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High prices demand better feed efficiency

While feed efficiency is always important, it becomes even more so when grain prices are high.

Tackling higher feed bills requires a multi-faceted game plan, says Justin Waggoner, Extension beef specialist at Kansas State University.

The goal should be finding the least expensive energy source while making sure cattle are getting the nutrients they need, he says.

“You always want to be looking for opportunities to lower your costs,” he says. “Don’t get locked in to the conventional approach only. Be careful to avoid that mindset.”

In the Midwest, grain co-products are readily available for many producers. Waggoner says using a co-product requires careful examination before making any ration change.

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Cleaning Sheep Barns & Setting Up Chutes

Video: Cleaning Sheep Barns & Setting Up Chutes

Indoor sheep farming in winter at pre-lambing time requires that, at Ewetopia Farms, we need to clean out the barns and manure in order to keep the sheep pens clean, dry and fresh for the pregnant ewes to stay healthy while indoors in confinement. In today’s vlog, we put fresh bedding into all of the barns and we remove manure from the first groups of ewes due to lamb so that they are all ready for lambs being born in the next few days. Also, in preparation for lambing, we moved one of the sorting chutes to the Coveralls with the replacement ewe lambs. This allows us to do sorting and vaccines more easily with them while the barnyard is snow covered and hard to move sheep safely around in. Additionally, it frees up space for the second groups of pregnant ewes where the chute was initially.