Month: November 2017

OCA Replacement Female Demand Strong, Sell Well!

– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

79 sale lots averaged $2,002, an increase of $355 per head over last year.

The Ohio Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) held their fifth annual Replacement Female Sale on November 24 at the Muskingum Livestock Auction Company in Zanesville, Ohio.  A large crowd was on hand to bid on 79 high quality females in the sale.  The sale represented an excellent opportunity for cow-calf producers to add quality females with documented breeding and health records to their herds.

Buyers had the opportunity to evaluate 79 lots of bred heifers, bred cows, and cow-calf pairs.  The sale included 63 lots of bred heifers that averaged $1,949, 10 lots of bred cows that averaged $2,380, and six cow-calf pairs that averaged $1,925.  The 79 total lots grossed $158,125 for an overall average of $2,002.  This represents Continue reading OCA Replacement Female Demand Strong, Sell Well! →

Don’t Forget to Preg Check Your Cows

– Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

I hope most of you are planning your herd “preg check.” If you have not incorporated this management practice in the past, please do so this year so that you won’t be feed non-productive females this fall and winter. When it comes time to cull cows from your herd, pregnancy status is one of the first criteria that will determine whether a cow stays in the country or goes to town.

According to the results of a survey conducted by the National Animal Health Monitoring System, fewer than Continue reading Don’t Forget to Preg Check Your Cows →

The Challenge of Cow Size

– Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

Size has been the common denominator in revenue generation for cow-calf, backgrounding and feedlot operators.

The process of raising cattle has been quite steady, with a general acknowledgment that growth is key to success.

That is a true statement because calf weight, the product of the cow-calf producer, and carcass weight, the product of the feedlot, drive total dollars. What also is true is that bigger cows producer bigger calves, but the discussion becomes clouded when Continue reading The Challenge of Cow Size →

5 ways we are getting better at cattle handling

– W. Mark Hilton, DVM, PAS, DABVP, clinical professor emeritus, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine; and senior technical veterinary consultant, Elanco Animal Health.

We like to pat ourselves on the back (and rightly so) for improvements in nutrition and animal health. But we never give ourselves enough credit for the major improvements in cattle handling. Cue the applause.

Think about your beef operation today, and then reflect back 10 to 20 years. What has improved, and what is the same? My guess is that Continue reading 5 ways we are getting better at cattle handling →

ODA Announces Changes to Ohio’s Livestock Care Standards

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (Nov. 13, 2017) – The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) wants to remind producers and livestock owners about upcoming changes to Ohio’s livestock care standards.

Effective January 1, 2018, veal calves must be housed in group pens by ten weeks of age. Additionally, whether housed in individual stalls or group pens the calves must be allowed to turn around and cannot be tethered. Also effective January 1, tail docking on dairy cattle can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian and if only medically necessary.

The above changes were recommended by the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, a group of 13 members from Continue reading ODA Announces Changes to Ohio’s Livestock Care Standards →

Cattle on Feed

– Katelyn McCullock, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation

Strong placements were expected ahead of the cattle on feed report as analyst ranges were from 3.6-13.1 percent above a year ago. This large range is in line with the strong feeder market seen over the course of October indicating the interest from feedlots to continue to fill pens even though estimated feeding returns have been negative for the last three months. The number of placed animals did slow in July and August as feeding returns declined, but Continue reading Cattle on Feed →

EPA Delays Hazardous Substance Release Notification Deadline

Late in the day on November 15, 2017, the EPA announced that farms with continuous hazardous substance releases as defined by CERCLA do not have to submit their initial continuous release notification until the DC Circuit Court of Appeals issues its order, or mandate, enforcing the Court’s opinion of April 11, 2017. While it appears the reports will be required sometime, producers may Continue reading EPA Delays Hazardous Substance Release Notification Deadline →

The Start of the Third Trimester, the Most Underappreciated Day of the Year

– Sandy Johnson, Extension Beef Specialist, Kansas State University

Each of us have special dates we celebrate on an annual basis — birthdays, anniversaries and other special holidays. For the cow herd, notable dates might include the start of calving or breeding season and weaning. An undervalued date in cow-calf production is the start of the third trimester.

Off the top of your head and without calculating back from calving, do you know when the third trimester starts for your replacement heifers or cows? I’m guessing it’s not on many people’s radar. If you have a March 1 calving herd with replacements calving before cows, the third trimester starts for Continue reading The Start of the Third Trimester, the Most Underappreciated Day of the Year →

She’s Been A Good ‘Un

– Dr. Roy Burris, Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

I mentioned in last month’s article that picking a time to cull cows could be tricky. It is usually a straightforward decision in cases of open cows, lame cows or those with bad dispositions. However, culling old cows that have been “good ones” and are still producing can be a difficult decision. Despite all the “chatter” from our critics, we are the ultimate animal welfare people! We want to treat animals humanely but still be economically responsible. So culling cows while they are still healthy and have value but before they suffer the ill effects of old age is a part of good management.

Let’s take the case of cow no. 311N Continue reading She’s Been A Good ‘Un →

A Final Sale Reminder

– John F. Grimes, OSU Extension Beef Coordinator

This is the final reminder to attend the fifth annual Ohio Cattlemen’s Association Replacement Female Sale. The sale will be held Friday, November 24 at the Muskingum Livestock facility located at 944 Malinda Street in Zanesville and will begin at 6:00 p.m. This sale represents an excellent opportunity for anyone looking to add quality young replacement females to their herd.

At the time of this writing, there are 80 lots selling in the sale. These lots consist of Continue reading A Final Sale Reminder →

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