Muddy Boots and Muddled Minds

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

Mud today, gone tomorrow? = stressful!

Readers, as I’m writing this, I almost wished away the mud today.

But I slid in my tracks and remembered how we prayed for rain amidst the drought of 2024. My mind was a muddled mess of gratitude and discomfort.

Oh, mud season! You are not my favorite! But . . .

Experiencing the impacts of true drought has shifted my perspective, I am thankful to have mud. Rarely do we have the perfect balance of anything in this life. If we have moisture in the soil to keep plants alive to the next season and keep springs running to keep livestock watered, we are blessed. We are blessed to have water to wash these muddy clothes clean.

It is ok to feel gratitude and discomfort at the same time. I am both- thankful for precipitation and uncomfortable wading through mud. I would prefer the ground to freeze for several weeks with snow on top to gradually melt away (at least you can plow snow). However, I accept that I can’t control the weather.

As I write this article, it is 64 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy in Continue reading Muddy Boots and Muddled Minds →

Winter readiness: A guide to protecting your farm, workers and livestock

– Dr. John Yost, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Wayne County (Previously published in Farm & Dairy)

Winter brings us some unique challenges.

Winter has arrived in northeast Ohio and brought with it all of the unique challenges associated with low temperatures. I know that you are all too familiar with what to expect and have dealt with these challenges all your lives. It can be helpful to be reminded of these concerns to prevent complacency. This is especially true for those larger weather events that always seem to catch us off guard.

Slips, trips and falls
Winter weather always reminds us of the dangers of slips, trips and falls around the farm. Cold temperatures quickly freeze pools of water, creating hazardous conditions when walking around the farm. These frozen patches may come from melting snow that refreezes, a rain shower that freezes when temperatures drop later in the day, a leaking water spigot, over-spray from cleaning the parlor or leachate that accumulates at the bunker entrance or out of a silo. Employees should be reminded to Continue reading Winter readiness: A guide to protecting your farm, workers and livestock →

What’s the future of technology in your feedlot?

Scan the QR code to participate.

Penn State University researchers are conducting a brief national survey to better understand the key factors, drivers, and barriers influencing the adoption of new technologies in feedlot beef cattle production.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and responses from producers across the country are encouraged.

Click here to participate:
https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dfYC0ovLs0LsffE
(You may also scan the QR code to access the survey.)

For questions about the study, please contact:

Thank you for considering contributing to this important industry-focused research.

Dairy Beef Feeder 101, a look at health, nutrition and management

Watch the presentation on YouTube.

With beef feeder calves in limited supply throughout the Midwest, feeding dairy beef calves has gained interest and shown tremendous growth in recent years. As a leadoff to the 2026 Winter Beef Webinar series, on Thursday, January 8, the Ohio State University Extension Beef Team hosted a webinar via ZOOM and took a look into strategies for keeping calves healthy and providing proper nutrition for the dairy beef feeder beginning at birth. Also included was conversation on calf comfort, ventilation, selecting calf starters, and weaning management. Regardless if you are raising dairy beef feeders commercially or as youth projects, you will find this presentation by Extension Specialist, Jason Hartschuh to be valuable.

Find the presentation embedded below in it’s entirety.

Cattle Prices and the Prospects of Herd Expansion

– Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

Cattle prices are starting the year strong again. Auction prices are above year-ago levels across cattle classes and weights. 2025 marked the fifth consecutive year of annual increases in fed cattle prices. Over the past 35 years, the only other stretch of five consecutive years of increases was 2010-2014. Whether 2026 will be another year of increasing prices is just one of many stories to track in 2026 for the U.S. beef cattle sector. However, many of the themes will likely be most impacted by the possibility and pace of beef herd expansion.

Despite multiple years of favorable prices, there’s been little sign of widespread heifer retention just yet. That could change somewhat when Continue reading Cattle Prices and the Prospects of Herd Expansion →

A Preview of 2025 Cattle Slaughter & Beef Production

– Hannah Baker, M.S., State Specialized Extension Agent – Beef and Forage Economics, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS Extension

While quantity has declined, quality certainly has not.

