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This document provides information about preparing a beef project for a county fair. The experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute offer guidance on feeding and caring for market animals to ensure they are in the appropriate condition for exhibition. They emphasize the importance of creating a feeding plan and keeping records of feed and health treatments. Additionally, they recommend training the cattle to respond to handlers and exposing them to different situations to prepare them for the fair environment. [Extracted from the article]

In a similar way, some cattle producers are already looking at ways to extend their feed resources because of the lack of moisture that may have cut those supplies short, said the experts at Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute. "Grazing corn or sorghum stalks are a good feed resource for cows in mid-gestation that have their calves weaned off already", Lancaster said. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster recommends turning out the cattle on crop residues as a way to extend the time before they need to feed them hay. [Extracted from the article]

In much the same way these vectors can also transmit bovine leukemia virus to beef cattle, say the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. IN THIS ISSUE When traveling abroad to regions that experience different disease threats, there can be some preventative measures that can keep a person from experiencing sickness that occurs in a particular area of the world. "Bovine leukosis is a viral infection that infects the immune system of cattle and once cows have the virus in their bodies it stays with them for life", said K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers. [Extracted from the article]

Kansas State University Research and Extension Anyone who has ever had a scratch on their eye or had dust get under their eyelid can attest to how painful an eye condition can be. "Pinkeye is an eye infection that often first starts with watery eyes and then progresses to a swollen eye and even a white spot in the eyeball", said K-State veterinarian Dr. Bob Larson. Like people, cattle can also experience irritants in their eyes and that can often lead to pinkeye, say the experts at Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. [Extracted from the article]

Just like with people, twin pregnancies can also happen in beef herds and there are some genetic and environmental factors that influence the likelihood of twin births, say the experts at Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute. Along with genetics, cow nutrition can also factor into the likelihood of carrying twins, said K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster. "Twin births occur in about 2% of beef pregnancies", said Dr. Bob Larson, K-State veterinarian, while speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. [Extracted from the article]

Calving season can be an exhausting time on the ranch, especially when cows experience difficulty giving birth, say the experts at Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute. "Bull calves will typically weigh more than heifer calves, so herds with a disproportionally large number of bulls will have higher average birth weights in the calf crop", Lubbers said. The experts also agree the cow's nutrition during gestation influences the birth weight of her calf. [Extracted from the article]

"The forage productivity is not going to be the same across the whole ranch and so producers can use temporary electric fence to vary the sizes of the pastures depending on the recovery time of the grasses", Lancaster said. This system is often referred to as rotational grazing in which cattle are moved throughout the grazing season, allowing the grass to rest when the animals are not actively grazing, according to beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster. "Electric fences make sense for interior pasture fences, but the perimeter fence should be a stronger, permanent fence so that if the temporary fence breaks the cattle aren't off the property", said veterinarian Brad White. [Extracted from the article]

Veterinarian Brad White took that analogy further, adding: "If the cow is efficiently using the feedstuffs, that is a good return on my investment, but if she gets overweight that is a sign of a diminishing return on what I'm feeding." To know what the right balance is, Lancaster recommends producers research the nutrient requirements for the cows and estimate their consumption of feed, supplements and forage. [Extracted from the article]

"Heifers have to be monitored more closely at calving than cows do", said Bob Larson, veterinarian. When it comes to calving, heifers tend to experience a longer first stage of labor - which involves contractions that push the calf into the birth canal - compared to cows, said Larson. "Ideally the heifers and cows need to be calving at a body condition score of six", Larson said. [Extracted from the article]

In harsh temperatures, Tarpoff said it is important to offer the cattle bedding either in the barn or out on the pastures. IN THIS ISSUE The extreme late December drop in temperatures drove many to retreat to the indoors to stay warm, but for beef cattle out on pasture, bedding in a warm barn is not always an option, said the experts at Kansas State University's Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. Nutritionally speaking, beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said the cattle's maintenance requirements will increase 50 to 100% when the temperatures plummet and they are out in frigid, snowy conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Speaking on a Cattle Chat podcast, veterinary experts outlined how calf diarrhea, also known as scours, can be a serious issue in newborn calves but one that can be minimized by rotating the pastures where the cows calve. In this system, cows that are heavy in their pregnancy are moved to new pastures every 2-3 weeks, and once they calve, they stay in the same pastures where they gave birth until the calves are old enough to be co-mingled with the others in the herd, according to veterinarian Dr. Brian Lubbers. "A newborn calf's worst enemy from a germ standpoint is a calf that is a few weeks old because those older calves shed more germs that cause scours", Larson said. [Extracted from the article]

Regarding the type of forages to feed, Lancaster recommends producers test the quality of the hay before they purchase it. When transitioning cattle to different feeds, Lancaster said producers need to understand what type of carbohydrate is in the new and old feedstuff. [Extracted from the article]

In the case of cattle, they advise that producers group first-calf heifers away from the mature cows in the months before calving. "If I start feeding the cowherd like I would a growing replacement heifer, those cows are going to be over-conditioned going into the calving season", Lancaster said. [Extracted from the article]

