Management

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 →

Two August Field Days to Explore Barriers and Benefits of Crop and Livestock Integration

Register today!

Over the last 50 years, both crop and livestock production systems in the U.S. have become increasingly specialized and separated. A two-year Ohio State project has partnered with 31 working Ohio farms to examine the economic, ecological, and social impacts of specializing or integrating these farming systems. During this event attendees will consider soil health results and other on-farm data from our two-year study, join in discussion with study participants about the benefits and barriers to integrating crop and livestock systems, and hear about specific strategies or issues from area farmers.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required to receive the meal provided during the event. This project is supported by a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Two options to attend “Exploring Crop and Livestock Integration: Barriers and Benefits”

  • Wayne County (Rittman, Ohio), Thursday, August 22, 2024,  4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Register at: go.osu.edu/IDEAS24
  • Darke County (Versailles, Ohio), Wednesday, August 28, 2024, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Register at: go.osu.edu/IDEAS2024

Knapweed in Bloom Amidst Drought

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

Don’t confuse knapweed (bottom) with chicory (top).

Driving the roads of Southeast Ohio last week was like getting a “while you were out” memo after returning from a week in Texas. The difference a week can make in the landscape can be drastic. The impacts of severe drought are visible, and we are all wishing for more rain. Hopefully this week will bring some relief and we’ll see pastures, hayfields, and lawns green up again soon.

Nothing lasts forever, but even when conditions improve, the impacts of this dry season will continue to cause a ripple of impacts over the next six months. As many livestock producers are already dipping into their hay supplies to supplement poor pasture conditions and second cutting is skimpy, I am concerned about what will happen with our winter hay supplies. If you are looking for resources pertaining to drought, visit https://go.osu.edu/ohiodrought for the latest updates on drought conditions in Ohio and click on the tabs pertaining to your areas of interest to find suggestions for coping with the stress drought can cause.

One plant that doesn’t seem phased by drought is our dreaded foe- Spotted Knapweed. The magenta blossoms it Continue reading Knapweed in Bloom Amidst Drought →

Continuing to Do the Little Things Right

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

Have you developed a marketing plan?

Summer is here, and there is no shortage of things to be done around the farm to keep producers busy. Spring born calves are growing and bulls are either turned out or will be in the near future. Summer is a time to manage pastures and continue making stored forages.

This is the time of year to start thinking about what your marketing plan for the spring calf crop may look like. It’s never too early to have this discussion. As calf prices remain high, I have gotten the question a couple of times asking about the return on investment with regards to preconditioning cattle in 2024.

My answer remains the same. “If it is the right thing to do when cattle prices are lower, it is still the right thing to do when cattle are selling high.” It’s your reputation and the perception of your cattle management program at stake. While cattle are selling well in the current market, any value-added practices implemented now will reduce the risk of Continue reading Continuing to Do the Little Things Right →

Play the Short, Medium, and Long Game Strategies to Maximize Returns

– Kevin Laurent, Extension Specialist, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky

A method to control the calving season is to use CIDR inserts.

The current state of the cattle market is providing unique opportunities for producers to capitalize in a variety of ways by employing a variety of short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to maximize returns.

What does “Play the Short Game” mean?

Producers play the short game by maximizing pounds prior to marketing whether you market off the cow or after weaning, extra weight is extra dollars. So, how do we get extra weight?

Implant, deworm, and fly control for nursing calves: Research has shown that implanting nursing calves can result in an additional 10-30 lbs. at weaning, deworming an added 10-40 lbs. and fly control an additional 10-15 lbs. We cannot logically expect all three practices to be completely additive in response, but what if we employed all three strategies and gained a conservative estimate of an additional 30 lbs. In today’s market that extra 30 lbs. could be worth and additional $80-100/head depending on the weight class of the calf. All three of these strategies can be done for under $7.50/head. Not a bad return on the time and labor to work the calves in the midsummer.

What does “Play the Medium Game” mean?

Producers play the medium game by employing strategies this breeding season to have a tighter calving distribution and Continue reading Play the Short, Medium, and Long Game Strategies to Maximize Returns →