The webinars will be held bi-monthly on the first Mondays of the month from 10:00am – 11:30am on the following dates:
FEBRUARY 3
APRIL 7
JUNE 2
AUGUST 4
OCTOBER 6
DECEMBER 1
Each webinar will provide 1.5 CLM continuing education credits as well as 1.5 credit hours for CCAs.
You can sign up for these webinars at: go.osu.edu/clm
If you have any questions regarding this webinar series, please contact the OSU Water Quality Team via email at
Articles this week:
Vaginal and Cervical Prolapse in Ruminants
Colostrum Management for Sheep and Goats
Frost Seeding Clover: A Recipe for Success
Find the articles here
Five new articles have been posted in this week’s issue number 1432 of the Ohio BEEF Cattle letter: http://u.osu.edu/beef/
Are you signed up to receive the link to this evening’s first session of Ohio Beef School, a market outlook session with Kenny Burdine? It’s not too late to plan to join us . . . find details here: https://u.osu.edu/beef/2025/01/08/ohio-virtual-beef-school-begins-january-29-an-evening-with-kenny-burdine/
Articles this week include:
– Dr. Michelle Arnold – DVM, MPH UK Ruminant Extension Veterinarian
“Neonatal” calf diarrhea is defined as scours occurring within the first 3 weeks of a calf’s life. Viruses (rotavirus, coronavirus), certain bacteria (E. coli K99; Clostridium perfringens Types A and C, Salmonella spp.) and the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum are the most common causes in beef cattle operations. Controlling rotavirus, coronavirus, Clostridium perfringens Type C, and E. coli K99 scours through vaccination can significantly reduce calf sickness and death loss when given correctly. Scours vaccines are formulated to be given to pregnant cows and heifers during the third trimester of gestation so they will make the specific antibodies against the pathogens that cause diarrhea while colostrum is being formed. It is important to remember that scours vaccines given to pregnant cattle will only work if an adequate amount of good quality colostrum is consumed by her newborn calf within the first 12 hours (preferably the first 6 hours) of life. If unable to vaccinate the pregnant females in the herd, a variety of products can be given to newborn calves to help reduce the risk of sickness and death from scours as well.
The three most popular vaccines available for use in pregnant cattle are ScourBos®9 and 4 (Elanco), ScourGuard®4KC (Zoetis) and Guardian® (Merck). The first time scours vaccines are used, a two-shot series must be given in the third trimester of pregnancy consisting of a first or “primary dose” followed by a booster dose. After the first year, just one annual revaccination in late gestation is required every year throughout the cow’s reproductive life. Vaccination timing is critical to stimulating and optimizing antibodies in colostrum. If cows are vaccinated too early in pregnancy, the antibody response may start to fall off prior to the colostrum being made. Vaccinating too late and the colostrum may already be produced before an antibody response is mounted. Which product is chosen often depends on when cattle will be worked; Scour Bos® is administered earlier during pregnancy, ScourGuard® is used latest in gestation and Guardian® is in-between these two options. Obviously not all calves will be born the first week of calving season but plan to give the scours vaccine based on when the first calves of the season are expected. Consider administering an additional dose to those females who have not calved within 2 months of receiving their scours vaccine.
Table 1: Retrieved from : https://firstdefensecalfhealth.com/dual-force-bolus-gel/
It takes some planning to vaccinate correctly; timing is critically important when selecting the correct product for your operation:
1) For pregnant heifers (or cows) receiving their first or “primary series” of scours vaccine, manufacturers give a date range for one dose and a set date for the other dose that varies depending on vaccine chosen. Note that Guardian is the only one administered subcutaneously.
• Scour Bos®9 – Administer the first dose (2 ml IM) 8-16 weeks prior to calving and booster with Scour Bos® 4 given 4 weeks prior to calving;
• Guardian®- Administer the first dose (2 ml SQ) 12 weeks before calving and the second dose 3-6 weeks later;
• ScourGuard® 4KC-Adminster first dose (2 ml IM) 6-9 weeks before calving and give the second dose 3 weeks later.
