August may be the perfect time to re-establish forage fields damaged beyond repair in recent years!
Seldom do we talk about forage shortages and above normal precipitation in the same breath. Regardless, that’s where we found ourselves throughout Ohio and much of the Midwest in the summer of 2019 and in parts of Ohio again in spring 2024. Abundant rainfall in early 2019 allowed for the growth of lots of forage. Unfortunately, the weather seldom allowed the opportunity to harvest it as high quality feed. In this regard, 2024 seems to have unfolded much the same . . . a very wet Ohio April and May challenged the opportunity to make quality hay followed by a very dry June through August across much of Ohio that prevented regrowth for subsequent high quality hay cuttings.
Beginning during the fall of 2018 demand for quality forages and bedding had been on the increase. It began with a wet fall that forced us from pasture fields early. Followed by constantly muddy conditions, cattle were requiring more feed and energy than normal. At the same time, even though temperatures were moderate during much of the fall of 2018, cows with a constantly wet hair coat were, yet again, expending more energy than normal to remain in their comfort zone. Then, as a cold late January 2019 evolved into February, in many cases mud had matted down the winter coats of cattle reducing their hair’s insulating properties, thus causing them to require even more energy in the cold weather.
Reduced supplies of quality forages coupled with increased demand over the previous year had led to a perfect storm that resulted in the lowest inventory of hay in Ohio in 2019 since the 2012 drought, and the 4th lowest in 70 years. The spring of 2019 weather didn’t provide the opportunity to improve that situation. By summer cattlemen throughout the Midwest bordered on having a forage and feed crisis. The drought conditions of summer 2024 have returned Ohio’s cattleman to a similar forage shortage.
Below you will find a compilation of the forage, feed and cattle management strategy articles and videos that will aid in addressing feed shortage situations regardless the cause.
Print Articles previously published in the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter, the C.O.R.N. newsletter, and Buckeye Dairy News
Is the grass dead or dormant? – Christine Gelley
Are the Winds of Change Still Blowing? – Stan Smith
Coping with Low Precipitation – Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler,
Drought related fencing issues – Dean Kreager
Warm Season Native Grasses; A drought resistant forage? – Gilbert Randolph, Nick Schell and Jason Jones
The cow feed dilemma: Do I find more feed, or reduce the need? – Stan Smith
Feeding storm-damaged soybean grain to cattle – Jason Hartschuh and Garth Ruff
You can’t manage what you don’t measure! – Stan Smith
Two more videos on Emergency Drought Water Management
Caring for drought-stricken pastures – Erika Lyon
When in Drought, Stay Flexible with the Plan – Garth Ruff
Emergency Drought Water Development
Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Acreage Available for 70 Ohio Counties – David Marrison
Lessons from Drought Tolerant Weeds – Christine Gelley
Assistance for Ohio Farms Impacted by Drought – Stan Smith
Can I afford not to pregnancy check? – Dean Kreager
Manure Application to Parched Soil – Glen Arnold
Considering By-products and Alternative Feedstuff beyond hay for ruminants – Jason Hartschuh
Managing Weeds – Jordan Penrose
Drought and Dust: Preparing for Winter Feed Shortages – Ted Wiseman
Alternative forage option when the rain finally comes – Jason Hartschuh
Drought Stressed Corn for Corn Silage – Dr. Bill Weiss, Dianne Shoemaker, Dr. Maurice Eastridge
Effective pasture management: Crucial for sustaining long-term productivity and environmental health! – Victor Shelton
D3 Drought- What does that mean? – Christine Gelley
Making Decisions During Drought – Garth Ruff
Forage Nitrate Toxicity a major concern as drought worsens – Jason Hartschuh
