Ohio Forage and Grasslands Council Conference, February 3

The Ohio Forages and Grasslands Council Annual Conference will be held February 3, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg, OH. The program theme is “High Quality Forages.”

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kim Cassida, Forage Extension Specialist at Michigan State University, who will discuss “Managing Grass-Legume Mixtures” based on extensive Continue reading

A New Year for Cattle Markets

– Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension

Cattle prices in 2017 are expected to average close to fourth quarter 2016 levels, though they will be lower than 2016 for year over year averages.  Several factors may have a significant impact on cattle and beef markets in 2017 and may change current price expectations.  These factors bear close watching in the coming year.

Uncertainty and Volatility: Uncertainty and volatility, from a Continue reading

Prices Finished the Year With a Bang

– David P. Anderson, Professor and Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Prices finished 2016 with a bang!  Fed cattle prices increased to $118 per cwt. during the last week of the year.  That was the highest weekly average fed cattle price since early August.  It also represented a 20 percent increase since mid-October when the bottom for the year was set at $98 per cwt.

Beef also got in on the act with Continue reading

Managing Stockpiled Forages

Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Morgan County (This article appeared in the Winter 2017 issue of the Ohio Cattleman)

If you have stockpiled forages like orchardgrass and fescue, sometimes the question of when and how should we feed it to our cattle comes up? There are many variables, but let’s start with a few basic principles. The earlier you initiated stockpiling, the more yield you will have, but the lower the quality will be. Conversely, the later in the year you start to stockpile, the lower the Continue reading

Beware of Johne’s Disease

– Michelle Arnold, DVM (Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, UKVDL)

Johne’s  (pronounced Yo-knees) Disease is a chronic disease of severe, watery diarrhea and weight loss in adult cattle caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, commonly referred to as “MAP”. These bacteria are very hardy due to a protective cell wall that can withstand harsh conditions and allows survival for long periods in the environment. Once MAP gains entry into an animal, the organism Continue reading

Posted in Health

Accepting Bull Consignments for Seedstock Improvement Sale – Deadline February 1

John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association is currently accepting bull consignments to the Seedstock Improvement Sale. The sale, held on Saturday, April 8 at noon at the Union Stock Yards Company in Hillsboro, Ohio, offers an affordable way to market bulls from multiple breeds in one location and on one day.  Buyers have the assurance of buying bulls with Continue reading

Cattle on Feed Report

– Brenda Boetel, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA, NASS) released their monthly Cattle on Feed report on Friday December 23, 2016. The latest numbers released by the USDA were neutral in total numbers of placements and marketings, compared to trade expectations. Total cattle on feed on December 1, 2016 numbered 10.7 million head, down 1.3 percent from Continue reading