2) Cows (Annual revaccination)-
• Scour Bos®9 –Administer 8-10 weeks prior to calving season
• Guardian®-Administer 5-7 weeks before calving season
• ScourGuard® 4KC-Administer 3-6 weeks prior to calving season
Figure 1: Retrieved from https://www.merck-animal-healthusa.com/species/cattle/products/boviliscoronavirus
If the cow herd is not vaccinated and a calf scours problem develops, several products are available to administer to newborn calves. The First Defense® product line includes the Tri-Shield® gel tube, Dual-Force® gel tube, First Defense® bolus and First Defense Technology® bulk powder. These products are antibodies given by mouth as quickly as possible after birth. First Defense® makes their products by collecting antibody-rich colostrum that is purified and concentrated, then standardized to guarantee antibody levels for each dose. These antibodies bind directly to bacterial and viral antigens, ideally before they can enter and harm cells in a calf’s gut. These are not vaccines, so the calves are not required to trigger an immune response for protection. Although these antibodies will provide immediate protection in the gut, they are much more effective when given at the same time as good quality colostrum. Be aware of the label claims when using First Defense products (see Table 1 above); not all pathogens are covered by every product. First Defense® Tri-Shield® gel offers the broadest coverage, specifically aiding in the reduction of mortality (death) and morbidity (sickness) from scours caused by E. coli K99 and coronavirus while also reducing the severity and duration of scours caused by rotavirus. Interestingly, the First Defense® gels have an added blue dye that renders the calf feces green, allowing the producer to know the gel has gone through the calf’s GI tract. For an economical option, First Defense® offers a nutritional supplement powder with the same ingredients as the boluses, and it is shelf stable in a resealable bucket. One level scoop is mixed with fresh or thawed colostrum until completely dissolved and then fed to the newborn calf.
Figure 2: Retrieved from https://coloradoserumcom.3dcartstores.com/ cd-antitoxin
Commercially available vaccines have also been designed to be administered to the newborn calf for protection from certain viruses. Calf-Guard®, manufactured by Zoetis, is an older product that contains attenuated (modified live) strains of bovine rotavirus and bovine coronavirus. It can be administered either by injection to a pregnant cow within four weeks of calving or to newborn calves by mouth before nursing to help protect calves from scours caused by rotavirus or coronavirus. A brand-new product, Bovilis® Coronavirus (Merck), is an intranasal vaccine administered to healthy calves 3 days of age and up to reduce the duration and severity of diarrhea due to bovine coronavirus (Figure 1). To protect against Clostridium perfringens Type C, Colorado Serum Company produces a C. perfringens Types C & D antitoxin Figure 2) labeled for prevention lasting approximately 3 weeks after 10 ml administration SQ at birth. However, there is limited availability of this product because of stringent testing requirements in equine donor animals as this product is made from equine serum.
Scan QR code to go to UK Beef Cow Forage Supplementation Tool.
Preventing calf scours is much more about management than simply administering a vaccine. Cow nutrition during and after gestation, careful monitoring of the calving process, and environmental factors all contribute to a successful start. The cows’ diet must provide adequate energy, protein and trace minerals to meet her needs during gestation and lactation, especially during winter. Remember up to 80% of fetal growth occurs in the last 50 days of gestation and colostrum production ramps up during the final 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. Monitor body condition scores and be ready to offer supplemental feed to maintain a BCS at calving of 5 in mature cows and 6 in heifers. A nutritionally deprived dam will produce poor quality and quantity of colostrum, have less energy to deliver a calf quickly, and will be slow to rebreed. Calves born to energy deficient dams will be slow to stand and nurse.
Monitor and be ready to assist with calving early as necessary, especially with heifers. Make sure calves start nursing as soon as possible after calving, keeping in mind that calves should stand within 30 minutes of delivery and nurse within 30 minutes of standing. If in doubt, use a good quality colostrum replacer and feed the calf at least twice during the first 6 hours of life. Once the calf has received colostrum, it is still important to prevent the “bad bugs” (pathogens) in the environment from overwhelming the calf’s immune system. Over time, calves infected earlier in the calving season are “pathogen multipliers” and become the primary source to younger calves. Calf scour pathogens will build up exponentially in the environment as the calving season progresses.
