SDSU heifer development webinar
Beginning Feb. 10, 2016 and throughout the month, SDSU Extension will host the second Annual Heifer Development Webinar Series, Managing Bred Heifers for the Future.
“This four-part webinar series will focus on the management of bred heifers with the objective of providing producers with research-based tools they can use to effectively manage their herds in today’s cattle market,” said Taylor Grussing, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist.
The webinar series will run February 10, 17, 24 and conclude on March 2. All sessions will start at 12:30 p.m. (CST)/ 11:30 a.m. (MST) and run for one hour. Grussing encourages anyone who is interested to register, even if they may not be able to watch the webinar live. Each webinar session will be recorded and emailed out to participants, allowing those who missed the live session to watch it at a later date.
Driven by change
Like the first webinar series launched in 2015, SDSU Extension launched this second series to respond to changes in the industry, Grussing explained.
“When cattle values escalated to unprecedented levels in 2014, U.S. beef producers responded by retaining more replacement heifers and expansion of the U.S. cowherd began. However, as the market in 2016 returns to more normal conditions, successful cattle producers need to focus on risk management while tending to their young herds, specifically bred heifers,” Grussing said.
Webinar schedule:
February 10, 2016: Topic: Nutritional Management of Bred Heifers: Focus on Late Gestation and Early Lactation. Presenters include; Ken Olson, Professor & SDSU Extension Beef Specialist and Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist.
Session details: Understanding nutrient requirements during each stage of production is important no matter the age of the animal. However, bred heifers are still growing while experiencing their first pregnancy and therefore require additional nutrients to meet both their own growth requirements, but also the growth, development, and health of the fetus. This session will discuss how to provide the best nutritional management to bred heifers during the last trimester of gestation and into early lactation for optimum performance by both the heifer and the newborn calf.
February 17, 2016: Topic: Health Management: Preparing Bred Heifers for Calving. The session presenter is, Russ Daly, Professor, SDSU Extension Veterinarian, State Public Health Veterinarian.
Session details: Applying a good herd health program to a heifer development operation can be the first step to decreasing the chances of calving difficulty and minimizing death losses throughout the calving season. This session will focus on health preparation of bred heifers prior to calving, as well as their health performance through the calving process and then post-calving management.
February 24, 2016: Topic: Heifer Development Marketing Options and Budgets Presenters include; Tim Petry, NDSU Extension Service Livestock Marketing Economist and Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist.
Session details: Knowing cost of production is critical to profitability in a cow/calf operation. Especially during this time of downward price pressure, areas of profit leaks need be identified and minimized to maintain profitability on the ranch. This session will identify and discuss areas of risk management and budgets for bred heifers which producers can use to develop plans to deal with market challenges.
March 2, 2016: Topic: Reproductive Management: Rebreeding 1st Calf Heifers. Presenters include; Taylor Grussing, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist and George Perry, Professor & SDSU Extension Beef Reproductive Management Specialist.
Session details: Pregnancy status is the number 1 reason cows are culled from the herd annually. Young females are commonly the most difficult to re-breed and keep in the herd due to nutrient competition to meet requirements for maintenance, growth, lactation and reproduction. This session will discuss postpartum management strategies to prepare 1st calf heifers for successful rebreeding and the importance of calving interval on herd longevity.
To Register
To join the Webinar, a one-time registration fee of $25 will provide access to all webinar sessions. To register, visit the “Heifer Development Webinar: Managing Bred Heifers for the Future” registration link at iGrow.org/events (http://igrow.org/events/managing-bred-heifers-for-the-future/). Registration will remain open through March 2, 2016.
To learn more visit iGrow.org or if you have questions, contact Taylor Grussing, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist at 605-995-7378 or taylor.grussing@sdstate.edu.
–SDSU Extension
