4 months ago
Pregnancy checking is often circled on the calendar months in advance, but for cattle producers, knowing when to check can be just as important as knowing how. On a recent episode of the Beef Cattle Institute’s Cattle Chat podcast, experts answered a listener’s question about pregnancy checking, offering guidance on timing, available methods and why early pregnancy loss can complicate ...

4 months ago
While there have been limited cases reported in Kansas at this time, beef producers who have lost cattle to Theileria orientalis may qualify for financial assistance through the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). According to the Kansas Livestock Association, the program provides payments to livestock owners when deaths exceed normal mortality due to certain weather events, predator ...

4 months ago
Kansas State University’s 36th annual Swine Profitability Conference, which is designed to address the key factors influencing pork producer profitability and business decision-making, is planned for Tuesday, Feb. 3, in Manhattan. “At the Swine Profitability Conference, we focus on current industry-wide issues facing pork producers,” said Joel DeRouchey, swine extension specialist in K-State’s Department of Animal ...

4 months ago
Bull fertility is not a simple pass-or-fail trait, according to experts with the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute (BCI). During a recent Cattle Chat podcast, specialists emphasized that fertility should be evaluated over time and under real breeding conditions, rather than relying solely on a single test result. BCI experts explained that subfertility refers to a bull’s reduced ...

4 months ago
This past March, a wildfire caused by high winds and a smoldering brush pile tore through 130 acres in Yates Center, consuming the Yates Center Health and Rehabilitation Center, a senior living facility, and causing nearly $5 million in damage. All residents were safely evacuated, but their home burned to the ground. Dense stands of eastern ...

5 months ago
Producers are being urged to stay alert this winter as new research reveals that Theileria, a tick-borne parasite affecting cattle across the region, may be spreading in more ways than previously believed. According to veterinary entomologist Cassandra Olds, shifting transmission patterns and overlooked management habits could leave herds more vulnerable than expected. “Theileria is tick-borne, but ...

5 months ago
Farmers from Kansas and other parts of the world who have competed against each other in an increasingly popular program to test new water saving strategies will be recognized during an awards banquet Jan. 24 in Garden City. Producers across western Kansas continue to operate under mounting pressure as groundwater availability declines and irrigation capacity tightens. ...

5 months ago
Long before he stepped onto a research field in western Kansas, Rayhaan Kabenge was building small systems in Kampala, Uganda, trying to understand how technology could make everyday work easier. That early curiosity, shaped by a family that valued precision, discipline and service, eventually led him halfway across the world to Kansas State University, where he ...

5 months ago
Carefully preparing replacement heifers prior to breeding season is essential for improving conception rates and ensuring cows calve early and remain productive throughout their lifetimes, according to Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute experts. During a recent BCI Cattle Chat podcast, K-State beef cattle veterinarians Bob Larson and Brad White and cow-calf extension specialist Jason Warner discussed the ...

5 months ago
From weeknight ground beef to special-occasion steaks, consumers continue to see higher prices at the meat case. At its core, the beef market runs on supply and demand like everything else — but when you factor in production cycles, global trade uncertainty and a persistent U.S. taste for beef, that simple model gets complicated fast. Supply ...

5 months ago
The Kansas Corn and Soybean Agronomy Series is coming in January to Hiawatha, Newton, Iola and Dodge City, sponsored by Kansas Soybean and Kansas Corn. With input from growers, the traditional corn and soybean schools have been retooled into a fresh, fast-paced agronomy series designed to prepare growers to meet today’s challenges and opportunities. Each session of ...