Dairy feeding : article
STOCKTON, Mo. – So-called “sacrifice pastures” might be needed to help promote forage production the rest of this cattle grazing season, according to Patrick Davis, a University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist based in Stockton.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – One of the most important tools for livestock producers is a sharp No. 2 pencil.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ways to replace toxic tall fescue pastures keep improving as renovations move across the Fescue Belt from Missouri to Georgia.Five grazing schools in five states in March will clarify a complex system, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
This is part of an MU Extension series to help row crop and livestock producers manage drought. For more articles, go to https://mizzou.us/DroughtResources.
SEDALIA, Mo. – Lexi Angelo earned high individual honors at the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held Aug. 17 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory recommends applying fall nitrogen in mid-August to cool-season pastures.
Despite drought conditions in much of the state, Lory says, “we need to get nitrogen applied now so we can take full advantage of the…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The best time to apply nitrogen fertilizer to promote fall forage growth has passed, says University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory. Applying now does not promote growth and may increase the risk of forages accumulating nitrate.
POTOSI, Mo. – Missouri is coming off consecutive years of severe droughts and depleted cool-season pastures.
As drought lingers, so do old practices that worsen its impact, says Rachel Hopkins, University of Missouri Extension agricultural business specialist.
SEDALIA, Mo.—Many Missouri producers are asking if it is safe to use soybeans for livestock forage. The topic was brought up repeatedly by attendees at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Get a head start on pastures for the year with good management of spring flush, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.Early decisions determine pasture health for the rest of the season, Naumann says.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Start stockpiling fescue mid-August for healthier and more profitable cattle, says University of Missouri Extension forage specialist Craig Roberts.Stockpiling fescue saves time and money by reducing the need to feed hay.
MONETT, Mo. – Fourth-generation farmer Mike Meier knows change will help his family’s Century Farm survive.The rotational grazing and breeding system he uses for his dairy herd works. Now he wants to apply those principles to beef cattle. “At 56, I wanted to go in a different direction,” he says.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Squatty, squishy bales are making their way out of the ditch and into the cow pasture as post-drought supplies dwindle and winter lingers.
GALENA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists warn livestock producers to be on the lookout for ergot this year.A cool, cloudy and wet spring with a prolonged flowering period was followed by high temperatures and humidity, setting the stage for infection, says Tim Schnakenberg, field…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – An emergency feeding situation is shaping up for Missouri’s beef producers because of the drought.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Grazing cornstalks or drought-stricken corn can fill feed gaps during drought, says University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey.
There are some nutritional concerns, and producers must commit to moving cattle to new pastures to successfully use cornstalks as…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dairy farmers may need a plan to offset production costs as demand for milk products drops due to COVID-19, say dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton and veterinarian Scott Poock of University of Missouri Extension.
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In the prolonged summer drought, farmers noticed that grass stayed green longer in their hayfields than in their pastures.While hayfields kept growing, pastures turned brown. Cows ran out of grass to graze.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In dry weather with short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Drought increases the chance of nitrate poisoning and prussic acid poisoning. High concentrations in plants and water can harm or even kill animals.
GALENA, Mo. – Poor forage stands carried over from last year’s drought, lower hay yields, less fertilizer used and a drought again for 2023 have created major uncertainty in the Missouri beef industry.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain makes grass grow. That’s good for grazing livestock, but makes haying difficult.Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist, sees unusual potential for cattle producers.
COLUMBIA. Mo. – Shortage of cattle forage forces some Ozark herd owners to chop trees to feed leaves. That method was used in big droughts of the 1930s and 1950s.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Newly made spring hay finally being baled in June may be toxic for cattle. Hold off on feeding new hay, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.The longer the hay can be stored after baling, the less toxic it becomes.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To reduce fescue foot, a long-used plan to feed winter hay after grazing down fall pastures should be changed. A University of Missouri Extension forage specialist says it’s backwards. Feed hay first; then graze stockpiled winter pastures.
LINNEUS, Mo. – Gaps in summer forages for livestock producers can be challenging.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Interested in an impossible task? Try making dry hay in Missouri in early spring. But baleage can turn spring forage harvest in Missouri into “Mission: Possible.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forage yield and quality improve when legumes are frost-seeded at the right time, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
STOCKTON, Mo. – Add legumes to grazing pastures to improve cow performance, soil health and forage production, says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist in Cedar County.
