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Golden Valley News
June 15, 2017
Paul
BELFIELD - A graveside service for Neil Paul, 59, of Beach, will be held
at 1 p.m., Friday, June 9, at St. Bernard's Catholic Cemetery, Belfield.
Neil passed away Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, at CHI St. Alexius Hospital,
Dickinson.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given to St. Jude's
Children Hospital.
Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at
www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.
Wean early, save 25
percent of pasture forag
Did you know you can save more
than 25 percent of available forage
by weaning calves early?
The current dryness affecting the
land has caused all livestock pro-
ducers to review options. For some
in a drought situation, the only real
solution is rain. But producers need
to take charge, whether the season is
dry or wet.
The Dickinson Research Exten-
sion Center has and will continue to
manage during dry times. The cen-
ter is in a semiarid climate and dry-
ness is not a stranger.
Managing grazing time and
stocking rate is critical. As a result,
the center has measured available
biomass on the range when cows
have their calves removed in mid-
August versus early November.
The thought is that removing
calves would lessen the impact on
the production unit during times
when rain is scarce. First, no drought
plan works if there is no grazing
plan to start with.
To begin, a properly designed
grazing system that does not put
undue pressure on grass is a priority.
While those wetter-than-average
years tempt producers to increase
stocking numbers, years like this re-
mind us overstocking is never a
good idea. Stick to the properly
planned grazing system and appro-
priate adjustments.
This discussion is not about what
grazing system is best, though. The
main point}s to have a grazing sys-
tem.
The next,step is to plan on or-~
derly herd' reductions' that fit the op:
eration. Today, I want to focus on
early weaning as an option to man-
age dry pastures later this summer.
Center research has shown wean-
ing calves in August lowers the nu-
tritional requirements of the cow
herd because dry cows eat less than
lactating cows. Center animal scien-
tist Doug Landblom notes "... wean-
ing calves early has a positive
impact on growth and efficiency
during the backgrounding phase, im-
proves cow body condition score,
reduces range forage utilization, and
shortens the lifetime feeding period
of steers held for retained owner-
ship."
Data collected by Landblom
showed significant benefits of early
weaning. At the center, the body
weight of cows whose calves were
weaned in mid-August was 1,296
pounds in August and the cows still
weighed 1,311 pounds in November.
Cows with calves not weaned early
weighed 1,333 pounds in August but
lost significant weight nursing
calves on dry pasture and weighed
1,197 pounds in November.
In other words, the cows with
calves that were weaned early
gained 15 pounds and utilized 28
percent less forage biomass than the
cows whose calves were not weaned
early. The cows with calves that
were not weaned early lost 136
pounds of body weight.
Wow! Cows with August-weaned
calves gained weight and saved a
significant amount of valuable feed.
Cows with traditionally weaned
calves lost weight while consuming
more feed.
The data also reflected a signifi-
cant decrease in body condition
score for the cows: 6.1 for the cows
with calves that were weaned early
and 4.7 for the cows with calves that
were not weaned until November.
This is a difference of almost a 1.5
body score less for the cows with
calves that were weaned tradition-
ally.
The focus today is the cow. In a
dry year, the logic would be to do
some culling, getting poorer cows
off the pastures. But before culling
too deeply, consider pulling the
calves off the cows and simply leav-
ing the cows on pasture.
If the year continues to be dry, the
cows may not perform as well as the
cows in Landblom's study at the
center, but we have no reason to be-
lieve they would not be better off
than the cows with calves at their
side. The logic is that calves can be
hauled to the feed easier than the
cows, so keep the good cows on pas-
ture and move the calves to a more
plentiful and reasonable feed source.
One point of caution: Although
the early weaned calves perform
very well postweaning, lightweight
calves still do not bring enough dol-
lars to offset the production costs as-
sociated with the cow.
The center calves weighed just
shy of 400 pounds in August. A 400-
pound calf has tremendous potential
to grow once feed is located and ap-
propriate arrangements made. The
question of selling the calf or retain-
ing ownership needs to be asked.
