The forage quality results of the 2025 Kansas Performance Tests for cool-season annual forage varieties are available online at https://www.agronomy.k-state.edu/outreach-and-services/crop-performance-tests/forages/hay-and-silage/. The results are summarized by location (Garden City, Hays, and Belleville). Several forage quality metrics were measured across a range of forage varieties of rye, triticale, and wheat. Forage yield results were made available earlier this year and can be found at the same link. Continue reading “Kansas Cool-Season Forage Quality Results for 2025”
Tag: KSUBeef.org
A Winter Guide to Keeping Lice in Check
Cassandra Olds, extension livestock entomologist
Although most healthy cattle can manage lice burdens without intervention, some animals will develop heavy burdens which may require insecticide intervention. Lice populations are most active from December through to March with numbers naturally declining as we move into the warmer summer months. Continue reading “A Winter Guide to Keeping Lice in Check”
Recovering Feed Intakes in Feedlot Cattle
Logan Thompson, sustainable grazing systems
As we move into winter, the likelihood of severe weather events impacting our ability to keep cattle fed on time increases. Mud and variable weather patterns also cause cattle to change their eating behavior, with more erratic consumption occurring around storm events. Alternatively, simple equipment failure may occur, where feed deliveries may be delayed for a short time until the issue can be resolved. These feeding interruptions impact all meal fed cattle, but for cattle on more energy dense rations, such as finishing animals, it is crucial to manage this period appropriately or long term impacts on performance and health can occur. Continue reading “Recovering Feed Intakes in Feedlot Cattle”
Registration Now Open for Cattlemen’s Day 2026
The 113th Cattlemen’s Day will be hosted on Friday, March 6, 2026, at The Bilbrey Family Event Center (located directly next to the Stanley Stout Center) in Manhattan, KS. Registration will be $25 if registered by February 20, or $35 if registered on/after February 21 or at the door. Morning refreshments and lunch are included with registration. Continue reading “Registration Now Open for Cattlemen’s Day 2026”
Grazing Crop Residues with Excess Downed Grain
Jason Warner, cow-calf specialist
Each year, utilization of corn or grain sorghum residues following harvest by beef cattle represents an excellent opportunity to extend the grazing season into the winter thereby reducing the need to feed harvested forages. This year, for various reasons, there have been reports across the state of downed grain in residue fields at levels greater than typically seen. While it does require us to change our management approach, residue fields with high levels of grain on the surface of the field can still be grazed safely and economically. Continue reading “Grazing Crop Residues with Excess Downed Grain”
When Price Risk Management Really Matters
Jenny Ifft, Agricultural Policy; Brian Coffey, Livestock Economics and Risk Management; Glynn Tonsor, Livestock and Meat Marketing
Feeder cattle markets have reminded everyone just how quickly things can change. In early October, futures were flirting with record highs. Two weeks later, prices dropped nearly $40 per hundredweight—about $350 to $400 per head for a 900-pound feeder. Periods like this highlight why price risk management matters. Continue reading “When Price Risk Management Really Matters”
Vitamin A Matters: Supporting Reproduction, Growth, and Immunity in Cattle
Emma Briggs, beef production systems, Hays
Vitamin A deficiency in cattle can manifest through a range of clinical signs, including reduced feed intake, growth issues, night blindness, and reproductive failures like low conception rates and stillborn calves. Calves born to vitamin A-deficient cows can exhibit signs of a depressed immune system, making them more vulnerable to disease. Recent concerns about the rising incidence of stillborn and weak calves across the United States have led some nutritionists to emphasize the critical importance of vitamin A supplementation in beef cattle production. Continue reading “Vitamin A Matters: Supporting Reproduction, Growth, and Immunity in Cattle”
How Do You Make a Pasture Shrink?
Carol Baldwin, range specialist
How does woody encroachment affect cattle production? Each tree decreases the available forage and can produce seed for yet more trees to spread and grow, and in effect reduces the amount of land available for cattle production in a pasture. Even a pasture with only a few trees is at risk of future grazing losses as woody encroachment expands. Treating woody plants while they are small and easy to remove with prescribed burning protects against future production loss, maintains health rangelands, sustains native rangeland wildlife, and reduces wildfire intensity. As woody plants spread and mature, treatment costs escalate with the need for mechanical removal. Continue reading “How Do You Make a Pasture Shrink?”
Taking Advantage of Opportunities
Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby
Scheduling anything—from family gatherings to meetings—can be challenging in today’s busy world. Despite technological advances, time remains a limited resource. For cow-calf producers, investing time and money in the right areas can yield significant returns. Continue reading “Taking Advantage of Opportunities”
New Estrus Synchronization Planner App Available
The Estrus Synchronization Planner can help you schedule dates and times on a calendar to accurately implement a synchronization protocol and communicate these details with your team. The new version allows you to access the planner from your smartphone. The original Excel-based version and the multi-group version offer additional features, such as cost comparison and scheduling multiple groups of animals on the same calendar. You can review the options available here and use the tool that best fits your needs.
