Few animals elicit such strong and opposing, emotions as the coyote. But love ‘em or hate ‘em, after decades of range expansion across the United States, coyotes are an established predator throughout Ohio. So, the question we can all agree on is: How do we minimize potential conflicts with coyotes in this state? And to answer that question, we need data.

Livestock production is a cultural and economic staple in Ohio but it differs in many ways from production in the western US, where most of the coyote research has been done. Although Ohio produces more sheep and lambs than any other state east of the Mississippi River, the average flock size is 36 head, which means the loss of even a single animal exacts a disproportionate financial toll on local operators. Additionally, ecosystems in the Midwest are vastly different than those in the west. For any management strategy to effectively protect against coyote predation in Ohio, we need to know more about Ohio coyotes.

Some basic questions include: What do Ohio coyotes eat, and how does their diet change throughout the year? Do males and females eat the same things? Which coyotes are a bigger threat to livestock? How many coyotes are living in a given area? We can make educated guesses based on expert opinion and the research from other regions, but without local data it is speculation.

With support from the Ohio Division of Wildlife, our team at The Ohio State University has begun a multi-year study 1) to provide unbiased data on the extent to which coyotes consume livestock in Ohio, and 2) to identify strategies for managing the conflict. For this project to be successful, we aim to form partnerships among Ohio livestock producers. We want to provide a clear picture of the coyote-livestock situation and evaluate some management strategies that have shown promise in other regions of the US. We are collaborating with the US Department of Agriculture/Wildlife Services and OSU Extension to reach out about this project and help us identify some potential partners.

The overall purpose of this project is to provide practical information to minimize the livestock-coyote conflict in Ohio. If you are interested in contributing to the project, as a producer partner or with assistance collecting samples, please contact us for more information.

Principal investigator: Dr. Stan Gehrt, Professor and Wildlife Extension Specialist

Interested? Contact the OSU Coyote Project at:

• OHcoyote@osu.edu   (614) 300-0754

or

• Dr. Brady Campbell at campbell.1279@osu.edu

Beef Cattle

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1297 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

To suggest it’s been a challenge this spring to get hay properly dried for baling is an understatement. However, baling hay in an effort to beat the next rain comes with some risk . . . that of fire. This week Jason Hartschuh, Allen Gahler, and Mark Sulc offer suggestions for mitigating that risk.

Articles this week include:

• A Rose We Love to Hate
• Hay barn fires are a real hazard
• Plan Now for Tenth Annual OCA Replacement Female Sale
• Assessing trace mineral status in ruminants, and factors that affect measurements of trace mineral status
• Beef Cow Slaughter Remains Elevated
• The Market Has Topped

Small Ruminant

• How Do Sulfates in Water Affect Livestock Health?
  • Robin Salverson, South Dakota State University Extension Cow/Calf Field Specialist (Previously published with South Dakota State University Extension: November 18, 2021) Water sources that are often assumed Read more…
• Ethnic Marketing of Sheep and Goats
• Summer Grazing with Winter Confinement (Intensive Management) of Sheep
  • Marie S. Bulgin, DVM, MBA, DACVM, the University of Idaho (Previously published in the Merck Manual – Veterinary Manual: June 2016) These types of sheep enterprises tend Read more…

FLYER

Field days have long been a great educational tool used to show farmers new technologies and management practices. OSU Extension is pleased to announce the return of a statewide Ohio Beef Cattle Field Day. It has been several years since an Ohio Beef Field Day has been held, and the program will make it reappearance in Muskingum County on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

In order to see several aspects of beef cattle production, this event will begin with a Muskingum Livestock, 944 Malinda St. Zanesville where we will gather before departing on a multiple stop tour in the Adamsville area. The tour will depart with attendees driving their own vehicles as we caravan from one stop to the next. We recommend carpooling as much as possible due to limited parking at one of the tour stops.

The tour stops are as follows:

Michel Livestock is a diversified farm operation, where Dennis Michel manages the cattle feeding operation. On the farm, they maintain around 150 beef cows, feed nearly 700 head of cattle at any one time, and row crop farm several hundred acres of crops. The focus of this stop will be facility design and cattle receiving. Michel Livestock maintains a near-continuous flow of purchased cattle into their receiving barns and markets fat cattle on a weekly basis. The Michel family also owns and operates Farm Supply Center in Zanesville, where they mix and sell feed and fertilizer.

Shirer Brothers Processing is one of several small meat processors in Muskingum County. The business recently transitioned principal operators, as Seth Scheffler has taken over operations from the Shirer family. Joining us at this stop will be Peggy Hall, Ag Law Field Specialist for OSU Extension. At this stop, we will discuss the local meat industry and address any questions attendees may have regarding direct-to-consumer meat sales.

Our third stop will be at Hatfield Farms and Fencing operated by Wade and his son, Wesley Hatfield. From having a small herd of cattle and a fencing business, the Hatfields were able to grow the cattle enterprise when Wesley returned to the farm. Currently, they maintain nearly 200 cows including several that calve in the fall. When it comes to raising beef cattle they have experimented with different management strategies. We will hear from the Hatfields as to what works well, what they would do differently, and get some tips on proper fence building techniques.

We will conclude the program at a Roger’s Auction Barn, a local landmark owned and operated by Roger and Dianne Kreis for many years. The Muskingum County Cattlemen will be preparing lunch. During lunch, representatives from the Ohio Beef Council will be highlighting some recent programming and sharing some insight into consumer trends. We will wrap up the day with Dr. Justin Kieffer, Clinical Veterinarian at the OSU Department of Animal Science discussing herd health updates and anaplasmosis management.

Pre-registration for the program is required and can be completed online at go.osu.edu/2022beefday by July 7. The program fee is $10 per person to cover costs. An information folder, refreshments, lunch, and Beef Quality Assurance certification will be provided to all attendees. If there are any questions regarding the program contact Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist at ruff.72@osu.edu or 740-305-3201. We hope to see you in Muskingum County on July 16.

FLYER