Month: February 2022

Artificial Insemination with a Small Beef Herd

– Dean Kreager, OSU Extension Ag and Natural Resources Educator, Licking County

Going 100% A.I. is possible but takes dedication to details.

With only 10% of beef herds in the United States utilizing Artificial Insemination (A.I.), from time to time the discussion arises on whether it is worth doing on small beef farms.  In some situations, this is an easy answer while in other situations it is not so clear cut.  Some herds are operated with the goal of producing superior offspring.  Others are trying to get income from land that is not suitable for other purposes, and they want to do it with minimal labor.  Both are worthy goals but the use of A.I. only fits one of the two situations.

Why use A.I.?

There are many possible reasons, but I will just discuss three here.

The first is genetic improvement.  Whether you are raising purebred cattle and tracking EPD’s or raising show cattle and looking at phenotype, A.I. opens the door to using the top genetics in the country.  For $20 to $50 per straw you can purchase semen on nearly any bull.  You also have the option to purchase semen from a variety of sires to improve your genetic diversity.  Can you afford more than one Continue reading →

Taking Advantage of Estrus Expression in Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination

– Dr. Pedro Fontes, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Georgia

Breeding indicator patches are helpful when target breeding females in a fixed-time artificial insemination program.

While estrus synchronization can eliminate the need for estrus detection, identifying females in estrus can help cattle producers further explore the benefits of technologies such as fixed-time artificial insemination and fixed-time embryo transfer. Research studies performed in different production environments have repeatedly shown that females that express estrus in response to an estrus synchronization protocol achieve greater pregnancy rates compared with females that do not express estrus. In a meta-analysis that compiled data of more than 10,000 inseminations, cows and heifers that expressed estrus prior to fixed-time artificial insemination had 27% greater pregnancy rates compared with females that did not express estrus (Richardson et al., 2016). Similar results are observed in embryo transfer settings. Embryo recipients that express estrus during the synchronization protocol are more likely to successfully establish pregnancy when compared with recipients that ovulate to the synchronization protocol but do not express estrus. Interestingly, cows that express estrus are also less likely to experience pregnancy loss between days 30 and 100 of gestation compared with cows that did not express estrus prior to fixed-time artificial insemination (Pohler et al., 2016).

Cattle producers can use estrus expression information to make breeding decisions that can maximize their return of investment, even if they are performing artificial insemination and/or embryo transfer using a fixed-time approach. In fixed-time artificial insemination settings, cattle producers can restrict the . . .

Continue reading Taking Advantage of Estrus Expression in Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination

What to do When Calves Are Born Weak

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory

“Weak Calf Syndrome” is a term applied to a calf born alive but lacks vigor, is slow to stand, and may not attempt to nurse. Affected herds may also see an increase in stillborn calves. The known factors contributing to the development of weak calves include inadequate nutrition for the dam during pregnancy, difficult calving (known as “dystocia”) and infectious diseases, especially BVD virus. With excellent management, some weak calves will survive but most will die shortly after birth. Those that survive are prone to develop scours or pneumonia, grow slowly and have lower weaning weights. Although this situation is difficult to correct during calving season, identification and correction of the underlying problems will help prevent this syndrome down the road.

1. Inadequate Pre-Partum Nutrition
Nutrition for the dam is key to preparing a calf for life outside the cow. Not only does the pregnant cow’s diet need to meet her own maintenance needs but, in the last 50-60 days of gestation, approximately 80% of fetal growth occurs requiring additional nutrients to support this tremendous growth and to develop the fetal brown fat needed to supply energy to the newborn until adequate colostrum is ingested. The two most important cow nutritional requirements are protein and energy, the exact amounts of each depend on stage of production, environment, and mature cow size. Research has shown that calves born to cows on inadequate diets have less vigor, less brown fat stores, less ability to warm themselves, and it takes a much longer time for them Continue reading →

Posted by at Posted in Health

Soil Health and Regenerative Ag with Ray Archuleta

– Amanda Douridas, Champaign County Ag and Natural Resources OSU Extension Educator

Archuleta is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist who has over 30 years of experience as a soil conservationist, water quality specialist and conservation agronomist.

Soil health has always been an important part of the sustainability of a farm. Each year we learn more about the conditions in which soils thrive and what BMPs can be implemented to ensure we are improving the soil, rather than degrading it.

Ray Archuleta has spent his career researching and teaching soil health. He is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist who has over 30 years of experience as a soil conservationist, water quality specialist and conservation agronomist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Since retiring, he founded Understanding Ag, LLC and the Soil Health Academy, LLC. Through these organizations, he teaches biomimicry strategies and agroecology principles to improve soil function. He also operates a 150-acre farm with his family in Missouri.

On February 24, Archuleta will Continue reading →

Posted by at Posted in Events

Price Risk Management Tools for Cattle Producers

– Dr. Kenny Burdine, Extension Professor, Livestock Marketing, University of Kentucky

The last few years are unlikely to be remembered fondly by many cattle producers. Large cattle supplies, a global pandemic, weather challenges, and a sharp increase in feed prices have all impacted feeder cattle values. However, 2022 has brought optimism for a significantly better cattle market. As I write this on January 21, 2022, there is more than a $15 per cwt increase in CME© feeder cattle futures from the March contract to the August contract. In fact, every contract for August through November is trading north of $180 per cwt. It has been some time since we have seen those types of price levels, so they have certainly caught my attention over the past few weeks. This article will briefly discuss some tools available to cattle producers should they want to protect themselves from downside price in 2022.

