Winter Pasture Management

Jordan Penrose, OSU Extension Educator, Gallia County (originally published in The Ohio Cattleman,  Winter 2023)

Here in Ohio, winter can vary from one part of the state to the other. If I were to ask you, what are a couple things that we can think of as farmers that comes along with winter? Answers will probably be similar like cold and snow, but another one is likely mud.

In early November you may have thought some mud would be nice because of how dry the fall was. But nevertheless, when it gets cold out and the temperature is hanging around freezing, are you really wanting to deal with mud?

Last year on my family’s farm, we were fortunate that the ground remained frozen for much of the winter. Our pasture management made feeding cattle easier compared to other years. As we get closer to winter, we may get a better handle on what mother nature is going to throw at us, but it is almost impossible to predict what will come our way in the terms of the weather. So, what do we do to prepare for winter when it is so hard to predict what mother nature is going to give us? You can come up with a few different plans that may be useful to you. Every farm is going to be different in the way they can handle their pastures for the winter.

One of the first things that should be considered is Continue reading

Adjusting for Cold Weather

Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

A few years ago, I used to smile a little when my wife complained that our house was too cold at 64°. Now I find myself sneaking over to the thermostat and bumping it up a couple degrees. It is easy for us to know when we are cold but how do we know when livestock are cold? In some situations, it is easy to see, such as if they are hunched up and shivering. Often it is hard to tell when they are cold. Their comfort range is not the same as ours.

Research has shown, that below a certain point, our grazing animals will increase their metabolism to produce heat. This maintains body functions such as rumination and keeps the animal comfortable. To meet the needs of increased metabolism, the animal will consume more feed. How much extra feed they can consume is related to the quality of the feed. The more digestible the feed, the faster it moves through their digestive system, and the more nutrients they can utilize in a given amount of time.  An over mature stemmy hay will back up the digestive system. It is slow to break down, and the animal will not be able to eat enough to get the needed energy from the hay alone. In very cold conditions a ruminant can increase its metabolism by 25-30%; however, there is a limit to how much Continue reading

Product-Market Fit and Taking the Random Out of Production

Dr. Les Anderson, Beef Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

“Now, after 25 years, I understand a little better.”

I received an email last week about receiving an award for 25 years of service to Extension. It seems like yesterday when I rolled down to Lexington to start this new career. One of my most vivid memories was the first UK Beef IRM Committee meeting. The IRM committee had just finished the analysis of a huge survey of beef producers. The only question that stuck in my mind was “Why do you own beef cows?”. I thought the answer would be easy; to make money. But the number one response was “because I like cows”. “To make money” was the number three reason of those surveyed.

At the time, honestly, I was stunned. Now, after 25 years, I understand a little better. The beef business may be one of the few where profit is likely not the driving factor of ownership. A romanticism exists in agriculture about beef production and/or ranching. But can’t we make money and “like cows” at the same time? Profit is possible in the beef industry if producers reorganize the way they think about their beef cattle operation.

The IRM survey suggests that most beef producers don’t think of their operations as a small business. Successful small businesses plan and analyze their business to control as many variables as possible. They avoid “random” because random is the opposite of predictable. Small businesses need a predictable product to help achieve product-market fit. The phrase “product-market fit” is used routinely in the business world and it indicates when Continue reading

To Reimplant, or Not to Reimplant . . . That is the Question

– Tara L. Felix, Extension Beef Specialist, Penn State University

Potential changes to the use of steroidal implants are coming June 2023. Beef cattle producers should stay informed.

Is the future of implanting changing for cattle producers?

The Food and Drug Administration recently published FDA GFI #191. Some readers may recall discussions of a similar “GFI” (Guidance for Industry) in 2017 when FDA began requiring a veterinary feed directive, or VFD, for antibiotics delivered in feed to production animals. This new guidance has, seemingly similarly, rolled out quickly and without all that much actual guidance.

First of all, the title of the FDA GFI #191 document is “Changes to Approved NADAs – New NADAs vs. Category II Supplemental NADAs.” A NADA is a New Animal Drug Application. Any company wishing to market a “drug” to the animal industry must fill out a NADA and submit that NADA to the FDA for approval. The FDA will then review the safety and efficacy of said drug and decide whether or not the company can market the drug with the given label claims. What the company proposes and states on the label, then, becomes Continue reading

Three Questions for the 2023 Beef Cattle Market

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

Last week, Josh provided an overview of the 2023 cattle market. While he discussed the challenge of high grain prices, he largely wrote about a general optimism stemming from tighter cattle supplies as we start this new year. Without a doubt, most market fundamentals point to a considerably stronger cattle market across all sectors this year. This article will briefly discuss three questions that will be answered by the markets between now and spring.

