Melissa Bravo, agronomic and livestock management consultant
Previously published in Hay & Forage Grower: April 21, 2020)
Here we go again. Another mild winter of heave and thaw with little snow cover to protect the shallow roots and crowns of improved forage crops.
Without that snow barrier, species such as alfalfa and timothy — the most susceptible of our non-native forages — are subject to winter injury, which thins stands. This leaves less competition for weeds to establish and flourish.
Genevieve Slocum, Kings Agriseeds
(Previously published in On Pasture: February 10, 2020)
Folks have been asking about this recently. From January 2017, Genevieve’s tips can help you adjust your winter grazing now for frost-seeding for a better pasture this summer.
Continue reading How to Frost Seed to Add Legumes to your Pastures
On April 29th, ODA confirmed a positive case of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) at a stable in Crawford County.
Tests have confirmed EHV-1 in respiratory form, but tests are pending on the neurological form of EHV-1. The virus is not a human health threat.
The farm is currently under quarantine and no horses are allowed in or out of the farm. The stable has been very cooperative and is following strict biosecurity protocols, along with appropriate sanitation protocols.
The farm will remain under quarantine until clinical signs cease and negative test results are achieved.
If you have further questions, please call 614-728-6220 and for more information on EHV please see this fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: https://bit.ly/2J14tld
– Chris Penrose, Extension Educator, Ag and Natural Resources, Morgan County
Originally posted on the BEEF Newsletter
One goal I have had with livestock grazing over the years is to start as soon as I can. I put spring calving cows on stockpiled grass in early March to calve with the hope of not having to feed any more hay. Many years this works but not this year, grass is just starting to grow. The stockpile is about gone and I have started feeding them some more hay but hope to move the group with the fall calving cows this weekend. I then plan on starting a fast rotation around many of the paddocks and hay fields which is actually later than many years.
Originally posted on the BEEF Newsletter
By: Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator, Wayne County and Mark Sulc, OSU Extension Forage Specialist
Forage stands will begin spring greenup in the next few weeks, especially in southern Ohio. While winter injury in forages is very hard to predict, this winter has presented some very tough conditions for forage stands. This is especially true of legumes like alfalfa and red clover. Producers and crop consultants should be prepared to walk forage stands early this spring to assess their condition in time to make decisions and adjustments for the 2019 growing season.
Continue reading Prepare to Evaluate Forage Stands for Winter Injury
Horse Owners Buying Hay- Buy the good stuff! Check out October’s Forage Focus Program to learn how.
Originally posted in Digital Dale, 8/22/2018
The Ohio Department of Agriculture recently confirmed the first positive cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) in Ohio horses for 2018. Two cases in Northeast Ohio have been confirmed and the animals had not been vaccinated. The spread of WNV in horses is preventable with proper vaccination and horse owners are urged to ensure their animal’s vaccine and boosters are up to date.
“My message to horse owners is simple: vaccinate your animals and you can protect against West Nile Virus,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey. “Vaccines are a proven and effective prevention tool and I encourage all owners to talk to their veterinarian to learn how they can easily keep their animals healthy.”
In addition to vaccinations, horse owners should work to reduce the mosquito population and eliminate possible breeding areas. Recommendations include: removing stagnant water sources; keeping animals inside during the bugs’ feeding times, which are typically early in the morning and evening; and using mosquito repellents.
Palmer AmaranthFamily: Pigweed, Amaranthaceae.
Habitat: Crop fields, pastures, and roadsides.
Life cycle: Summer annual.
Growth habit: Erect up to 6 ft. high.
Leaves: Prominent white veins on the undersurface unlike redroot pigweed, not pubescent, alternate, without hairs (glabrous), and lance or egg-shaped. Leaves are 2 to 8 inches long and 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches wide with prominent white veins on the undersurface. Leaves occur on relatively long petioles.
Flower: Small, green, inconspicuous flowers are produced in dense, compact, terminal panicles that are from 1/2 to 1 1/2 feet long. Smaller lateral flowers also occur between the stem and the leaf petioles (leaf axils). Male and female flowers occur on separate plants. Each terminal panicle contains many densely packed branched spikes that have bracts that are 3 to 6 mm long; can produce 500 thousand to 1 million seeds per plant.
Roots: Taproot that is often, but not always, reddish in color
Stem: One central stem occurs from which several lateral branches arise.
Similar Plants: Loosely resembles many other pigweed species. Palmer’s petioles are as long or longer than the actual leaf. This plant is hairless and has elongated seed heads. Leaves are typically more diamond shaped than other pigweed species, and occasionally has one hair at the tip of the leaf.
The Problem is……..Palmer amaranth is one of the most difficult weeds to control in agricultural crops. It developed a major glyphosate resistance problem in the southern US from 2006-2010, and has been spreading in the midwestern US since, causing crop loss and increases in weed management costs. Characteristics that make it a successful annual weed include: rapid growth rate; wide window of emergence (early May through late summer); prolific seed production (upwards of 500,000 seeds/plant); tendency to develop herbicide resistance; and tolerance to many post-emergence herbicides when more than 3 inches tall.
Continue reading Ohio Noxious Weed Identification – Week 21 Palmer Amaranth
MarestailFamily: Composite, Asteraceae.
Habitat: Thin turf, agronomic crops, pastures, orchards, fallow fields, waste areas, and roadsides.
Life cycle: Summer or winter annual.
Growth habit: Seedlings develop a basal rosette and mature plants erect are reaching 6 1/2 ft in height.
Leaves: The mature plant has leaves that are entirely without petioles (sessile). Leaves are 4 inches long, 10 mm wide, alternate, linear, entire or more often toothed, crowded along the stem, and hairy. Leaves become progressively smaller up the stem.
Stem: Erect, solid, hairy, reaching 6 1/2 ft in height.
Continue reading Ohio Noxious Weed Identification – Week 20 Marestail
Reggie Voyles, undergraduate research intern, Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University
Mark Honeyman, professor, Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University
Iowa State University, Northwest Research Farms and Allee Demonstration Farm ISRF05-29, 31
(previously published on Talking Sheep – Sheep Education and Information: March 28, 2018)
Introduction:
As the demand for
niche-marketed meats increases, so does need for research in this area. One niche market that is being examined is pork raised in deep-bedded systems. There is also a call for alternative bedding materials. Farm produced bedding sources such as cornstalks and various types of straws are commonly used. However, this study looked at other possible materials. Products were tested to see if they could be equal substitutes based on their absorbency. A ground lumber product and a ground lumber with drywall product with a ratio of 8:1 lumber-to-drywall were tested. These products were produced from demolished buildings. They had different performance qualities than wood shavings and were compared to cornstalks, recycled paper, oat straw, and triticale straw.
Continue reading Absorbency of Alternative Livestock Bedding Sources