Cassandra Olds, extension entomologist
As we move into the latter part of the growing season, it is time to consider late summer and fall pests as well as your plans for next year. Both stable and horn fly populations tend to decline over the dry, hot part of summer but can resurge in late summer into fall if sufficient rainfall occurs. Continue reading “Late summer and fall insect pest control in cattle and horses”
Jenny Ifft, Agricultural Policy Extension Specialist
Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) insurance is a tool for managing rainfall or drought risk. While individual producer experience varies, PRF has made substantial payouts during drought years. In 2023, producers paid an average premium of $5.11 per acre and received an average payout of $10.06 per acre. The deadline to sign up for PRF insurance for the 2025 calendar year with a crop insurance agent is December 1, 2024. Some producers may be concerned about the degree to which PRF will cover actual forage losses on their operation. This article summarizes these concerns and two approaches to considering them. Continue reading “Forage Risk Management and PRF Insurance”
AJ Tarpoff, DVM, Extension Veterinarian
Feedlot congestive heart failure (CHF) has been recognized as a growing threat to our feedlot industry. It is important to differentiate this condition from other known causes of heart failure in cattle. Congestive heart failure is a non-infectious condition that occurs at low to moderate elevation (separating it from traditional high-altitude disease) and has observable signs such as edema (fluid) build up in the brisket area, jugular vein distension, abdominal swelling, difficulty breathing, sway back, and abducted elbows. This condition is considered 100% fatal. Continue reading “Feedlot Heart Failure: Where are we, and what have we learned?”
Jason Warner, extension cow-calf specialist
In the previous edition of KSU Beef Tips (July 2024; How Much Does Water Cost? – Beef Tips (k-state.edu)), the importance of the fundamental concept of dry matter (DM) was discussed along with how to price feedstuffs on a cost per unit of DM basis. While understanding the impact of feedstuff DM is critical for making informed management decisions, we also must consider how differences in nutrient composition, in addition to DM, influence feedstuff cost scenarios. Continue reading “How Does Moisture and Composition Affect Feedstuff Costs?”
The Office of the Kansas State Climatologist, hosted by Kansas State University’s Agronomy Department, has launched an enhanced version of its website. This platform is an integrated, comprehensive resource for Kansas citizens, particularly oriented toward state agencies, farmers, and stakeholders. It provides reliable climate information to support agricultural and environmental decision-making. Continue reading “Introducing the new Kansas State Climatologist website”
by Justin Waggoner, KSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist, Garden City, KS
It’s time to start thinking about our management and marketing strategies for this year’s spring calf crop. Margins in the cattle industry and agriculture are often unfortunately narrow (even with projections of record-setting high calf prices). Therefore, I would offer that maximizing calf revenue is important for cow/calf producers every year. Calf revenue from my academic perspective is driven by 3 factors, 1.) the number of calves sold, 2.) sale weight of calves and 3.) price received. Continue reading “Marketing Calves”
