Month: June 2015

Be Patient with Wet Hay Fields

– Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

I know many hay producers reading this article are frustrated by the rainy weather. They know that forage quality is declining with each day that goes by (and why did I have to state the obvious, right?). However, I want to urge hay producers to change their focus and be patient, to make sure their hayfields are dry enough to support their equipment before they try to get out on them once the sun starts to shine again.

The loss of quality in one cutting, even the complete loss of the value of one cutting, is less than ruining a forage stand for the remainder of its productive life Continue reading Be Patient with Wet Hay Fields →

Posted by at Posted in Forages

A 4-R Program for Summer Grazing

– Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

With the arrival of summer we can generally expect warm to hot temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The vast majority of pastures managed for grazing in our area are composed of cool season grass species that grow best when temperatures are cool to warm and moisture is plentiful. Thus, we have the summer slump in pasture productivity.

Although summer weather conditions are not conducive to high yields with cool season grasses there are some grazing management practices that can help to increase summertime productivity. These practices can be summarized as the four “R’s”. Continue reading A 4-R Program for Summer Grazing →

Posted by at Posted in Pasture

Creep Feeding Beef Calves

– Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension

The primary objective of the management practice of creep feeding is to put additional weight on the calves economically before weaning without making the calves fleshy. Fleshy calves are usually discounted in market price.

To creep or not to creep is an economic decision to increase profit potential for the cow/calf enterprise. Situations where creep feeding appears to be economical is when Continue reading Creep Feeding Beef Calves →

Livestock Need Good Quality Drinking Water

– Rory Lewandowski, Extension Educator Wayne County

As temperatures increase, so does the water requirement of our livestock. Most livestock owners know the nutrient content of the grains and forages they are feeding their livestock and can tell you if the feedstuff is low, medium or high quality. Do you know how your livestock water quality measures up? Water is the most essential of all nutrients required for our livestock but often other than making sure that water is available in sufficient quantity, little thought is given to the quality of that water. Continue reading Livestock Need Good Quality Drinking Water →

Posted by at Posted in Health

Multiflora Rose Problems in Pastures? Control it Now!

– Dwight Lingenfelter, Program Development Specialist and William Curran, Professor of Weed Science, Penn State University

Now is a great time to address problems with multiflora rose. As spring progresses, multiflora rose aggressively grows and eventually blooms in late May/early June. Several tactics can be used to control this problem weed and these methods will be briefly discussed. Continue reading Multiflora Rose Problems in Pastures? Control it Now! →

A Return to Normalcy

– John Michael Riley, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University

At the height of the financial crisis most analysts were discussing the validity of a “new normal”. At the time, equity markets – as well as many other markets – were definitely out of kilter and the common rules of thumb and typical patterns no longer existed, thus the reason for these discussions. Today, market norms are still not exactly what they used to be, but it is safe to say that more normal patterns have returned. The exception today is the agricultural marketing world.

Grain markets remain in an awkward state given that Continue reading A Return to Normalcy →

Supplemental Forage Options for Early Summer Planting

– Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist

Now that first harvest of forage crops is completed or in progress, some may be noticing the low yields in damaged forage stands, or they may realize the need for additional forage supplies this summer. There is always the temptation to no-till something into existing stands in an effort to produce more tonnage, but I believe that is a risky proposition this time of the year. The existing stand will compete heavily for moisture and regrowth of the existing stand will shade new seedlings struggling to get established. So at this point in the year, I think it is best to either kill a poor stand and seed an annual crop for summer forage production, or find open land available to seed an annual forage for supplemental feed. Continue reading Supplemental Forage Options for Early Summer Planting →

Set Disc Mowers High to Prolong Grass Hay Stands

– S. Ray Smith, Kentucky Extension Forage Specialist (from UK Forage News, June 2015)

Dr. Garry Lacefield and others conducted a survey of forage specialists across the U.S. a few years ago on the reasons orchardgrass hay fields seem to be thinning out in recent years. Survey respondents identified lower fertility, severe weather conditions, insects, and diseases as factors contributing to stand loss, but they felt that the number one reason for shorter stand life was low cutting heights. And low cutting heights were mainly attributable to disc mowers. Disc mowers are Continue reading Set Disc Mowers High to Prolong Grass Hay Stands →

2015 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Replacement Female Sale

– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) is announcing an event of potential interest for both the buyers and sellers of beef breeding cattle. On Friday evening, November 27, the OCA will be hosting their third annual Replacement Female Sale. The sale will be held at the Muskingum Livestock facility in Zanesville.

Why is the group sponsoring such a sale? The primary purposes of the Replacement Female Sale are to: Continue reading 2015 Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Replacement Female Sale →

A Glance at the Bred and Open Heifer Market

– Andrew Griffith, University of Tennessee Extension

Throughout 2014, producers across Tennessee and the country either participated in or watched with great intrigue the market for bred and open females start high and finish higher. The main focus in the market was led by bred heifers and open replacement quality heifers. The market for bred and open heifers has moderated to some degree as calf and feeder cattle prices have come off their record highs, but the market for replacement females continues to offer a good marketing opportunity especially Continue reading A Glance at the Bred and Open Heifer Market →