This report has several short research reports from researchers conducting research on beef cattle and sheep and associated topics. the target audience is people associated with the beef and sheep industries in North Dakota and elsewhere.

Multiple years of manure fertilizer use research in ND have shown that manure can be used as a fertilizer but there are management considerations. If the manure is used on short season crops such as wheat, some supplemental nitrogen fertilizer is needed. If used on a longer season crop such as corn, manure can be a complete substitution for commercial fertilizer.

Manure and commercial fertilizers contain nutrients essential for plant growth.

When nutrients and other pollutants associated with animal manures and commercial fertilizers are not managed properly, they can affect plant and animal life (including humans) negatively. Some of these impacts include algae blooms causing the depletion of oxygen in surface waters, pathogens and nitrates in drinking water, and the emission of odors and gases into the air.

This document is a guide to the North Dakota Grazing Monitoring Stick. A Grazing Monitoring Stick can be a fast, user-friendly tool for measuring and monitoring utilization of pasture and rangeland. Utilization measures the percent of the plant that has been removed by grazing animals. Monitoring utilization of grass can determine livestock removal date and prevent overgrazing.

This publication addresses feeding management guidelines that can improve the success of backgrounding operations and practices that can lower the cost of gain in backgrounding operations.

Plants utilized in the feeding of livestock have long been a fundamental link in the food chain. Native grasses supported grazing animals well before man began to domesticate livestock. Forages have always been an extremely important source of nutrients in livestock rations. Additionally, they provide fiber in the ration which enhances proper digestion in forage-consuming animals. Through their conversion into milk and meat products, forages continue to be one of the primary sources of nourishment in the human diet.

This report has several short research reports from researchers conducting research on beef cattle and associated topics. The target audience is people associated with the beef industry in ND and elsewhere.

This publication provides information on: • Cow nutrition prior to calving • Colostrum management • Calving season vaccinations • Parasite control • General management

This publication is intended to familiarize cow-calf producers with the terminology that feedlot managers may use when discussing custom feeding and feedlots.