A four-part webinar series on minimizing costs when feeding livestock is now available to view online, presented by beef experts with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.
Links to the 2015 Ohio Beef Feedlot School are now viewable at u.osu.edu/beefteam/resource-library/#linkg. The webinars, which were filmed earlier this year, feature presentations by Francis Fluharty, a professor of ruminant nutrition in the college. Fluharty, who specializes in feedlot nutrition and animal growth, also has an appointment with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
The webinars, each about two to 2.5 hours long, focus on beef feedlot nutrition and maximizing profits by increasing feed efficiency and using byproducts to reduce feed costs, said Jason Hartschuh, an Ohio State University Extension coordinator in agriculture and natural resources, and an organizer of the beef feedlot school.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the college.
The recordings are posted online now to give those who weren’t able to attend the feedlot school access to information that can help their livestock operations save money and increase profit potential, Hartschuh said.
“The recordings will allow producers to pick up valuable information across several key topics, from the management of feedlots and nutrients, to how different handling practices impact yield and grade, to offering strategies for weaning that affect the animals’ health,” he said. “The focus of the entire program is to offer insights that can impact a livestock producer’s bottom line while improving profitability and becoming more efficient.
“Putting this program online now will allow producers across Ohio and nationwide to benefit from Ohio State on their own timeframe. With high input costs and lower finished cattle prices, it’s become even more important for feedlot producers to reduce expenses to increase profits to remain competitive.”
Topics covered in the series include:
* Ruminant digestive physiology, rumen function and carbohydrates.
* Protein digestion and metabolism, protein sources, and distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).
* Receiving and growing strategies for calves versus yearlings, and Holstein growing and finishing.
* Methodologies to enhance marbling and feed efficiency.