Month: January 2017

Award Winners and More at OCA Annual Meeting and Banquet

– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

On January 21st, the Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held their Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet at the Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center in Lewis Center, Ohio.  The Annual Meeting portion of the day featured an excellent lineup of speakers on a variety of topics important to the beef industry.  The Association conducted their business meeting which included the enactment of several policies that addressed Continue reading Award Winners and More at OCA Annual Meeting and Banquet →

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Grazing Bites: Time to Frost Seed Clover?

– Victor Shelton, NRCS State Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

I know that there are a lot of people who really enjoy winter. I’m not one of them. The only good things about winter is I don’t have to mow the yard and I might find more time to catch up on my reading. The best part of winter is when it’s over!

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Time to frost seed!

Winter does tend to be one of the better times for me to do some maintenance. I spend time fixing or building fences, as long as the ground isn’t frozen too much, recycling old metal, removing brush, and frost-seeding clover. Just like Continue reading Grazing Bites: Time to Frost Seed Clover? →

Beef Market Price Dynamics

– Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist

Retail beef prices will continue adjusting down in 2017 due to retail market dynamics and continued growth in domestic beef consumption this year. The most recent All Fresh retail beef prices in November were $554.20/cwt., down 7.5 percent from one year earlier. All Fresh retail beef prices peaked in July, 2015 and have decreased 9.8 percent from the peak through November, 2016.

The average monthly price decrease since the peak has been 0.6 percent per month but the rate of decrease accelerated in Continue reading Beef Market Price Dynamics →

Hay Acres Revision Cause Outlook Prices to Edge Upward

– Katelyn McCullock, Economist,American Farm Bureau Federation

The USDA NASS annual crop production report showed significant revisions to the hay acres harvested in 2016.  Changes from the October crop report indicated a 7% (1.2 million) reduction in the number of alfalfa acres harvested and a 4% (1.5 million) reduction in all other hay acres harvested.  Final acres showed South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa having more than 200 thousand acres taken out of alfalfa production.  North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Missouri, Kentucky, all had declines of Continue reading Hay Acres Revision Cause Outlook Prices to Edge Upward →

Key to Beef Cattle Profitability; Dare to be Different

– Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Fairfield County (this article first appeared 1/16/17 in Ohio Farmer on-line, and will appear in the March 2017 issue of The Ohio Farmer magazine)

Regardless what aspect of agriculture – or life – we might be involved in, occasionally we all slip into the “same old, same old” trap. That is, doing it the way we’ve always done it simply because we always have. As the extraordinary cattle prices we enjoyed in recent years have settled back to levels that many might now call normal, perhaps it’s time to take another look at ways to enhance profitability in the cow/calf sector. In fact, today, let’s explore marketing and approach it not by thinking about the next high in the beef cattle market, but instead simply trying to Continue reading Key to Beef Cattle Profitability; Dare to be Different →

The CPH Report – 2016 Summary

– Kevin Laurent, Extension Associate, University Of Kentucky and Tim Dietrich, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

The CPH Report (Kentucky Certified Pre-Conditioned for Health) expands the analysis of CPH-45 sales to estimate the economic value of preconditioning calves prior to marketing.  This report summarizes all CPH-45 sales held in calendar year 2016.  Only sales of 200 head or more were included in this summary.  Every attempt has been made to use as much actual data as possible in calculating these estimates (see the column descriptions below Continue reading The CPH Report – 2016 Summary →

Free Fertilizer? Hay Feeding!

– Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, Associate Extension Professor, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

Pasture fields seem to be overlooked with regards to applying management. Many folks will soil test hay fields and apply some level of fertility, though it may be less than the soil test recommends. This seems to be more evident when profit margins are tight. Corn experts have recommended fertility rates in relation to economic returns rather than maximal yields. In other words, the rate of fertilizer added is based on both soil test recommendations and expected improvement in yield. This concept takes into account the cost:benefit relationship that exists for inputs and outputs. Should beef producers not have this same mindset when it comes to hay production and take this Continue reading Free Fertilizer? Hay Feeding! →

Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update

– Dr. Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky

Fed cattle markets have sustained their improvement since fall with fed cattle trading around $117 for the week ending January 6, 2017. This is nearly a $20 per cwt improvement from their fall lows (see chart below). CME© Feeder Cattle futures have risen by roughly the same amount over that time. In Kentucky, 550 lb M / L #1-2 steer calves have been moving in the $120’s with value-added groups selling Continue reading Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update →

Ohio Beef Cattle School Kicks Off on January 17

– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

The Ohio State University Extension Beef Team would like to invite anyone with an interest in beef production to attend the upcoming 2017 Ohio Beef Cattle School.  This educational series will begin on Tuesday, January 17 and continue on February 7 and February 28, 2017 and will start each evening at 7:00 p.m.  These sessions will follow a similar format used in the past as each session will be broadcast locally via an internet link.

The programs will focus on the three primary Continue reading Ohio Beef Cattle School Kicks Off on January 17 →

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Livestock Mortality Composting Certification

Composting livestock mortalities can be an efficient and inexpensive method of disposing of on-farm mortalities. Rendering facilities are becoming harder to come by and so are landfills that accept livestock mortalities. Transportation costs are increasing as well. Composting offers a year round on-farm alternative that may be more cost effective than other disposal methods. Once the compost cycle is complete, the finished product can be land applied to the farm’s fields as a nutrient resource.

To start composting livestock mortalities, one must Continue reading Livestock Mortality Composting Certification →