shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com February 23, 2016 • Page 5 Feed Bunk Management BROOKINGS, S.D. - When it comes to nutritional management of growing and finishing cattle, the scientific aspects tend to get the most attention. In truth, feeding cattle successfully is as much art and judgment as science, explained Warren Rusche, SDSU Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist. “Judgment is required to balance between over- and under-feeding. Under-feeding limits performance and possibly quality grade,” Rusche said. “While feeding too much increases feed waste, and more importantly, can trigger acidosis, poor performance, and increased death loss.” What does the research say? Rusche pointed to a 1996 South Dakota State University research study conducted in which cattle fed all they would eat were compared to those fed just enough so that all the feed was consumed in a 24-hr period. “They observed that steers fed with the slick bunk strategy had similar average daily gain (ADG) but improved feed efficiency compared to the steers fed to appetite,” Rusche said. He added that there was also more variation in ADG among steers fed all they would eat, suggesting that some steers may have experienced subclinical acidosis from over-consumption. “The goal should be to achieve dry matter intakes as close as possible to the cattle’s appetite, while avoiding roller coaster intake patterns,” he said. Dr. Robbi Pritchard at SDSU developed a widelyadopted scoring system to help cattle feeders minimize variation in feed intake and optimize performance (Table 1). “Tracking bunk scores and the amount of feed delivered helps identify pens that are right on track, those that should be offered more feed, and those that should be fed less,” he said. “Seeing bunk scores of 0.5 two or three days over a seven to 10 day-period, and scores of zero for the balance of that period, indicates a good balance between high intake to support performance, while minimizing inconsistencies in intake.” Some guidelines for managing feed deliveries include: * Feed calls should be made at the same time every day. * Feed should be delivered at the same time every day, ideally within a 15-minute window. * Do not increase feed offered by more than 5%. * Feed should not be increased more frequently than every third day. * Remove stale feed. * Cattle behavior and aggressiveness in coming to the feed bunk can tell a great deal about whether or not feed deliveries should be increased. niGrow How to Pick a Healthcare Plan if You Have a Chronic Condition (StatePoint) Choosing a healthcare plan can be difficult, especially when you have a chronic lung disease like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 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While the deadline for individuals to enroll in a healthcare plan has passed for 2016 unless you’ve had a life event like getting married or divorced, it’s always a good idea to brush up on how a plan can affect you. More information can be found at Lung.org. COPD patients can call the Lung Association’s free HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA to speak with a certified enrollment counselor. Before enrolling in a healthcare plan, use free resources available to help you make the most financially sound decision for your circumstances. Students: Great Tips for Finding a Scholarship small as a thank you note can have a disproportionately large effect on how an application is regarded. Be courteous and thoughtful throughout the process. (StatePoint) College is expensive, and while families should focus on saving what they can, students should not forget to apply to the wealth of scholarships available nationwide. Millions of scholarships, worth billions of dollars are awarded annually. 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Visit our Web site at Call 665-58 www.missourivalleyshopper.com to place an ad in the Sh Visit our Web site at Call 665-58 www.missourivalleyshopper.com “Full Service Farm www.missourivalleyshopper.com Equipment” to place an ad in the Sh Call 665-5884 to place East Hwy. 50, Yankton, SD 1-800-827-9700 • 605-665-3872 sales@koletzkyimplement.com • www.koletzkyimplement.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com Call 665-5884 to place www.missourivalleyshopper.com Call 665-5884 to pla ad in the Shopper Visit our Web site at Call 665-58 RTEC Announces Spring Class A CDL, Welding & Career Expo Opportunities! Class A CDL Truck Driving Training: Take advantage of Northeast Community College’s truck driving training program while it’s offered in Yankton and earn your Class A CDL. Sign up for the classroom portion to be held at RTEC from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on March 3 & 4, 2016. Classroom instruction will prepare you for the written test needed to obtain your learner’s permit. Driving portion of the course will be held during the week of Mar. 28 - Apr. 1, www.missourivalleyshopper.com 2016 in Norfolk, NE. Cost is $995 plus tax. Class size limited to three! Welding Basics Class: Applications are being accepted for this introductory 48-hour Welding Basics class which is scheduled to begin Mar. 14, 2016. It meets Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4-8 p.m. through Apr. 20, 2016. Contact RTEC at (605) 668-5700 and apply today! Upgrade Welding Classes: www.missourivalleyshopper.com Applications are still being accepted for RTEC’s AWS Certification/Upgrade Welding course set to begin on Mar. 15, 2016. It will be a 48-hour night class held from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Apr. 21, 2016. Contact RTEC today! RTEC’s Annual Career Expo for Students: Schools are invited to transports groups of middle school and high school students to this one-day event held from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Once at RTEC, they’ll have an opportunity to explore careers and participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations. Local and area businesses, organizations and post-secondary schools are invited to sign up to host a free booth to showcase their services, career opportunities, educational programs or products to students in attendance! Contact RTEC for details and make plans to participate! More “Just for Fun” Classes in March! We are putting the finishing touches on a couple of fun classes that will be offered in mid to late March 2016. One is an Advanced Knitting Without Needles course which will show you how to create a cowl-type scarf using a new arm knitting technique. The other, yet unnamed, will feature canning jars to create a functional storage or decorative display perfect for any counter or table top. Details will be announced soon so keep watching www.rtecedu.org or like RTEC on Facebook so you and your friends can sign up! Visit our Web site at Please contact RTEC for more information today! 1200 W. 21st St. Yankton, SD 57078 (605) 668-5700 www.rtecedu.org Like RTEC on Facebook! to place an ad in the S Call 665-58 to place an ad in the S