First, producers could consider entering a cash forward contract with a buyer looking to place feeders later in the year. The two parties could agree on a price now for cattle to be delivered at a later date and this expectation of higher prices should be reflected in the contract price. Assuming the contract is binding and enforceable, this strategy eliminates price risk. However, production risk remains a concern if cattle don’t perform as expected, fail to reach the agreed upon weight, or if weather conditions necessitate earlier sale of the cattle. While forward contracts are an excellent price risk management tool, they are pretty limited in their Continue reading →

January 1 Feeder Cattle Supplies Decline 2.6 Percent

– James Mitchell, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Arkansas

Last week’s January Cattle Inventory Report is the most detailed data we will get all year on current and past cattle numbers. Kenny did an excellent job summarizing the report in last week’s Cattle Market Notes. With a week to digest the numbers, there were a few estimates I wanted to revisit.

One estimate that analysts like to calculate from the Cattle Inventory Report is feeder cattle supplies outside feedlots as of January 1 (see the first graph above). USDA does not report feeder cattle supplies directly, but it is easy to calculate using other categories in the report. The last row in the table listed below estimates feeder cattle supplies outside Continue reading →

Cattle Market Outlook Bright Despite Rising Input Costs

– Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist

Are you signed up for all sessions?

On January 24, the OSU Beef Team was pleased to host a 2022 Beef Market Outlook meeting featuring Dr. Andrew Griffith, Associate Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Griffith covered the usual supply, demand, and market projections as well as some insight to supply chain disruptions, input costs, and beef industry trends.

This article will highlight some of the main points of Dr. Griffith’s talk which can be viewed in its entirety on the Beef Team YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/crVWE51aLrc or found embedded below.

Supply – Cow numbers are down, in large part due to long lasting drought that has gripped most of the country west of the Mississippi River. Heifer slaughter was up over 4% compared to 2020 and cull cow slaughter was up nearly 10% compared to the prior year. This reduction of the cow herd Dr. Griffith said will allow for strong fed cattle and feeder prices, “in 2022, 2023, and potentially in 2024 depending on Continue reading →

Make Sure to Remove All the Net Wrap

– Richard Purdin, OSU Extension, Adams County ANR/CD Educator

Remove ALL the woven net wrap on frozen corn stalk bales

January is in the books and February has arrived. The beginning of February brings two things to my mind, first winter is halfway complete (I hope) and will that durn ground hog better not see his shadow! As I write this article there is officially 48 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes until spring but who’s counting. One thing is for certain January was a halfway normal January for southern Ohio with wild weather swings and weather fronts bringing just about every type of weather you can think of. From rains, ice, sleet, and snow, we had it all. Through all this I was still able to keep livestock alive, but it was anything but easy. About 60% of my hay is made in large round bales and out of that 60% about 80% is stored outside and 100% of those round bales are net wrapped. In the last 20 years many producers have switched from sisal or plastic twine to woven net wrap to preserve and hold large round bales together. While it does present an increase cost in baling dry hay, it has much value in Continue reading →

It’s Time to Frost Seed!

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Yes, it’s time to get any frost-seeding done!

February is quite often a good month to catch up on work, at least it is for me.  I’m finally used to the cold by now and unless it’s snowing or some other form of frozen precipitation, or too windy, I’m probably going to be outside working on something.  The wind is the main deterrent for me, and my dog sidekick will agree.  An uncle of mine used to say, “Wind can ruin the best of any day,” and he was right – it can make any day dustier, colder or it can just be annoying.

In February, the ground “usually” isn’t frozen that deep, if at all, and therefore makes it a good time to build or repair fence.  Posts drive into the ground quite nicely and you don’t have to fight as much vegetation putting up wire.

I find this to be a good time to spend checking fence lines, trimming limbs back as needed and finishing sawing up any trees or limbs that fell during summer storms.  That seems to be a job that never Continue reading →

Posted by at Posted in Pasture

(Even) More Reasons to Love Red Clover

– Dr. Jimmy Henning, Extension Professor, Forage Specialist, University of Kentucky

Small amounts of red clover in the diet have large effects when grazing fescue.

Clover has been cool in Kentucky for a long time. Clover has long been known to benefit ruminant producers because of its high yields, high yields, biological nitrogen fixation, summer time production and dilution of the negative effects of tall fescue. New research from the USDA-ARS Food Animal Production Research Unit embedded in the UK College of Agriculture Food and Environment is adding even more reasons to love red clover.

Red clover directly counteracts the vasoconstriction caused by the toxic endophyte of tall fescue. The constriction of the exterior blood vessels makes ruminants much less able to regulate their body temperatures, causing heat stress in summer and cold stress in winter. Red clover has been found to contain a natural compound that actually causes these constricted blood vessels to dilate, restoring blood flow and relieving temperature stress. These compounds, called isoflavones, are also present in white clover and alfalfa, but at lower levels than red clover.

Surprisingly small amounts of red clover in the diet have large effects. Research by USDA-ARS group found that Continue reading →