Education Commons^™

G03-1527 Annual Forages For The Nebraska Panhandle, Burt A. Weichenthal, David D. Baltensperger, K. P. Vogel, S. D. Masterson, J.M. Blumenthal, J.M. Krall

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Annual forages have value as pasture, green chop, silage, and hay. With adequate soil moisture, these forages grow very rapidly during their appropriate growing seasons. Advantages and disadvantages of various annual forages, results of dryland and irrigated forage trials, tips for achieving quality forage, and issues related to animal health and feeding forages are discussed in this NebGuide.

G02-1482 Guidelines For A Non-Fasting Feeding Program For The Molting Of Laying Hens, Sheila E. Scheideler, Mary M. Beck

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Laying hens are molted at the end of one laying cycle (i.e. one year) to induce a cessation of lay and rejuvenation of the reproductive tract and skeleton for a second cycle of egg production. This is based on the natural molting process that wild birds undergo annually and traditionally it has been induced by fasting the hens for a short period of time. This NebGuide offers guidance on non-fasting feeding program for the molting of laying hens.

Ec00-281 Body Condition Scoring Beef Cows: A Tool For Managing The Nutrition Program For Beef Herds, Richard J. Rasby, James A. Gosey, Don C. Adams

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Body condition scores (BCS) describe the relative fatness of a cow through the use of a nine-point scale and is an effective management tool to evaluate nutrition status of the herd.

This extension circular describes the nine-point body condition scoring system, relationship between body condition and productivity of the cow herd, and use of body condition as a management tool to develop and monitor nutritional programs. Incorporation of body condition scoring as a management tool can increase the profit potential of the cow/calf enterprise.

Ec00-280 Hiring Dairy Personnel: Making The Process Easier, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Position descriptions are essential. A detailed position, or job, description can help you as an employer identify and eliminate applicants who will not perform well on the job and gives you justifiable grounds for terminating an employee who does not perform the job satisfactorily.

On most dairy farms, employees can be grouped into three categories: herd managers, feeders or outdoor workers, and milkers. This extension circular discusses the description for each category, how to start the hiring process, and questions that may be asked during interviewing and after hiring for a position on the dairy farm.

Introducing Animals To New Foods, Behave

All Current Publications

This publication explains different ways of successfully introducing animals to new foods.

G98-1350 Basics Of Feeding Horses: What To Feed And Why, Kathleen P. Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the horse's digestive system and appropriate feeding procedures.

Because of the horse's eating habits and digestive system, feeding practices common to other species of livestock often result in severe digestive dysfunction or even death for the horse. In fact, several anatomical peculiarities of the horse's digestive tract predispose horses to digestive disorders such as colic and laminitis even under the best management. Under poor feeding management, the onset of these disorders is almost assured. The objective of feeding management is to provide a ration with balanced nutrition that both maximizes nutrient utilization while minimizing the occurrence of …

G98-1344 Basics Of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management, Kathleen P. Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide outlines appropriate practices for feeding horses.

Often, nutritional management of the equine is a misunderstood topic. Successful nutritional management depends upon combining information on the nutrient requirements of different horses and their eating behaviors with the knowledge of how to best meet those requirements. Proper nutritional management is extremely critical in the horse due to the unique arrangement and anatomy of its digestive tract. Often, it is the feeding method, not feed composition, which leads to digestive disorders in horses. This NebGuide includes information on the basic, daily feeding management for horses.

Ncr96-235 Feeding Ewes, Leon F. Bush, James Thompson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Proper feeding and year-roundmanagement of ewes are essential toprofitable sheep production. Feed forthe ewes can be 60 to 80% of the totalproduction costs of the sheepenterprise. Either excessive orinadequate nutrition is expensive. Toavoid these costly extremes you mustknow something of the nutritiverequirements of the ewe throughout theyear. That knowledge may make thedifference between profit and loss inyour operation.

G96-1292 Winter Care For Horses, Kathleen P. Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses energy requirements, feeding alterations, water requirements, hair and hoof implications, and shelter needs for horses during winter.

As the weather turns cold, many horses are ridden less and less. It is easy to become relaxed in a horse's daily care since they are not being used as often. However, horses still require much care and attention throughout the winter. Often, even greater attention is needed since there are no green pastures to graze or ponds and creeks to drink from.

G96-1306 Feeding Dairy Cows To Reduce Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Excretion Into The Environment, Rick J. Grant

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses feeding strategies to optimize dairy cow performance while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Reducing N, P and K Excretion--The Challenge

Increasingly, our society demands livestock production systems that not only produce economic, high-quality food products, but also minimize negative environmental impacts. Feeding management has improved continuously and helps explain increases in milk production averages. The future challenge for dairy producers and nutritionists will be to properly formulate rations for high production levels while simultaneously minimizing the environmental impact of excessive N, P and K excretion in the urine and manure. A realistic approach will be to keep formulation …

G96-1298 Milk Urea Nitrogen Testing, Rick J. Grant, Dennis Drudik, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide explains how to properly test for MUN and interpret the results.

Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) analyses can be used as a signal, or "red flag", to point out potential problems in your feeding program. In particular, high MUN values reflect excessive dietary crude protein or low rumen degradable nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC). The NFC fraction, usually composed of starch and other sugars, can be low when insufficient grain is fed, or grain is improperly processed. Appropriate MUN testing over a period of several months to fine tune a feeding management program can result in:

1. precisely meeting nutritional requirements, …

G95-1237 Feeding And Care Of Orphaned Foals, Kathleen P. Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication stresses the importance of care and feeding when foals are orphaned.

Feeding and raising orphaned foals can be an extreme challenge particularly if the foal was orphaned at birth. Losing a mare is never expected and being left with a motherless orphan can turn into an unexpected nightmare. Intensive management will optimize the foal's survival chances.

G95-1262 Feeding The Beef Cow Herd--Part Ii Managing The Feeding Program, Richard J. Rasby, Ivan G. Rush, Don C. Adams

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Feed costs are the cow/calf producer's greatest expense in producing a weaned calf. To remain competitive, cow/calf operators must use economical feeding programs. It is important to match the available feed resources with the nutrient requirements of the first-calf-heifer and cow. Both over- and underfeeding the cow herd can lead to high production costs.

Nutrient requirements for heifers calving as 2-year-olds and cows calving as 3-year-olds and older are shown in Table I. Beef cows are seldom fed complete rations where ingredients are weighed daily. Generally, most of a cow's ration is forages such as: 1) summer and winter range, …

G95-1238 1995 Usda Sire Evaluation Changes, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication discusses the 1995 USDA Sire Evaluation Report and its impact for dairy producers.

The January 1995 USDA Sire Evaluation Report incorporates changes that will not only increase the accuracy of prediction for cow and sire evaluations, but also includes a base change. Major changes included:

new Mature Equivalent Factors,

adjustments incorporated for days open,

and the genetic base year changed to 1990.

Let's discuss each change and look at how these changes will effect the 1995 proofs.

Rp94-374 A Parent's Guide To Children's Weight

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Weight is one of the many personal characteristics that distinguish children from each other. It has implications for both the physical and mental health of the child. Unfortunately, it also has the potential for causing many parent-child disagreements about what is or is not eaten and in what amounts.

This research publication answers the following questions:

What is the "right" weight for my child?

What can parents do to help a child who is medically defined as overweight or obese?

How can parents help an underweight child?

What can parents do to help children reach and maintain their best weight? …

G94-1192 Feeding Dairy Cows With Limited High Quality Forage, Rick J. Grant

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

During excessively wet or dry years, there is a wide range of forage quality with most dairy producers forced to feed at least some moderate to poor quality forage. This NebGuide discusses basic alterations in the feeding strategy to help cope with minimal reductions in milk yield.

During excessively wet or dry years, there is a wide range of forage quality with most dairy producers forced to feed at least some moderate to poor quality forage. This NebGuide discusses basic alterations in the feeding strategy to help cope with minimal reductions in milk yield.

G94-1201 Feeding The Dry Cow, Rick J. Grant

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses feeding management of the dry cow for optimum performance during the next lactation.

Dry Cow Management Goals

Every dairy producer's goal for the milking herd should be to maximize feed intake and milk production -- profitably. Proper dry cow management provides the foundation for a successful lactation.

G93-1177 Feeding And Managing Holstein Steers, Rick J. Grant, Rick Stock, Terry L. Mader

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses feeding and management practices to maximize feedlot performance, carcass quality, and profitability of Holstein steers. Holstein Steers vs Conventional Breeds Holstein steers usually are placed in the feedlot either as light-weight (250 to 350 pounds) calves or as feeders (600 to 800 pounds). The growth of Holstein feeder steers is generally more consistent than for conventional beef breeds.

Ec92-270 Conducting Pig Feed Trials On The Farm, Duane Reese, Walter W. Stroup

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The purpose of this publication is to provide fundamental information that must be understood before attempting to conduct a feed trial. The concepts and procedures described here are valid for most situations involving a comparison of two feeds. Any trial involving more than two feeds raises issues that are beyond the scope of this publication. Those issues are covered in university statistics courses on design and analysis of experiments.

We suggest that pork producers adopt a "best cost" feeding program tailored to the operation and based on sound nutritional principles. Feed cost per pound of gain is a major item …

G92-1070 Feeding Dairy Cattle For Proper Body Condition Score, Rick Grant, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes feeding and management practices that allow the producer to control body condition throughout lactation and the dry period.

Body condition score is a critical measure of a dairy feeding system's effectiveness. Adequate body fat reserves promote milk production, reproductive efficiency, and herd longevity. Excessively fat cows or overly thin cows run much greater risks of metabolic problems, lower milk yield, poor conception rates, and dystocia (difficult calving). Failure to attain proper body condition or rapid changes in body condition score during early lactation may indicate problems in herd health or feeding management.

G91-1062 Termites (Revised March 2002), Shripat T. Kamble

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides information on biology and control of subterranean termites.

