hopper.com opper.com February 2, 2016 • Page 4 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Monitoring Nutrient Status of Cows n roundup From Page 3 Youth participants develop a mastery of their respective subject matters, but more importantly, www.missourivalleyshopper.com gain life-long skills. Such skills as public speaking, professionalism, and good sportsmanship along with the memories and new friendships will outlast the trophies and ribbons that were won. South Dakota teams & Placings Consumer Decision Making Team placed fourth Cutline Pic 2 - State Flag Bearer, overall in reasons. Kaitlyn Ringgenberg of Brown Team members were County. all from Codington County a included: Kara Tesch, Grace Stein, Sara Thyen, and Molly Walker. The team was coached by Jodi Loehrer, SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor, Codington County. Hippology Team placed fifth overall. Team members include: Marissa Woodring, Spink County; Trey Wright, Brown County; Megan Malsam, Brown County; Joellen Gonsoir, Brown County, placed as the third Individual Overall. The team was coached by Kristen Gonsoir. www.missourivalleyshopper.com Horse Judging Team placed fourth overall. Team members included: Wyatt Stevens, Jerauld County, placed as the seventh Individual Overall; Sierra Goergen, Beadle County; Sarah Vos, Pennington County; Kaitlyn Ringgenberg, Brown County. The team was coached by Molly Ringgenberg and Bailey Ringgenberg. Livestock Judging team placed fourth overall. Team members ncluded: Kyler Johnson, Minnehaha County, placed tenth individual Overall; Cooper Gordon, Spink County; Alexa Montagne, Union County; and Shaye Jungwirth, Potter County. The team was coached by Falyn Hogg, SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor for Hand, Hyde, Faulk and Potter Counties and John Keimig, SDSU Extension 4-H Associate. Horse Quiz Bowl, team members were all from Roberts County and included: Morgan Janisch, Valerie Moen, Kendra Currence and Derek Peterson. The Horse Quiz Bowl team was coached by Julie Nelson. niGrow www.missourivalleyshopper.com hopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com te at opper.com te at opper.com hopper.com opper.com Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com hopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com te at opper.com te at opper.com Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Visit our Web site at www.missourivalleyshopper.com BROOKINGS, S.D. - Managing cows through the winter presents unique challenges - especially when snow covers most of South Dakota, explained Adele Harty, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. “Cows oftentimes receive supplemental feed to meet their nutrient requirements during late gestation and into calving season because forage available for grazing is limited,” Harty said. She explained that supplemental feeds can range from hay, to cake, to distillers grains or lick barrels. Whatever the preferred method of supplementation, Harty said to ensure that cows’ nutrient requirements are being met, there are two simple tools cattle producers should use on a regular basis. The first is to monitor body condition score and the second is to monitor manure consistency. “By monitoring body condition score (BCS) on a regular basis you are evaluating trends in nutritional status through time, and can make appropriate management decisions,” she said. “The most important question to ask is, ‘what condition are my cows in, and are they gaining, maintaining or losing condition?”’ Harty reminded producers that on a 1-9 scale, the goal is to have cows in a BCS of 5 at calving. “A cow with a BCS of 5 is described as one whose “overall appearance is generally good,”’ Harty said. She explained that the fat cover over the ribs feels spongy. Palpable fat cover is present on either side of the tail head. Supplemental feeds need to be added to the nutrition program if cows are losing condition and will drop below a BCS of 5 before calving. If the cows are in adequate condition of BCS 5 and maintaining, no im- Dining, Entertainment, and Celebrations! COUPON - Offer expires 2/29/16 OPEN 11 AM - 10PM 6 $ 00 OFF Job Hunting? The Help Wanted section can help. mediate changes are likely needed. However, Harty said if cows are in poor condition, a BCS less than 5, or losing condition, management changes need to be made immediately. “If the cows are in BCS greater than 5, the nutrition program is more than adequate, but one may need to evaluate the feed costs associated with this excess condition.” Manure consistency Manure consistency can serve as an indicator of forage quality and animal performance. The primary question this indicator can help answer is, “Do the cows need a protein supplement? If they are receiving a protein supplement, is it enough?” Photos accompanying this article show manure from animals with excess protein (Photo 1), sufficient