Emma Briggs, beef production systems, Hays
Testing your forage and feed is one of the most valuable steps you can take to make sure your cattle are meeting their nutritional needs. By collecting good samples, choosing the right tests, and understanding the results, you can save money, improve animal performance, and avoid unexpected problems. Continue reading “Forage and Feed Sampling & Testing: A Practical Guide”
Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby and John Holman, cropping system agronomist, Garden City
Plants in the sorghum family are known to be a potential risk for prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide, HCN) poisoning. Many plants contain a compound known as dhurrin that, when exposed to enzymes, is converted to hydrogen cyanide. The hydrogen cyanide interferes with oxygen transport and, if enough is consumed, can quickly result in shortness of breath, convulsions, and death. Continue reading “Good News and Bad News on Prussic Acid”
Jason Warner, cow-calf specialist
If I asked 10 different producers this question: “How good of quality do you think is your CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) forage for grazing?”, I would expect that 9 would respond with something to the extent of “Not much better than trees!” or “About like corn stalks after harvest!”. Maybe the other 1 person would say something like “Don’t waste your time!”. The reason for the proposed question is because that is exactly what KSU Extension Agents and Beef Specialists across the state have been working on to better understand recently. Continue reading “Knowing What’s In Every Bite: Understanding CRP Forage Quality”
This study examined the differences in color stability between three different muscles cooked to varying degrees of doneness by taking color readings at four different time points.
Steaks from longissimus lumborum (LL), psoas major (PM), and semitendinosus (ST) were cooked to medium rare (MR), medium (MED), or well done (WD) degree of doneness (DOD). Color was measured at 0, 3, 6, and 9 minutes to observe color stability changes. Continue reading “The Impact of Degree of Doneness, Muscle Source, and Bloom Time on Cooked Color and Cooked Color Stability”
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Navigating the unknown for the stocker operator and fueling performance from the inside out are among topics planned for the 2025 Kansas State University Beef Stocker Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 25. The conference will take place at the KSU Beef Stocker Unit. Continue reading “26th Annual K-State Beef Stocker Field Day scheduled for Sept. 25”
Joint KLA/KSU Field Days were held at the Larson Ranch in Wichita County and the Wells Ranch in Woodson County in August. Both events were well attended and provided great information and fellowship. You can access the speaker materials for each of those meetings here. Continue reading “Proceedings Material from KLA/KSU Field Days Available”
By Justin Waggoner, Beef Systems Specialist, Garden City
As the forage in our pastures becomes more brown than green in appearance it is not uncommon to notice a few thin cows within the herd. As forage quality declines in late Summer/Fall it can be difficult for some cows to maintain body condition, especially young cows (first or second calf) or those with relatively high lactation potential. However, the best time to improve cow body condition on Spring-calving cows is post-weaning during the Fall. Continue reading “Fall…Now Is The Time Improve Cow Condition?”