minder outlines your production year

By Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist

Technology has been developed that makes many things in our lives much easier. Some of you may remember when you were the “remote control” when your Dad was watching TV. Now, new homes have heating, alarm and lighting systems throughout that can be controlled remotely with a smart phone. Cattle producers use electronic IDs to automate many data collection activities. Computer applications seem to only be limited by our imagination.

Our beef extension educational efforts have often pointed out timely management topics. For example, now is the time to sample harvested forages and get an analysis of the quality. Some of those items would relate to time of year, while others would depend on the individual operation’s calving and breeding dates. So, while those suggestions are timely for most (we hope), they certainly do not fit everyone.

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September 2017 Feedlot Facts

“Silage Harvest is Underway; Be Safe”

by Justin W. Waggoner, beef systems specialist

 

One of the busiest, most fast paced operations that occur this time of year is silage harvest. Cutters and choppers in the fields, trucks racing from the field to the pile or bunker, multiple tractors pushing and packing silage. The speed at which we can harvest silage today is amazing, but we should never allow the speed at which one can accomplish a task to compromise safety. Below are a few things to think about during this year’s silage harvest.

  • Don’t become complacent. Stay aware of the surroundings. Let’s face it there are a lot of highly repetitive operations in putting up silage. One of the No. 1 factors that lead up to an accident is almost always complacency or lack of situational awareness.
  • Truck drivers should always slow down when approaching houses and intersections on all roads, every time. Those houses along the road belong to our neighbors and friends, some of which have children. The increased traffic on gravel roads creates dust, and the crops are tall, both of which reduce visibility at intersections. Our neighbors should not fear going to their mailbox due to our silage trucks.
  • People (especially children) should never be allowed near a drive over pile or bunker silo during fill ing. If people have to approach the area, get on the radio  to inform the drivers/operators. Those on the ground in the area should always wear a bright-colored-orange safety vest.
  • Never fill higher than the top of the bunker wall. This happens more than it should and creates a dangerous situation from the day the silage is packed until it is removed. The pack tractor cannot see the edge of the bunker well if at all. The silage does not get packed well (which leads to poor silage) and the edge of the silage is unstable and more likely to collapse. Don’t do it.
  • Be aware of steep slopes. To reduce the risk of tractor roll-over, a minimum slope of 1 in 3 on the sides and end of piles should be maintained.
  • Never inspect or make repairs to equipment near the bunker or pile. Equipment should be removed from the area as soon as possible. Repairs almost always involve people on foot and potentially people who may not be familiar with silage activities and the associated risks.

 

Limit-feeding high-energy diets based on fermentable fiber for weaned and newly arrived calves offers numerous advantages

by Dale Blasi, Extension Livestock Specialist, and T.J. Spore

 

Many producers have used limit- or programmed-feeding in the past with success, especially during periods of drought when forage is not adequate. In a nutshell, limit- or program-feeding refers to the practice of limiting calves to two-thirds to three-quarters of the dry matter that they can normally consume. This feeding strategy varies greatly with traditional management where calves generally have free-choice access to forage.  Traditionally, limit-fed diets have consisted of 80 to 85% whole shelled corn and the remaining balance as a protein supplement. The total amount of the ration delivered is increased every two weeks or so to account for increased body weight gain based upon the desired level of gain.

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K-State Beef Stocker Field Day scheduled for September 21

The beef cattle outlook, early stocking strategies for optimized marketing and a panel discussion on how cover crops have helped producers improve their operations are among topics planned for the 2017 Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 21.

The day is designed to provide the latest practical information for producers to aid decision making in the current dynamic beef industry environment.  “There will be applied information presented that attendees can apply to their operation,” says Dale Blasi, K-State Animal Sciences and Industry professor and extension specialist.

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Houser Named Extension Meat Specialist

Dr. Terry Houser has recently acquired the role of Extension Meat Specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University.  Terry joined Kansas State in 2007 and is currently an Associate Professor.

Terry was born and raised on an irrigated farming/ranching/feedlot operation near Cambridge, Nebraska. He received his B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Meat Science from Iowa State University.

