At a recent meeting of the Pierce County Agriculture Improvement Association, board members suggested adding text messaging to the Extension office’s existing communication methods, which currently include email, social media and limited postal notifications. With the proportion of producers who now carry smartphones, text message notifications of pertinent information and meeting reminders is viewed by the group to be a useful and efficient communication tool.

In an effort to accomplish this, the Pierce County Extension office will begin collecting cell phone numbers (on voluntary basis) from producers at upcoming meetings. If you would like to join the upcoming text messaging notification system please feel free to call the Pierce County Extension office so that we may add your information to the list.

NDSU Feedlot School

set for January 20-21

North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center will hold its annual NDSU Feedlot School on Jan. 20-21, 2015.

This intensive course is for cattle producers, feeders, backgrounders, feed industry personnel, animal health-care suppliers and anyone else who is interested in learning more about feedlot production, nutrition, waste management and marketing.

`”Cattle feeding is a very competitive business,” says Karl Hoppe, Extension livestock specialist at the center. “Making cattle feeding profitable is usually a result of doing many things right, not just one thing better. The Feedlot School helps identify the areas for improvement, ranging from feed bunk management to health to business planning to marketing.”

The regional cattle experts who teach at the school provide a good overview of management for North Dakota feeders, and. the outreach or interaction with the participants continues for years after the school, according to Hoppe.

Feedlot school topics will include:

Why feed cattle in North Dakota

Animal nutritional requirements

Feed additives and growth promoter technologies

Ration formulation

Feed nutrient analysis and testing

Livestock stewardship and beef quality assurance

Facility management

Disease diagnosis, treatments and health programs

Manure and nutrient management

Carcass quality and marketing on the grid

Using market information for strategic planning

Budgeting

Custom feeding

The school also will include a commercial feedlot tour and a tour of the Research Extension Center’s livestock facilities.

Instructors include faculty from NDSU’s Animal Sciences Department, and the Carrington and North Central Research Extension Centers, as well as others who have extensive experience working with northern Plains feedlots.

The registration fee is $130 per person or $175 for two people from the same operation. All meals and a 3-inch, three-ring feedlot school binder are included in the registration. The deadline to register is Jan. 12. The fee does not include lodging.

Participants must make their own lodging arrangements. Lodging is available at the Chieftain Conference Center, 652-3131; Carrington Inn and Suites, 652-3982; or Cobblestone Inn, 652-3000.

For more information about the course or to register, contact Joel Lemer, an Extension agent in Foster County, at 652-2581 or joel.lemer@ndsu.edu.

The Carrington Research Extension Center is 3.5 miles north of Carrington on U.S. Highway 281.

– NDSU Extension