Management

Assistance for Ohio Farms Impacted by Drought

– Stan Smith, PA, Fairfield County OSU Extension

Drought conditions are not expected to ease soon.

The most recent release from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows more than 77% of Ohio is experiencing drought conditions with “extreme drought” in about a 25% of the state and 18 Ohio counties seeing D4, or “exceptional drought” conditions. Forecasts suggest these conditions are likely to worsen before getting better. In response, Ohio State University Extension, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), and Ohio Department of Agriculture are extending assistance to agricultural producers through a variety of programs and opportunities. Following is a partial listing of opportunities Cattlemen may explore.

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP): This program provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who have Continue reading Assistance for Ohio Farms Impacted by Drought →

Manure Application to Parched Soil

– Glen Arnold, CCA, Field Specialist, Manure Nutrient Management, OSU Extension

12,000 gallons per acre of dairy manure applied prior to wheat planting.

Most of Ohio is very dry and there is no nearby forecast for substantial rainfall. Livestock producers applying manure to farm fields need to take extra caution to prevent liquid manure following soil cracks to field tile.

Preferential flow is when liquid manure follows soil cracks, worm holes, and crayfish holes to find field tile and escape into ditches and streams. Dry wheat stubble fields are notorious for soil cracks. In these instances, tillage is considered the best management practice before liquid manure is applied. Corn and soybean fields will also have more, and larger soil cracks than typical this fall. If you have tile control structures, they should be closed at the time of manure application.

While livestock producers and commercial manure applicators often inject manure to better capture the nutrients, the extremely dry soils will . . .

Continue reading Manure Application to Parched Soil

Look for ways to reduce calf stress at weaning

– Dr. John Yost, Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Wayne County, Ohio State University Extension (originally published in Ohio Farmer on-line)

Recognize that each procedure performed on a calf at weaning creates stress and stress decreases production potential.

We are quickly approaching your neighbor’s favorite time of year.  That being one where the air is filled with the melodious serenades of newly weaned calves and their separated mothers.  We know that the bawling will end after a few days, but your weaning process can affect the calves’ performance the rest of their lives.  It doesn’t matter whether the calves are destined to find their way onto a truck headed to a feedyard, or if they will be staying on farm to become a future replacement in your herd, you want to prepare them for the next stage of the production process.

We often think of weaning as an abrupt change.  Cows with calves in the morning, then cows and calves on different parts of the farm in the afternoon.  In order to be efficient with our time, we will combine many of weaning tasks into the same day.  There isn’t a perfect system, but there is a Continue reading Look for ways to reduce calf stress at weaning →

Managing Weeds

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

Knapweed is becoming obvious in many pastures.

With fall approaching, though it doesn’t seem like it, but it seems like weeds are more noticeable here. In southeastern Ohio, we are extremely dry with very little to no grass left in the pastures, and the weeds more noticeable. In Morgan County, the weeds that I have been getting the most questions about are spotted knapweed, hemp dogbane, cocklebur, and johnsongrass. Some other noticeable weeds that I am seeing as well are ironweed, Canada thistle, horsenettle, bedstraw, and others. On the family farm, we are seeing a newer weed, small carpetgrass, that I haven’t seen before until last fall. We just started to see it come up around mid-August in the field where we feed most of our hay during the winter.

Why are we seeing more and more weeds show up? I remember when ironweed used to be the biggest problem weed on the farm, now it seems like a weed that we are willing to live with as compared to some of the other newer weeds, like cocklebur or spotted knapweed. Some of the reasons as to why we are these weeds pop up and notice more and more of them can be caused by Continue reading Managing Weeds →

Drought and Dust: Preparing for Winter Feed Shortages

– Ted Wiseman, OSU Extension, Perry County

Have you inventoried your forage supply? Photo: Al Gahler

Depending on where you are in the state, you might be dealing with dry conditions or even severe drought. Here in southeastern Ohio, pastures are parched, and hay production has been disappointing, with very little to show for second or third cuttings.

This year, forage quantity is becoming a significant concern for many producers. Reports indicate that first cuttings yielded only 40-50% of what they should have, particularly in grass forage fields. Second and third cuttings have fared even worse, with some fields producing only 25% of a typical harvest, if anything at all. Many producers have already started feeding hay, raising concerns about whether there will be enough to last through the winter. Given the variable pasture conditions across the state due to ongoing dry spells, it’s crucial to start planning now to be better prepared for the fall and winter.

