Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Acreage Available for 70 Ohio Counties

– David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist, Farm Management

CRP is now available for haying and grazing in 70 Ohio counties.

Drought conditions continued to degrade across Ohio. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report on September 17, 59.56% of Ohio is experiencing severe or greater drought conditions with 9.5% classified as D4 or exceptional drought conditions (Figure 1). It is important to remember that D4 conditions only occur once every 50 to 100 years. Approximately 98% of the state is experiencing at least abnormally dry conditions. One silver lining is the current seven-day forecast shows the potential for rain in many areas of Ohio next week which should help slow the progress of drought should it occur.

The drought conditions have impacted both pastures and hayfields across Ohio. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered under the USDA Farm Service Agency permits emergency haying and grazing on certain CRP practices in a county designated as D2 or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor, or . . .

Continue reading Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Acreage Available for 70 Ohio Counties

Cattle on Feed and Record-High August Fed Cattle Weights

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

The latest USDA Cattle on Feed report was released Friday and showed placements of cattle into feedlots during August were 1.4 percent lower than during August 2023. Marketings of fed cattle out of feedlots were down about 3.5 percent from a year ago, partially due to one less business day in August 2024 than in August 2023. Both of these numbers were within pre-report expectations and will likely not be big market movers.


Most of the decline in placements from a year ago occurred in placements of cattle weighing less than 800 pounds. Placements of cattle in this weight range were 3.4 percent lower while placements of cattle weighing more than 800 pounds were 1.4 percent higher. Placements in both Kansas and Nebraska were down about 3 percent while placements in Texas were Continue reading Cattle on Feed and Record-High August Fed Cattle Weights →

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 →

Can I afford not to pregnancy check?

– Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator (originally published in Ohio Farmer on-line)

Preg check vs winter an open cow?!

Only 20% of cow calf producers in the Eastern United States pregnancy check beef cows, according to National Animal Health Monitoring System (NHAMS) Studies.  Over the years there have been improvements in pregnancy detection options but the adoption of these has been slow for many beef producers.  Maybe this year the question should change from “Is it worth the expense?” to “Can I afford not to pregnancy check?”

The cost of overwintering an open cow this year could be much higher than in recent years.  Much of Ohio and some surrounding states have been experiencing drought conditions this summer.  The hardest hit areas are also home to a high percent of Ohio’s cow/calf production.  The rolling pastures have stopped producing forage and many springs have dried up resulting in cattlemen hauling water and feeding hay much earlier than normal.  These conditions have led to Continue reading Can I afford not to pregnancy check? →

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

When is an Hour of Operator Labor, Not Just an Hour of Operator Labor?

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

How do you value time in the hay field?

As an Extension Economist, I regularly have the opportunity to talk about cow-calf profitability. I usually start with revenues, talking about calf prices and making assumptions about weaning weight and weaning rate. Then I walk through costs like winter feed (hay), pasture maintenance, breeding, vet / medicine, trucking, sale expenses, etc. While there is always room for discussion, most of these expenses can be estimated on a “per cow” basis by making some reasonable assumptions. At some point in the discussion, I bring up the topic of labor. Some cow-calf operations hire a significant amount of labor, but for a lot of these operations the majority of labor is unpaid operator labor.

The classic economist approach to valuing unpaid labor is to value it at its opportunity cost. By that I mean if the farmer could be making Continue reading When is an Hour of Operator Labor, Not Just an Hour of Operator Labor? →

Are We Nearing Expansion? A Look at Cow Slaughter and the Inventory Cycle

– Rob Ziegler, Extension Specialist, College of Agriculture, Life Science and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming

The U.S. beef cow herd inventory has received significant attention recently, due to historically low levels driven by market prices and drought conditions that have incentivized producers to sell. Droughts impacted much of the U.S. in 2011-2014 and again in 2021-2023, coinciding with the contraction phase of the cow cycle. A closer look at cow slaughter during these contraction phases and drought periods could shed light on producers’ current intentions to rebuild and the potential trajectory of market prices.

Beef cow slaughter peaked in 2011 at 3.9 million head, roughly midway through the last contraction phase, which ended in 2014 when expansion began. Slaughter bottomed out in 2015 at 2.2 million head and started increasing again in 2016. Another peak in cow slaughter was observed in Continue reading Are We Nearing Expansion? A Look at Cow Slaughter and the Inventory Cycle →

Grazing Management Strategies and Mud Management

Register today!

ODA’s on-line Grazing Management Lunch and Learn Series returns on September 26 at 12:15 p.m.

With every operation it is important to have a plan! Determine what you want to achieve and have a strategy in place to get you there. In this lunch and learn we’ll look at the grazing management strategies that Kevin Swope of Heritage Lane Farm implements on his Columbiana County Bison farm. From spring grazing to winter management, we’ll take a walk through his operation as he shows us the decisions that were made on his farm and how they can work for you.

Find registration information linked here.

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 →

Considering By-products and Alternative Feedstuff beyond hay for ruminants

– Jason Hartschuh, Extension Field Specialist, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Ohio State University Extension and Garth Ruff, Field Specialist Beef Cattle and Livestock Marketing, OSU Extension

Managed properly, straw can be a feed alternative.

When it comes to feeding ruminants versus monogastrics, the feed stuff options seem to never end. In many areas of Ohio where cow-calf and small ruminant operations dominate, the most economical feed option is to use livestock to harvest the forage, and then to feed the stockpiled pasture and hay through the winter. However, I am constantly reminded that ruminants do not need to be fed alfalfa or grass hay. What they do need is the correct amount of energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and enough fiber to maintain rumen health. This allows for many different by-products to be used in ruminant nutrition, making them excellent up cyclers. Testing forage for nutrient content  is critical when designing feed rations to make sure your livestock nutritional needs are being met. Most local feed mills have access to a nutritionist that can help you make sure your feeding program will meet your livestock’s needs for their body condition and stage of life.

Straw or corn stalks as feed instead of bedding
Corn stalks are often used to extend the grazing season or as bedding but they can also be used to meet fiber, energy and protein needs. The nutritional value of baled corn stalks is lower than Continue reading Considering By-products and Alternative Feedstuff beyond hay for ruminants →