Conditions were significantly different in April, 2018 with 34.85 percent of the state in extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4) drought conditions and just 41.72 percent of the state with no drought conditions.
Hopefully, the first round of hay harvest only a few weeks away. Two free “Beef Tips” videos from Purdue Extension could help beef producers maximize the quality and quantity of their forage crops.
Flood waters are receding, but the challenges in recovery for farmers and livestock producers are just beginning. Beth Doran, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef specialist, recommends producers get out in their fields as soon as possible.
Many teenagers would spend spring break catching up on sleep or spending time with friends. However, 17-year-old Kylie Bos is spending it with her father, Jamie Bos, as the Michigan residents haul hay bales to various parts of flood-devastated areas of Nebraska.
Cattle producers wanting to stretch the grazing season might want to add native warm-season grasses to their operations, says Jim Humphrey, University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist.
Cattle producers see more profit when they add legumes to fescue pastures and manage grazing systems properly according to Patrick Davis, University of Missouri Extension specialist in livestock.
Flooding in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa continues to impact cattlemen, right in the middle of calving season. Additional moisture this week, will aggravate the situation even more, meteorologists say.
Native warm-season grasses can yield more forage than traditional tall fescue, says Tim Schnakenberg, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.
Native warm season grasses conjure up good thoughts for some and reminders of bad experiences for others according to Tim Schnakenberg, field specialist in agronomy with University of Missouri Extension.
The excess rain during fall, coupled with having fed hay for the last several months has caused areas in many pastures to be destroyed, with very little grass left.
Winter feeding of forage to beef herds doesn’t rank high as a favored job for herd owners. But there’s a bright side to feeding fescue, whether in hay or grass. Fescue toxins are down.