protein (Photo 2), and deficient in protein (Photo 3) in their diet. Excess Protein: Manure patties similar to Photo 1 indicate a diet with crude protein greater than 10 percent. The center of the patty has a crater-like appearance. If there are small folds present around the edges of the patty, the crude protein content will be in the 10-13 percent range. No additional supplementation is needed for mature cows with manure of this consistency. Sufficient Protein: Manure patties similar to Photo 2 indicate diet crude protein is between 6 and 9 percent. This manure will have flat folds. As for- age quality increases the folds become smaller. This manure indicates forage quality adequate to meet maintenance requirements for mature cows. Depending on the stage of production, additional protein supplementation may be required particularly during late gestation or early lactation. Deficient Protein: The manure in Photo 3 indicates diets with crude protein of 5 percent or less. These droppings have very distinct rings at the lower portion which tend to be firm. Manure from this forage quality tends to stack, but the rings are a true indicator of lower forage quality. This manure type indicates the forage is below maintenance requirements for all classes of beef cattle and that protein supplementation is necessary to increase digestibility and utilization of the low quality forage. “This is a simple tool to evaluate whether or not cows need to be supplemented or if your current supplementation program is working,” Harty said. If cows are still grazing dormant range, it is challenging to collect a representative sample of the forage to determine quality. However, Harty added that if the manure is indicating protein deficiency on low-quality forages, adding or increasing a protein supplement will increase the utilization of those low-quality forages, especially this time of year. “Adding a protein supplement to low-quality forages will be beneficial to maintain body condition score and cow meet nutrient requirements,” she said. If the cows are being fed supplemental hay, Harty reminded producers to have the hay analyzed for protein, energy and mineral content. “Hay quality varies from year to year, so what has worked in the past isn’t going to work the same every year,” she said. “Beyond that, because they are probably consuming a mixture of hay and forage grazed from pasture, monitoring BCS and manure consistency can ensure that nutrient needs are being met.” niGrow Tips to Be More Productive There’s something for everyone in the Shopper! Place your ad now: 605-665-5884 Family Meal 8 Pc. Chicken, 2 Lg. Sides, 4 Biscuits Open To The Public 2504 Fox Run Pkwy. Yankton, SD prizes • auctions dinner • fun www.rmef.org Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuits & Gravy, French Toast 7.00 All You Can Eat $ A GREAT TIME FOR A GREAT CAUSE! 22ndal Annu Pancakeast Breakf Attend a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Dinner and Benefit Auction where fun and fundraising combine for a memorable evening. DATE: Saturday, Feb. 6th 2016 TIME: Doors open at 5:00 PM PLACE: Minervas, E. Hwy 50, Yankton TICKET INFORMATION: Call Dave Mingo at 605-661-0553 Proceeds benefit elk and other wildlife Children 6-10 $4.00 • 5 & Under Free Sunday, Feb. 7th • 8 - 12:30 VFW Post 791 209 Cedar, Yankton • 665-3562 Navigator Tours Let’s Go to Deadwood! April 20 - 22, 2016 $179 per person double, $239 per person single. Transportation, 2 nights lodging at the Mineral Palace In downtown Deadwood, Wine & Cheese Welcome Reception, Hot Breakfast Buffett, $20 in meal vouchers, $10 Slot play per day, and Slot Tournament entry Will pick up in Norfolk, Yankton, Tyndall, Mitchell Please call for reservations Navigator MotorCoaches • 1-800-634-8696 www.NavigatorBus.com (StatePoint) Juggling work, family, friends and everything in between is no easy feat. But there are many ways to increase your productivity without working harder or getting more stressed. Small business owners are true experts in this art, establishing routines and habits to be more efficient with time, money and resources. Here are some top tips recently shared by several small business owners and bloggers as part of the #MakeMoreHappen campaign from Staples, that can help you become more productive at home and work. Get Tech Savvy Be willing to outsource certain tasks, like technical troubleshooting. If you’re not an IT specialist, solving such problems can be time consuming and headache-inducing. “Even small technical problems can take hours of frustration to fix, and most people don’t think about these issues until they have them, especially when it’s too late,” says Cassie Boorn of Maker Mentors and blogger at Design Aglow. “A smart solution is to set up a monthly subscription with a technical support hotline like Staples, so you can have instant access to help any time you need it.” n productive, Page 5