Month: May 2025

Southeast Pasture Conditions

– Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

The weekly Crop Progress reports released by USDA-NASS start including information about pasture conditions in May of each year. We now have two weeks of data, and the news is generally positive for the Southeast. As shown in the chart below, roughly 12 percent of pasture in the Southeast region is classified as either poor or very poor. This is similar to 2024 and also to the 5-year average for early May.

There was variation within the region. Alabama had only 4 percent of pasture rated as poor or very poor and 82 percent classified as good or excellent. Florida had 37 percent poor or very poor and only 17 percent rated as good or excellent. Arkansas was 11 percent poor or very poor, Tennessee was 8 percent poor or very poor, Mississippi was 7 percent poor or very poor, Kentucky was 6 percent poor or very poor. The southeast region includes Continue reading Southeast Pasture Conditions →

Early Tariff Impacts on Beef Exports

– David Anderson, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Specialist – Livestock and Food Product Marketing
Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University

While beef exports to China may be down, exports to other countries are up.

It’s been about six weeks since U.S. tariffs and retaliatory tariffs were announced, impacting beef. One of the reasons the beef trade market is so interesting is that the U.S. imports and exports beef. The mix of products varies by country, including muscle cuts, trimmings, variety meats, and hides. Even though tariff levels continue to fluctuate, enough time has passed to begin to see some impacts on beef exports to one market in particular – China.

Weekly fresh and frozen beef muscle cut export data is available through the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The data is reported for a large number of countries and can be aggregated to regions.  U.S. exports to China averaged 2,420 metric tons per week during the first quarter of 2025. Following the announcements of tariffs and retaliation, exports Continue reading Early Tariff Impacts on Beef Exports →

Data Driven Decision Making

– Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle and Livestock Marketing Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Could DNA testing improve your ability to select seed stock?

I’ve always said that the best part of working in Extension, is that every day is different. I’ve spent most of the last three months traveling the state teaching programs, attending meetings, and talking to cattle producers. This winter one of the topics that was often discussed with cow-calf clientele was how to interpret genetic data to consider when making a bull selection decision. A couple of the common themes were Continue reading Data Driven Decision Making →

Poison Hemlock, and those weeds with yellow bloom!

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

If you didn’t control hemlock last fall, NOW is a good time!

Warm temperatures and steady rainfall have accelerated the maturity of grass, legume, and weedy species in the landscape and on-farm so far this spring. Two main species of concern that have been actively growing quickly around the county include poison hemlock and cressleaf groundsel.

Poison hemlock is a biennial weed that does not flower in the first year of growth but flowers in the second year. It blooms on stalks 6-10 feet tall. All parts of the plant are toxic to all classes of livestock if consumed and it is prevalent along roadsides, ditches, and crop field borders. The earlier you can address poison hemlock with mowing and/or herbicide application, the better your control methods will be.

Poison hemlock is Continue reading Poison Hemlock, and those weeds with yellow bloom! →

North American Manure Expo comes to Ohio, July 30 & 31

Register today for early bird pricing.

Registration is now open for the 2025 North American Manure Expo (NAME), coming to Wauseon, Ohio on July 30–31! We hope you’ll consider joining us in Fulton County for two full days of educational sessions, tours, demonstrations, and networking.

Help Us Spread Manure the Word
The Expo will be especially beneficial for:

  • Custom manure applicators
  • Manure haulers
  • Livestock producers
  • Agency folks

See the flyer, and also the complete agenda here.

Registration
You can register at www.manureexpo.com. Tour tickets must be purchased in advance via the online registration. Early bird pricing is available through June 30.

Changes to Livestock Risk Protection Insurance for the Upcoming Reinsurance Year

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

LRP is administered by the RMA with a federally-subsidized premium.

Over the last several years, I have focused a large share of my Extension program on Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Insurance as a price risk management tool for feeder cattle. While there are a lot of tools and strategies available, LRP has several advantages including subsidized premiums and the ability to cover most any quantity of cattle. It has been made more attractive in recent years through increased subsidy levels and allowing for premiums to be paid after policy ending dates. Changes to federal insurance programs are very common, but several LRP changes for the 2026 reinsurance year were significant and I wanted to briefly talk about a few of them this week. These changes will impact policies that are effective starting July 1, 2025.

