Be watchful of moldy forages for livestock 

Hay growers should be aware of possible toxicity issues in legumes and grasses, reminds Mike Murphy, a University of Minnesota veterinarian...

Include drought plans in pasture lease agreements 

Drought can really play havoc on pasture leases, says University of Nebraska forage Extension specialist Bruce Anderson. All too often, pasture leases fail to include ...

Bull Breeding Soundness Exams: Do they Cost or Pay? 

By Dave Sparks, DVM, Purdue University

There are three popular misconceptions about bull breeding soundness exams. The first is the idea that “He’s been getting calves for several years, why would he have a problem now?” Things change...

Grass-Alfalfa Mix Better Than Pure Alfalfa 

Are you going to plant a new hay field next spring? Instead of automatically planting pure alfalfa, think about mixing some grass into your planting, suggests Bruce Anderson...

Horse Nutrition Taught Online 

Michigan State University offers an online course covering horse nutrition basics such as nutritional requirements, diseases affecting nutrition, feeding management, evaluating and balancing a ration and how horse behavior factors into feeding...

Vet’s Advice: Preventing Pinkeye 

By W. Mark Hilton, BEEF Magazine

Infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK), or pinkeye, is one of the most common diseases in cow-calf and stocker operations. Pinkeye is caused by...

Appraisal Advice for your Horse 

By Kindra Gordon

If you show or buy high dollar horses, documenting the value of horses you own can be important for several reasons. Obviously, if you are willingly selling the animal you’d like to have an idea on his value. But, you may need to know the horse’s fair market value if...

New Book Highlights Harmful Plants For Horses 

A new book provides research-based information about 18 plants or groups of plants that may be poisonous to horses. Written by University of Minnesota experts, the 44-page book...

Cornstalk considerations when the snow hits  

Source: Iowa State Ag Extension

Heavy ice and snow can affect the quality of cornstalks, so cattle producers likely will have to alter their winter feeding strategy when an abundance of snow hits...

Prevention, Early Intervention Key To Unlocking The Sick Pen 

By Kris Ringwall, North Dakota State University

Understanding the sick pen is difficult until one gets placed there. Caring for sick cattle, horses or any other animals is best understood by being sick and noting the process...

Grazier: Defining stocking rate and stock density 

By Jim Gerrish, BEEF Magazine contributing editor

I've found that a number of cattlemen and other livestock producers really don't understand the difference between stocking rate and stock density. Some tend to use the terms interchangeably, though they're actually two very different concepts, with very different effects on the pasture-livestock system...

Ways to combat calf scours this calving season 

Source: Merial Animal Health

Be clean, be proactive and know how to identify and handle calves at risk of developing Escherichia coli (E. coli) scours — that’s the advice Dr. Twig Marston, Kansas State University beef cattle specialist, offers to cow/calf producers as scour season approaches...

Biosecurity on the Farm 

By John Shutske, University of Minnesota Beef Team

Biosecurity and the general practice of “agrosecurity” to protect cattle and other livestock has grown in its level of importance in recent years. Biosecurity has many definitions, but is being defined...

New Year’s Resolution: Develop a grazing plan 

With a new year upon us, University of Nebraska Extension forage specialist Bruce Anderson suggests that looking ahead and planning out your grazing needs is an essential ingredient to a successful grazing season. He says...

Be Aware of Mycotoxin Problems 

While the byproducts from ethanol production such as dried distillers grains offer a great source of protein for livestock, they can also offer some feeding challenges. One of the most serious is the increased concentration of mycotoxins...