Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Beef Center and the University of Nebraska are teaming up to offer a Feedlot Roundtable session at Cresco, Ida Grove and Manchester on Tuesday Feb. 9 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The sessions are offered annually in Nebraska and Iowa for feedlot operators and interested agribusiness people.

Topics for this year’s session feature the following:
•A review of silage research from production to use in the feedlot
•Starch digestion by ruminants
•Economic trends and outlook in the beef industry
•Changing distillers grains and their use in feedlot cattle diets.

REGISTER NOW: Beef feedlot sessions will be held Feb. 9 by ISU at three Iowa locations: Cresco, Ida Grove and Manchester. Topics include silage research update, ruminant starch digestion and the changing composition of distillers grains in feedlot cattle diets.

Dan Loy from ISU and Galen Erickson, Matt Luebbe and Kate Brooks from University of Nebraska will be the speakers. The Feedlot Roundtable will be offered via Internet connection for Iowans at the Howard County Extension office, Ida County Extension office and Delaware County Extension office. This webinar is part of an agreement between Iowa State University Extension and UNL Extension to share livestock educational resources and programs. See the program flyer on the website.

The $10 fee is payable at the door and covers materials and refreshments. To register, contact the location you will attend by February 8. Contact information is:

•Cresco, Howard County Extension, Sue Barnes, [email protected], 563-547-3001
•Ida Grove: Ida County Extension Office, Kandice Moore, [email protected], 712-364-3003
•Manchester: Delaware County Extension, Denise Schwab, [email protected], 319-472-4739

More information is available from Iowa Beef Center at iowabeefcenter.org, your local county Extension office or an Iowa State Extension beef program specialist. 

Driftless Region Beef Conference to be held Feb. 4-5 at Dubuque
Here’s another regional beef cattle conference that’s worth attending. With nearly 2.5 million cattle in four Midwest states, University Extension Services in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin have teamed together to offer the Driftless Region Beef Conference.  The fourth annual event will be held Feb. 4-5, 2016, at the Grand River Convention Center in Dubuque, Iowa.

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The Driftless Region in these states has rolling hills, streams and karst soil topography. Since soil and water conservation is best accomplished when much of this land is seeded for forage and livestock consumes those forages, the conference will focus on efficient and economic forage and beef production.

Beef producers from four states are invited to attend
The conference will begin 1 p.m. on Thursday with a program concentrating on cattle health and handling and reproductive efficiency. An evening discussion will explore innovative practices being used by four beef producers. The Friday morning agenda features six breakout sessions for feedlot operations and cow-calf producers. It will conclude with a market outlook.

Key speakers include Jan Shearer, Patrick Gunn and Erika Lundy, Iowa State University; Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University; Allison Meyer, University of Missouri; Kris Ringwall, North Dakota State University; David Kammel, Dan Undersander, Dan Schaefer and Bill Halfman, University of Wisconsin; Nicole Rambo, University of Minnesota; and Jim Lowe, University of Illinois. 

Registration information is available on conference website
The early registration fee is $85 per person and must be received prior to midnight, January 22. The price increases to $115 after that date. More information on topics, speakers and lodging is available at aep.iastate.edu/beef/. Online and mail registration forms are available on the conference website.

The Driftless Region Beef Conference is sponsored by ISU Extension, University of Illinois Extension, University of Minnesota Extension and University of Wisconsin Extension. For more information or to receive a brochure, contact Denise Schwab, beef specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach at 319-472-4739.

Related link: aep.iastate.edu/beef/. Related publication: “2015 Driftless Region Beef Conference Proceedings,” AEP 1024-15.

 The Iowa Beef Center at ISU in Ames was established in 1996 to support the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from ISU Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC visit iowabeefcenter.org.