Forward Priced Cattle
In the past, cattle had to be in one’s physical possession to be covered by LRP. With the new insurance year, forward contracted cattle can be Continue reading Changes to Livestock Risk Protection Insurance for the Upcoming Reinsurance Year →

Beef Production in the First Quarter of 2025

– Hannah Baker, M.S., State Specialized Extension Agent – Beef and Forage Economics, Range Cattle Research and Education Center, University of Florida / IFAS Extension

Livestock slaughter is down 4% in the first quarter.

Livestock slaughter in the first quarter totaled 7.38 million head, down 4 percent or 321 thousand head from the first quarter of 2024. Cow slaughter, beef cow slaughter, and heifer slaughter in March were higher than in February, but totals in the first quarter were lower year-over-year. As a percentage of total slaughter, cow slaughter was 17.5 percent, beef cow slaughter was 8 percent, and heifer slaughter was 32.5 percent in the first quarter. Beef cow slaughter through March has fallen by 20 percent year-over-year, indicating, at this rate, we may see the national culling rate for 2025 fall to levels we saw during the last expansion (about 9 percent).

Heifer slaughter is still too high, as of the April report, to indicate signs of retention. However, the latest quarterly Cattle on Feed report indicated that Continue reading Beef Production in the First Quarter of 2025 →

Using Baleage to manage your hay quality

– Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Dairy management and Precision livestock

Baleage can help manage a challenging harvest. Photo: Gelley, 2023 SE Ohio Hay Day

Baleage can be an excellent tool to manage challenging harvest weather windows or as a storage tool when barn space is not available. The ideal condition for Baleage is to bale the hay between 40 to 65% moisture and wrap it within 2 hours of baling. This process uses anaerobic conditions and the acids produced in fermentation to preserve hay. Baleage fermentation is slower than in haylage, often taking 6 weeks. When forage is baled between 25 to 40% moisture, it will not ferment properly, and Baleage at these moisture levels should be considered as temporary storage. During such situations, preservation is primarily a function of maintaining anaerobic, oxygen-limiting conditions. Mold is more likely at this moisture; higher bale densities and more wraps of plastic are required to better seal out oxygen. If using a tube wrapper, bale uniformity is critical so that there is not an oxygen pocket trapped between bales. Baleage at this moisture level will not maintain quality for long-term storage, and thus, it needs to be fed as soon as possible. Baleage can be utilized as a plan or as a Continue reading Using Baleage to manage your hay quality →

Forage Maturity Across Ohio

– Jason Hartschuh, Extension Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Ohio State University Extension

Maturity is progressing rapidly.

While the year started with slower growing degree accumulation the warm weather over the last couple of weeks, has rapidly progressed forage maturity. Harvesting forages at the proper time for the livestock you are feeding is critical to farm profitability. Poor quality forages must be supplemented to maintain livestock. In the southern part of the state, some forage grasses are in head while in the northern part of the state, barnyard grass is in head. Most are still in the vegetative stage but will be in head within a week, even though they do not look tall enough to be in head.

Winter annual cereal grains for forages may also be more mature than they look from the field edge. In the southern half of the state, heads are starting to emerge, while in the northern part, the flag leaf of cereal rye has emerged. Scouting these forages is critical, as . . .

Continue reading Forage Maturity Across Ohio

Be Aware of Frothly Bloat Risk in Spring Pastures

– Dr. Michelle Arnold, DVM-Ruminant Extension Veterinarian (UKVDL)

Figure 1: Frothy bloat. From “Bloat in Cattle and Sheep” September 2014 Primefact 416 3rd edition Dr Graham Bailey, Senior Veterinary Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries

Ruminant animals produce large volumes of gas through the normal fermentation process during forage digestion. This gas is predominantly belched up (eructated) as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. If something interferes with gas escape from the rumen, pressure builds up and causes an obvious distension in the left flank of the abdomen, a condition known as “bloat” (Figure 1). The swollen rumen occupies a large amount of space within the abdomen, resulting in compression of the lungs and diaphragm which interferes with breathing and tissue oxygenation, obstruction of blood flow to vital organs, and potentially the rapid death of the animal. Bloat may be classified into one of two types, “free gas” or “frothy”, with both types possible in cattle whether on pasture or in a confinement feedlot setting. Free gas bloat in pastured cattle is most often due to Continue reading Be Aware of Frothly Bloat Risk in Spring Pastures →