Poor sanitation, cold, wet weather and overcrowding all contribute to a higher risk of disease, especially conditions in calving and maternity areas. Exposure to bacteria, viruses, and protozoa occurs through direct entry of manure to the mouth of a calf by contact with manure-contaminated teats, soiled bedding, and through self-grooming. Calving in the same area for an extended period of time greatly increases the disease risk to the youngest calves, especially in wet or muddy conditions. If possible, pregnant cows close to calving should be rotated onto clean pastures while cow-calf pairs remain on the old pasture. If calving in a barn or shed, the calving area should be kept as clean and dry as possible with frequent changes of bedding to remove the buildup of organisms. Make every effort to get the cow and newborn calf out of the barn quickly to lessen the chances of infection. Even the best calving management practices will have no effect if the first thing a calf ingests is manure from the calving area. Consult with your veterinarian on ways to address a calf scours problem and the best choice of vaccines for your operation.
The UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has an excellent test to diagnose the cause of calf diarrhea. A small sample of scours (in a leakproof container) from a calf that has not been treated for diarrhea with antibiotics is the best sample to run the test. The “Calf Diarrhea Panel” is a PCR assay that detects the nucleic acids in bovine coronavirus, rotavirus, E. coli K99, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium. Results are available within 2-3 days and costs $62.75 + $10 Accession Fee. Visit the website at https://vdl.uky.edu/ for more information or call (859) 257-8283.
*The products described are for educational purposes only and should not be considered an endorsement by the University of Kentucky or Ohio State University
By: Julie Wayman, Community Development Educator, OSU Extension Ashtabula County
Ohio State Extension announced plans to host a Small Farm Conference in Wooster, OH on March 8th. The theme for this year’s Small Farm Conference is “Sowing Seeds for Success.”
Conference session topics are geared to beginning and small farm owners as well as to farms looking to diversify their operation. There will be five different conference tracks including: Horticulture and Crop Production, Business Management, Livestock, Natural Resources and Diversifying Your Enterprise.
Some conference topic highlights include: Growing in a Hoophouse, Integrated Disease Management Strategies for Apple and Peaches, High Tunnel Tour, Using Cover Crops for Soil Regeneration, Creating Habitat for Beneficial Insects on the Farm, Growing Microgreens, Money to Grow: Grants 101, Growing Your Farm With Agritourism, Navigating Licenses/Certificates for your Small Farm Market, How Can Value – Added Help Your Farm, Vaccination Programs for a Small Farm, Grassfed Beef Tour.
Anyone interested in developing, growing or diversifying their small farm is invited to attend including market gardeners, farmers market vendors, and anyone interested in small farm living.
Attendees will have the opportunity to browse a trade show featuring the newest and most innovative ideas and services for their farming operation. The conference provides an opportunity to talk with the vendors and network with others.
The Conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Ohio State University Wooster Campus Shisler Conference Center, 1680 Madison Ave, Wooster, Ohio 44691.
For conference and registration information call OSU Extension Morrow County 419-947-1070, or OSU Extension Knox County 740-397-0401. Please follow this link to register for the conference: https://Go.osu.edu/2025smallfarmconference scan this QR code:
Do you have fruit trees that need pruning or are interested in getting fruit trees? Join Ohio State Extension to learn how to prune the trees in your orchard. Whether you have trees that are pruned each year, are new to growing fruit trees or have trees that haven’t been pruned for years, this workshop is for you! At Unger Park, you will have the opportunity to see never pruned trees while instructors guide you in determining which branches to cut and why. You will also learn more about the biology behind pruning trees and how the trees grow when pruned vs not in relation to production. Our goal is to provide you with the knowledge needed to have a great production season. The workshop will be held at Unger Park at 1303 Bucyrus-Nevada Rd., Bucyrus, OH 44820 starting at 10am. This workshop is free to attend, and no registration is required.
Please wear appropriate clothing and bring (if able) work gloves and safety glasses.
For more information, please call 419-447-9722 or email buurma.20@osu.edu
– Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Livestock Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee
This week a question was asked concerning liquidating the cow herd while the cattle market is strong. This is not the first time I have received this question as several producers have certainly entertained the thought.
