Month: March 2021

Livestock and Grain Producers: Dealing with Vomitoxin and Zearalenone

Vomitoxin in the 2020 corn crop continues to plague both livestock and grain producers. Livestock producers are trying to decide how best to manage corn and corn by-products with high levels of vomitoxin, and those who grow corn are trying to decide how best to avoid vomitoxin contamination in 2021.

In the 15 minute video below, OSU Extension Educations John Barker, Rob Leeds, and Jacci Smith discuss where and why this year’s vomitoxin issues originated, considerations for avoiding problems in coming years, how it impacts livestock, and what’s involved in testing grain for vomitoxin.

Weighing the Options

– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension

It’s nearly impossible to manage something we aren’t correctly measuring!

American taxpayers have begun receiving another round of stimulus dollars recently and it seems everyone has an opinion on what you should or shouldn’t do with the funds you receive. This week I’ll propose some ideas from my perspective for you to consider. Take them or leave them; agree or disagree; here is some advice from me for agriculturalists Continue reading Weighing the Options →

March 1, 2021 Cattle on Feed Inventory up 1.6% from 2020

– Kenny Burdine, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Kentucky Cattle

Cattle on feed reports are key indicators of beef supply in the coming months and have implications for fed and feeder cattle prices. Each month, the USDA surveys feedlots with capacity exceeding 1,000 head and provides an estimate of the total number of cattle on feed at the beginning of the month. Estimates are also provided for placements and marketings from the previous month, as well as a number of other measures. A quick comparison of January 1 estimates from the USDA January Cattle Inventory report and January’s Cattle on Feed report suggest that the monthly survey of these 1,000+ head capacity feedlots likely represents a little over 81% of total cattle on feed in the US.

The February weather challenges across much of the country’s major cattle feeding areas left a bit more anticipation than usual for Friday’s Cattle on Feed report. It was unclear how much winter weather impacted sales and transportation of feeder cattle and fed cattle last month. We definitely saw fewer cattle move through markets in the region and most expected some Continue reading March 1, 2021 Cattle on Feed Inventory up 1.6% from 2020 →

Beef Sire Selection for the Dairy Herd

Creating half blood bull calves with sexed beef bull semen can increase profitability on the dairy farm.

By some estimates, fed cattle that include dairy genetics make up something in the neighborhood of 25% of the U. S. beef supply. With improvements in the utilization of male sexed beef bull semen, many dairymen are choosing to utilize beef genetics to add value to their calf crop.

On March 10th Al Gahler, Ag and Natural Resources Educator in Sandusky County, presented via zoom during the OSU Extension Beef Team’s 2021 winter beef school series on making beef cattle sire decisions for the dairy herd. Al covered EPD’s and traits to consider in order to maximize the value and marketability of crossbred beef on dairy calves.

The session begins as OSU Extension Beef Field Specialist Garth Ruff introduces Al Gahler to discuss effectively utilizing beef sires to add value to the dairy based calf crop.

Forage Planting – How to Do It Well

– Mark Sulc and Jason Hartschuh, CCA

The window of opportunity for spring forage seedings has been very tight the past three years. Are you ready to roll?

Early spring provides one of the two preferred times to seed perennial cool-season forages, the other being late summer. The weather outlook for this spring is for probabilities of above average precipitation in April and May. Planting opportunities will likely be few and short. The following 10 steps to follow on the day you plant will help improve chances for successful forage establishment.

Continue reading . . .

Being Moderate in an Extreme World

– Kevin Laurent, Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

No this is not about the current political state of our country. So far, I have resisted the urge to join in the numerous ongoing social media conversations. No, this is just some of my personal thoughts and observations about the world we live in and more specifically how it relates to the beef business. We live in a world of extremes. There are extremes in the weather and the markets. Extremes can create changes in the marketplace. Sometimes positive change, sometimes negative. Grain prices go up, cattle prices go down and so on.

Extreme stories also get the most attention, whether it’s current events in the media or bragging at the coffee shop about our weaning weights. And although extremes get attention, many times it’s the extreme methods, actions or mindset that can get us in trouble. It is human nature to gravitate towards extremes. The most, the biggest, the heaviest, the tallest are all easier to identify than the moderate or optimum. Any of us over the age of 50 can remember the tall cattle of the 1980’s. My good friend Terry Burks regularly posts historical pictures on Facebook of prominent sires in the Simmental breed. It’s interesting to see that the original sires that came into the US were fairly moderate cattle by today’s standards with decent feet and leg structure. But some of the pictures of Continue reading Being Moderate in an Extreme World →

Grass Tetany/ Hypomagnesemia –Start Preventive Measures Now

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, Ruminant Extension Veterinarian, University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Lab; A special thanks to Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler for his contributions to this article.

