North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center will be hosting a feedlot school in January. The educational weekend will be full of topics including feedlot production, facilities, nutrition, manure management, budgets and marketing.

The feedlot school acts as an introductory class for those interested in adding more weight to their cattle. It attracts many different individuals within the livestock or cattle industry, including cattle producers, feeders, backgrounders, feed industry personnel, animal health-care suppliers and many more.

“The reason we started the feedlot school was to promote more cattle feeding in North Dakota, whether it be backgrounding or finishing. The issue is we have feed and cattle in North Dakota, and so to add more weight through feeding it helps the economy, it helps the state and it helps the producers,” said Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center.

The feedlot school has a strong reach, with many in attendance from out of the state and even outside of the Midwest. The feedlot school itself has been going on for over 20 years.

“Over the years we had fathers that have come to our feedlot school and now sons are coming to it. We’ve had owners that have come to our school and now they’re managers,” Hoppe said. “We have some repeat attendees, sometimes they want to come back a second time because there is so much information.”

The two-day program will feature an array of speakers and industry professionals that will shed light and knowledge on those who attend.

“The regional cattle experts who teach at the school provide a good overview of management for North Dakota feeders,” said Colin Tobin, animal scientist at the Carrington Research Extension Center.

In addition to learning while at the feedlot school, those who attend make strong connections with one another. This benefits all parties involved and allows attendees to stay connected and keep learning from one another.

“The outreach or interaction with the participants continues for years after the school,” said Mary Keena, Extension livestock environmental management specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center.

Registration is $175 per person, and additional participants from the same organization are $100 each. The fee covers all meals, handouts and a USB flash drive with supporting documents. The deadline to register is Jan. 15. The fee does not include lodging. Register online at www.tinyurl.com/CRECstore.

Participants must make their own lodging arrangements. Lodging is available at the Chieftain Conference Center, 701-652-3131; Carrington Inn and Suites, 701-652-3982; or Cobblestone Inn, 701-652-3000.

For more information about the course or to register, contact Hoppe at 701-652-2951 or karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu, Tobin at 701-652-2951 or colin.tobin@ndsu.edu, or Keena at 701-652-2951 or mary.keena@ndsu.edu.