If you pasture livestock or want to know more about pasture management, then please do not miss this upcoming opportunity to learn from the region’s “Who’s Who” among forages and pasture management. Ohio State University Extension, West Virginia University Extension, Washington County Farm Bureau, Washington Soil and Water Conservation District, and The Career Center, Adult Technical Training is pleased to offer our region the Mid-Ohio Valley Grazing Conference at Lazy H Farms in Fleming where Continue reading
Month: August 2017
Ohio Will Soon Permit Certain Agricultural Utility Vehicles to Travel on Public Roads
– Chris Hogan, Law Fellow, OSU Agricultural & Resource Law Program
A new Ohio law affects farmers that plan to use certain utility vehicles this planting season, including Gators, Mules and other utility vehicles with a bed designed to transport cargo. The new law is part of the 2018-2019 transportation budget, formally known as House Bill 26. HB 26, which goes into effect on June 30, 2017, permits vehicles to travel on any public road or right of way—other than a freeway, when travelling from Continue reading
Fall Feed Outlook: What to expect as we approach the fall cattle run
– Brian R. Williams, Assistant Extension Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University
There is no doubt that cattle feeders are closely watching the conditions of the corn and soybean crop in the field right now. Although many spring-calving producers will likely not market their calves for another month or two, we could see a few more feeder cattle than normal hit the market during August and September. Much of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and even a large portion of the Sandhills in Nebraska are in a severe drought or worse. I fully expect to see many producers in the drought-stricken Northern Plains begin to pull calves off Continue reading
Seasonal Weakness Anticipated
– Stephen R Koontz, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University
Fed cattle, calf, and beef prices have been strong through the spring and early summer. Domestic demand and product movement from featuring was excellent. And even trade volumes were strong relative to the prior year. However, recent weeks have seen carcass values backed off of $250/cwt levels by over 20%. Larger marketings of fed cattle will happen and fall run of the calves will start early due to Continue reading
It’s time to stockpile forages, should you?
– Chris Penrose,OSU Extension Educator, Morgan County (Originally published on-line July 5, 2017 in Progressive Forage)
For those who raise livestock, making hay is a way of life. However, after going through another frustrating hay season dealing with weather and equipment, there has to be a better way … and there is.
Stockpiling forages, especially cool-season grasses for fall and winter grazing, is an excellent option – and now’s the time to consider it. All you need to do is make a final grazing of the field or final mowing and let it grow until later in the fall or winter. Typically, adding nitrogen when stockpiling is initiated will Continue reading
August Establishment of Perennial Forages
– Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator, Wayne County and Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist
Our wet weather conditions throughout much of 2017 prevented spring establishment of perennial forages for many producers. Additionally, the wet weather has caused stand loss in alfalfa fields due to compaction and crown damage from harvest on wet soils, and from root rot in poorly drained field areas. As a result, replacement of some of those acres is necessary. August provides growers with another window of opportunity to establish a perennial forage stand. Typically, the main risk with a late summer August planting is having sufficient moisture for seed germination and plant growth but this year that risk may be low.
There are some advantages to late summer forage planting as compared to a spring planting. Late summer planting means forage seedlings are not competing with the flush of annual spring and summer weed emergence/growth. The soil borne root rot and damping off disease organisms that thrive in cool, wet soils are not an issue. However, growers need to be aware of Continue reading
Beef and Forage Field Night
– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator
Beef and forage enthusiasts alike are invited to attend the upcoming 2017 Beef and Forage Field Night scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24, from 5-8:30 P.M. This event will be held at the Jackson Agricultural Research Station of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 019 Standpipe Rd. Jackson, OH 45640.
The agenda for the program is as follows: Continue reading
National Beef Quality Audit Results are Released
– Steve Boyles, OSU Beef Extension Specialist
The 2016 National Beef Quality Audit was rolled out at the 2017 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting held recently in Denver. Since 1991, the beef checkoff-funded National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) has delivered a set of guideposts and measurements for cattle producers to help determine quality conformance of the U.S. beef supply.
Transportation, Mobility and Harvest Floor Assessments
Nearly 97% of cattle received a mobility score of 1, with the animal walking easily and normally, with no apparent lameness. There was a decrease in Continue reading
Feeding Tomatoes to Livestock
– Steve Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist
This week I was contacted by a food distributor that wants to move several tons of tomatoes to interested livestock producers. Culled tomatoes may be damaged, too small, misshapen etc. and do not meet the grading standards for sale in the fresh market or for processing. There is information on tomato pomace (tomato peels, seeds and small amounts of pulp) but very limited information on the tomato itself.
Can you feed tomatoes to livestock? Yes, but Continue reading
Weekly Livestock Comments for July 28, 2017
– Andrew P. Griffith, University of Tennessee
FED CATTLE: Fed cattle trade $2 to $3 low-er compared to last week. Prices on a live basis were primarily $117 to $118 while prices on a dressed basis were mainly $187 to $189. The 5-area weighted average prices thru Thursday were $117.18 live, down $0.84 from last week and $187.88 dressed, down $0.18 from a week ago. A year ago prices were $118.00 live and $184.09 dressed.
The finished cattle market is feeling the effects of the dog days of summer as the air temperature continues to intensify and cattle slaughter remains strong. Cattle feeders are hoping this is the bottom of the market as fed cattle prices have Continue reading