KSUBeef.org: Your resource for beef information
Beef Genetics Researchers Seek to Understand Technology Utilization:Survey Respondents Sought
Beef cattle producers have a wide range of selection tools available for use in selection of breeding stock. These range from visual appraisal to EPD (expected progeny differences) and selection indexes that leverage genomic technologies. Adoption of new technologies by the beef industry has dramatically changed beef cattle selection strategies and opportunities. Beef genetics and genomic tools continue to evolve at a rapid rate.
To aid the development of new selection tools and their adoption by producers, researchers seek to understand current attitudes and perceptions of industry stakeholders. Producers and industry participants are encouraged to take part in an online survey to help inform the development of a new beef cattle selection decision support tool. This work is part of the activities funded through a recent USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Critical Agriculture Research and Extension grant (2018-68008-27888) awarded to research and extension faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas State University, USDA-ARS US Meat Animal Research Center and a leading genetic evaluation software developer, Theta Solutions, LLC.
The survey is accessible until February 1, 2019, at: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aXJA9F3EyMfmSpf
Mycotoxin poisonings
The KSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has diagnosed a couple of mycotoxin poisonings in Kansas. Click here to learn more about mycotoxins.
Ranching Summit
The KSU Beef Team hosted the 2018 K-State Ranching Summit, Aug. 15 at the Alumni Center in Manhattan, KS. The theme of the program was Beef 2030 – Pursuing technology, transparency and profitability. Watch playlist of presentations here:
>> Ranching Summit 2018 Proceedings
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".
