Month: September 2020

Weekly Livestock Comments for September 18, 2020

– Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

FED CATTLE: Fed cattle traded $2 to $3 higher compared to last week on a live basis. Prices on a live basis were primarily $102 to $106 while dressed prices were mainly $162 to $164.

The 5-area weighted average prices thru Thursday were $103.54 live, up $2.68 com-pared to last week and $162.93 dressed, up $2.37 from a week ago. A year ago, prices were $101.28 live and $162.99 dressed.

Cattle feeders were glad to see last week’s decline in finished cattle prices resurface as gains this week. The finished cattle market appeared to come under undue pressure the past couple of weeks, but the hope is that pressure has passed. Cattle feeders will be looking for the finished cattle market to slowly gain some steam heading toward the holiday marketing timeframe, but this will be a slow process as prices are expected to be stagnant the next couple of weeks. The main determinant of how fed cattle prices move will be Continue reading Weekly Livestock Comments for September 18, 2020 →

Cattle Exports to Mexico Surge

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

Imports of feeder cattle from Mexico usually are reported with interest because ranchers and feeders in the U.S. import more than 1 million head per year, on average. The U.S. also exports cattle to Mexico, but in much smaller numbers. In recent weeks cattle exports have surged to the highest levels in several years.

Weekly cattle exports to Mexico are reported for three categories: slaughter cattle, breeding males, and breeding females. Exports of bulls and cows for breeding have averaged about 45 head per week this year. That is just a touch slower than last year’s 49 head per week.

The interesting changes are in slaughter cattle shipments. After exporting 0 head this year, 240 were shipped the week ending July 11th. That has increased to Continue reading Cattle Exports to Mexico Surge →

Farm Science Review goes Virtual, 15 talks on forages, grazing included

Want to learn more about improving your land and livestock through grazing and forages? Mark your calendar for the following talks at this year’s virtual Farm Science Review, Sept. 22–24, all of them organized by the Gwynne Conservation Area.

Visit the Farm Science Review site at fsr.osu.edu to see the complete FSR virtual schedule

Find the complete schedule, and continue reading 15 Farm Science Review talks on forages, grazing

Scout now for cressleaf groundsel in hayfields, or pay the price in May

– Mark Loux, OSU Extension Weed Specialist

If you saw this yellow weed in your fields last spring, the time to control it and other winter annuals for next year is here yet this fall!

Some hay producers have been unpleasantly surprised in the past when cressleaf groundsel infestations became evident in their hay fields in May prior to first cutting. Cressleaf groundsel in hay or silage is toxic to animals, and infested areas of the field should not be harvested and fed. Groundsel is a winter annual, emerging in late summer into fall, when it develops into a rosette that overwinters. Growth restarts in spring, with stem elongation and an eventual height of up to several feet tall. The weed becomes evident in hay fields when in becomes taller than the alfalfa/grass and develops bright yellow flowers in May. The problem with passively waiting until this point to discover that the hay is infested with groundsel is that: 1) it’s too late to control it with herbicides; and 2) hay from infested areas has to be discarded instead of sold or fed, and large plant skeletons are still toxic even if herbicides were effective on them. Groundsel plants finish their life cycle in late spring, once they flower and go to seed, so it should not be problem in subsequent cuttings.

The solution to this is scouting of hay fields in fall and early spring to determine the presence of cressleaf groundsel, when it is small and still susceptible to the few herbicides that can be used. We expect groundsel to be more of a problem in new August seedings, since it would be emerging with the new stand of alfalfa/grass. A well-managed established and . . .

Continue reading Scout now for cressleaf groundsel in hayfields, or pay the price in May

Weaning – Improving Outcomes Through Decreasing Stress

– Katie VanValin, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

The classic definition of stress according to Hans Selye is, “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change”. Dr. Selye was an endocrinologist by training and is largely regarded as the grandfather of the study of stress. By any definition though, I think it’s probably safe to say that 2020 has been a stressful year.

We saw cattle markets take a wild ride and grocery store shelves empty out of meat and toilet paper in response to COVID-19. That initial response to COVID-19 that saw bare shelves and low cattle prices is a great example of a stress response. Now here we are months later, and we’ve adapted to some of that initial stress. While things are certainly not normal, we know now that we will be able to go to the store and get the things we need, when we need them.

This scenario is not that different than how cattle respond and adapt to stress events. I would argue that the single most stressful period in a beef animals’ life is weaning. Up to this point that calf has relied on its dam for almost everything. Now its weaning time, and no matter what we do this is going to be a stressful period, we can’t control that. However, we can control how Continue reading Weaning – Improving Outcomes Through Decreasing Stress →

Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update for September 1

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

As I write this at the end of August, the general tone of the cattle market remains relatively upbeat. It looks like the 5 area weekly fed cattle price will be north of $105 per cwt this week and has continued to steadily rise since July. Last Friday’s cattle-on-feed report did show an increase in placements and a decrease in the number of cattle that had been on feed over 90 and 120 days, both of which point to feedlot inventories getting more current. While slaughter weights continue to rise, they are moving closer to where they were last year. And, it’s important to remember that feed prices also impact weights and are likely at play this year as well.

Spring CME© Live Cattle futures have pulled back a little bit since mid-August, but remain in the mid-$110’s as I write this. We have seen similar downward movements in CME© Feeder Cattle futures, but these movements have actually been larger in magnitude. Still, cattle prices across the Commonwealth have steadily improved, with some expected variation from week-to-week. Figure 1 below shows a drop in the price of 850 lb M/L #1-2 steers for the current week, that is consistent with the decreases in futures prices. But last week’s prices were Continue reading Kentucky Beef Cattle Market Update for September 1 →

Lessons Learned by a Cattleman in 2020

– Stan Smith, OSU Extension PA, Fairfield County (originally published in the Ohio Farmer on-line)

Having grown up in the 50’s and 60’s, the experience of social distancing and self-quarantine in recent months hasn’t really been too much of a struggle for me. Afterall, if you grew up on a farm in rural Ohio in those days, the only time you saw anyone but your closest neighbor was at the feed mill, church, or baseball practice. Speaking of baseball, another lesson from those days that’s served me well is when in a close game, you don’t want to be sitting on a fastball if the pitcher you’re facing can throw a changeup for a strike. Suffice to say, Mother Nature continues to prove she can throw any pitch she wants, at any time, and throw it for a strike.

To suggest we’ve needed to remain flexible this year would be an understatement. However, much like experiences from past years serve us well today, at some point we’ll draw on the challenges of 2020 to our benefit. Until then, let’s reflect on our recent past.

Too wet + Too dry is not just right

After experiencing three consecutive Ohio winter and springs of near record precipitation, followed by dry summers, is it time to assemble a feed management plan that buffers the cow herd against stresses resulting from foul weather? Feeding pads, managed rotational bale grazing, or stockpiled forage all go a long way towards keeping cows out of the mud. While managed grazing requires less investment, a feeding pad allows forages to be processed and bunk fed for more efficiency, and when needed, blended with additional protein or energy from by-product feed sources.

We can’t starve a profit into a cow, and Continue reading Lessons Learned by a Cattleman in 2020 →

Pasture Management Basics: Grazing Successfully

Few agriculture crops respond more dramatically to improved management than pasture. In this presentation recorded in the spring, Rory Lewandowski, recently retired OSU Extension Educator, discusses pasture management basics, and BMPs for implementing a successful grazing program.

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Grazing Management Minute: Warm Season Annuals

In this Grazing Management Minute, the conversation revolves around the benefits of planting warm season annual grasses and working them into a comprehensive forage management plan for Ohio livestock producers.