Ways to improve cattle health and reproduction are features of a Beef and Forages Field Day on Oct. 29 at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope.
The field day will be beneficial to both new and veteran cattle ranchers, SWREC Director Daniel Rivera said.
“There is enough data there for experienced producers to come away with something, but at the same time, there is enough basic info a new person would be able to learn something as well,” Rivera said.
The in-person event will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the research and extension center, 362 Highway 174 North, about 5 miles northeast of downtown Hope.
Five presentations will be given during the field day, with complimentary lunch provided by Farm Credit of Western Arkansas.
There is no cost to attend the Beef and Forages Field Day, but registration is required by Oct. 26. Call Sherri Pote at 870-777-9702 to register.
Presentations will include:
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Cattle market update – James Mitchell, extension livestock economist;
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Herd improvement using reproductive technology – Charles Looney, extension beef cattle improvement specialist;
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SWREC research programs overview – Daniel Rivera, SWREC director;
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County extension agent demonstrations; and
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Understanding your hay quality – Shane Gadberry, extension livestock nutrition specialist.
Many producers rely on hay to supply nutrients to cattle for four to six months out of the year, Gadberry said.
“Hay quality is fixed but cow requirements are changing throughout the hay feeding period,” Gadberry said. “This presentation pulls together our knowledge of hay quality and cow requirements to identify shortfalls that could lead to economic losses in production and options to overcome those shortfalls.”
Rivera said the topics for the field day are timely and include cool-season grasses, weaning systems, as well as hay sampling and supplement formulation.
As part of the SWREC research overview, Rivera will discuss various Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station research projects, including a weaning calf study that is currently underway. He also hopes to show a new SmartFeed system that is programmed to automatically feed cattle specific amounts based on RFID chips in their ear tags.
Rivera said the county extension agent demonstrations will include information on various cool-season and warm-season annual grasses.
“The agents have done a fabulous job getting their demos setup,” Rivera said. “I really can’t speak highly enough of them and the work they put into getting this field day going and their demos going.”