HERMITAGE, Mo. – Frost-seeding legumes now can pay big dividends later, says University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy Terry Halleran. Frost-seeding is a low-cost method of broadcasting legumes over frozen ground into an existing pasture.
Legumes offer many benefits but require…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – High nitrogen prices make it especially important to consider frost seeding legumes this winter, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
STOCKTON, Mo. – St. Clair County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Missouri Extension, and Missouri Forage and Grassland Council will hold a school on management-intensive grazing May 9-10 in Osceola.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Rain-delayed haymaking leads to poor-quality feed for livestock next winter. Supplemental feed will be needed to make balanced rations, says University of Missouri Extension forage specialist Rob Kallenbach.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Heat waves put extra stress on livestock. A University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist advises taking specific, ongoing steps for dairy cows throughout heat waves.Heat abatement
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Many beef and dairy calves will be born in the next three months. As spring calving season approaches, University of Missouri Extension experts stress the importance of properly caring for newborn calves.
GALENA, Mo. – With a shortage of standing forage for cattle and the low availability of hay, it is more important than ever this winter to reduce waste when feeding hay.Hay waste is normal, but it can be controlled and minimized, said University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist Tim…
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — The greening of pastures and the rising of temperatures have led ruminant-livestock owners to start thinking about the upcoming haying season.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri forage producers should begin removing seed heads from tall fescue grass pastures soon to reduce toxic endophytes that thwart herd health and profits, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts.
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is a good, productive grass to include in forage mixtures in the Ozarks region, but having too much of this grass can limit production. Monitoring the amount of Kentucky bluegrass in the forage stand can be helpful to producers.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Adding poultry litter or nitrogen to toxic fescue pastures grows more grass, but also boosts toxins in the grass.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – George Washington knew the value of a good seed: “Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind,” the founding father wrote, “for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For yield and quality, May is the best time to harvest cool-season grasses, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Northern Missouri has received plenty of rain, and dairy producers there are hopeful about making a silage pile, while those in the state’s southern counties are looking at options as drought conditions and oppressive heat have taken hold.
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Missouri Holstein Dezi is a moo-ver and a milker.The Lawrence County cow outperforms most of her regional counterparts, producing just short of three times as much milk per day, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
CLEVER, Mo. – While fall is the best time to consider pasture renovation, spring is the second-best time, so there is still time to help pastures get back in shape for the next season, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg.
MONTICELLO, Mo. – The federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), in place for nearly 10 years, requires elevator firms to develop and maintain documentation on their current good manufacturing practices for processing and selling animal feed.
State forage agronomy specialist Carson Roberts recently released the “Productive Pastures Podcast,” featuring livestock and forage producers, researchers and others interested in management-intensive grazing, livestock production and forage production.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri’s Foremost Dairy developed a colostrum management system that helps it far exceed Gold Standards set by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, says MU Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension dairy veterinarian Scott Poock has developed a spreadsheet to track and evaluate colostrum management data in dairy calves.
Find hay for sale in Missouri with this searchable online directory from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
The drought in Missouri has taken a toll on cool-season grasses, diminishing forage for cattle and other livestock.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – It is difficult to make blanket recommendations on fall nitrogen fertilizer rates to pastures because of the variability in how forages are managed in the Fescue Belt, says University of Missouri Extension state nutrient management specialist John Lory. But fescue pastures need a…
TUSCUMBIA, Mo. – Now is the time for forage growers to plan for drought, says Rudra Baral, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — It wasn’t the best of springs for baling hay.
“Stockpiling fall forage can stretch your hay supply by delaying how early you start feeding hay, plus reduce your harvesting costs,” says Pat Miller, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.
SEDALIA, Mo. – While spring calving and spring bull sales may dominate the producer’s current thought process, planning for weaned fall calves might slip through the cracks. Two items to pay close attention to for weaned calves is value of gain and cost per pound of gain.
HUMANSVILLE, Mo. – Martin Prairie Farms near Humansville treats dairy cows like guests.The family-owned dairy farm north of Humansville in Hickory County dedicates itself to top-of-the-line herd nutrition and care, says University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Reagan Bluel.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Hay harvest is approaching, and producing high-quality hay reduces cattle supplementation,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
Davis discusses harvest management strategies to achieve optimal hay quality.