What is “Grass Tetany” and when are cattle most likely to have it? Grass tetany, also known as spring tetany, grass staggers, wheat pasture poisoning, winter tetany or lactation tetany, is a condition resulting from a low level of magnesium (Mg) in the blood. Maintenance of blood magnesium depends on the amount obtained from the daily diet since the magnesium present in teeth and bones and is not easily mobilized in times of need. Magnesium is required for proper nerve and muscle function so low levels in the blood result in “tetanic spasms” where muscles contract uncontrollably. The disorder in an adult cow begins with separation from the herd and going off feed. The ears are often erect and twitching and the cow is alert, hyperexcitable and may be aggressive. The symptoms quickly progress to muscle spasms, convulsions, difficulty breathing, and death. Often the affected animal is found dead with evidence of thrashing and struggle on the ground around her. Deficiencies occur most often in beef cows when they are nursing a calf and grazing young, green grass in early spring. Fast-growing spring pastures are high in potassium (K+) and nitrogen (N+) and low in magnesium (Mg++) and sodium (Na+) ions. Affected cattle often have low blood calcium concurrently. Fall calving cows may also experience grass tetany during the winter months.

Will Feeding Plain White Salt to Cows Prevent Grass Tetany? This claim is shared every spring and, indeed, there are producers who do not have grass tetany that only feed salt. How can that be? Simply put, for some producers, the minerals available in their soils and forages are enough to meet the nutritional needs of their cows. Regional soil types, soil fertility, diverse forage species and differing cattle requirements based on age and stage of lactation result in different mineral needs for grazing livestock on every farm. A blanket recommendation to just feed salt ignores these factors and Continue reading Grass Tetany/ Hypomagnesemia –Start Preventive Measures Now →

One Year with COVID-19 and Year-Over-Year Comparisons

– James Mitchell (University of Arkansas), Kenny Burdine (University of Kentucky), and Josh Maples (Mississippi State University)

It is hard to imagine that we have been living with COVID for more than a year now. It seems like yesterday, and forever ago, all at the same time. Last week marked one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID a global pandemic. A year ago this Friday, the first stay-at-home order was placed in California. According to the CDC, from March 1-May 31, 42 states issued stay-at-home orders, impacting 73% of U.S. counties (Link). There is no denying that COVID has impacted all of us in some way.

By now, most of us are familiar with the Continue reading One Year with COVID-19 and Year-Over-Year Comparisons →

Feed Situation

– Matthew Diersen, Risk & Business Management Specialist, Ness School of Management & Economics, South Dakota State University

The dry conditions in the western U.S. continue to bring long-run uncertainty to cattle price prospects. Feed costs tied to grain prices have increased steadily over the past six months, largely tied to strong export markets for corn and soybeans. A look at hay prices suggests that market has been responding differently. The NASS U.S. hay price for January 2021 of $157 per ton was up $2 per ton from January 2020. In the southwest, the prices in January were lower in Arizona, California and Colorado and higher in New Mexico compared to a year earlier. In the northwest, the price changes have been mixed (or not showing an obvious pattern). Across the plains states the prices were higher (except for a slight decrease in South Dakota), suggesting the area is the place to monitor prices moving forward should demand from the west increase further.

The next comprehensive measure of hay demand will be the May 1 (ending) stocks estimates released in mid-May. At the national level, the May 1 stocks projection by the LMIC is 19.5 million tons. That would be a slight reduction from the 2020 level, but greater than in 2018 and 2019, with prices inversely related to stocks levels. The LMIC model is annual and based on multiple factors to arrive at their projection. As an alternative, use or disappearance can be isolated by season, focusing on Continue reading Feed Situation →

Is your bull ready for work?

– Dean Kreager, Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Licking County

Should a person wait until the hay is mowed before looking at the rake and baler to fix any problems that carried over from last year? Would they head out on a cross country drive without at least checking the oil and tires? If most people answered no to these questions, then why do so many people just turn their bull in with the cows without first being sure that he is ready to do his job. A cow/calf producer’s income comes from having calves in a timely manner and half of that is up to the bull. A breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) is an often-overlooked way to avoid some potentially major problems in this year’s breeding season. Typical prices are in the $50-$100 range and some facilities will establish days in the spring when producers can bring their bulls to a central location for testing.

A BSE is a test performed by a trained veterinarian to estimate the readiness of the bull to settle cows. This evaluation concentrates on 3 aspects: 1) Physical soundness, 2) Reproductive soundness, 3) Semen quality.

Physical soundness includes evaluation of feet and legs, body condition, eyes and any other condition that could affect the bull’s ability to breed cows. Soundness of feet and legs are extremely important as the bulls increase steps taken while walking with the cow herd, but they must also be able to Continue reading Is your bull ready for work? →