Maintaining a healthy cow herd means maintaining a healthy rumen.

The 26th Annual Dakota Feeder Calf Show and Feedout will provide producers an opportunity to experience retained ownership of calves beyond the cow-calf segment of cattle production.

The rapid maturation of winter rye makes the timing of harvest critical to ensure optimum nutrient content for livestock.

Regardless of spring conditions, have a drought plan in place.

Corn silage could make up 40% to 60% of diet dry matter and still be economical.

Backgrounding may still be economically feasible this winter.

Monitoring pastures in the fall is critical to spring forage production.

Cool temperatures and other fall stressors can lead to the development of prussic acid or accumulation of nitrates in sorghum forages.

Supplementing on pasture or range can help stretch available forage and allow farmers and ranchers to maintain “normal” stocking rates this fall.

Manure management is important for managing winter feeding areas.

Ranchers should expect delays of approximately four weeks.

Testing forage and feed for nutrient quality provides ranchers with the knowledge of what nutrients they are supplying to their cattle on a daily basis.

Topics include nutrition, manure management and marketing.

NDSU Extension specialists advise ranchers to begin planning for next year’s grazing season.

Conducting a hay inventory now will give producers a good idea of possible deficiencies.

The feedout begins on Oct. 15.

High temperatures combined with adequate moisture can impact plant metabolism and cause nitrate to build up in plants.

Following best practices helps ranchers capture and maintain forage quality.

There will be research updates from leading beef cattle mineral nutrition scientists from across the country.

The program, which was developed due to increased interest in grazing mineral nutrition, will kick off with educational webinars that will be held in May.

Given the extent of the drought this year, all forages should be tested for nitrate content.

Establishing a winter cereal for grazing next spring will allow producers to delay pasture turnout, giving drought-stressed pastures more time to recover.

Research indicates that soybean forage should not make up more than 50% of the total diet.

Producers looking for livestock feed can connect with those who have it.

Transported hay and feed are one of the primary methods of dispersal for noxious weeds.

Start planning now for future needs and changes.

Continuing drought conditions will have an impact on forage production.

Beef cow pregnancy rates are important numbers to track.

Now is a good time to evaluate cow condition and develop winter feeding programs.

Backgrounding cattle is a program in which cattle are fed for a period of time after weaning and before they are placed in finishing feedlots.