Know Your Inventory and Its Value

The first step in planning is to Continue reading Drought and Dust: Preparing for Winter Feed Shortages →

Effective pasture management: Crucial for sustaining long-term productivity and environmental health!

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

With each sunrise, new grazing opportunities arise!

This is the 200th issue of Grazing Bites—time flies, but the need for good pasture management remains as crucial as ever.

In the book “Observations on the Means of Improving the Cultivation of the Soil and the Management of Livestock,” Scottish gentleman farmer, botanist, essayist and scholar, James Anderson, provided a detailed approach to managing livestock on pasture.  He strongly advocated for rotational grazing, a method that involves moving livestock between different pastures.  This technique helps prevent overgrazing and allows pastures to recover, thus maintaining soil fertility and forage quality.

Anderson also emphasized the importance of avoiding overgrazing to prevent soil degradation and ensure adequate forage availability. He urged farmers to closely Continue reading Effective pasture management: Crucial for sustaining long-term productivity and environmental health! →

Forage Quality Analysis Service available thru The Ohio State University

For more detail visit their website.

Forage testing and quality analysis is now available at the Sustainable Agroecosystems Lab, a part of The Ohio State University. The lab is committed to advancing sustainable agricultural practices, and their latest service offering is designed to support farmers, researchers, and educators in optimizing forage quality and productivity. Utilizing state-of-the-art Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology, their goal is to provide precise and rapid analysis of standing forage, hay, and silage.

Find more detail including pricing information at their Forage Analysis website.

D3 Drought- What does that mean?

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

Several SE Ohio counties have reached D3-Extreme Drought designation.

Dry conditions have continued, despite all our best efforts to put in requests for rain. This past week, all of Noble County along with several other SE Ohio counties moved from the classification of D2- Severe Drought to D3- Extreme Drought. What does that mean, exactly, other than that it is really dry?

Well, it means that  a group of experts have evaluated the changing conditions that have resulted from the lack of precipitation to create the United States Drought Monitor Mapping System and determined that parts of Southeast Ohio have sustained drought conditions for so long that the impacts of drought will have an increased impact on the resiliency of the land to bounce back from  drought conditions, to the point that the potential economic damage could be substantial.

The Drought Monitor website explains, “The Continue reading D3 Drought- What does that mean? →

Lessons learned on a trip thru Texas

– Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, Ohio State University Extension (originally published in The Ohio Cattleman)

It’s hard to believe that it is August already. So far this summer it has been the Haves and the Have Nots with regards to soil moisture and rainfall across Ohio. Here at home in western Morgan County we are certainly in the Have Not category. While there have been some heavy rains across the area in the last week or so, it seems to miss us. This has been the driest we have been since 2012. Several farmers in the area are either hauling water or feeding hay.

While we are dry here and pasture conditions are deteriorating, we are not anywhere near as dry as parts of the west were in 2021-2022, when culling cows was the only option. I happened to be in Texas for the National Association of County Agricultural Agents meeting in mid-July and had the opportunity to visit with some ranchers while one a pre-conference tour.

I have been to Texas once before in college but had not a chance to see much of the state other than the Panhandle. This time, we went from Amarillo to Lubbock through Bowie to Dallas, where the conference site was. If you have never made a trip across the Lone Star State, let me tell you it is Continue reading Lessons learned on a trip thru Texas →

Going Against the Grain to Work with Mother Nature

– Dr. Katie VanValin, Assistant Extension Professor, University of Kentucky

Fall-calving offers a unique opportunity to work with mother nature.

Approximately 70% of the nation’s cow herd calves between January 1st and June 30th each year, typically calving in February and March, a breeding season ranging from May through July, and weaning calves in the fall. On the other hand, those with fall calving herds will calve in September and October, breed from December to February, and wean in the spring. While fall-calving herds are in the minority and may seem to “go against the grain,” this system offers producers unique opportunities to work with mother nature, especially in the fescue belt.

Environmental conditions are often more favorable for fall calving, starting with calving. While heat can be an issue, especially for calves born early, the cold, wet, and muddy conditions often seen in February and March are a non-issue. Cool-season forages pick up again in the fall as the summer heat begins to subside, providing a forage base for the lactating cows. Tall fescue stockpiles well and can be a good option for helping to maintain the fall calving herd. One downfall to fall calving that Continue reading Going Against the Grain to Work with Mother Nature →