Cow-Calf Management School Set for Feb. 18-19 in Steele

The South-Central North Dakota Cow-Calf Management School will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 18-19, in Steele.

The school is a short-course on ranch and cow-calf management for beef cattle producers. “The school will provide a broad range of training in production and economic issues affecting ranching and beef cattle production,” says Greg Lardy, beef specialist with the NDSU Extension Service. “Participants will also have opportunities for one-on-one interaction with NDSU specialists to consult on nutritional management, range management, genetics, business management and other topics.”

Registration is limited to 25 participants and the deadline to register is Feb. 11. Fee for the program is $25 per person and includes two meals and the NDSU Cow-Calf Management Handbook. For more information or to request registration materials, contact the Kidder County office of the NDSU Extension Service at (701) 475-2672 ext. 29.

The school opens at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18. The opening session will provide a focus on nutrition including basic ruminant nutrition, cow requirements and supplementation strategies. The first afternoon session will focus on nutritional management including discussions of byproducts, vitamins and minerals and ration balancing. An additional session will focus on range management including grazing management, annual forages, optimizing production and grazing program opportunities through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The evening will feature an optional ranch planning session with opportunities for participants to meet one-on-one with NDSU Extension Service specialists on topics including ration balancing, forages, pasture and forage planning and range improvements.

Thursday, Feb. 19, the school will open with a presentation on herd health, including discussions on emerging diseases, herd health programs and local herd health issues. A presentation on reproduction will include information on anatomy, physiology, synchronization and heifer development. A session on genetics will focus on bull selection, crossbreeding and the use of expected progeny differences (EPDs).

The final session of the day will focus on Business management and marketing including a discussion of cattle cycles, marketing and planning prices.

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