Livestock

Cattle grazing rye cover crop near Tecumseh — Figure 1. Cattle grazing cereal rye cover crop near Tecumseh. Often grazing poses less of a nitrate toxicity risk than haying and feeding.. (Photo by Mary Drewnoski)

Reducing Nitrate Concerns When Grazing Forage Cover Crops July 9, 2018

Nitrate toxicity can be a concern when planting cover crops for forage in hail-damaged crop fields. With proper management of haying and grazing, the risk can be reduced.

Figure 1. Land-applied manure from finishing 5 million beef cattle per year in Nebraska contains the equivalent of 150 lb/ac/yr N applied to 1.2 million acres.

Fertilizer N Substitution Values of Land-Applied Organic Materials May 7, 2018

Land application of organic materials for soil management in Nebraska is important for several reasons:

Q&A on Grazing Cereal Rye after an Anhydrous Application April 19, 2018

This week a CropWatch reader asked: Can you safely graze cover crop rye this spring after anhydrous has been applied? That depends on several factors, write three extension specialists in agronomy and beef production.

Figure 1. Two options for determining pasture rental rates are per acre and per cow-calf.

Q&A: How do I determine a fair pasture rental rate? March 9, 2018

What are some of the reasons why you would choose either a per-acre or a per cow-calf pair to determine pasture rental rate? Extension Forage Specialist Bruce Anderson discusses several benefits of each method.

Nebraska Feedlot Cattle up 10% from 2017 January 26, 2018

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.61 million cattle on feed on January 1, up 10% from last year.

Cattle grazing in corn stalks — Figure 1. Studies conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at seven locations found that winter grazing of corn fields does not result in biologically significant compaction or negative impacts on subsequent crop yields. (Photo by Mary Drewnoski)

Studies Show Minimal Soil Compaction With Winter Grazing October 24, 2017

Studies conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at seven locations found that winter grazing of corn residue did not result in biologically significant compaction or negative impacts on subsequent crop yields. This review of the results includes short- and long-term studies

Silage or grain? When making the decision about harvesting corn, farmers should consider several factors.

Is Your Corn Worth More as Grain or Silage? August 29, 2017

Silage or grain? When making the decision about harvesting drought- and hail-damaged corn, farmers should consider several factors. Calculations here can help you determine the end value for both uses.

Online Crop Residue Exchange Links Growers and Grazers August 16, 2017

A new interactive online tool, the Crop Residue Exchange, links farmers with fields of crop residue with livestock producers looking for new grazing opportunities.