"A newborn calf's worst enemy from a germ standpoint is a calf that is a few weeks old because those older calves shed more germs that cause scours", Larson said. In this system, cows that are heavy in their pregnancy are moved to new pastures every 2-3 weeks, and once they calve, they stay in the same pastures where they gave birth until the calves are old enough to be co-mingled with the others in the herd, according to veterinarian Dr. Brian Lubbers. Speaking on a Cattle Chat podcast, veterinary experts outlined how calf diarrhea, also known as scours, can be a serious issue in newborn calves but one that can be minimized by rotating the pastures where the cows calve. [Extracted from the article]

Often when talking about resiliency, Johannes said people think about the individual, but she believes it is important to look at the well-being of the whole community. "Mental health is fluid and changes over a lifespan, and the trauma from a disaster will be experienced differently by the families and individuals in a community", Johannes said. "This disaster didn't hit everyone the same way", she said, "and the ripple effects are different depending on how well prepared our community was at addressing large scale health issues.". [Extracted from the article]

"Newly weaned calves can show signs of coccidiosis, which is caused by a parasite that invades the lining of the small intestine and can result in bloody diarrhea", said Dr. Bob Larson, K-State veterinarian. Tummy troubles can be miserable and if diarrhea is a symptom, it can lead to a serious illness in people and cattle, say the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute on a recent Cattle Chat podcast. "We have an additive specifically to prevent or treat coccidiosis that can be delivered in water or feed and we can add ionophores to the feed that can help us control coccid-iosis as well as have feed efficiency benefits", he said. [Extracted from the article]

"There is a lot of anaplasmosis vaccine research being done at K-State; this disease is difficult to build a safe and effective vaccine for, but I am hopeful that this research will lead to a better option in the future", Larson said. On a recent Cattle Chat podcast, the veterinarians discussed a listener question in which two cows recently died unexpectedly in the herd and anaplasmosis was determined to be the cause of death. "Anaplasmosis is a disease of the blood in which a parasite causes the red blood cells to be destroyed and the animal can die due to a lack of oxygen", veterinarian Bob Larson said. [Extracted from the article]

If producers are adjusting nutrition, it is recommended that they separate the bulls from the cows if the facilities will allow for that, according to Larson. "I want those new bulls to acclimate with the feed and other bulls that are already on the operation soon after they arrive", Larson said. Larson added that there are other benefits for separating the bulls and cows for a period in terms of rest, but he said it is important to keep the bulls together from a social standpoint. [Extracted from the article]

However, if the tick has attached to the body, Cloyd said it is important to carefully remove the tick and then put it in a sealed bag so it can be identified and go to the doctor's office for evaluation. All nature-loving Kansans have likely had one common lifetime experience - crossing paths with ticks. If one finds a tick on their body that hasn't latched on, Cloyd said to kill it by firmly squishing the tick to keep it from spreading to someone else in the house. [Extracted from the article]

Natural disasters can happen with little warning, and in Kansas, those often come in the form of tornados, windstorms, fires or ice storms. Talking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians Brad White and Brian Lubbers were joined by Justin Waggoner, beef cattle Extension specialist located in southwest Kansas. Understanding the phases of a disaster can help livestock producers anticipate what might be needed following such an event on the ranch, said the beef cattle experts at Kansas State University. [Extracted from the article]

As the movement to legalize marijuana across the country expands, many are left with confusion about the hemp plant that it comes from, and its other by-products such as oils, seeds and fibers. "Hemp seeds, for example, are really high in protein and have a nice amino acid profile and a decent fat content, while the stalk of the plant is not very nutritious", Kleinhenz said. [Extracted from the article]

When you hear a friend mention grilling up a nice, juicy steak, does a T-bone come to mind? "There is a long-standing belief that bone-in steaks provide a more flavorful eating experience when compared to boneless steaks of the same cut", Farmer said. [Extracted from the article]

"Most farms should still be profitable at levels last seen in 2018; the major worry is going into 2022 that 30% of Kansas grain farms could have a negative net farm income", he said. He said each area was projected to the farm level to estimate net farm income for 588 grain farms in the Kansas Farm Management Association database. "For 2021 we expect the net farm income for Kansas grain farms to be around $261,000, which is a 39% increase from 2020", said Gregg Ibendahl, associate professor of agricultural economics. [Extracted from the article]

Kansas State University While many are now evaluating their own post-holiday body condition and see the need to make some scale adjustments, this is also the time for cattle producers to evaluate the thinness of cows in the beef herd, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute. Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, the group agreed that the target body condition score for a beef cow mid-gestation is five or six. [Extracted from the article]

"If the cow is not ingesting enough magnesium from the grass or through a supplement, she might experience grass tetany, which impacts her nervous system by causing her to be weak or even become aggressive", Larson said. "Good grass managers monitor both the cows and forage availability and make adjustments throughout the grazing season", Larson said. Larson and Weaber recommended producers take a yardstick to measure the height of the grass and then calculate forage accordingly depending on whether it is a warm season or cool season grass. [Extracted from the article]