Drought Strategies for Beef
With drought conditions extending through most of Nebraska, management strategies for the cow herd need to be continually reviewed.
UNL Extension Beef’s website discusses these options with multiple resources including three 30-minute webinars:
- Using By-Products and Crop Residues to Feed Beef Cows in Confinement, by Dr. Karla Jenkins;
- Managing Grazing and Forages in the Midst of Drought, by Dr. Jerry Volesky;
- Drought Management Strategies: Early Weaning Beef Calves and Cow Culling, by Dr. Rick Rasby.
Timely and In-depth Extension Coverage
Drought and drought-related topics can also be found on:
Articles
- Forage Production with Limited Precipitation or Irrigation (February 2013)
- Options for Tax Planning for Livestock Producers Due to the 2012 Drought Disaster Designation (Nov 2012)
- Graze Drought Stressed Cornstalks CAREFULLY (September 2012)
- Ammoniating Crop Residues as a Feed Resource (September 2012)
- Grazing Drought-Stressed Standing Corn (August 2012)
- Options for Drought Damaged Corn Fields (August 2012)
- Tax Consequences to Drought (July 2012)
- Grazing Management and Cattle Feeding Options During Drought (July 2012)
- Drylotting Beef Cows - A Drought Management Strategy (June 2012)
- Replacing Summer Pasture with Feeds for Cows Grazing Pasture and When Pasture is Limited (June 2012)
- Management Considerations When Relocating Beef Cows in Drought Conditions (May 2012)
- Beef Cow Herd Culling Strategies (May 2012)
- Managing Cow Herds During Drought (May 2012)
- Drought Corn Silage in Beef Cow Diets (October 2011)
- Heat Stress in Cattle (July 2011)
- Nitrates in Forages Need to Be Managed During Drought (July 2011)
- Working Cattle in Summertime Heat (June 2011)
- Early Weaning Beef Calves Sometimes Makes Cents (May 2011)
- Have a Drought Management Plan for Your Cow/Calf Enterprise (May 2011)
- An Alternative to Expensive Summer (April 2011)
- Some Pastures are Drying-Up Fast (August 2009)
- Know the Cull Cow Grades Before You Sell (October 2008)
- Feeding Corn Silage in Cow Diets (January 2007)
Additional Resources
- Opportunities in Feeding Low Test Weight Corn (Webinar - October 16, 2012)
- Salvaging Drought Damaged Crops as Forage for Beef Cows (Webinar - August 7, 2012)
- Managing Grazing and Forages in the Midst of Drought (Webinar - July 6, 2012)
- Drought Management Strategies: Early Weaning Beef Calves and Cow Culling and Management Decisions (Webinar - July 2, 2012)
- Limit Feeding Beef Cows with Bunkered Wet Distillers Grains plus Solubles or Distillers Solubles (PDF 81KB)
- Wheat Straw, Distiller Grains, and Beet Pulp for Late Gestating Beef Cows (PDF 141KB)
- Nitrates in Livestock Feeding, NebGuide G1779 (PDF version, 611KB)
- Storage of Wet Corn Co-Products (PDF 19.7MB)
- Crop Residues or Low Quality Hay Combined with Byproducts as a Forage Substitute, NebGuide G2099
- Management, Health, and Nutritional Considerations for Weaning Cows, NebGuide G2057
- Management of Early Weaned Calves, NebGuide G2047
- Creep Feeding Beef Calves, NebGuide G2077
- Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows: A Tool for Managing the Nutrition Program for Beef Herds, EC281 (PDF 2MB)
- Grazing Crop Residues with Beef Cattle, EC278 (PDF 877KB)
- Skillful Grazing Management on Semi Arid Rangelands, EC162 (PDF 1.24MB)
- Planning Ahead to Save AUMs and the Cow Herd in Times of Forage Shortage (PDF 267KB) (Range Beef Cow Symposium XXII, November 2011)
- Livestock and Vegetation Responses to Stocking Rate and Grazing System (PDF 98KB) (Range Beef Cow Symposium XXI, December 2009)
- Benefits of Weaning Calves at Younger than Traditional Ages (Range Beef Cow Symposium XX, December 2007)