shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com December 13, 2016 • Page 13 Bedding During Winter Months Pays Off Column by Warren Rusche, SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate "To bed or not to bed?" With apologies to William Shakespeare, that is the question on many feedlot managers' minds as we head into the winter months. Will providing bedding result in enough extra performance to outweigh the additional expenses in both material and labor? The answer is often yes. Depending on conditions, the ability to provide bedding to feedlot pens is certainly a valuable tool to increase cattle comfort and performance during extreme weather conditions in the Northern Plains. Cattle producers should begin making plans and preparations now if they are considering implementing a bedding program. Bedding results in $60 to $80 per head advantage Research results suggest that providing bedding during Courtesy of iGrow. extreme winter weather conditions improves performance and feed efficiency. In a study conducted in North Dakota at the Carrington Research Extension Center, cattle that were provided bedding gained faster and more Find it here! Safe Winter Driving Tips efficiently than their non-bedded counterparts. Bedded cattle in that study had heavier carcass weights and a greater percentage reaching the USDA Choice quality grade compared to the non-bedded cattle. The combination Courtesy of iGrow. Depending on conditions, theaability to provide bedding to feedlot pens is certainly valof improved perfor- uable tool to increase cattle comfort and performance mance and heavier, during extreme weather conditions in the Northern more valuable Plains. if they had access to an open front carcasses resulted in a $60 to $80 per head advantage for shed. These researchers also noted that doubling the amount of space bedding. per head in open yards was just as Those results agree with a summaeffective as bedding in promoting ry of South Dakota and Colorado data performance and reducing the effects showing a 7 percent improvement in of mud. gain and feed conversion when bedBedding Type Can Impact Perfording was provided. mance These studies The crop residue used for bedding show the greatest impact in later por- can also play a role in cattle perfortions of the feeding mance. North Dakota researchers reported that there was a tendency for period. It apcalves bedded with corn stalks to conpeared that lighter sume less dry matter from the ration calves adapted to placed in the bunk compared to cattle muddy conditions bedded with wheat straw, leading to more readily than differences in gain and performance. heavier cattle. Researchers speculate that cattle In some locaate more of the corn stover at the tions and environexpense of the bunk ration. If cattle mental conditions, producers have both straw and corn the benefits to stover available, there may be an providing bedding economic benefit to dedicating straw are less clear. In a study conducted in supplies to bedding usages and using the corn stover as a possible roughnortheast Nebraska, age source. bedding provided a performance If corn stover is used for bedding, boost during the first 70 days in waiting to bed pens until after the catopen lots. However, by the end of the tle have consumed all or most of the four-month trial, those advantages ration from the bunk will help reduce in gain and efficiency were largely the amount of substitution occurring. gone. There was no advantage to bedding cattle under those conditions Auctions, Entertainment, Baby Goods, Furniture, Toys, Antiques, Electronics, Cars, Homes For Sale/Rent and MORE!!! MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y (StatePoint) While winter can be a beautiful time of year, it can also be a treacherous season on the roads. Winter driving conditions require increased attention and an ability to adapt quickly. In 2015, 8,010 people nationwide were killed in car crashes between December and March, resulting in an average seven percent per month increase from 2014, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). These numbers are a warning to everyone on the roads about how dangerous winter driving can be. “Winter looks more idyllic outside our house windows than outside our windshield,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “The good news is many cars are equipped with life-saving technologies. It is important that drivers understand how the technologies work in order to drive safely in winter conditions.” In an effort to prevent crashes on the road this winter, MyCarDoesWhat, an NSC and University of Iowa initiative, is offering some major pieces of advice for driving in winter conditions. • Slow down. Drivers frequently underestimate how long it takes to brake and how difficult it can be to steer on slippery roads. • Don’t use cruise control on slippery surfaces like ice and snow. It will diminish your control and reduce your reaction time in the event of a skid. • Remember, bridges and overpasses freeze before roadways, so be alert in cold weather when approaching one. • Many new safety technologies (like back-up cameras) have outside sensors that can freeze or fog up. Always make sure they are clear so they work their best. MyCarDoesWhat also reminds drivers of the safety technologies that can help vehicles adapt in slippery and changing conditions. • Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) help drivers maintain control by preventing wheels from locking up. ABS works differently than traditional brakes, delivering and releasing precise braking pressure to each wheel as needed. So, don’t pump the brakes if you have ABS. Just hold them down firmly and look and steer in the direction you want to go. The brakes may buzz and vibrate when the ABS has activated. • Traction control helps you accelerate without spinning out on slippery surfaces like snow and ice. • Electronic stability control senses when you may be losing control around a corner or curve, and can stabilize your car if it begins to veer off the road. • Adaptive headlights adjust to changing roadway conditions -- such as curves -- to provide optimum illumination along the roadway during long winter nights and periods of low daytime visibility. • The temperature warning feature provides updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. “When there is snow and ice on the road, antilock brakes can improve the stability of your braking so you can steer better,” said Dan McGehee, director of the University of Iowa National Advanced Driver Simulator. “Remember to hold the brakes down even when they pulse and vibrate.” For more information, visit MyCarDoesWhat.org and follow MyCarDoesWhat on Twitter and Facebook. 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