Retaining ownership is an estab-
lished concept, but for many, a new
concept. In fact, many producers are
very uneasy with the additional risk
of owning calves once the calves
have left the control 0f the home op-
eration. But still, fast-gaining calves
with good genetics designed for pre-
miums on the rail make exploring
the concept worthwhile.
More on that later. Let's return to
where we started. By weaning
calves early, a producer can save
more than 25 percent of available
forage in a dry year. That is a great
tool to have in the management plan
and may very well need to be imple-
mented this year.
As with any drought management
tool, do not wait until forage avail-
ability is critical for the herd. Imple-
ment drought plans sooner than
later. More next time.
May you find all your ear tags.
Golden Valley News
P.O. Box 156, Beach, ND 58621
(U.S.P.S. Pub.
No. 221-280)
Staff: Richard Volesky, editor/
reporter, Jenae Orluck, corre-
spondent and Jane Cook, office
and news assistant.
The Golden Valley News is pub-
lished each Thursday, 22 Central
Ave., Suite 1, Beach, ND 58621 by
Nordmark Publishing. Periodicals
postage paid at Beach, ND and addi-
tional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to: Golden Valley News,
P.O. Box 156, Beach, ND 58621.
Please allow two to three weeks for
new subscriptions, renewal of ex-
pired subscriptions and for address
changes.
Contact Information
Phone: 701-872-3755
Fax: 701-872-3756
Emaih
goldenandbillings@gmaiLcom
Subscriptions:
1 year: $34 Golden Valley County
1 year: $38 elsewhere in
North Dakota
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9 months: $25 In-state college rate
The Golden Valley News is a proud
member of the North Dakota
Newspaper Association.
All content is copyrighted.
Established Aug. 15, 1919.
hould drought-stressed
Ifalfa be clipped?
Many parts of the state where al-
falfa is grown are experiencing mod-
erate to severe drought, which is
causing spring alfalfa growth to wilt,
and shoots and leaves to dry.
"During drought, forage is likely
in short supply and farmers are
likely to try to get as much forage as
possible," says Marisol Berti, a for-
age and biomass production re-
searcher at North Dakota State
University. "But harvest timing de-
cisions are important to keep a
healthy and productive alfalfa
stand."
Alfalfa is a perennial crop, and
keeping it perennial is important to
have forage in the future, she notes.
Whenever alfalfa plants are stressed,
their response is to replenish the root
and crown reserves (sugars, pro-
teins) as soon as possible. Reserves
are vital to support new growth from
the buds in the crown once soil
moisture is available.
The lowest root reserves occur
when the plant is 6 to 8 inches tall in !
the spring before the first cut. Re-
serves are replenished about the time
the plant blooms.
Drought-stressed alfalfa will
flower early when still very short.
The plant is accelerating its life
cycle in an attempt to produce seed
in the event that drought stress con-
tinues and the mother plant dies. If
drought persists, alfalfa will drop its
leaves and go dormant until condi-
tions improve.
Alfalfa is well-adapted to survive
a drought when managed correctly
to avoid additional stresses on the
plant, according to Berti.
The big question for producers is
whether to clip or mow droughty al-
falfa.
"Clipping drought-stressed al-
falfa will not help the plant regrow
faster when rainfall or moisture
comes back," Berti says.
She advises producers that if
stands are not 12 to 15 inches tall or
yield is not enough to cover the cost
of harvest, they should leave the al-
falfa uncut until rain falls and the al-
falfa's dormancy is broken. Clipping
or harvesting dro ght alfalfa at 6 to i
8 inches would cause additional
stress on the plant, reducing future
regrowth and possibly causing plant
death.
"Remember, the root reserves are
at the lowest at 6 to 8 inches, so do
not clip or mow alfalfa if shorter
The lowest root
reserves occur
when the plant is 6
to 8 inches tall in
the spring before
the first cut. Re-
serves are replen-
ished about the time
the plant blooms.
than 12 to 15 inches," Berti stresses.
