Chad Frey

Chad Frey

  • Joined: September 29, 2023
  • Articles: 3391

Cattle Chat: Stretching feed resources

MANHATTAN — When consumers are trying to extend their buying dollar at the grocery store, meal planning and shopping the sale items are two ways that they can manage their spending to get the most for their money.In a similar way, some cattle producers are already looking at ways to extend their feed resources because of the lack of moisture that may have cut those supplies short, said the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute.Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster recommends turning out the cattle on crop residues as a way to extend the time before they need to feed them hay.“Grazing corn or sorghum stalks are a good feed resource for cows in mid-gestation that have their calves weaned off already,” Lancaster said.Another option he mentioned was the fall planting of cool-season annuals.“Those cool season annuals should provide some early grazing options in the spring assuming we get enough moisture for them to grow,” Lancaster said.If those strategies are not options, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson suggests producers limit the number of hours in the day that the cows are given access to hay.

Algae blooms are getting more toxic and spreading north on the Great Plains

The ugly blue-green algae that frequently spoil Kansas lakes for swimming, fishing and supplying drinking water are growing more toxic as the climate changes.And they’re spreading farther north.States in the upper Great Plains will have to get used to spending on expensive water treatment — the way utilities in Kansas do — to keep taps flowing.They’ll need programs to quickly warn people away from popular recreation spots when blooms appear that can turn toxic fast, make them sick and kill their dogs.“States like North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana … you’re going to get a lot more blooms and have to deal with this,” said Ted Harris, an algae biologist with the University of Kansas.The growing toxic algae problem doesn’t just add another reason people in the Midwest and Great Plains need to fight climate change — it adds urgency to the task of figuring out how to cut back on the vast amounts of fertilizer and livestock excrement that wash into waterways and intensify the algae toxins.A team of scientists, including Harris, did a deep-dive into algae conditions on nearly 3,000 U.S.

Victims identified in Dodge City fatal shooting

By Kansan Staff The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Dodge City Police Department and the Ford County Sheriff’s Office have identified the two men killed… Login to continue reading Login Sign up for complimentary access Sign Up Now Close

Community development, childcare among topics of interest in SE Kansas towns

MANHATTAN – Don’t let the size of their town fool you: The residents of Toronto, Kansas have big things in mind.It’s why more than a third of the southeast Kansas town’s 200 residents showed up recently for a meeting with K-State Research and Extension agents to figure out how to make their quaint community more vibrant.“We talked about strengths and opportunities, which helped us narrow their focus,” said Tara Smith, a family and community wellness agent in K-State’s Southwind Extension District.“Toronto has a wonderful community center, and the people have a lot of ideas on how to improve that, but it’s already a neat hub of the community.