– Haley Shoemaker, OSU Extension AGNR Educator, Columbiana and Mahoning Counties (originally published in the Ohio Farmer on-line)
Dry spells have a way of making even the most seasoned cattlemen second-guess their grazing and forage strategies. With a large portion of the state experiencing moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions to start the summer grazing season, many producers are exploring their options to compensate for pastures that may not be bouncing back as quickly as needed in order to provide ample nutrition to growing calves and lactating cows.
As of June 12th, Ohio’s topsoil moisture was categorized as 35% very short and 42% short, with subsoil moisture ranked 17% and 53% respectively. With reduced soil moisture comes reduced energy to the plant, which leads to slowed recovery of the root systems, and ultimately minimal plant growth. Generally, allowing pastures to be grazed below 3 inches will amplify the effects of drought conditions, and will consequently make it Continue reading With a dry start to the summer, is creep feeding right for your operation?