KSUBeef.org: Your resource for beef information
KLA and K-State to Host Field Days
Annually the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) along with the Kansas State University beef team organize and host KLA/K-State Field Days around the state of Kansas. Two are planned for 2020 — Aug. 13 at W & S Ranch Inc., owned and operated by the Weltmer family southeast of Smith Center, and Aug. 18 at G-Three Cattle Co., owned by the George family near Uniontown.
Program highlights for the Aug. 13 event will include discussions on leveraging genetics to achieve cow herd objectives, managing and planning for tough economic times, optimizing gain with post-weaning nutrition and combating farm stress.
Educational sessions for the Aug. 18 field day will include a panel discussion on the utilization of cover crop grazing systems, an outlook on the markets and the geopolitical factors that affect them, optimizing cow herd efficiency and combating ag stress.
Registration for both events starts at 3 p.m. and includes a free beef dinner at 6:45 p.m. All livestock producers and others involved in the business are invited to attend. The event will be set up to ensure proper spacing to accommodate social distancing protocol. Masks will be available and hand sanitizer will be provided to each attendee.
Both events are sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of Kansas and Bayer Animal Health. The educational sessions from both field days will be recorded and posted on the KLA website following the events.
KSU Beef Team Hosts "Drought Preparedness for the Cow-Calf Producer" Webinar
The webinar included tips to help Kansas beef cattle producers prepare to manage and reduce the impacts of drought and reduced forage availability on cow herds.
>> Watch video of presentationK-State Beef Team Hosts "Managerial Tools and Tips in an Uncertain Climate and Market" Webinar
The program featured tips to help Kansas beef cattle producers make management decisions in light of the current weather patterns, ranging from flooding to drought, in Kansas and calf market volatility following COVID-19.
>> Watch video of presentation
K-State Hosts "Troubleshooting Uncertain Times in the Beef Industry" Webinar
The program featured brief updates on the current market situation from K-State Agricultural Economist Dr. Glynn Tonsor and a discussion on alternative protein sources led by Extension Specialists Dr. Jaymelynn Farney and Dr. Justin Waggoner. Dr. Dale Blasi, K-State extension beef cattle specialist, will address nutrition and management considerations that may be implemented by producers growing cattle in these challenging times.
>> Watch video of presentation
Management and Nutritional Considerations for Growing Cattle Under COVID – 19 Conditions
The long reaching consequences of COVID – 19 on the livestock industry has created the necessity for self‐evaluation and in many cases, making monumental changes to common management and nutritional approaches to growing and finishing beef cattle.
In March, sales of feeder cattle fell well below what was earlier anticipated. In April, the array of announced shutdowns at meat processing plants created disruptions, which have resulted in extended planned delivery dates. Combined, this “clogging” in the beef supply chain has created subsequent challenges in terms of potential shortages of available pen space to accept new arrivals of feeders. Consequently, many growers are re‐assessing prospects of longer‐term ownership of their feeder cattle.
>> Read more
Kansas State University's Animal Sciences and Industry Department hosted Cattlemen's Day 2020 on Friday, March 6 at Weber Hall in Manhattan. Featured speakers during the morning session were: Lorna Marshall, vice president of beef programs for Select Sires of Plain City, Ohio, and Oklahoma State University livestock economist Derrell Peel.
Consider The Value Of Genomics: Buying Bulls Better
By Bob Weaber, Cow-calf Extension Specialist
Bull buying is an activity on the horizon for many cow-calf producers. With the spring sale season just around the corner it is a great time consider your bull buying strategy. In addition to revisiting your breeding system (make sure you capture the value of maternal heterosis) and alignment of selection criteria to production/marketing constraints, producers should evaluate the opportunity to purchase bulls that have been genotyped. Many seedstock producers are genotyping their sale offering to support the purchase decisions of their commercial customers. Sometimes the genotyped bulls cost a little more, but the added value far exceeds the cost. >> Continue Reading
Tally Time: Management Minder outlines your production year
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.
>> Read more
Focus Areas
Feed & Water- Health
- Reproduction & Genetics
- Cost of Production & Marketing
- Employee Management
- Legal/Regulatory
The K-State beef extension team strives to address all phases of beef production from "farm to fork".
