With current feed prices and the majority of the state experiencing dry conditions, it is important to test forages for nitrate levels and to get an accurate understanding of the feeding value. If you are in need of a hay probe and sample bags, contact your local Extension Office or Beef Educator. See the NebGuide, Sampling Feeds for Analyses, for proper sampling guidelines.

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) will be holding trainings across the state this fall to certify/recertify producers in BQA and BQA Transportation (BQAT). BQA and BQAT certification is valid for three years. The certification fee is $20/person or a flat fee of $100 for operations who bring 5+ people. The fall BQA and BQAT certification event schedule is as follows:

· Lexington, October 4 @ 10am; Dawson Co. Extension Office

· Curtis, October 4 @ 4pm; NCTA

· Geneva, October 5 @ 10am Fillmore Co. Fairgrounds

· Columbus, October 6 @ 10am; Ag Park

· O’Neill, October 7 @ 10am; Holt Co. Extension Office

· Bridgeport, October 7 @ 6pm; Prairie Winds Community Center

· Norfolk, December 12 @ 5pm; Norfolk Extension Office

· Beatrice, December 13 @ 10am; Gage Co. Extension Office

· St. Paul, December 13 @ 4pm; Civic Center

· McCook, December 14 @ 10am; Red Willow Co. Fairgrounds

· Thedford, December 14 @ 5pm; Sandhills Corral

Attendees will need to register online at bqa.unl.edu or by calling the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at 308-632-1230. Locations with no registered attendance will be canceled.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crop Residue Exchange is a free online tool designed to link cattle producers to other producers with available grazing resources. Crop producers who have previously listed crop residue available for grazing are encouraged to log in and update their listings on the Crop Residue Exchange for the fall and winter grazing season. Producers new to the exchange are encouraged to consider utilizing it to connect with livestock producers to create a mutually beneficial relationship. The exchange makes it possible for producers in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota to list fields of crop residue, pasture, and other forage resources they have available for grazing and for cattle producers to connect with them.

Nebraska Extension will host a Fall 2022 BeefWatch Webinar Series targeted to help cow/calf producers make management and feeding decisions this winter. Each webinar will begin at 8:00 PM Central Time. There is no cost to participate in this webinar series. Dates, topics and speakers are as follows:

October 11, Decision Making During Drought

• Dr. Jay Parsons, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• When feed is expensive and home grown forage is short, tough decisions have to be made. Jay will provide some thoughts on the decision making process using current market examples. Register here.

October 18, Decisions for Culling Cows and Heifers and Utilizing Pregnancy Detection

• Dr. Kacie McCarthy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• How do you prioritize what cows and heifers to keep or sell? Kacie will help you think through your culling decisions, who are good candidates and how implementing timely pregnancy detection can help make decisions. Register here.

October 25, Making the most of your hay supplies

• Dr. Mary Drewnoski, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• How do you stretch the hay that you have to meet cow needs when you don’t have a feed truck? Mary will discuss options to limit waste and/or limit hay intake in combination with supplementation to meet cow needs. Register here.

November 1, Tips for Confined Feeding Success

• Dr. Karla Wilke, Panhandle Research Extension Center
• Nutrition and management considerations for the cow-calf pair in drylot – How to make it work with the resources you have. Register here.

November 8th, Profitability Roundtable – Ways to Reduce Costs

• Dr. Travis Mulliniks, West Central Research and Extension Center
• Travis will moderate a panel which will address top tips to reduce costs this winter such as evaluating available feed resources, how to navigate high commodity prices, and ways to reduce mineral and supplement costs. Register here.