(KMAland) -- Beef producers throughout Iowa are preparing for the early spring calving season.
Chris Clark is a beef specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He says January is a great time for producers to finish up preparations for the busy time to come.
"This time of year, I always remind people just to think ahead and start getting facilities and equipment ready for calving," said Clark. "Think about your feeding strategy and housing environment. Weather can be challenging during calving season, depending on when you start, so just be thinking about shelter and bedding and what your strategy is to check and assist cows is a really good idea."
Looking farther ahead, Clark says producers should look at their feeding strategy for their herds. He says widespread drought in the western half of the state will have a negative impact on pastures this spring.
"Pastures are likely short and will probably need some rest and recovery time this spring," said Clark. "We may need to feed a little bit deeper into the spring compared to a normal year. Just do an inventory of available feeds, maybe testing hays and silages to see what the nutritional value really is can be helpful just to make sure we're balancing good diets that meet their needs, but that we're not wasting any energy or any other nutrients."
To help beef producers, ISU Extension is offering a series of instructional videos, as many in-person offerings have been suspended due to COVID-19. Clark says they have series that are released regularly.
"One is released regularly on most Fridays, that's called Feedyard Friday," said Clark. "The other is released pretty regularly on Tuesdays and that would be our Cow Tip Tuesday series. These are just short video clips with a few helpful tidbits and little pieces of advice. We usually guide you to some further resources that are available through Iowa State University."
Videos and more information is available on the ISU Extension and Outreach Facebook or at extension.iastate.edu.
The Link LonkJanuary 18, 2021 at 06:00PM
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KMAland beef producers prepping for calving season | AG | kmaland.com - KMAland
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