Using drought stressed soybeans for hay or silage – Jason Hartschuh
Managing Forage to Finish 2024 – Christine Gelley
Wheat’s early, are oats a doublecrop ‘forage’ option? – Stan Smith
Plan now to make your summer forage seeding! – Stan Smith
The Summer Grazing Plan – Clif Little
Managing Nitrates and Prussic Acid in Forages – Dr. Chris D. Teutsch,
Annual Forage Agronomic Guidelines and Characteristics – Mark Sulc
Breeding Beef Cows Back After a Tough Winter – Dean Kreager
Dealing with Winter Injured Forage Stands – Mark Sulc
Emergency Forages to Plant Yet This Year For Grazing – Mark Sulc
Emergency Forages to Plant Yet This Year for Mechanical Harvest – Mark Sulc
FAQs: Forages, Cover Crops and More – Stan Smith
Forages Continue to Mature – Mark Sulc, Rory Lewandowski and Jeff Stachler
Forage Focus: Storing, Testing and Feeding Baled Forages – Christine Gelley and Dan Lima
Forage Options for “Prevented Planting” Corn and Soybean Acres – Stan Smith
Forage Production Options for Ohio (or printable version in PDF) – Mark Sulc, Bill Weiss, Dianne Shoemaker and Sarah Noggle
Forage Shortage: Considering Early Weaning – Garth Ruff
Forage Shortage and Prevented Planting Acres . . . think OATS! – Al Gahler and Stan Smith
Grazing Options for Supplementing Poor Quality Forages – Chris Penrose
Hay Quality 2019; It’s Deja vu All Over Again! – Stan Smith
Hay inventory severely low across Midwest – Alayna DeMartini
Healing the Mess: Early Season Pasture Management – Chris Penrose
“Increase the feed, or reduce the need” – Stan Smith
Making High Quality Baleage – Jason Hartschuh
Making High Quality Baleage (PODCAST) – Rory Lewandowski
My first cutting is just ‘cow hay’ – now what? – Jimmy Henning, UK
Oats ’07: seeded into wheat stubble in Fairfield County, Ohio – Stan Smith
Planning for Winter 2020 Cow Herd Feeding – Francis Fluharty
Rain Damage to Hay – Rory Lewandowski
Speeding Up Hay Drying – Mark Sulc
Stockpiling Fescue and Orchardgrass – Clif Little
There’s time to grow more feed! – Stan Smith and Al Gahler
Too much pasture? Clip it, hay it, or stockpile it for summer! – Victor Shelton
Using corn as a Cover Crop – Peter Thomison, Ben Brown, Sam Custer, Greg LaBarge, Sarah Noggle, Mark Sulc, Eric Richer, and Harold Watters
What are your Bedding Options, is Keeping a Thin Wheat Stand Worth It? – Jason Hartschuh
Videos via the OSU Beef Team YouTube channel
- Filling the gap with forages: Cover crop forage options on Prevented Planting acres by Rory Lewandowski
- Considerations for Harvesting High Quality Hay and maintaining that quality all the way to storage and consumption. With John Grimes and Duane Rigsby.
- Forage Focus: Collecting Good Hay Samples and Utilizing the Results, with Christine Gelley and Dan Lima
- Late Season Oats: A Cost-effective Alternative to “Traditional” Forages, with Stan Smith
- Improving Mud Damaged Pastures, with Rory Lewandowski and John Grimes.
- Proper Hay Storage Techniques, with John Grimes.
- Forage Focus – Pasture Fertility, Soil Testing and Grazing Management, with Christine Gelley and Marcus McCartney
- Nutritional requirements of the beef female for optimal performance from the last trimester through breeding season. Speaker: Dr. Steve Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist, OSU Department of Animal Sciences during the 2019 Ohio Beef School webinar.
- Impacts of nutrition on heifer development and conception rates of heifers. Impacts of nutrition on days to return to estrus and conception rates of lactating females. Speaker: Dr. Alvaro Garcia Guerra, Assistant Professor, OSU Department of Animal Sciences during the 2019 Ohio Beef School webinar.
- Managing calf health born into stressful situations: Weak calves, importance of amount and timing of colostrum intake, colostrum replacers or supplements, suggested newborn treatments and vaccinations, etc. Speaker: Justin Kieffer, Clinical Veterinarian, Professional Practice, Assistant Professor, OSU Department of Animal Sciences during the 2019 Ohio Beef School webinar.