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Mission: The Iowa Beef Center mission is to enhance the vitality, profitability and growth of the Iowa beef industry through timely and relevant producer education, applied research and improved access to information. |
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| News from Iowa Beef Center | |
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It’s time for a pasture walk in Lucas County and Andy Offenburger’s farm is the place. The event is set for Tuesday, June 21, beginning at 6 p.m., on the farm northeast of Chariton. Iowa State University extension beef specialist Chris Clark said the program will include information from ISU extension beef, agronomy and ag engineering specialists on a variety of topics. |
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Beef cattle transporters are receiving notice from major packers reminding them to renew their Beef Quality Assurance Transportation (BQAT) certificate. To help them renew or obtain new certification, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will offer BQAT trainings across northwest Iowa this summer. Extension beef specialist Beth Doran is organizing these trainings. |
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One of the first Iowa State University Extension and Outreach pasture walks of 2022 is set for June 8. ISU Extension Union County is hosting the event at 1815 240th St, Shannon City, beginning at 6 p.m. The walk is for anyone interested in learning more about pasture management and cattle grazing, and features ISU extension specialists Chris Clark, Aaron Sauegling and Tim Christensen. |
| With the cool and wet spring in 2022, there haven’t been many opportunities to seed forages. Is it getting too late to plant forages? The short answer is that there is still some time to seed forages this spring. While the typical planting window is late February (frost seeding) through late April, planting forages in May can still be successful. For areas south of I-80, agronomists suggest seeding by the middle of May, whereas north of I-80 could get by seeding even a little later in May. For spring seeding tips, see this article on the ICM website. | |
| It's time to start thinking about scouting for alfalfa weevil. Even with recent cool temperatures, overwintering alfalfa weevil adults have become active, made their way to alfalfa fields, and have likely begun laying eggs in stems. Alfalfa weevil is a cool-season pest and is able to survive less than ideal temperatures by moving under residue or near the crown. Adult alfalfa weevils become active and start laying eggs as soon as temperatures exceed 48°F. Alfalfa weevil egg hatching begins when 200-300 GDD (base 48°F) have accumulated since January 1. See more info and a GDD map in this ICM article. | |
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Current retail values of diesel fuel can be used as an index to estimate current and near-future yardage charges in maintaining livestock. Iowa Beef Center associate scientist Garland Dahlke said it’s important for producers to know their costs, especially in light of higher fuel prices. He recently updated the Iowa Beef Center’s Yardage-Diesel Fuel Relationship calculator to help producers determine cost estimates. |
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Body Condition Scoring (BCS) at calving is an important predictor of numerous important outcomes such as dystocia, calf vigor, quantity and quality of colostrum, postpartum intervals, return to estrus, and subsequent pregnancy. Very simply, BCS of 5-6 at calving time should be the goal. Chris Clark, Iowa State University extension beef specialist, said it is important for producers to analyze BCS at calving and other key times of the year. |
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Our Calving Management online manual is here for you. Info you need for correctly managing calving in your herd: general prep, facilities, supplies and more, all at your fingertips on your device. |
Dealing with stress: Serious financial and other stresses continue to impact and affect those in our agricultural community. There are some resources to help deal with a variety of stress concerns and grief. Remember also that the Iowa Concern Hotline is always available at 800-447-1985, iowaconcern@iastate.edu and at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/. |
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Looking for a BQA workshop? Check this listing on this page of the Iowa Beef Industry Council website for a location near you. This page also has links to our IBC personnel, online BQA training, information on BQA transportation trainings and more. |
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