CLEVER, Mo. –Due to poor storage and feeding methods, only about half of Missouri hay reaches the cow’s mouth, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andy McCorkill.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Livestock producers have options for reducing hay waste and feeding costs while improving animal behavior and performance, says University of Missouri Extension specialist Charlie Ellis.
Farmers can choose from several methods to reduce waste based on their preferences, labor…
MOUNT VERNON, Mo. – Drought in southwestern Missouri calls for long- and short-term feed plans for beef and dairy herds.
University of Missouri Extension state dairy specialist Stacey Hamilton urges producers not to panic as local feed supplies dwindle. There are options to carry herds through…
LINN, Mo. – Livestock producers and horse owners can learn how to make “Hay That Pays” at the University of Missouri Extension regional hay school Oct. 14 in Linn.The event runs 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Community Christian Church, 1598 U.S. Highway 50, Linn.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Producers looking for ways to grow forages during drought might consider planting an “annual pasture within a perennial pasture,” says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When drought boosted corn and soybean prices, beef-herd owners faced new challenges. They can’t rely on traditional feeds as low-cost supplements for winter forages.“Producers must look at every alternative this winter,” says a University of Missouri Extension beef nutritionist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dry weather and short pastures have reduced forage supplies, prompting livestock producers to ponder “could have, would have, should have” scenarios, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eric Meusch.
SEDALIA, Mo. – While it is still too soon to sound the alarm on “drought,” parts of the state are becoming severely dry, said University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Gene Schmitz.
MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. – Start stockpiling tall fescue in mid-August for healthier, more profitable cattle, says University of Missouri Extension field specialist in agronomy Rusty Lee.
Frequent droughts in Missouri have livestock producers discussing more adaptable summer pasture options.
“With tall fescue as the dominant Missouri forage, there are few options to enhance those fescue fields to graze through a long, hot, dry spell,” said Tim Schnakenberg, University of Missouri…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With high costs of feed for wintering cows, herd owners should consider adding monensin to grain supplements for winter forages. The additive, trade name Rumensin, controls coccidiosis, a disease caused by intestinal parasites.
Cattle rid their bodies of heat in three ways: radiation, convection and evaporation. “If your cattle can’t use all three methods, they’ll overheat fast,” says University of Missouri Extension state beef nutrition specialist Eric Bailey. Summer heat knocks weight off calves and pounds off milk,…
ASH GROVE, Mo. – “Cows and horses think alfalfa looks like candy, smells like candy and tastes like candy,” says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Andrew McCorkill.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ask five farmers how much their hay bales weigh, and you’ll probably get five different answers — none of which are backed up by a scale ticket.
SALEM, Mo. – Now is a good time to review winter feeding plans, according to University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eric Meusch.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts says now is the time to check for ergot in the seed heads of grasses.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Proper management of the spring flush of tall fescue gives pastures and cattle a head start for the rest of the grazing season, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – “Don’t delay making hay,” says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri Extension.It might not seem like haymaking time, or haymaking weather, but early harvest results in more quality forage through the season, says the state forage specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With dry weather and short pastures, Missouri cow-herd owners face tough culling decisions. One way to match cows’ needs to available grass is to sell cows.
Compared to other parts of the agricultural community, graziers of cattle depend less on fossil fuel and more on solar energy to turn a natural resource like grass into a sellable commodity, says University of Missouri Extension agronomist Tim Schnakenberg. Graziers can save on operating expenses…
STOCKTON, Mo. – If not managed properly, muddy pastures can affect grazing the rest of the year, says University of Missouri Extension regional livestock specialist Patrick Davis.
STOCKTON, Mo. – “Cattle producers welcome the rain, but it leads to muddy pastures and proper management is needed for optimum grazing the rest of the year,” says Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension livestock field specialist.
In this video news story, University of Missouri researchers use GPS technology to understand the complexities of a cow's appetite. This knowledge may help livestock producers graze cattle more efficiently.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new tool helps farmers decide the breakeven price for wheatlage compared to harvesting their wheat as grain.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – At the right price, wheat middlings are a good source of protein, fiber and phosphorus for livestock, says University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Kendra Graham.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Winter is the time for livestock producers to prepare pastures for drought, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Harley Naumann.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Increases in fertilizer prices add to the cost of growing forage for grazing. This leads farmers to ask if they should buy hay or fertilizer, says University of Missouri Extension nutrient management specialist John Lory.