Nutrition

As temperatures begin to creep up and spring starts to arrive, it is time to start thinking about the coming hay season.

Just about anybody can make hay and put animals out on pasture, but achieving quality goals for that forage takes knowledge, planning and effort.

A growing body of evidence suggests there are wide-reaching benefits to following colostrum with several feedings of transition milk.

Pregnant heifers are one cohort on dairies that don’t need nutrient-rich diets. In fact, over-feeding mature heifers can lead to excess fat deposition, which may cause calving difficulties and challenging lactation transitions.

Broomsedge is an invasive weed that targets ill-managed pastures and control is difficult once broomsedge is established.

Grass tetany might be easily defined as a deficiency of magnesium, but for Dick Kurtz of Oregon, Mo., it just means trouble. He lost three cows in March to the disorder and is carefully watching a few more.

Feed intake after calving critical.

When pastures suffer from over use, farmers and ranchers should look into over-seeding.

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.

Everyone wants to increase yield. Usually it means providing more of some type of input.