Termites feed on wood and serve an important function in nature by converting dead trees into organic matter. Unfortunately, the wood in buildings is equally appetizing to termites and they cause serious damage to residential and commercial buildings. Two species of subterranean termites are found in Nebraska and both species have similar habitats.

G90-994 Full-Fat Soybeans For Pigs (Revised July 1992), Duane Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Several factors should be considered when feeding full-fat soybeans to swine, including nutrient composition, performance, economic considerations and diet formulations.

Soybean meal is the most common supplemental protein source used in pig diets. It is widely available, and often produces the most economical gains when compared with other protein sources. For various reasons, feeding full-fat soybeans to pigs, instead of soybean meal, may be an attractive alternative.

G90-987 Colostrum Quality And Absorption In Baby Calves, Duane N. Rice, Douglas G. Rogers

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide explains the importance of early feeding of high quality colostrum to the newborn calf.

The intake and absorption of colostral immunoglobulins, which include antibodies against disease, are essential to the health of the newborn calf. The newborn calf is virtually devoid of circulating antibodies and thus relies on antibodies acquired from colostrum for protection against common disease-causing organisms (pathogens). Significant amounts of the antibodies obtained from good quality colostrum, if fed early enough, are transferred across the small intestine and into the blood during the first few hours of life (passive transfer). Antibodies entering the blood are further …

G90-999 Nutritional Management Of The High-Producing Dairy Cow In The 1990s, Rick J. Grant, Jeffrey F. Keown

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses important aspects of grouping and feeding systems, body conditioning, and nutritional requirements for high-producing dairy cows.

An effective feeding system allows maximum intake of a nutritionally balanced ration. The use of production-enhancing compounds, such as Bovine Somatropin (BST), makes proper nutritional management of high-producing dairy cows even more critical. This NebGuide discusses important aspects of grouping and feeding systems, body conditioning, and nutritional requirements for high-producing dairy cows.

As herd production levels continue to increase along with the average herd size, it is becoming more difficult for many dairy producers to feed their cattle adequate nutrients to …

G89-936 Russian Wheat Aphid, Gary L. Hein, Frederick P. Baxendale, John B. Campbell, Arthur F. Hagen, James A. Kalisch

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The Russian wheat aphid is a serious insect threat to small grains. Its description, damage and control are discussed here.

The Russian wheat aphid (RWA) is a serious insect threat to wheat and other small grains. Growers should examine small grain fields regularly for this pest throughout the fall. In the spring, weekly examinations are needed from the time wheat resumes growth through the late heading stages.

Farmers are encouraged to collect samples of unknown aphids on small grains and have them identified by the Cooperative Extension Service. Proper identification of the aphid is critical in determining the need for …

G88-879 Peafowl, Earl W. Gleaves

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the care and feeding of the colorful and ornamental peafowl.

The peafowl is an ornamental bird which is often grown to adorn farmsteads, private estates or public parks and zoological gardens. They enjoy living in the open and prefer to roost in trees. The roosting place should be arranged some distance from dwellings because peafowl are inclined to be noisy, especially at night.

G86-794 Enterotoxemia In Lambs, Dale M. Grotelueschen, Duane N. Rice

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the causes, clinical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods of this potentially fatal disease.

Enterotoxemia, which is also known as "overeating" or "pulpy kidney" disease, is a highly significant and costly disease problem for the sheep industry. Proper preventive practices are strongly recommended to sheep producers in order to avoid death loss from this disease.

The word "enterotoxemia" can be broken down into three parts that can be an aid in understanding the disease. The term "entero" refers to intestine; "tox" refers to toxin or poison; and "emia" refers to blood. Thus, from "intestinal toxin in the …

G84-711 Managing The Home Goose Breeder Flock, Earl W. Gleaves

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides basic information on breed selection, sexing, housing and equipment needed, feeding, breeding, egg care and incubation for the home goose flock.

The goose has been almost completely ignored in the rapid technical developments that have occurred in other parts of the poultry industry in the past 25 years. Experimental work with the domestic goose has been very limited. This means that management recommendations that are pertinent today may not be in the future.

G84-713 Brooding And Rearing The Home Goose Flock, Earl W. Gleaves

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses brooding and rearing small geese flocks, including feeding from starter to growing and finishing on pasture, and slaughter, cleaning and processing procedures.

Goose growers in general have not been caught up in the ultra- efficient feed utilization trends that have developed in other parts of the poultry meat industry. This may be due to of the fact that the geese are good foragers. Understandably, growers have concluded that a considerable saving in prepared feeds can be achieved by rearing the birds on pasture. Even without special foods, the goose is more rapid growing than other domestic species …

G84-738 Management To Minimize Hay Waste, Bruce Anderson, Terry L. Mader

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses harvest factors that affect hay yield and quality as well as ways to reduce losses during harvest, storage, and feeding.

Hay is harvested, stored, and fed under a wide variety of conditions that influence both its yield and feed value. High quality hay is needed by animals that require high nutrient concentrations to reach desired levels of production. These include dairy cows, finishing beef cattle, fattening lambs, and race horses. Excellent hay management is required to produce the hay needed by these livestock. High quality hay is also used as a supplement to lower quality forages, such …