How strong will fed cattle prices be?
If the cattle market had a pulse, that pulse would be cash cattle trade. Even in a feeder cattle state like Kentucky, one cannot downplay the significance of the fed cattle markets. They set the tone for the overall cattle market and deferred live cattle futures drive feeder cattle values through price expectations. Certainly, there are some Continue reading

Heifers on Feed Indicate Long-Term Liquidation Still Occurring

– Elliott Dennis, Assistant Professor & Extension Livestock Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Beef cow herd liquidation occurred in a significant way in 2022 due to a combination of strong lean beef demand, higher cull cow prices, and forage issues due to drought. Fewer cows results in fewer feeder cattle, tightening supplies for fed cattle, and ultimately lower beef production in 2023. The USDA-NASS Cattle Inventory report is released at the end of this January and analysts’ estimates for beef cow reduction are in the 3-4% range. This will directly affect feeder cattle numbers in 2023.

A herd of 100 cows with 90% breeding efficiency and non-sexed semen would be expected to have about 90 feeder cattle to sell (45 steers and 45 heifers). On average, cows stay in a herd for about five years so this herd would be expected to have sold 20 cows in 2022. To maintain long-term feeder cattle output, the herd must either retain or buy 20 heifers that will be bred in the coming year. Producers make tradeoffs between either selling or retaining more heifers. Selling more heifer calves today will lower future feeder cattle production but increase operational income today whereas retaining more heifers will decrease current income while increasing future feeder cattle production. Thus, feeder cattle production in 2023 is a result of both heifer retention and cull cow sale decisions during 2022. The USDA-NASS Cattle Inventory report released at the end of January will indicate how many heifers were held back in herds. This will primarily affect Continue reading

Finding Clarity in Muddy Situations

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

‘Mud’ impacts us each in a variety of different ways.

Tis the season! Mud season. One of the longest seasons of the year. Even when subsoils are dry, we can have troublesome mud on the surface that sucks the energy we’ve provided in our feeding programs right out of our cows and our hearts too.

It can be discouraging, exhausting, and exasperating trying to prevent mud accumulation and dealing with it in the moment. When your boots are slurping through the mud with each step it can seem like the season will never end. But with a conducive environment and time, eventually it does.

Staying motivated and hopeful through winter on the farm is a challenge for many. Questions like, “What am I doing this for?” and “Why didn’t I chose a different career than this?” will run through your mind. You may wonder if it’s you who’s working for the cows rather than the cows working for you. When the heating bill comes, you’ll probably be praying that feeder and Continue reading

Three things I am watching in 2023

Clifton Martin, OSU Extension Muskingum County

The Asian longhorned tick is a growing threat for livestock operations . Photo: Anna Pasternak, UK entomology grad student.

As we kickoff 2023 it has me thinking of what has been accomplished and what goals lie ahead. It’s a new year and a great time to think forward into what we might expect in the new year. Here are three things I am watching for in pastures and hayfields in 2023:

Asian Longhorned Tick

The Asian Longhorened Tick (ALHT) has been making slow but steady progress across pastures and fields from the Eastern Mid-Atlantic through the Appalachian regions and into Ohio. It has the potential to become a productivity-limiting factor in many operations if left ignored and the time to plan for it in your fields is now. This tick population is increasing and spreading around the eastern half of the United States and management of ticks is developing into a predominant limiting factor in more operations.  It could present a few management conundrums in your pasture. If you have sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, dogs, cats and if deer and raccoons roam about your property this is a tick that you should be watchful for and take Continue reading

Some simple truths about life in the country and on the farm

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

Here are some simple truths about life in the country and on the farm.

  • The fact that the neighbors bull comes to visit on a regular basis does not mean your cows are prettier than his or that your grass is better than his. It probably means your bull does not know what he is doing, or he is just not doing it well!
  • A field full of broom sedge does not qualify as a good stand of grass, but there may be some city folk that would like to take their picture in the field of golden grass this winter when it snows.
  • A well-conditioned or fat cow is not always a good thing. If she is still four times the size of her calf at weaning then she qualifies as a delinquent mother, because she is better at taking care of herself than she is of her offspring.
  • Not all bales of hay are better than a snowball, but all snowballs have a moisture value.
  • Just because a person owns land, drives a tractor, has cattle and feeds hay does not mean they are a cattle producer. It simply means they own all those things. Being a cattle producer requires a little more effort.

Virtual Ohio Beef School begins on January 11

Are you registered for the first Virtual Beef School on the 11th?

The OSU Extension Beef Team is offering a Virtual Beef School with one webinar per month beginning next week and concluding in April. The first webinar features new OSU Extension Farm Management Field Specialist, Eric Richer who will be discussing agricultural input costs in 2023. The second topic of the evening will be Cattle Markets and Outlook presented by Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

The next three sessions are as follows:

February 8 – Managing Reproduction. Presynchronization and Improving Fertility of Beef Cows: Alex Crist, OSU Animal Science and Synchronization and Natural Service: Dean Kreager, OSU Extension. Continue reading