This week I saw an article from agriculture.com that had ranked UNL’s Market Journal app as the Number 1 agriculture app!  I’ve also felt it was the best ag app from UNL providing markets, each week’s show segments via YouTube, weather, and all the CropWatch articles in a one-stop app.

So being snowed in right now, I thought it would be a good time to share some new apps developed by UNL.  The newest ag apps are for livestock.  Some of you are in calving season and UNL Extension just released the NUBeef-BCS (body condition scoring) and NUBeef-Anatomy apps that may be helpful.  They are available on the Apple App Store and will be via Google Play shortly.

NUBeef-BCS allows producers to visually assess their cow herd using a number system that objectively describes the amount of condition or fat reserve of the animal.  Body condition score describes the relative fatness of a cow based on a nine point scale.  When using the NUBeef-BCS app, producers can simply take photos of their beef cows and then score cows at important times throughout the year, such as at weaning and before the start of calving and breeding season.  Taking pictures of the same cow multiple times throughout the year allows producers to better manage the herd according to Rick Rasby, UNL Beef Specialist.   He said one of the challenges during winter is producers want to score body conditions, but cows have their winter hair coats. The app includes drawings of cows in different body condition scores that also can help with that.  An added component to the app is an education component and is designed for instructors to use at all levels-from high school, junior college, and four-year colleges.  The app has a group of cows that have already been body condition scored that can be pulled up and used to practice scoring.

The NUBeef-Anatomy app provides visual and text information about the muscles and bones of the beef carcass. The user can navigate through the carcass by displaying cross-sections and then touch any muscle or bone to display the respective physical and chemical properties.  Check out the NUBeef YouTube channel for more info. or watch Feb. 1’s segment of “Market Journal”.

A listing of all mobile apps from UNL Extension can be found here.