Month: May 2025

An Update on Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Ohio, plus the Buckeye Tick Test Lab

– Tim McDermott DVM, OSU Extension Educator, Franklin County (originally published in Farm and Dairy)

The Buckeye Tick Testing Lab at OSU is up and running.

It seems in Ohio it is never too early to start scouting animals for ticks. While we commonly think of summer as tick season, we actually see tick activity and positive detections of tick-borne disease all 12 months of the year in Ohio. One of the ticks of the biggest concern impacting livestock, especially cattle, in Ohio is the invasive Longhorned Tick(LHT). This tick was first discovered in Ohio on a dog in Gallia County in 2020 and has rapidly increased its range in Ohio since then. As of the beginning of 2024 we had positively identified LHT in 11 counties in Ohio including Franklin, Delaware, Ross, Gallia, Vinton, Jackson, Athens, Morgan, Monroe, Belmont, and Guernsey county. Since that point we have added Pike, Lawrence, Noble, Coshocton, Wayne, Muskingum, Washington, and Licking bringing our total up to 19 affected counties. We anticipate adding to that list in 2025.

The Longhorned tick can be a tremendous problem for cattle being able to cause mortality through blood feeding as well as through the Continue reading An Update on Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Ohio, plus the Buckeye Tick Test Lab →

Concerning parasites, are you controlling what you think you are controlling?

– Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, PhD, PAS, University of Kentucky

Available since the ’80’s, is it still effective?

Spring is my favorite time of the year as the flowers bloom, turkeys begin gobbling and the grass takes off. The grass has jumped quickly with the rain and warmer temperatures the last few days. I think we all can agree there is some joy in knowing when the last bale of hay is fed for the winter. However, with spring comes many management challenges beef operations must tackle. These include grass tetany, frothy bloat, dystocia, and tetanus to name a few. During this time frame is always when both internal and external parasites become more prevalent. Many beef operations will apply some level of management to control parasites that can rob nutrients from the cattle. This begs the question “Are you controlling what you think you are controlling?”

During the spring and fall of 2023, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Agriculture & Natural Resource county ANR Agents, Kentucky Beef Network facilitators as well as Dr. Arnold and I set out to assess the prevalence of internal parasites in Kentucky beef herds. Additionally, many of the anthelmintics or deworming products have been on the market for decades (1960’s for levamisole and 1980’s for ivermectin), so we wanted to Continue reading Concerning parasites, are you controlling what you think you are controlling? →

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Estrus Synchronization Success Hinges on Compliance

– Pedro Fontes, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Georgia Extension Specialist

Estrus synchronization success relies on attention to detail.

Estrus synchronization protocols rely on the use of exogenous hormones to manipulate the estrous cycle of beef cows or heifers. The goal of these protocols is to control when females express behavioral estrus and consequently ovulate. By controlling timing of ovulation in cows, these protocols were developed to facilitate the adoption of assisted reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer. In fact, since estrus synchronization protocols were developed, the beef industry has seen a significant increase in the use of these assisted reproductive technologies, which in turn have played a pivotal role in rate of genetic improvement of beef cattle herds.

To fully capture the value of estrus synchronization protocols, these programs must be implemented in compliance with science-based recommendations. Compliance refers to how closely the protocol is followed in terms of timing of hormone administration, dosage, product handling, and administration techniques. While the protocols themselves are well-tested and highly effective, their success in the field depends on . . .

Continue reading Estrus Synchronization Success Hinges on Compliance

Enhancing Pre-Veterinary Education: The Value of Animal Sciences at Ohio State ATI

– Shaun Wellert, DVM, MS, DACVPM

Beyond practical experience a strong foundation in science is essential for students interested in large animal veterinary medicine.

A typical pre-professional program includes extensive coursework in biology, chemistry, and other fundamental sciences. These subjects form the core of prerequisite classes for aspiring medical doctors and veterinarians, providing essential knowledge for their future careers.

When I began my journey to becoming a veterinarian, I followed a similar academic path, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology. However, once I entered large animal practice, I quickly realized there were significant gaps in both my pre-veterinary and veterinary education. Many of the diseases I encountered in farm animals and horses stemmed from poor animal husbandry or inadequate nutrition. While my upbringing on a dairy farm gave me valuable hands-on experience with dairy cattle, unfortunately, neither my undergraduate nor veterinary school coursework fully prepared me to understand the complexities of production animal nutrition. I also lacked Continue reading Enhancing Pre-Veterinary Education: The Value of Animal Sciences at Ohio State ATI →

Pastures for Profit will be offered in-person this June in Logan County

Plan now to join us in June

Pastures for Profit is a collaborative program between Ohio State, Ohio Forage and Grassland Council, Ohio Department of Agriculture, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Curriculum for Pastures for Profits has been evolving since the 1990s, and it includes topics such as grazing management, plant physiology, fencing & water infrastructure, economics, and more. Participants in 2025 PFP programs will receive a new manual that includes revised goal setting worksheets, new soil management information, and other changes.