A common concern for farmers is
that if the alfalfa flowers and never
reaches 12 to 15 inches, will it
flower again this year?
"The answer is yes," Berti says.
"If it rains and soil moisture condi-
tions improve, buds in the alfalfa
crown will grow new shoots. If soil
moisture is available, the shoots will
grow to a normal height for a second
cut (18 to 22 inches). Then your har-
vest stage should be the 10 percent
bloom stage to keep high-quality
hay."
Avoiding any additional stresses
on the plant, such as nutrient defi-
ciency or insects and diseases, is im-
portant. Berti recommends
producers fertilize with phosphorus
and potassium if they have not done
so and their soil test indicates fertil-
ization is needed. Potassium
(potash) is particularly important be-
cause this nutrient helps the plant
mobilize sugars back to the root to
tolerate the drought stress.
"Also, when soil moisture is re-
plenished, alfalfa will have all the
nutrients it needs to resume a vigor-
ous growth," she added.
"Insurance Inc.
110
Term Life Insurance
Universal Life Insurance
Fixed Annuities Index Annuities
IRAs Long-Term Care Ins.
Bruce Ross
Central Ave. South, Beach, ND (701) 872-4461 (office)
(Across from Bank of the West) (701) 872-3075 (home)
For 2017 Haying
Beach Airport
Bids must be
submitted by the ton.
No bales left on
approaches, or within
150 feet of sides of
runway.
Hay is to be completely removed within 14
days of cutting.
Payments must be received within 21 days
following each cutting.
MAIL BIDS TO:
P.O. Box 748
Beach, ND 58621
or contact Jerry Weinreis or Dave Quale
For Sale by Owner
372 2nd Ave. NE, Beach (Former Mattson Residence) Open House Saturday, 1 - 5 p.m., June 17
Main floor: 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bath, (hardwood in bedrooms
Fully finished basement: 1 bedroom, family room, Ύ bath, storage room, and root cellar
r Hot water heat, central AC,new water heater and furnace ...............
Heated shop with ample space for'parking anothervehicle ' , ....
Single, attached garage with overhead door opener
Extra-large lot with beautiful yard with mature trees and
flowers
Covered patio with rock fire place and planters
. Garden 'shed with great storage
Underground sprinklers and well
e
HAS OPENINGS FOR PART-TIME,
1YR TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENTS FOR SURVEY INTERVIEWERS
40-50 HRS A MONTH, 14.07/HR & $0.535/MILE
MUST BE A U.S. CITIZEN,
LIVE IN BILLINGS, GOLDEN VALLEY OR STARK COUNTY
HAVE DRIVERS LICENSE, RELIABLE VEHICLE, &
BE AVAILABLE TO WORK DAY, EVENING, AND WEEKEND HRS
INTERESTED IN APPLYING?
EMAIL: NAME, PHONE, ADDRESS, COUNTY,
& HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT THIS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
TO DENVER.RECRUIT@CENSUS.GOV BY JUNE 20, 2017
TO BE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND A RECRUITING SESSION
IN MEDORA, ND ON JUNE 22, 2017
If you need
The U.S. Department of Commerce is An Equal Opportunity Employer.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities.
reasonable accommodations for any part of the application process, please notify the agency.
Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Weather Trivia
w&wmm
Farmers
Union Oil Co.
701-872-4471
Interstate Cenex
701-872-3590
Hot Stuff Pizza
701-872-3190
Thursday
Mostly Sunny
73/51
Precip Chance: 5%
Friday
Mostly Cloudy
74/53
Precip Chance: 5%
Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Few Showers Partly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Mostly Cloudy Sunny
73/51 77/55 76/55 71/53 72/51
Precip Chance: 30% Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 10% Precip Chance: 5% Precip Chance: 5%
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otIl jo ltl~.q o~ lop~joa sottm, otuos
SlmSLt9 ~! jo spnolD :ao~aV
www .WhatsOurWeather .com