Time to Stock Up!

Audio Article

Now that the Thanksgiving Holiday is over, it is time to stock up!  No, I am not referring to gifts for the holidays, but it is time to evaluate your cowherd.  All the experts are calling for increased BEEF demand over the next few years and in order to be ready your herd needs to be young and productive. The past year, the cattle market has been quite strong for feeder and fed cattle.  Moreover, for many of you reading this column, the cull cow and bull market over the past twelve months has positively impacted your operation.  When you sell those open cows for well over $1,000 and your retired bulls for over $2,000 that sure helps your bottom line and makes your banker smile! The current market makes it an easy decision to cull those cows that are not raising a big calf for a bull whose breeding value is subpar and replace them with higher-quality animals.   You have noticed over the past few weeks that a few operations are marketing high-quality bred heifers, the kind that will go on to be tremendous producers. Some of the bred heifers are selling through auctions while others are available off the ranch.  We have also seen some local dispersions through our local auction barns.  It looks like you can buy some top-notch bred heifers and young cows for what a couple of your weigh-up cows bring.  That looks like darn good business to me.  When the moisture […]

Register Now for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Training on December 7

Audio Article

BROOKINGS, S.D. – An environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) will be held Dec. 7 at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with the program following at 8:45 a.m., and concluding at approximately 4:45 p.m. Specialists from SDSU Extension, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the […]