|
|
|
Ranching for Profitability Series set for JanuaryNebraska The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is hosting the popular Ranching for Profitability meeting series across western and central Nebraska Jan. 12 to 15, said Brent Plugge, Extension educator in Buffalo County. This series provides information on current issues and topics important to ranch management and beef production, Plugge said. Dates and locations of meetings are as follows: Jan. 12, O'Neill, Blarney Stone Restaurant, 10:30 a.m. CT; Jan. 12, Ainsworth, Elks Lodge, 5 p.m. CT; Jan. 13, Broken Bow, Broken Bow Country Club, 10:30 a.m. CT; Jan. 13, Elm Creek, Community Center, 4:45 p.m. CT; Jan. 14, Stapleton, Logan County Fairbuilding, 10:30 a.m. CT; Jan. 14, Valentine, Cedar Canyon Steakhouse, 4:30 p.m. CT; Jan. 15, Kimball, Event Center, 12 p.m. MT. Calving difficulty contributes heavily to production losses in cow-calf herds. Deaths during or shortly after calving are the obvious ones, but less noticeable are losses due to delayed rebreeding, more open females, an extended calving season or increased labor costs. This year, Extension veterinarian, Richard Randle, will review pre- and post-calving management practices to minimize affects of calving difficulty and provide tips on assisting cows with difficult calving. Seven dollar corn to three dollar corn. Four dollar diesel. To say the least, the markets have been volatile the last year. The increase of corn prices to $7/bu. and the subsequent fall back to $3.50/bu. significantly changes the profitability of backgrounding and finishing cattle and retained ownership strategies for ranchers. How do you decide if you should sell your weaned calves or roll those calves over and sell them as yearlings? Extension Ag Economist Darrell Mark, and graduate student in Ag Economics, Rebecca Small, will focus on the relative differences in profits for calf finishing and yearling finishing systems as input prices change. They will also discuss risk management and hedging strategies for these systems. Ranchers wondering how to cut rising mineral costs can learn how to balance cattle's mineral needs with their diets from Extension Educator Dennis Bauer of Brown, Rock, and Keya Paha counties. Knowing what minerals are in your feeds allows you to add or remove minerals according to the NRC cattle needs. Bauer has helped numerous ranchers develop lower cost custom mineral programs. Dennis will also address forage management at the Broken Bow and Elm Creek locations. UNL Extension provides several online spreadsheets to help producers make management decisions. These tools can help ranchers compare the cost of TDN and crude protein in different feeds while considering transportation and feed waste costs. They help balance feed rations, calculate an equitable share arrangement for leasing cows, calculate breakevens for feeders or cull cows and estimate the cost of developing water sources in pastures. Grazing spreadsheets are also online. How to use these tools and where to find them will also be covered at the meetings. Pre-registration is requested at the UNL Extension County office hosting the meeting one week prior for a meal count. Contacts include: O'Neill 402-336-2760, Ainsworth 402-387-2213, Broken Bow 308-872-6831, Elm Creek 308-324-5501 or 308-236-1235, Stapleton 1-800-657-2113, Valentine 402-376-1850, and Kimball 308-235-3122. The Ranching for Profitability meeting series is sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and Pfizer Animal Health with generous support from local sponsors. The registration fee is $15. Please contact the UNL Extension County office hosting the meeting that you would like to attend for more information or to register for the program. 12/15/08 Date: 12/10/08
Copyright/Privacy
Copyright 1995-2009. High Plains Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Any republishing of these pages, including electronic reproduction of the editorial archives or classified advertising, is strictly prohibited. If you have questions or comments you can reach us at High Plains Journal 1500 E. Wyatt Earp Blvd., P.O. Box 760, Dodge City, KS 67801 or call 1-800-452-7171. Email: webmaster@hpj.com |
Market Snapshot Inside Futures |