If you are interested in participating in an in-person Pastures for Profit series, join us in Logan County on June 10th and 12th at 5:30 pm. Presentations on Tuesday night will cover goal setting, growth habits of perennial forages, soil fertility, and other topics, and speakers will be present from ODA, OSU, and NRCS. Thursday night will take place on-farm, and participants will get experience with fencing tools, pasture evaluation, plant identification, and other topics.

Dinner is provided, and registration information is available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/logan-county-pastures-for-profit-grazing-course-tickets-1306810227569?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

May Cattle on Feed: Dressed Weights, Drought, and Disruptions to Trade

– James Mitchell, Livestock Marketing Specialist, University of Arkansas

The National Agricultural Statistics Service released the May Cattle on Feed report on Friday. As of May 1, 2025, the total inventory of cattle and calves on feed in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head reached 11.38 million, down 1.5 percent from a year ago. April placements totaled 1.61 million head, 2.6 percent lower than last year. April cattle marketings totaled 1.83 million head, down 2.5 percent. All figures were within the range of pre-report expectations, with no major surprises.


Although the report held no surprises, several emerging themes in 2025 are worth highlighting. First, dressed weights continue to provide a buffer against tighter cattle supplies. One of the most notable trends in 2024 was Continue reading May Cattle on Feed: Dressed Weights, Drought, and Disruptions to Trade →

Water, the forgotten nutrient?

– Dr. John Yost, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension (originally published in Progressive Cattle)

Figure 1: Mobile Vytelle SENSE (TM) weigh system with water as attractant used to record animal weight and water intake.

I have a riddle for you. If you have too much, or too little, you worry about it constantly but if you have the right amount you don’t think about it.

The answer is water.

We understand that water is the single most important nutrient to sustain life, yet most of the time we take it for granted. After all, have you ever been standing in front of the kitchen sink, watching your neighbor get a rain shower that you wish would move a half mile to the north to help your crops out? Our crops in the field don’t care about the quality of the water, as long as they get it. For our livestock, water availability and quality are crucial to their health and performance.

There are several factors that determine how much water cattle will need to consume. A cow’s body is estimated to be comprised of 58% to 81% water. If Continue reading Water, the forgotten nutrient? →

Controlling Buttercup – A Persistent Challenge

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

From a distance buttercup and cressleaf groundsel can appear similar.

This spring, I’ve received multiple inquiries about a yellow-flowered plant appearing in pastures and fields—seemingly more problematic than usual.  That plant is buttercup (Ranunculus sp., not to be confused with Cressleaf Groundsel, Packera glabella; syn. Senecio glabellus), and while its bright yellow flowers might seem pretty to some, it’s definitely unwelcome in pastures and hay fields, especially if you’ve recently seeded hay fields or are trying to establish new forages.

Despite its seemingly sudden appearance, buttercup’s growth is due to a buildup of its seed bank, often accumulated over time.  This buildup can happen through hay equipment contamination or, more commonly, from bringing in hay containing buttercup seeds and spreading manure from that hay.  These seeds can lie dormant for years—typically 3 to 5, but sometimes Continue reading Controlling Buttercup – A Persistent Challenge →

Forage Resiliency Webinars are posted on YouTube

If you missed attending, we recorded them for you!

In response to challenging weather conditions over the past year, the OSU Integrated Forage Team offered a webinar series in the Spring of 2025 to address the needs of forage growers across Ohio. The webinar series consisted of three 60-minute webinars and focused on Weather Damage Evaluation, Options for Spring Planting, and Emergency Forages.

In case you missed one or would like a review, the playlist for these webinars may be found at https://go.osu.edu/forageresiliencywebinars

Address Lameness Cases Sooner Rather Than Later

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, Rminant Extension Veterinarian, University of Kentucky

Figure 1: Parts of the Bovine Hoof. Accessed from https://www.wavegoodbyetopain.co.uk/foot-anatomy-andbiomechanics.html 4/8/2025

There are many causes of lameness in beef cattle but nearly 90% of all lameness cases are due to something wrong in the foot. Since beef cattle producers generally make the initial diagnosis and treatment of lameness cases in their own cattle, it is important to establish assessment and treatment guidelines with your veterinarian so you will know when cases are failing to respond and in need of further examination. Although interdigital necrobacillosis (foot rot) is by far the most common hoof disorder in pastured beef cattle, it is not a condition to ignore and see if it gets better on its own. In fact, most disorders of the hoof, if not addressed quickly, can progress to a much more serious infection involving the bone, synovial structures, tendons and ligaments of the foot, collectively termed “deep digital sepsis”. Treatment at that advanced stage is expensive, radical and rarely successful.

One of the challenging aspects of discussing beef cattle lameness is the vocabulary utilized in bovine hoof anatomy (see Figure 1). A bovine “foot” is Continue reading Address Lameness Cases Sooner Rather Than Later →

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