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Late Season Fly Control

By A.J. Tarpoff, DVM, MS, extension veterinarian

Horn flies are blood feeding flies that impact production on cattle operations. Populations of these flies tend to peak in June. The hot dry days of summer tend to decrease the overall population. However, in late August to September as the temperatures begins to decrease and humidity increases, the horn fly population tends to peak again. Continue reading “Late Season Fly Control”

Manure Utilization – Capture the value

by Joel DeRouchey, Extension Livestock Specialist

With fall season approaching, many livestock producers will be applying solid manure to fields post-harvest.  Manure from livestock producers, both large and small, is recognized as a valuable fertilizer source.  However, it certainly involves needed equipment and labor often above that needed to apply commercial sources when considering the scraping, hauling, spreading and potential tillage incorporation into the soil. All sharp penciled livestock producers understand with the dramatic shift in fertilizer prices for nitrogen and phosphorus, the value of manure has never been higher and more economical to use as fertilizer.  With overall input costs soaring, livestock producers must utilize their manure effectively in their cropping operations and or in merchandising the manure as a potential revenue stream.

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Cull Cows; a disappointing failure or marketing opportunity

by Justin W. Waggoner, beef systems specialist

Most cattle operators view open cows, with some degree of disappointment. However, you might be surprised at the amount of revenue that can be realized from cull cow sales. Continue reading “Cull Cows; a disappointing failure or marketing opportunity”

June 2017 Management Minute

“Sometimes It’s Not About the Money: Employee Recognition Programs”
by Justin W. Waggoner, beef systems specialist
We have all heard the adage that “money isn’t everything.” During the 2017 K-State Cattle Feeders College, I had the pleasure of recognizing the 18th recipient of the K- State/Merck Top Hand award. This award is presented to an exceptional feedyard employee who goes above and beyond the duties of their job description. The recipients are nominated by their respective managers for the award. The Top Hand is a simple way of saying thank you for a job well done. Employee recognition programs can be an excellent way to show your employees that you appreciate their efforts and contributions to the organization. Most sources suggest that employee recognition programs should recognize specific behaviors that are related to the organizations objectives and core values. The recognition should involve the entire organization. If you don’t have a means of recognizing exceptional employees give it some thought. You can find several great ideas for establishing an employee recognition program that will be more than just the “employee of the month” program.

May 2017 Management Minute

“Sometimes It’s Not About the Money”

by Justin W. Waggoner, beef systems specialist

If you have an employee who seems to continually be bothering you about not being paid enough, there are usually two possibilities. 1) You are a tightwad and you are not paying them enough; or 2) the person is disgruntled about their role in the organization. To find out if the answer is number 1, make a few phone calls to managers you trust in your general geography and find out what your neighbors are paying for similar jobs in your industry. If you are within 50 cents or so per hour, then move on to answer number 2. Some people are just better employees than others. If this person is worth more than the ‘scale’, you had better pay more to keep them.

But “pay” can come in many forms. You can “buy” an employee’s loyalty and general job satisfaction with many perks other than another few cents or bucks per hour. Make sure your insurance, savings investment, and/or profit sharing plans are at least in line with the industry.

This is especially important if this person has a family to look after. Non-monetary benefits include things like flexible time off. Those early mornings and long days are a lot easier to take if a person knows they can take Thursday afternoons off for a child’s ballgame or whatever.

What about goals? Have you asked your employee what they want out of this position?

They may want to move up in the organization or have opportunities for a management role elsewhere. You can be selfish about this or you can take on the role of mentor and teacher. By taking care of your employee and training them for a leadership role they will most certainly be a better employee, and will have a harder time leaving for a different job. And even if they do leave for a different opportunity, they will give such a glowing report on your leadership and team approach, you can be certain to find a good, young person to replace them.

The question you need to ask yourself is “Do you really want this person around for the long haul?” If you DO, take some time to privately evaluate your plans, and then take some more time one-on-one with this employee to find out their long-term needs and goals. If you DON’T want this person to remain in the organization, you still need to get your plans in order because after you inform this person they are not what your organization needs, you had better have a pretty good plan set up to attract a quality person to replace them.