Conversion of pastureland into cropland has occurred at a rapid rate on the Great Plains. A reduction in total acreage of pastureland from this conversion has resulted in a decline of total numbers of beef cows in the same region. One method to mitigate the decline in cow numbers is to increase the carrying capacity of the remaining pastureland acres. To achieve this goal, a study was conducted to introduce warm-season annual grass species into perennial cool-season grass pastures to increase dry matter production during the mid-summer time period that perennial cool-season grasses would be most dormant. Continue reading “Interseeding Sorghum-Sudangrass into Perennial Cool-Season Western Wheatgrass Pasture”
Category: May 2022
Considerations for Pasture Turn-out
by Walt Fick, Extension Rangeland Specialist
It has been a late spring in 2022 across most of Kansas. Lack of fall and winter moisture has delayed plant growth this spring. Cool-season pastures of tall fescue and smooth brome are normally producing adequate forage for grazing by April. Turn-out on our native grasslands dominated by warm-season grasses varies across the state from mid-April to mid-May. Lack of sub-soil moisture, persistence of drought, and cool temperatures have slowed green-up in many areas of the state. In the last report from the U.S. Drought Monitor over 79% of Kansas was experiencing abnormally dry to exceptional drought conditions (Fig. 1). Continue reading “Considerations for Pasture Turn-out”
Relationship of Precipitation to Rangeland Forage Production
by Keith Harmoney, Range Scientist, Hays
Shortgrass rangelands at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center–Hays near Hays, KS, have been used for grazing research since the 1940s. Various studies during this period have monitored different aspects of rangeland plant composition, forage production, and grazing animal weight gains, and in many years all three. For studies with similar stocking rates, rangeland production was compared with annual precipitation or specific monthly combinations of precipitation data for 40 years to find the best relationships between the times of year precipitation is received and end of the growing season forage production. We first shared some of this data in the 2013 Roundup Report using 36 years of data. Continue reading “Relationship of Precipitation to Rangeland Forage Production”
Livestock Risk Protection Insurance Similar to Put Option
By Jennifer Ifft, agricultural policy extension specialist
Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) is a livestock price insurance product that is like a put option. Buyers and sellers of commodities use futures markets to “hedge” or protect their anticipated profit margin from unexpected price changes. Producers can hedge feeder cattle prices with either futures or options. We will use the example of a producer who is calving in April and plans to sell around November.[1]
Continue reading “Livestock Risk Protection Insurance Similar to Put Option”
Safely Manage Used Sharps
Spring born pairs are often vaccinated prior to pasture turnout. One of the important things to do whenever livestock are vaccinated or receive other injectable treatments is to make sure to properly dispose of used needles and surgical blades. Loose needles thrown in the trash present health and safety risks for those in your operation and beyond. Continue reading “Safely Manage Used Sharps”
Proper Semen Handling Maximizes Fertility
By Sandy Johnson, Extension Beef Specialist, Colby
Many factors influence the success of an artificial insemination (AI) program. The male component of the fertility equation can often be overlooked. What was once the highest quality semen can become worthless if improper handling occurs any time before insemination. Continue reading “Proper Semen Handling Maximizes Fertility”