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SDSU, UNL Extension Host Siouxland Feedlot Forum

 SDSU Extension and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension are hosting a Siouxland Feedlot Forum on June 18, 2024, in South Sioux City, Nebraska. 

Selected speakers from SDSU Extension, UNL and a private consulting company will deliver timely, educational information on feedlot nutrition and management strategies for feedlot owners, managers and industry partners. 

It is from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront. Registration is required and is $100 per person. Sponsorships are also available. For more information and to register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “feedlot”. 

The forum will feature four speakers: 

  • A Conversation on Carcass Value: Quality Grade, Pounds and other Influencers, by Pete Anderson, Midwest PMS. 
  • Preparing the Feedlot for Heat Events, by Warren Rusche, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist.
  • Harvest and Management Strategies Affecting Nutritional Quality of Earlage and High-Moisture Ear Corn, by Alfredo DiCostanzo, UNL Beef Systems Extension Educator.
  • Managing Quality and Cutability through Energy Supply, by Zach Smith, SDSU Department of Animal Science assistant professor.

Rusche said event organizers chose topics related to feedlot profitability and sustainability based on research done in this region. That’s why Rusche and DiCostanzo worked together to bring this new, multi-state collaborative event to the region. 

“We don’t look like southwest Kansas or the Texas panhandle,” Rusche said. “The things they talk about wouldn’t be applicable here.” 

By tapping the expertise of local and regional researchers, speakers can address the unique needs of Upper Midwest cattle producers. Earlage, for example, is a feed used more commonly in this region than others and is unique because it contains roughage and fiber – both important for cattle nutrition.

“How do we use the feeds that are produced here? How do we deal with the sometimes-challenging environment of this area in a way that we optimize cattle growth and cattle value?” Rusche said. “Everything we do is directed toward managing cattle growth.”

Source : sdstate.edu

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