Beginning January 1, 2019, those planning to sell fat cattle for slaughter to Tyson Fresh Meats, JBS, Cargill, and Greater Omaha will need to be Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certified. As of now, this requirement only applies to those selling fat cattle for slaughter. At this point, cow/calf producers and backgrounders are not yet required to have BQA certification although these producers may choose to do it voluntarily to add value and demand for their cattle.

Pierce County is willing to host a live Beef Quality Assurance Certification meeting if there are enough livestock producers interested in attending, however we need your help to decide if Pierce County Extension should host this event.

Letters and surveys were mailed out this week. For those who prefer, we also have the survey available in an online format here: ndstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_410ogvgKaWqc4Wp

For more information about Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) certification, to request a local BQA meeting, or if you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact the Pierce County NDSU Extension office at 776-6234 ext. 5.

Increase Performance with Ration Formulation

While cattle performance can be affected by other factors such as environment, genetics, and others, proper nutrition is a major factor in healthy and high-performing cattle. Feed costs represent the largest single expense for livestock operations. This has been amplified by decreased forage production and availability due to drought conditions the past two years.

There are a number of benefits of feeding a TMR (total mixed ration) which include:

– Ability to feed some low quality forages or unpalatable feeds that cattle normally wouldn’t eat

– Ensuring each bite cattle consume is nutrient-balanced with less likelihood of sorting

– Uniform supply of protein and carbohydrate to lower risk of digestive upset, stabilize rumen pH, and optimize rumen feed digestion

– More control and accuracy of individual ingredients and supplements versus feeding them separately.

– Ease in measuring daily intakes which aids in correctly balancing a ration to reduce feed waste and costs

– Can reduce labor costs and feed waste

Rations for beef cattle do not have to be complex to meet their nutritional needs. Simple combinations of feeds in the right amounts can produce nicely balanced rations. Inadequate rations can lead to weight loss, calving difficulties, poor milk production, failure to rebreed, and increases susceptibility to disease. Without feed sampling and laboratory analysis, producers may not realize their rations are inadequate. Insufficient diets cause losses in productivity and profitability.

For more information on feed analysis or help with ration balancing, contact Yolanda at the Pierce County Extension office by calling 776-6234 ext. 5 or emailing yolanda.schmidt@ndsu.edu.