Drought Management

Ohio Virtual Beef School begins January 29: An evening with Kenny Burdine

Plan to join us for one or all of these sessions!

The OSU Extension Beef Team is pleased to be offering a Virtual Beef School featuring one webinar per month beginning January 29 and concluding in April.

For the first session join us – either in person in the Fairfield County Ag Center in Lancaster, or via ZOOM – on January 29 as we spend an evening exploring the economics of the beef cattle and livestock sector with University of Kentucky Extension economist Kenny Burdine.

Going into 2025 beef cattle prices are at record highs! Can it continue? How long will the consumer continue to support these price levels? Is it too late to Continue reading Ohio Virtual Beef School begins January 29: An evening with Kenny Burdine →

Livestock Water Development

– Mark Landefeld, Extension Educator (retired), Agricultural and Natural Resources, Monroe County and Jeff Bettinger, Lead District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service

The tank should hold a minimum of 25% of the daily herd requirement and allow 5 to 10% of the animals to drink at one time.

Many factors need to be considered when developing watering sources for livestock. Adequate amounts of water are needed to maintain high levels of production. Limiting water intake reduces animal performance quicker and more drastically than any other nutrient deficiency (Boyles). Improving springs or seeps by excavating, cleaning, capping or providing a collection and storage area improves the distribution of water and preserves water quality.

The Water Trough or Tank
The trough or tank should have adequate capacity to meet the requirements of all livestock. This should include the stor age volume necessary for carry-over between periods of replenishment. The trough or tank, when installed, should be . . .

Continue reading the OSU Extension Fact Sheet Livestock Water Development

Management Strategies in Times of Drought

Attend and learn more about drought disaster assistance.

Some suggest during this year Southeastern Ohio experienced what might be the worst drought in our history. Regardless where it may rank, few of this generation have the experience of managing through a time when feed resources were in such short supply for a commodity as valuable as beef cattle and other ruminant livestock.

That said, please plan to join us in the Fairfield County Ag Center on Monday, December 2 beginning at 7 p.m. when we will explore not only feed management strategies for times such as these, but also the drought disaster relief programs presently available to farmers in much of Ohio. Representatives from Ohio State University Extension, USDA/NRCS and the Farm Service Agency will discuss feed alternatives, feed management strategies, Federal and State drought “disaster” programs and funding opportunities for both feed and water.

Reservations are encouraged but not required by contacting OSU Extension in Fairfield County (740-653-5419) or simply following this link: go.osu.edu/feedmanagement

Drought Damaged Pasture; What’s next?

– Jordan Penrose, Ohio State University Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Morgan County

Despite recent rainfall, drought conditions persist in SE Ohio.

Drought conditions have affected most of Ohio at one point or more this summer and fall, and we need to consider the long-term effects that this could have on forages. Where I am at in Morgan County, in the southeastern part of the state we are still in D4 Exceptional Drought, and most farmers have been feeding hay and hauling water for a couple of months now. Forages have taken the back seat for now, as we try to make sure livestock have feed and water. While getting livestock through the winter is the main goal right now, we need to start looking at what will need to be done with pastures and hayfields. When we got rain in October from Hurricane Helene, our pastures and hayfields came out of dormancy and started to grow on my family’s farm. Hopefully, most of you took note as well if that rain brought your pastures and hayfields out of dormancy and had some sort of growth. The reason that I hope you took note is to gauge what Continue reading Drought Damaged Pasture; What’s next? →

Is the grass dead or dormant?

Where to from here?

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

Prolonged drought in much of the state has led to many conversations about how bad the observed condition of pasture actually is and if it will bounce back when precipitation comes.

Back in July and August, I answered those questions with the response of “Right now, the grass is dormant. It is saving resources to rebound when moisture comes.” Now in October and November, I am less confident that the brown and crusty grass we see is dormant. Some of it is dead and some of it is Continue reading Is the grass dead or dormant? →

Are the Winds of Change Still Blowing?

– Stan Smith, Program Assistant, OSU Extension, Fairfield County

Considered the ‘bale of the future’

While discussing feed quality and yield concerns in this publication, sixteen years ago I suggested perhaps the “winds of change” had simply come full circle. Considering the feed and forage shortages many Ohio cattlemen are facing today, now as I look back, I wonder if we’ve really returned to some of the deep rooted beliefs that allowed our ancestors to survive. Let’s review.

While a youth in the late fifties and sixties I cut teeth on an Allis Chalmers Roto Baler. I never really asked why we had a round baler when no one else in the community did. I simply knew that when it was time to make hay, Steve and I were expected to be there.

Grandpa, dad and my uncle had built a pull type, ground driven bale elevator that conveyed those round bales, which had been Continue reading Are the Winds of Change Still Blowing? →

Coping with Low Precipitation

– Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, University of Kentucky, Extension Professor

Have you developed your drought plan? Photo: Wiseman

As the fall continues to provide us with extremely dry conditions, fall growth of forages will be limited this year. Cow-calf producers should be developing a drought plan as we move through the fall and winter. Below are a few tips to consider when navigating these dry fall conditions.

Things to consider during these dry conditions include Continue reading Coping with Low Precipitation →

Drought related fencing issues

– Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator

Dry soils can create grounding issues.

The drought in this part of the country continues with very little chance of rain in the forecast.  With the shortage of available pasture and hay supplies, livestock may start thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  How secure are your fences?  No one likes to get that wake-up call or knock on the door letting you know you have livestock out.  There are a couple fencing issues that are related to drought to keep in mind.

One of the common problems that result in livestock escapes is the loss in effectiveness of electric fences.  Some animals have a knack of finding a faulted fence.  In wet conditions the problem is often with electrical faults from weeds overtaking fences, resulting in a greatly reduced electrical charge.  In dry conditions, these faults are not Continue reading Drought related fencing issues →

Warm Season Native Grasses; A drought resistant forage?

– Gilbert Randolph, Nick Schell and Jason Jones, Pheasants and Quail Forever

Could warm season grasses solve a summer slump in a ‘normal’ year?

With Ohio experiencing record drought, livestock producers may find themselves in a tight spot when trying to provide forage for their cattle. In the long run, native warm season grasses can offer drought resistant forage during the summer slump when many cool season grasses slow in production.

Traditionally, there has been some concern with the length of time it takes to establish these plantings, but Jason Jones, Ohio Grasslands & Grazing Coordinator for Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever says that these native grasses such as big bluestem, switchgrass, eastern gamagrass, indian grass and others can Continue reading Warm Season Native Grasses; A drought resistant forage? →

The cow feed dilemma: Do I find more feed, or reduce the need?

– Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension (originally published in Ohio Farmer on-line)

Do I find more feed, or reduce cow numbers? Photo: Ted Wiseman

In the face of what has become a drought of historical proportion throughout much of the state, cattlemen are enjoying fed cattle, calf, and cull cow prices that range in the vicinity of historical highs. Facing a drought induced shortage of quality feed, the resulting dilemma Ohio cattlemen face is whether to find the feed necessary to maintain the herd, or reduce herd size and the potential for another substantial payday next year?

To put it more succinctly, over the years it seems any time I’ve had conversation about a feed shortage, friend and former colleague Ed Vollborn responded by simply saying, “Increase the feed or reduce the need.”

Sounds simple enough but there’s lots to consider. It begins by looking at opportunities for increasing the feed.

While many have been feeding hay since mid-summer, for the time being that needs to Continue reading The cow feed dilemma: Do I find more feed, or reduce the need? →