The final reports summarizing 2025 cattle slaughter numbers and total beef production, and 2026 herd inventory, will be released towards the end of this month. However, data available through the end of November provides a clear picture of tightening cattle supplies, declining slaughter levels, and reduced beef production.

As of the end of November 2025, total cattle slaughter reached 26.7 million head, which represents a 7.1 percent decline from the same period in 2024. Fed cattle slaughter, which includes steers and heifers, has declined by 6.1 percent compared to the January through November period in 2024. Heifer slaughter is down 7.7 percent as of November compared to 2024. However, heifers slaughtered as a percentage of total slaughter so far in 2025 is 31.7 percent, only a Continue reading A Preview of 2025 Cattle Slaughter & Beef Production →

Top 10 Things for Ohio Cattlemen to Consider in 2026

– Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension

#1 consideration: Invest in facilities!

I was recently asked to contribute to an article titled Top 10 Best Practices for Farm Managers in 2026. Considering that effort here is a similar list for Ohio cattle producers. In true David Letterman fashion, lets count down from 10 to 1:

10) Crunch the numbers on freezer beef production. With increased cattle and beef prices cost per pound of beef will dictate buying decisions for some consumers. A whole, half, or quarter of beef is a significant amount of money for many households. Make sure that you are accounting for the time and effort required to market direct to the consumer.

9) Expand the herd? The question on the minds of many. Before doing so, do Continue reading Top 10 Things for Ohio Cattlemen to Consider in 2026 →

Nutritional Considerations Going Into Calving

– Lawton Stewart and Uttam Saha, University of Georgia Extension

EDITOR’s NOTE: As indicated below Georgia is experiencing forage quality concerns similar to Ohio.

This year has proved to be quite an interesting one. Many parts of the state have seen periods with above-average amounts of rain, but also periods of well below-average amounts. Most producers were able to put up plenty of hay. However, based on the samples submitted to the UGA Feed and Environmental Water Laboratory, there is quite a range in forage quality. For producers with late winter/spring calving season, this could cause potential issues. Combining this with a few other observations, here are a few situations we are seeing, and the potential ramifications.

1. I will restrict feed in the last trimester to decrease calf birth weights.
2. I need more protein to go with my hay
3. There is a tendency to underestimate crude protein and overestimate energy.

Figure 1. The nutrient requirement of a mature brood cow through a 365-day calving interval.

I will restrict feed in the last trimester to decrease calf birth weights. Is this correct? Absolutely! The problem is that . . .

Continue reading Nutritional Considerations Going Into Calving

Winter hay supplies getting low? Consider limit-feeding grain to your beef cows

– Jerad Jaborek, Michigan State University Extension

Limit-feeding corn grain can be economically advantageous when the price of hay becomes too high due to short supply.

Figure 1. U.S. Hay production and the price received for hay sold.

During the winter when pastures are no longer a viable feed option, hay becomes the most common feedstuff fed to beef cows. Additionally, during drought conditions, pasture no longer exists as a viable feed option and cattle producers resort to feeding hay. Unfortunately, drought conditions can also make it very difficult to grow and harvest enough hay needed to feed the cow herd when pasture is unavailable.

U.S. hay production has declined the past couple years due to widespread drought across much of the country (Figure 1.). Decreased hay production has created a greater demand for hay and as a result the price of hay has increased. What other feed options do you have besides hay?

A viable option to replace ad libitum (i.e., free-choice) hay may be to . . .

Continue reading Winter hay supplies getting low? Consider limit-feeding grain to your beef cows

Dairy Beef 101, a look at health, nutrition and economics

Get registered today!

With beef feeder calves in limited supply throughout the Midwest, feeding dairy beef calves has gained interest and shown tremendous growth in recent years. On Thursday, January 8 at 6:30 p.m. Ohio State University Extension will host a webinar via ZOOM and take a look into the economics of dairy beef feeders in 2026, strategies for keeping calves healthy, and providing proper nutrition for the dairy beef feeder from birth until finish. Regardless if you are raising dairy beef feeders commercially or as youth projects, you will find this presentation by Extension Specialist, Jason Hartschuh to be valuable.

Get registered for free by going to go.osu.edu/beefschool26