Four Universities Collaborate to Provide Beef Mineral Nutrition Course

May 20, 2021

Registration is open for a multi-part course geared toward mineral nutrition for the beef cow herd through a partnership with the University of Wyoming, South Dakota State University (SDSU), North Dakota State University and Montana State University.

The program expanded from its start at SDSU in 2017 due to an increased interest in grazing mineral nutrition.

"This program is unique in that it will provide producers an educational workshop where participants will not only learn the importance of mineral supplementation in beef cattle, but they will also receive individual ranch visits that will allow for evaluation of their current mineral program, testing of feed and water samples and ultimately development of an effective mineral program for their individual operation,” said Shelby Rosasco, UW Extension beef specialist.

The educational sessions will be provided virtually. June sessions will provide basic knowledge about mineral nutrition along with tools to help producers successfully monitor mineral consumption and make adjustments to increase consumption.

The second part will include submission of forage and water samples to Ward Laboratories, which has partnered with extension to provide a discount for participants to analyze samples. Extension personnel will work with participants to interpret results and determine what changes could benefit the operation.

The third component of the series will include ranch visits for producers and extension personnel to work one-on-one to find solutions or fine-tune what they are doing.

The first webinar sessions are June 8, 10, 15, 17 and 22 from 6:30-8 p.m. Mountain time. Additional webinars will be in the fall, with dates to be announced.

Registration is reduced to $130 per operation due to a donation from Micronutrients, a Nutreco company. Fee includes first forage and water analysis and travel to the ranch by extension professionals.

For more information or to register, contact Rosasco at 307-766-2329 or srosasco@uwyo.edu.

Source: University of Wyoming