“Drought – a Game Changer for Beef Operations” is the title of meetings to be held Nov. 6 – Dec. 6 across Iowa. The meetings will look at strategies those in the beef industry may consider as they move forward.

These fall meetings will focus on managing feed costs and alternative feeds for fall and winter feeding for the cow herd or feedlot use. Developing feeding programs that use available feeds and keep feed costs in check is the goal.

Meeting topics include the following:

- Ways to reduce corn use but still maintain performance.
- Chemically treating lower quality forages and supplementing the forage or drought stressed corn silage.
-A situation update on beef outlook, current beef supply and demand, and feed price outlook.
- A short update on precipitation outlook.

- Planning for next year and beyond.

To find a November or December meeting location. There will be a $10 per person fee payable at the door to cover refreshments and other miscellaneous cost. This could vary at individual sites.

We will be posting Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) from these meetings in the “comments” area of this blog post.  Please post your own questions or comments!

So far this harvest, a lot of corn and soybeans have gone into storage at temperatures in the 70s and some 80s. With grain this warm, moisture migration and spoilage can occur quickly, even with fairly dry grain. With forecast highs in the 50s with lows in the 30s for this weekend and next week, grain bin fans should be running by the end of the week to get stored grain cooled down as soon as possible.

While we want stored grain cooled to 30-35 degrees for winter storage, the sooner we get grain temperatures down, the better. Every 10 degree drop in grain temperature will nearly double the allowable storage time. Fans might need to be run several times during the fall to get grain down to wintertime storage temperatures.

The time required to completely cool a bin of grain depends on fan size. In general terms, a large drying fan will take 10-20 hours to cool a bin of grain. However, a small aeration fan can take a week or more to completely cool a full bin. In either case, it is best to measure the temperature of the air coming out of the grain to see if cooling is complete. It is much better to error on the side of running the fan too long rather than turn it off too soon.

If grain is dried down to the proper moisture and correctly cooled, it should store very well through the winter. Even so, it is best to check stored grain at least every two weeks during the winter and once a week in warmer weather. For more details, order a copy of “Managing Dry Grain in Storage” AED-20 from Midwest Plan Service or check out more grain storage information .

“We have started to see some corn being chopped for silage and I expect we will see much more than usual as pastures and hay ground have dried up and farmers are looking for alternatives,” Northey said. “The drought has been especially tough on livestock farmers and we hope the directory continues to be a resource as farmers seek additional feed sources for their animals.”

To learn more or see the full announcement go to IDALS.

Dried distillers grains is a good source of both energy and protein. This study examined the effect of providing DDGS in limited and ad libitum quantities to the young suckling calf as well as the subsequent feedyard performance. The study compared commercial creep feed provided in self-feeders, limit fed distillers grain (2 to 3 pounds per head per day), and ad libitum distillers grain. Ad libitum calves consumed twice as much as the limit fed group.

Calves were weaned and back grounded for one month prior to the feeding trial where 43 bull calves were monitored for individual intake. All were provided the same ration, and ultra sound evaluated for backfat, rib eye, intramuscular fat, breeding soundness and weight gain.

The limit fed DDGS creep group did not differ from commercially prepared creep feeds in the post weaning to yearling phase of life in regards to growth or carcass characteristics. Ad libitum calves were significantly heavier starting the feed out. They did not significantly differ in final weight or overall average daily gain. Dry matter intake was not different, but dry matter to weight conversion was significantly higher for the ad lib creep fed bulls.

The results of the distillers grain creep feeding generally seem very good since it is simple and does not negatively affect later feed out performance except for feed efficiency in the ad libitum creep fed calves. For more information and details on this project, check out the ISU Animal Industry Report A.S. Leaflet R2687.

Are you interested in a 2-for-1 deal? ISU’s Iowa Beef Center and beef nutrition faculty and staff are planning the “Beef Nutrition Research Pre-game Showcase” the morning of the final home ISU football game on Nov. 18.

We hope that having the showcase the same day as the night football game will enable more people to attend and learn about the research being done at ISU.

The event will run from about 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., giving everyone plenty of time to attend pre-game activities before the 8 p.m. kickoff.

The showcase begins and ends at the Beef Nutrition farm, and will be held rain or shine. The farm is located at 3405 North Dakota Ave., approximately 4 miles north of the Highway 30/South Dakota Avenue interchange on the southwest corner of Ames.

Assistant professor of animal science Stephanie Hansen said four graduate students and two undergrads will present current information about the research projects they’re working on.

Thanks to sponsorship from Elanco Animal Health and Titan Machinery, the entire Beef Nutrition Research Pre-game Showcase is free. However, it’s important to preregister by emailing beefcenter@iastate.edu or calling 515-294-2333 with the name and address of each attendee no later than Nov. 11. More details on the day can be found on the Iowa Beef Center home page.