While minerals are a small component of beef cow diets, they are critical for a variety of functions in the body, says Janna Block, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension livestock systems specialist based at the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center.

To help producers better understand mineral nutrition, NDSU and South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension have teamed up to host two Beef Cattle Mineral Nutrition field days.

The first field day will be held on June 9, at the NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center near Streeter, North Dakota, and the second field day will be held on June 10, at the SDSU Cottonwood Field Station near Philip, South Dakota. Participants do not need to attend both field days, as the same program will be provided each day.

Each field day will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by 5 p.m. local time. Lunch will be provided. 

“These field days will provide a hands-on opportunity for participants to collect forage samples and observe the process of conducting liver biopsies,” says Block. “There also will be research updates from leading beef cattle mineral nutrition scientists from across the country.”

“It’s exciting to have some of the top researchers in this field joining us for the field days,” says Adele Harty, SDSU Extension cow/calf field specialist. “John Arthington from the University of Florida, Terry Engle from Colorado State University and Carl Dahlen from NDSU will be with us to share their expertise and provide information about their latest research. This is a great opportunity for producers and nutritionists to ask the experts their questions.”

The final component for the field days will be industry updates from the sponsors. They will provide information on available mineral products.

“These industry partners will provide important perspectives on mineral supplementation for producers to consider,” notes Block.

Field day sponsors include SDSU Extension, NDSU Extension, Micronutrients, Multi-Min 90 and Zinpro.

Registration is $30 per person. To register, visit https://extension.sdstate.edu/event/beef-cattle-mineral-nutrition-field-day. Select the location you plan to attend when registering.  Registration closes on June 8 for the NDSU location and June 9 for the SDSU location.

This field day is open to anyone with an interest in beef cattle mineral nutrition. For more information about the SDSU field day, contact Adele Harty at adele.harty@sdstate.edu, and for information about the NDSU field day, contact Janna Block at janna.block@ndsu.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - May 17, 2022

Source: Janna Block, 701-567-4323, janna.block@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu