Beef

Is it time to cull the mature female and replace her with a heifer?

Cull or keep this mature cow?

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/07/10/is-it-time-to-cull-the-mature-female-and-replace-her-with-a-heifer/#more-16653 by Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Livestock Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

I had a discussion last week concerning selling older cows and replacing them with bred heifers. This is an important decision for most cow-calf producers including myself as I have bred heifers for sale and I have some older cows whose useful life in the breeding herd is extremely short. Thus, there are multiple questions to answer.

The first is if and when a mature female should be marketed. The second is if she should be replaced with a younger breeding female now or at some later date.

From the market price perspective, it is extremely important to compare the value of the mature female with the value of replacing her. As an example, boning utility cows in Tennessee had an average price of $143.50 per hundredweight last week and had an average weight of 1,210 pounds, which results in a value of $1,736 per head.

The decision at this point is to develop and breed a female or to purchase a bred female. Bred females are guaranteed bred and will generate revenue more quickly which makes them more valuable than one to be developed and bred.

Register today, space is limited.

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/2024/07/10/beef-cattle-a-i-workshop-hosted-in-muskingum-county/

OSU Extension Muskingum County will host an introduction to artificial insemination of beef cattle on July 30 and August 1, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Extension Office in Zanesville. This two-night workshop is a classroom event starting on night one and concluding with hands-on-practice on night two.

Topics that will be covered during this workshop include: Advanced Reproductive Tract Anatomy and Physiology, Estrous Synchronization, Pasture Considerations, Expected Progeny Differences (EPD’s), and Tools, Equipment, & Techniques. Program cost is $20 per person and RSVP’s are due July 25.  The classroom location is the meeting room at the Rural Services Building, 225 Underwood St, Zanesville, OH.

Please RSVP and register using the online webform and payment portal found at go.osu.edu/muskingumbeef.

Direct questions to Clifton Martin, Extension Educator, Muskingum County (740-454-0144), or to Dean Kreager, Extension Educator, Licking County (740-670-5315), or see this flyer.

Plan now to make your summer forage seeding!

Article is taken from https://u.osu.edu/beef/ by Stan Smith, OSU Extension, Fairfield County

With Ohio’s wheat harvest being completed early this year it allows ample time to plan and prepare to do an August forage seeding. Over the next month soil fertility testing should be accomplished, perennial and biennial weeds can be controlled, and ample time remains for selecting and securing the desired forage species for seeding.

Continue reading Plan now to make your summer forage seeding! →

Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding School in Northern Ohio

What is the outlook for feeding beef cattle in this cattle cycle? Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist will cover how the beef supply looks for the coming year and what goals concerning quality has the industry set for itself in the long term. This year the Beef Cattle Feeding School will focus on risk management within the cattle feeding enterprise. Each evening we will have a speaker discuss how Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) can be used as a tool to manage risk when feeding cattle.

To wrap up each of the programs, Allen Gahler, OSU Extension Sandusky Co., and Jason Hartschuh Dairy Management and Precision Livestock Field Specialist will deliver a Beef Quality Assurance Training.

Offered January 23 in Crawford County and January 30 in Wood County as a free program.

To view the official registration flyer and agenda click 2024 Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding Flyer.

2023 OSU Beef School Opportunities

Join the OSU Extension Beef Team with three upcoming educational opportunities. by Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Specialist.

2023 OSU Beef Team Virtual Beef School

Starting in January and running through April, the 2023 OSU Beef Team Virtual Beef School will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday evenings once a month at 6:30 PM. Topics will include Beef Inputs and Outlook, Managing Reproduction, Herd Health Management/Update, and Beef Team Live Roundtable. Participants can attend one or all sessions a no cost. To register for the webinars go to http://go.osu.edu/beefschool23. Official Virtual Beef School Flyer

Specific Dates and Topics.

  • January 11 – A Look at Input Costs, Barry Ward, OSU Extension; Cattle Market Outlook, Garth Ruff, OSU Extension
  • February 8 – Presynchronization and Improving Fertility of Beef Cows, Alex Crist, OSU Animal Sciences; Synchronization and Natural Service, Dean Kreager, OSU Extension
  • March 8 — Asian Longhorn Tick and Theileria, Dr. Risa Pesepane, OSU Vet Preventative Medicine; Managing Disease in 2023, Dr. Justin Kieffer DVM, OSU Animal Sciences
  • April 12 — Beef Team Live Roundtable, Ask Questions and Discuss Answers with OSU Extension Beef Team Members

Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding School

On February 6, 2023, there will be a Beef Cattle Feeding School. This year’s Cattle Feeding School will focus on adding value to the cattle feeding enterprise with three featured speakers at two different locations (Hancock and Wayne County). The cost of the event is $20 at each location with a meal provided.

  • Dr. Jerad Jaborek, Michigan State Beef Feedlot Specialist will discuss Marketing and Feeding Considerations for Dairy Beef and Beef x Dairy Cross Cattle.
  • Can we add value to beef manure? Eric Richer, Farm Management Field Specialist will be covering Compost and Fertilizer Potential for Pen Pack Beef Manure.
  • The third speaker of the evening will be GarthRuff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist who will talk Beef Market Outlook for 2023.

The Hancock County event will take place from 12:00 – 2:30 PM at the OSU Extension Office in Hancock County, 7868 County Road 140, Suite B, Findlay, OH 45840. The Wayne County event will take place from 6:00 – 8:30 PM at OARDC Shishler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, OH 44691.

Check out the 2023 Ohio Beef Cattle Feeding Flyer to reserve your spot and register for the event.

Ohio Beef Cow/Calf Workshop -Optimizing Herd Fertility

Join the OSU Extension Beef Team on Monday, February 20, 2023, 9:00 am -2:30 pm, at Clemens Farms, 5135 N.Bankes Rd., Malta, OH 43758 for a Cow/Calf Workshop dealing with herd fertility. The cost is $10 per person and the event is limited to the first 50 attendees. Participants must RSVP to OSU Extension Morgan County at 740-962-4854 by February 15, 2023. The event will include a Beef lunch and all materials. Participants are to dress for hands-on demonstrations.

Presentation Topics:

  • Feed Sampling and Nutrient Analysis
  • Mineral Nutrition for Beef Cows
  • Heifer Development Strategies
  • Heifer Synchronization Options
  • Body Condition Scoring and
  • Facilities Tour

Contact information: Chris Penrose, OSU Extension Morgan County. 740-962-4854 or Garth Ruff, OSU Extension Beef Cattle Field Specialist. 740-305-3201.

To see the official flyer: 2023 OH Cow Calf Workshop – Flyer

Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk to be held in Paulding County!

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is hosting a series of Farm Tours across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan this summer to showcase organic and ecological farms in the region. Among those being showcased is Canal Junction Farm, right here in Paulding County! A Regenerative Grazing Pasture Walk will be held at the farm on Saturday, July 16th, 2022, starting at 10AM. The address is 18637 Rd. 168, Defiance OH. Questions can be directed to Ralph, Sheila, and Kyle Schlatter at (419) 399-7545 or canaljunctionfarm@gmail.com. Their farm’s website is canaljunction.com.

More information about this OEFFA Farm Tour and other stops along the tour can be found at OEFFA’s website, or this link.

Management Considerations for Beef x Dairy Calves

Regardless of the genetics of cattle, you’re feeding, you will find value in listening to this three-part webinar series.

This article originally appeared in the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter at https://u.osu.edu/beef/2021/05/12/management-considerations-for-beef-x-dairy-calves/

During the first session (embedded below) held on April 21 the focus was on marketing dairy beef calves and featured Larry Rose and JT Loewe of JBS as they discussed the quality of the cattle they seek to purchase, their pricing structure, and the demands they have for high quality, consistently sized and correctly finished dairy crossed beef cattle. Regardless of the genetics being fed, the speakers shared a strong message for the value of consistency and proper finish the market is demanding in all fed cattle. Garth Ruff, Ohio State University Extension Beef Field Specialist, and Jerad Jaborek, Feedlot Systems Extension Educator at Michigan State University, hosted a three-part webinar series on management considerations for beef sired calves from dairy cows that covered a variety of topics related to marketing, genetics, and management of crossbred beef x dairy cattle.

Continue reading Management Considerations for Beef x Dairy Calves →

Beef Newsletter

From Stan Smith, OSU Extension

Dear Ohio BEEF Cattle Producers-

Six new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1235 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/

Last week we offered suggestions for seedbed preparation and planting the new forage seeding. This week, Christine Gelley offers detail on forage seed selection. And, it may be March Madness for college basketball enthusiasts, but it’s spring training for Major League Baseball, and the bulls still waiting in the bullpen to get the call!

Articles this week include:

  • Selecting Forages for Your New Seeding
  • Taking the Bull from the Sale Ring or Winter Storage, Making Him the Athlete He Needs to Be
  • Minerals for Beef Cattle
  • Livestock and Grain Producers: Dealing with Vomitoxin and Zearalenone
  • Weighing the Options
  • March 1, 2021 Cattle on Feed Inventory up 1.6% from 2020

Continue reading Beef Newsletter →

2021 Beef School Opportunities

As we march into 2021, we want to share some opportunities for beef cattle producer education coming up this winter. While we’d much rather be in person, this year we are going to offer virtual programming. Additional information can be found at go.osu.edu/2021beefschool.

2021 Cow-Calf Outlook Meeting – January 26, 6.30 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Dr. Kenny Burdine, University of Kentucky Livestock Marketing Specialist

2021 Ohio Cattle Feeding Webinar – February 24, 6:00 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Risk Management Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin Insurance – Justin White, Hudson Insurance
Feedlot Ventilation Requirements – Jason Hartschuh, OSU Extension Crawford County

2021 Ohio Cow-Calf Management Schools Webinars (Register Here) One Registration Link for all Sessions.

  • 1/18/2021: Getting Started: Making Hay for Beef Cattle (Reviewing Forage Fertility – Jason Hartsuch; New Seeding Species Selection – Christine Gelley)
  • 1/25/2021: Addressing Hay Shortfalls (Annual Forage Options – Allen Gahler; Baleage Do’s and Don’ts – Jason Hartschuh)
  • 2/01/2021: Hay! Now What? (Forage Analysis – Ted Wiseman; Forage Storage 101 – Garth Ruff)
  • 2/08/2021: Cow-Calf Management: Breeding Season Considerations (Managing the Breeding Season – Alvaro Garcia-Guerra; EPD Update: Breeding for Cow Longevity – John Grimes)
  • 2/15/2021 Managing Reproduction (Semen Handling – Dean Kreager; Pregnancy Checking – Allen Gahler)
  • 2/22/2021: Improving Profits (Making Cow Culling Decisions – Dean Kreager; Maximizing Feeder Calf Value – Garth Ruff)

Beef Sire Selection for the Dairy Herd Webinar – March 10, 2021, 12:00 p.m. (Flyer) (Register Here)
Presenter: Allen Gahler, OSU Extension Sandusky County

OSU Extension Beef Field Specialist Garth Ruff

OSU Extension Educator, Clifton Martin had the opportunity to visit with Garth Ruff about Garth’s recent hiring as the OSU Extension Beef Specialist and current trends in the Beef Industry. During that conversation, they covered trends in Ohio, the role of the OSU Extension Beef Specialist, opportunities for outreach, the status of Beef Quality Assurance, and key opportunities for producers to stay ahead of the curve.

Enjoy that conversation here:

The transcript of this recording may be found in PDF format linked here. Continue reading OSU Extension Beef Field Specialist Garth Ruff →

OSU Extension Hires New Field Specialist Focusing on Beef Cattle

By:  Cheryl Buck, OSU Extension Communication Manager

Garth Ruff has been selected as the new field specialist, beef cattle for Ohio State University Extension in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at The Ohio State University, per Jackie Kirby Wilkins, interim director of OSU Extension. This full-time appointment is effective on September 1, 2020.

“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with our CFAES Department of Animal Sciences to jointly fund this important position, which will work in tandem with our research faculty and our commodity and industry partners, as well as producers and community stakeholders to translate and apply the newest university knowledge to meet the timely and most critical issues facing the beef industry in Ohio,” said Wilkins. Continue reading OSU Extension Hires New Field Specialist Focusing on Beef Cattle →

USDA Announces Changes To Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Program

Source: USDA

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced changes to the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) insurance program for cattle and swine beginning in the 2021 crop year. Changes include adding premium subsidies to assist producers and moving premium due dates to the end of the endorsement period for cattle.

“These changes build upon RMA’s continued effort to make livestock policies more affordable and accessible for livestock producers,” RMA Administrator Martin Barbre said. “We are working to ensure that these improvements can be implemented by the July 31 sales period so producers can take advantage of these changes as soon as possible.”

Prior to this change, LGM-Cattle and Swine did not have premium subsidies. Now, subsidies have been added and are based on the deductible selected by the producer. For LGM-Cattle, the subsidy will range from 18 percent with 0 deductible up to 50 percent with a deductible of $70 or greater. For LGM-Swine, the subsidy will range from 18 percent with 0 deductible up to 50 percent with a deductible of $12 or greater. Continue reading USDA Announces Changes To Livestock Gross Margin Insurance Program →