Farmers and livestock producers know that using the right equipment can save time, money and headaches. There is never a shortage of fence to be mended, equipment to fix or livestock to doctor and that doesn't include the normal daily chores.

Working cattle can be a time consuming, albeit necessary job. New cattle handling equipment often helps these time-strapped laborers improve efficiency and perform jobs more effectively. Side-by-side chute demonstrations allow cattlemen looking at purchasing a new piece of equipment to compare the top manufactures.

LABOR SAVERS: Compare chutes, scales, portable fencing and pens during live cattle handling demonstrations.

Cattle handling demonstrations are held twice daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Livestock Industries Tent on the northeast corner of the exhibit field between Ninth and Tenth streets.

During cattle handing demonstrations, visitors are able to see equipment at work in side-by-side comparisons of chutes, scales, portable fencing and pens. Whether you're interested in the newest hydraulic chute or a manual type, a chute with a scale or a palpation cage, manufacturer representatives will be glad to discuss different options that best suit each operation. It's also the place to get information to fine-tune your pre-conditioning program and increase your beef herd performance.

Local producers will supply approximately 20 head of cattle per day for the cattle handling demonstrations. Calves will be given vaccinations, ear tags and implants provided by Livestock Concepts.

Moderated by Nebraska veterinarian Joe Jeffrey, the crowd will be entertained with his anecdotes from years of ranching and raising cattle along the Platte River in central Nebraska. 

Behlen County is providing the panels and equipment for the cattle demonstrations and Livestock Concepts is supplying the pharmaceuticals. Farm Progress offers a special thank you to John Kearney for all his hard work and advice through the years.

For your convenience, livestock exhibits have been grouped together in the northeast corner of the exhibit field.  Stroll through the Livestock Industries Tent and then visit the outdoor livestock exhibits to discover all the latest innovations in equipment and services.

New for 2011: equine nutrition

As far as equine nutrition is concerned, who cares what century we are in? Judith A. Reynolds, Ph.D., P.A.S., Dipl. A.C.A.N., Equine Nutritionist, Equine Product and Technical Manager for ADM Alliance Nutrition will bring you up to date on how the science of equine nutrition has drastically changed.

As we learn more about how horses digest and utilize nutrients from feeds, and as more feed ingredients become available, our feed choices broaden and change. We now know that digestibility of a feed is almost as important as its nutrient content.

Newly available ingredients such as beet pulp, soybean hulls and stabilized rice bran, which come from the human food manufacturing industry, allow us to make feeds higher in digestibility and energy without the high risks of the over 30 equine grain associated disorders.

This new Equine Nutrition seminar will be held in the Livestock Industries Tent daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.