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Jersey cows grazing under a sunny blue sky in a green pasture.
Read article: Central Illinois rotational grazing benefits land, cows, milk, people
Central Illinois rotational grazing benefits land, cows, milk, people
Milk is so synonymous with a grocery store visit; it is permanently printed on your shopping list notepad. With an entire industry supporting this...
two pregnant red angus cows in a field
Read article: Planning and managing to avoid dystocia
Planning and managing to avoid dystocia
Dystocia, meaning “difficult birth,” often results in the loss of a calf or complications after birth of a live calf. Some examples of complications...
Cow and calf in fall season
Read article: Breeding tips for fall-calving cows
Breeding tips for fall-calving cows
For fall calving herds, breeding season is upon us. Successful reproduction is the forefront of a cow/calf operation and heavily impacts an...
cow in snow covered field
Read article: Managing winter feed costs
Managing winter feed costs
Approximately 60% of a beef cattle producers’ expenses are due to feed costs. Keep feed costs in check while keeping cows in an appropriate body...

News Releases

Green grass with blue sky horizon chicken coup and chickens on grass
McHenry County Farm Stroll 2023
McHenry County Farm Stroll 2023 Offers Tours of 11 Family-Owned Small Farms and McHenry County College Student Farm Woodstock, Ill. – Come out for an autumn day in the country! On Sunday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., McHenry County will host its annual Farm Stroll, a free self-...
Local youth gather around a pig pen during a livestock judging contest.
Local youth place at 2024 livestock and dairy judging contest
DUQUOIN, Ill. – The DuQuoin State Fairgrounds was filled with 162 local 4-H and FFA youth from 20 counties at the annual livestock and dairy judging contest in mid-March. Livestock judging is the evaluation of an animal's characteristics and making a comparison to other animals and the ideal...
A group of youth with "2024 Livestock Quiz Bowl" text.
Southern Illinois youth place in 2024 livestock quiz bowl
PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill.— Local 4-H members from southern Illinois recently competed at a Livestock Quiz Bowl. The event was filled with fun activities as youth identified various types of feed, species, equipment, and cuts of meat. This competition was a way to stimulate learning in various topics ...
Person holding two chickens and smiling at the camera in a chicken coop.
Register for a local 2024 Certified Livestock Manager Training session
URBANA, Ill. — Depending on an operation’s size, livestock manager training certification is required for many Illinois production livestock facilities. Having certified individuals on staff strengthens an operation through shared knowledge and building conversations with individuals responsible...

Videos

Safe Animal Handling in Beef Cattle

 

Safe animal handling is critical for ensuring safety of both handlers and the animals. In this episode of Grazing Planners Speak, Travis Meeter (University of Illinois Extension) provides an overview of cattle behavior and how to ensure safe animal handling as a grazing planner....

Body Condition Scoring for Beef Cattle

 

Body condition scoring is a valuable tool for evaluating animal health and performance in the field, and is important for both producers and grazing planners. In this episode of Grazing Planners Speak, Travis Meeter (University of Illinois Extension) walks us through how to evaluate...

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