Pasture

Winter Feeding Beef Cows on Pasture

– Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist and Jason Hartschuh, Dairy Management Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Little has happened to improve the feed situation since drought conditions began. Photo: Wiseman

2024 has been a roller coaster year with regards to pasture production and growth across much of Ohio. Here in the east central part of the state, drought took ahold in July and really hasn’t eased up much. Pasture conditions continue to rate as poor or very poor and the hay crop was just a small percentage of a normal second cutting. Third cutting hay crop was nonexistent across the area.

At a series of programs across the region Jason Hartschuh and I discussed management options for winter feeding of beef cows in drought impacted areas the following were some of Continue reading Winter Feeding Beef Cows on Pasture →

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? →

“Normal” vs “Average” weather; The impact on forages

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Soil health helps to sequester carbon!

Not long after the October issue of Grazing Bites was released, I had a conversation with someone in Ohio about the concept of “normal.” He mentioned a presentation by Jim Gerrish, who noted that “normal precipitation is not average precipitation. In continental climates, seven out of ten years will see below-average precipitation, and normal conditions are often 10-15% below the long-term average.”

I agree with Jim. “Normal” weather typically refers to expected conditions based on long-term averages, such as temperature and precipitation patterns for a specific location and time of year. In contrast, “average” weather denotes the statistical mean over a defined period, like 30 years. Essentially, “normal” reflects expected weather, while “average” is a specific measurement.

However, perceptions of “normal weather” can Continue reading “Normal” vs “Average” weather; The impact on forages →

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? →

Stocking rates, genetic choices, and their impacts on our forage in pastures

– Dirk D. Dempsey, former Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources Pike County

Proper stocking density is critical to the success of managing pastures.

The amount of dry matter our forage stand can produce for us is a crucial component of building a successful plan for grazing cattle. Understanding which grazing systems are in place within the operation will allow for better optimization of the potential dry matter that cattle consume. Those systems are often called continuous, simple rotational, and intensive grazing. Each system has unique pros and cons, so it is crucial to consider this moving forward. Within these systems, it is a common goal to create a sustainable and long-term pasture that creates optimal forage for cattle but allows for plant regrowth and recovery time to be available once again. When stocking density is typically discussed, we commonly refer to it as under-stocking, where forage is wasted, and in the long term, the pasture will become unproductive with more weeds and woody plants taking form where good grazing plants once were. Overstocking can also reduce Continue reading Stocking rates, genetic choices, and their impacts on our forage in pastures →

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Two more videos on Emergency Drought Water Management

The Eastern Ohio Grazing Council recently dropped two more videos sourced by Rachael Cline, Natural Resource Specialist with USDA/NRCS, on Emergency Drought Water Management. The first one below focuses on managing limited water supply through herd management, and the second focuses on water trough management.

Practicing creativity while grazing a flerd

– Victor Shelton, Retired NRCS Agronomist/Grazing Specialist

Beware poisonous plants like perilla mint under droughty conditions.

As I write this in late September, the pastures, woodlands, cropland, yards, and gardens all appear to be settling into autumn earlier than normal.  This is due primarily to prolonged dry conditions.  As wet as it was earlier in the year, and with most area rainfall totals being about normal for the year, I still find myself about four inches behind on rain for the present time frame, but thankfully with rain in the forecast.

This has certainly been a good year to be a watchful grazer—but that is always a good thing!  I still have both sheep and cows, and I often ask myself why.   The answer is that sometimes a flerd is better.   The cattle focus most of their grazing on grasses, legumes, a few random forbs, and some tree leaves within reach while the sheep most often prefer forbs and legumes over grasses.

Sheep are more selective about quality than cattle.  Not to say that cattle can’t be selective, but sheep have the ability to choose individual leaves and plant pieces with their mouths, whereas cattle eat by wrapping their tongues around a good bite, tearing it off, and consuming whatever is in it.  Cattle may try to Continue reading Practicing creativity while grazing a flerd →

Caring for drought-stricken pastures

– Erika Lyon, OSU Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jefferson and Harrison Counties (originally published in Farm and Dairy)

Drought conditions will likely cause damage well into the fall season.

Ohio’s southeastern region has been hit hard by drought this summer, with pastures and hayfields showing significant damage. At this point, many fields are in poor or very poor condition, with slow to no plant growth due to dry conditions and higher-than-normal temperatures.

Even with excellent management practices, drought conditions will cause visible damage to fields well into the fall season.

One of the emerging concerns from this summer’s drought is potential toxicity developing in forages. For example, the risk of Continue reading Caring for drought-stricken pastures →