Articles
Beef x Dairy Crossbreeding and calf management practices on Wisconsin dairy farms (Part 2)
A beef x dairy genetics survey was conducted in 2018, which led to additional research in 2021 when Extension Educators and specialists surveyed 40 Wisconsin dairy farms utilizing beef x dairy genetics. In addition to sire selection, the 2021 survey included newborn calf care and milk-feeding practices.
Beef x Dairy Crossbreeding and calf management practices on Wisconsin dairy farms (Part 1)
A beef x dairy genetics survey was conducted in 2018, which led to additional research in 2021 when extension educators and specialists surveyed 40 Wisconsin dairy farms utilizing beef x dairy genetics. In addition to sire selection, the 2021 survey included newborn calf care and milk-feeding practices. This article highlights some of the calf management results, with greater detail available in the corresponding white paper.
Spring pasture weed management
Many beef and small ruminant producers are looking forward to pastures greening up in Wisconsin. In some pastures that will include troublesome weeds. Management timing for weed control is narrow for some species and can be the difference between success and a waste of time and money.
Beef genetics on dairy females and examining the care of newborn calves: Results from a 2021 survey
The use of beef sires on dairy females has continued to be a common and growing management practice on dairy farms. During the summer of 2021, UW-Madison Division of Extension educators surveyed 40 dairy farms known to be using beef sires to breed dairy females to assess their beef x dairy sire selection criteria, selection of dairy females to breed to beef sires, newborn calf management, milk feeding practices, and how they market their beef x dairy cattle.
Manage feeding to help cattle handle cold stress
Good winter management practices contribute to healthy cattle, reasonable feed costs, and long-term productivity of the beef cow herd. There will be times during the winter when it will be necessary to adjust the ration to help cows through cold conditions.
Maintain beef bulls through winter
As the cold weather sets in and winter feeding begins, many bulls have already been removed from the cows to wait for the next breeding season. During this time away from the cows, bulls may be expected to require minimal maintenance to thrive through winter, but it is important to understand the significance of meeting bulls’ needs to ensure their dependability for the next breeding season.
Biosecurity: Start with small steps
Producers can take steps to minimize the risk of a disease outbreak on their livestock premises. When beef producers increase biosecurity measures to decrease the likelihood of foreign animal diseases, they are also taking steps to reduce exposure to and disease losses from more common endemic diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, mycoplasma, Johne’s disease, shipping fever, trichomoniasis, warts and ringworm.
New Sheep Operation Enterprise Budget Tool available for farmers
Download a copy of the Sheep Operation Enterprise Budget to determine the past year’s production costs and profitability, and develop budgets for evaluating next year’s profitability. Accurate closeouts and projections can help identify the sheep enterprises’ strengths and areas for improvement.
Questions to ask before you try contract hog feeding
Contract hog feeding is an arrangement where one entity contracts with another entity to provide daily care for hogs in various production phases. The most common arrangement, and the arrangement we will discuss here, is a wean-to-finish arrangement where one entity provides weaned pigs, feed, transportation of feed and pigs, and veterinary services and medicine.
Preparing for a foreign animal disease outbreak in swine production
Preparing for a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak continues to be one of the most discussed topics in the pork industry. With African Swine Fever as close as the Dominican Republic and Haiti, it has never been more important for pork producers to have a plan in the event of an outbreak.
