The Illinois Performance Tested (IPT) Bull Sale was the lead-off event at the 2016 Illinois Beef Expo held Feb. 25 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. The sale had the second-highest overall average in the 48-year history at $4,109 on 45 lots. "This sale continues to be one...
Written by Dr. Dallas Duncan-Meteer DVM, Mt. Sterling Veterinary Clinic In the cow-calf sector, the key to increasing income is to increase reproductive efficiency. The best way to do this is to increase the number of calves weaned and sold, relative to the number of brood cows in...
2016 Northwest Illinois Grazing Conference Slated for March 2 Join the University of Illinois Extension for the 2016 Northwest Illinois Grazing Conference on Wednesday, March 2 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 223 E Front Ave, Stockton. The Conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude by 3:30 p....
Calving season is either here or fast approaching for many Illinois cattlemen. I would just like to share a few tips that I have gathered through some of our winter meetings. Perhaps the most important tip is to have a good relationship with your local veterinarian. Sometimes the difficult...
While the moderate temperatures have been welcomed, the mud that has accompanied them has not. Farmers are ready for a good hard freeze. After all, many rely on frozen ground to help keep animals out of the mud while they are more confined for winter feeding. Most farmers will tell you, with a...
Depending on your farm set-up, available equipment, and your willingness to purchase diesel fuel, your least-cost ration may look very different than your neighbors. Availability and proximity to co-product feeds, such as corn gluten feed (CGF) and dried distillers grains (DGS) may also shift your...
The dry fall weather has been optimal for farmers harvesting crops, however it has left pastures without needed moisture to grow fall forage. As a result, it is becoming glaringly evident that cattle producers need to inventory feeds and make sure they have the needed amounts of stored feed in case...
Cow/calf producers will forever remember the record profits of 2014. They may also vividly remember the "fall of the 2015 fall." Prices have quickly fallen off the last two weeks, this following a continual inching down during the months of July and August. This collapse in prices leaves many...
When a player gets injured and goes on the DL, the manager calls up a player from the minors. This year your hay crop likely got injured. So as the manager, you need to call-up the reserves… cornstalks. As an analyst (nutritionist), cornstalks will serve as a worthy replacement. But, don't expect...
For the last 5 years Ed Ballard, retired Extension, and Gary Letterly, Extension Educator, have been looking at the yield impacts of applying RyzUpSmartGrass to forages in the spring. The product works similar to a nitrogen application, however this product is primarily gibberellic acid, a natural...
