Enhance your cattle feeding skills at NDSU's upcoming feedlot school

By Scout Nelson

North Dakota State University (NDSU) is gearing up to host its annual Feedlot School at the Carrington Research Extension Center on January 17-18. This event is specifically designed for cattle producers, feeders, backgrounders, and those in the feed industry, including animal health-care suppliers.

It's an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in feedlot production, nutrition, waste management, and marketing.

Karl Hoppe, an Extension livestock systems specialist at the center, emphasizes the competitive nature of cattle feeding. According to Hoppe, success in this field is about doing many things right, not just excelling in one area. The Feedlot School is a platform to identify improvement areas, encompassing everything from feed bunk management to health, business planning, and marketing strategies.

The curriculum includes a variety of topics relevant to the Northern Plains' cattle feeders:

• Cattle feeding in North Dakota
• Facility design and equipment
• Budgeting for cattle feeding
• Beef Quality Assurance
• Financial aspects of cattle feeding
• Nutritional management and ration formulation
• Disease management and treatment
• Facility and manure management
• Market analysis and price protection strategies
• Quality and marketing of carcasses

Participants will also benefit from tours of a commercial feedlot and the center's livestock facilities. The school features faculty from NDSU’s Department of Animal Sciences and the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, alongside experienced professionals from the field.

Registration is open until January 5, with a fee of $200 per person, covering meals but not lodging. Participants can find accommodation at nearby hotels.

For additional information or to join a waiting list for next year’s event, contact Karl Hoppe at karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu. The Carrington Research Extension Center is located just north of Carrington on U.S. Highway 281, offering a convenient location for attendees.

Photo Credit - gettyimages-jacqueline-nix