Iowa Beef Center director column
April 2022
Reasons to be hopeful
April is a hopeful month. Especially for those who are involved in agriculture. We have new calves on the ground and new seeds in the ground. In his March column for the Iowa Cattlemen magazine, Dr. Lee Schulz noted that Iowa has 65,000 more cows than a year ago, bucking the national trend of a shrinking herd size. In addition to more beef cows, numbers are up for calf crop, heifer retention and cattle outside of feedlots (backgrounding cattle.) It appears that Iowa cattlemen have a jump start on rebuilding the national herd. Beef demand is strong and prices are improving. Iowa’s small feedlots (<1,000 head) have been refilling pens the last few months as well.
However, there are still uncertainties. Risk of drought is always just around the corner and global uncertainty is affecting prices and input costs. Feed costs continue to be high and volatile. Cost efficiency and risk management are more important than ever. Tim Christiansen, southwest Iowa extension farm management specialist, has developed resources and decision tools to look at risk management products available at the Ag Decision Maker website.
The Iowa Beef Center website has resources for producers looking to improve cost efficiencies. One way to reduce costs in the cow herd is better grazing and forage management. One resource is our revised Pasture Management Guide, available on the ISU Extension store website. Also, newer publications available at the Extension Store website that might be of interest include one on alternative annual forages and another on low stress cattle handling.
After the spring rains that often come in April is a good time to take a walk below your feedlot and make sure your environmental controls are working properly. Sometimes small adjustments can make a big difference in water quality outcomes. Our regional ISU Extension ag engineers are good resources if you have questions in this area.
If you’re not sure who to contact, you can always start with your regional ISU Extension beef specialist or any of our staff here on the ISU campus. Call us at 515-294-2333 or email us at beefcenter@iastate.edu.
Breeding time is just around the corner. Garland Dahlke, Iowa Beef Center scientist, works with the Applied Beef Reproduction Task Force to develop the Estrus Synch Planner. This useful tool is updated each year with the most up to date, science-based protocols, including those using sexed semen. The planner is a free download from the IBC website.
Many of you have expiring Beef Quality Assurance certifications. Be sure to check the Iowa Beef Industry Council BQA page regularly for a session near you. Also, be sure to check our website often and subscribe to our newsletter to learn of new events including pasture walks and grazing clinics as we continue to plan educational opportunities for this summer. Look for information on another Pasture and Fencing Clinic to be held in Ames in May or June.
Feedlot managers, employees and industry consultants looking for in-depth information on nutrition basics, animal health and feed bunk management should consider attending our 6th annual Iowa Beef Center Feedlot Short Course August 2-4. The program is a mix of hands-on and classroom instruction and features Dr. Dan Thomson and guest instructor Dr. Robbi Pritchard. Registration should open soon but act quickly because we cap enrollment at 30 participants and the course has filled each year.
Are you on social media? Check out our timely tip videos, #CowTipTuesday and #FeedyardFriday. Just follow us or search these hashtags.
The IBC at Iowa State University serves as the university’s extension program to cattle producers. Our center comprises a team of faculty and staff from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. We work together to develop and deliver the latest in research-based information to improve the profitability and vitality of Iowa’s beef industry. If you’d like to be notified of updates on progress of research projects or programs that might be coming to your area, please subscribe to our “Growing Beef” newsletter by following the link on our website, www.iowabeefcenter.org. If you have a question, use the “Ask our Experts” link on the website. Also, feel free to call us at 515-294-BEEF or email us at beefcenter@iastate.edu. You can also follow @iowabeefcenter on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and now, AgFuse!
