February 12, 2002

Second North Dakota Feedlot School Set for March

A second North Dakota feedlot School has been scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, March 13-14, at the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center.

The school begins at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday and continues until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. "North Dakota cattlemen pride themselves on producing some of the very best feeder cattle in the world," says Kurt Froelich, NDSU Extension agent in Foster county. "But only 25,000 of the 980,000 feeder calves produced in North Dakota are finished in the state.

The school will be limited to the first 20 individuals who register. An earlier school, held in January, filled rapidly so organizers scheduled a second. The registration fee is $100 per person or $150 for two from the same operation. The fee includes all resource materials, breaks and meals while the school is conducted. The registration deadline is march 1. To register or for more information, contact the Foster county office of the NDSU Extension Service at P.O. box 80, Carrington, N.D. 58421 or call (701) 652-2581.

The school will open with a discussion on feeding programs and potential feeds in the region and a review of cattle nutrient requirements. Next participants will learn successful techniques for getting cattle started on feed and managing them for top gain.

Livestock specialists will show producers how to manage bunks and examine manure patties for clues on how to better manage their cattle. Participants will also learn about feed additives, implants, grain processing, ration mixing, waste management, vaccinations, and common health concerns of feedlot cattle. The school will close with sessions on marketing including information on carcass quality, alliances and grid pricing, custom feeding charges and marketing with futures and options.

The school will provide participants with in-depth training and hands-on experiences in feeding cattle so they can take advantage of opportunities in north Dakota. Participants will also receive comprehensive resource materials for use in making day-to-day management decisions.

Froelich notes that feed grains and coproducts from processing plants in the state offer an opportunity for cattle feeders to feed competitively priced feeds to cattle. These feeds, along with large quantities of forages and grain available here, provide a tremendous opportunity for the cattle feeding industry in North Dakota to grow, he says.

Data from the Dakota Finishers Project show that cattle feeding in North Dakota is competitive with Kansas because cheaper grains more than offset a slightly reduced rate of gain attributed to colder weather.

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Source: Kurt Froelich, (701) 652-2581, kfroelic@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu