It may be only early March, but feedlot operators need to plan for summer's heat and its impact on their animals.

To help them do so, the Nebraska Cattlemen will hold "Heat Stress Management" lunch-and-learn sessions at four locations next week. Feedlot managers, owners, employees and supporting industry personnel are encouraged to participate.

These sessions will be a pre-summer review for feedlot sites to help determine the adequacy of facilities and prepare management plans to reduce the impact of heat stress on cattle, says Pete McClymont, executive vice president of NC.

The sessions are: March 10 at the Nielsen Center in West Point, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; March 10 at the River's Edge Convention Center in Columbus, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; March 11 at the Boone County Fairgrounds Casey's Building in Albion, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; and March 14 at the Dawson County 4-H Office in Lexington, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Topics and presenters include:
•Finding the potential problem areas in your facilities and planning ahead, Dee Griffin, University of Nebraska feedlot veterinarian
•Heat waves, why some areas affected more than others, Terry Mader, Mader Consulting, LLC
•Heat stress management, physiological and behavior responses, Mader
•Design options for heat stress abatement, Jake Mayer, Settje Agri-Services & Engineering
•Cattle handling in heat, determining when an animal is compromised, Rob Eirich, University of Nebraska beef quality assurance coordinator
•Animal welfare impacts of heat stress, Mayer

These 4 hour meetings will include a free meal.

The Managing Feedlot Heat Stress sessions are sponsored by K&R Equipment, F&M Bank, Rainforth Veterinary Supply, Jay Rainforth, Samson-Inc., and Town and Country Vet Clinic.

For more information, contact Bonita Lederer at 402-329-6273.