News and Blogs

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Dixon Springs Beef Field Day focuses on costs, water, herd health
DIXON SPRINGS, Ill. – Cattle producers can learn the latest practices for controlling costs, managing water, and improving herd health at the Beef Field Day at University of Illinois' Dixon Springs Agricultural Center.  The field day begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug 2 at the...
small pigs looking at camera
New biosecurity resource helps producers protect pigs
URBANA, Ill. –The estimated economic impact over 10 years is $50 billion if African swine fever finds its way into the United States, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. And...
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$3.9M USDA NIFA grant funds ‘Farm of the Future’
Urbana, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it is funding a new collaboration between two institutes and a research center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that will create an integrated farm of the future in the U.S. Midwest. Titled “I-...
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Young farmers seek solutions to entry barriers
URBANA, Ill. – Young and beginning farmers face many challenges, including access to land, financial capital, technical knowledge and support, social networks, adequate labor, marketing experience, health insurance, and childcare. University of Illinois Extension is wading through the...
Performance Tested Bull Sale averages $4,372 on 46 lots
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For 54 years, the Performance Tested Bull Sale has provided elite seedstock for cattle breeders. The 2022 sale held Feb. 24 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield averaged $4,372 on the 46 lots sold. The sale is a multi-breed sale and offers both older age...
Tiny tick-insect crawling on person's finger.
Small bug, big risk: Protect yourself from ticks this summer
URBANA, Ill. — When venturing in the woods this summer, don’t forget to protect yourself from a small, but dangerous creature likely lurking in trees, grass, and bushes. Ticks are easy to pick up when visiting grassy areas, woods, prairies, wetlands, deer trails, and brushy...
cattle
Looking for anaplasmosis in beef cattle
By Todd Gleason Researchers at the University of Illinois are working with beef cattle producers in the southern third of the state to determine the prevalence of a disease that causes...
dairy cows at farm
Data-Driven dairy
“Can we make dairy extension more scientifically sound?” That’s the question that led Phil Cardoso in 2012 to develop the Dairy Focus Team...
The Cattle Connection
black baldy cows grazing
Read article: Cue the crossbreeding
Cue the crossbreeding
Recently I saw an old advertisement for hybrid seed corn. The two inbred parent ears of corn were small and low yielding, but the hybrid ear in the...
Angus bull picture
Read article: What will a good bull cost me?
What will a good bull cost me?
A popular question this time of year is “What will a good bull cost me?.” My go-to answer is usually… “How much revenue loss would you have from a...
Cow with calf
Read article: Tips for calving season
Tips for calving season
Although there are year-round management strategies that can impact calving season success, here are some short-term, in-the-moment calving tips for...
cows eating hay in the winter
Read article: Planning and managing to avoid calving trouble
Planning and managing to avoid calving trouble
Dystocia, meaning “difficult birth,” often results in loss of a calf or complications after birth of a live calf. Some examples of complications...
sacrifice paddock that is overgrazed
Read article: What is overgrazing?
What is overgrazing?
Overgrazing is the failure to match animal grazing to forage growth and production. Overgrazing occurs when animals are allowed to continuously...
calves eating at the bunk
Read article: Tips for developing replacement heifers
Tips for developing replacement heifers
Failure to develop heifers that can stay productive in the herd is a costly mistake. To help achieve successful heifer development, it is important...
mature grass in a pasture
Read article: Is mowing pasture a good thing?
Is mowing pasture a good thing?
During the summer I frequently get asked about mowing pastures. Often, farmers are seeking a yes or no answer…and hopefully validation of their...
hay in a hoop barn
Read article: Start with a forage test
Start with a forage test
The foundation of a least-cost, balanced winter ration starts with a forage test. For those buying or selling hay, forage testing can play an...