AMES, Iowa — Beef cow-calf producers recognize the importance of staying informed on all aspects of their operation, and a new four-part webinar series from Iowa Beef Center will help them do just that.
Iowa State University extension program specialist Beth Reynolds said the series is intended to provide timely topics for beef cow management and the opportunity to access the information when it’s convenient for them by being able to join the webinar at their own location in addition to the host sites. The first session of this series is set for Wed., Dec. 11 from 6 to 8 pm, and focuses on winter feeding management.
“The weather pattern of 2019 has created several challenges for putting up hay, corn silage and other forage resources in ideal condition,” Reynolds said. “Producer data indicates approximately 40 percent of total production costs were devoted to stored feed costs which means focusing on controlling feed costs is really important to the profitability of the beef cow enterprise.”
In the first session on Dec. 11, Garland Dahlke, IBC associate scientist, will present “Winter Feed: Considering the Feed Quality Forecast” and Katy Lippolis, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State, will talk on “Winter Nutritional Management for Beef Cows.”
Immediately following the webinar, area beef specialists will be at host sites to discuss local feed quality issues and ration needs specific to individual producers.
Host site locations near North Central Iowa will be:
Hancock County Extension Office, 327 West 8th St., Garner, 641-923-2856
Emmet County Extension Office, 26 S 17th St., Estherville, 712-362-3434
Hansen Ag Student Learning Center, Room 1128, 2508 Mortensen Rd., Ames, 515-294-3020
There is no cost to attend an in-person location or to view the webinar at home, but you are encouraged to preregister for both options by either calling your preferred host location or completing an on line registration for viewing access information. To access the on line registration and for more information on other host locations click on this website: http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/WinterCowWebinarSeries.html
Walk-ins for host site locations are welcome. Plans are to record each webinar and provide links to those recordings when they’re available.
The list of webinar dates and topics follows. All sessions will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
· Dec. 11, Winter feeding management
· Jan. 22, 2020, Preparing for calving season
· Feb. 18, 2020, Market trends, tracking and improving profitability
· March 10, 2020, Pasture renovation, forage management
— ISU Extension and Outreach
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