Webinar: Drylot Feeding Cow-Calf Pairs

Jan 03, 2025

Drought conditions have continued to persist and intensify in the High-Plains Region this fall and winter. While there is still time between now and May to get precipitation, in a best-case scenario, the lingering effects of drought will likely delay when pasture turnout should occur. Should drought conditions continue and intensify this spring, drylot feeding of cow calf pairs may be an option to consider for retaining a portion of the cow herd. Considering the logistics and costs of drylotting pairs now, will help producers to know their options and to prepare and purchase feed.
Dr. Karla Wilke, Nebraska Extension Cow-Calf Systems Specialists will be presenting a free webinar on Monday, January 13 that will highlight lessons learned from University research as well as working with producers who have utilized drylotting for cow-calf pairs. Some of the content to be covered will include:
• Logistics for drylotting pairs including needed bunk space, water, fence, shade and creep access for baby calves.
• Example rations and feed costs based on current commodity prices.
• Limit feeding versus full feeding.
• Annual forages as a complement to drylot feeding.
• Health considerations for calves and cows.
• Strategies for breeding cows in a drylot setting.
The webinar is free, but registration is required. To sign up for the Drylot Feeding Cow-calf Pairs webinar please contact Aaron Berger at aberger2@unl.edu. A computer and internet connection are required to participate in the webinar.

Source : unl.edu

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.