The answer or the correct move for an individual producer is dependent on expectations, goals, longevity in the business, and alternative land uses if the land the cattle are on is owned. One thought some should consider is that the cattle market is expected to stay high for three years. If a person can stand to stay in business for a couple of years then it may be a wise decision to capitalize on a couple or three of years of strong calf prices and slowly market a few cows without keeping any heifers as replacements. This will result in taking advantage of the market while reducing the herd size. The producer can then reevaluate the alternative in year three and determine if liquidating the herd completely is still in the best interest of all parties.
Tax implications should also be considered when making this decision.
– Steve Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist, retired
Factors that create stress during the winter months are cold, wind, snow, rain and mud. The primary effect on animals is due to temperature. All these factors alter the maintenance energy requirement of livestock. Maintenance requirement can be defined, as the nutrients required for keeping an animal in a state of balance so that body substance is neither gained or lost. An interesting thing to note is that while energy requirements increase, protein requirements remain the same.
Some published sources contain nutrient requirements for beef cattle that include guidelines for adjusting rations during winter weather. Even without published sources, competent livestock producers realize the need for more feed during cold weather. Make sure that water is available. If water is not supplied, cattle will reduce feed intake.
Daily dry matter intake of beef cows with respect to lower temperatures
| Temp, F | < 5 | 5-22 | 22-41 | 59-77 |
| Intake, % Change | 1.16 | 1.07 | 1.05 | 1.03 |
The metabolic response to the stimulus of cold involves practically all the systems of the body. The striated muscles shiver, the heart beats faster, breathing becomes deeper, urine flow is increased and the sympathetic and pituitary controlled systems are activated so to elevate biological oxidations (energy expenditure or heat production) in all tissues. The result is an increase in the cow’s requirements for energy.
Spring calving cows, and particularly heifers, in poor body condition are at risk for calving problems. The result may be lighter, weaker calves at birth, which can lead to a higher death loss, and more susceptibility to things such as scours. Animals in poor condition before calving, provide inferior colostrum and lower milk production. This can lead to lighter weaning weights or fewer pounds of calf to sell. Females that are in less than desirable body condition at calving are slower to return to estrus. Body condition at calving affects the current calf crop (milk production) and next year’s calving date (rebreeding date). For more on this, see Body Condition Scoring and Effect on Reproduction
In most years hay and stockpiled forage can adequately provide the needed nutrients, but it can very widely and should be tested to make sure it is adequate. Learn more about forage testing at: Forage Sampling Hay Bales
There is a range of temperature where cattle are neither too hot nor too cold and their performance is optimal. This temperature range is called the thermoneutral zone. It is the temperature range where the fewest nutrients are needed to maintain bodily functions. For cattle the lower temperatures of the thermoneutral zone are shown in Table 1. All of the critical temperatures listed are effective ambient temperatures, which basically means the wind chill temperature is used if the cattle are not sheltered. The critical temperatures also take into consideration the insulating ability of the cattle, as shown by the change between a wet and dry coat. Typical hair depths are .1 inches for summer and .3 to .5 inches for winter.
Estimated Lower Critical Temperatures for Beef Cattle *
| Haircoat Descripton | Lower Critical Temperature |
| Summer Coat or Wet | 60 degrees F |
| Dry Fall Coat | 45 degrees F |
| Dry Winter Coat | 32 degrees F |
| Dry Heavy Winter Coat | 19 degrees F |
| * From Browsen, R. & Ames D.”Winter Stress in Beef Cattle” Cattle Producer’s Library. CL760. | |
As you can see from the table above, if we have a choice, snow is preferred to a cold rain. We lose what is called “air insulation” in cattle that get wet versus those that are out in the snow. The air pockets between hair fibers are a source of insulation. We lose this insulation when hair gets matted down in a cold rain. The result is that the Dry Winter Coat goes from having a critical temperature of 32 degrees F to about 59-60 degrees F.
From several studies it is estimated that for every one degree below the critical temperature a cow’s energy requirement (TDN) increases 1 percent. It is also estimated that for every ten degrees below the critical temperature the digestibility of the ration decreases by 1 percent. This means that when the temperature drops below the critical temperature the cattle need to be fed better. It may be that more or better hay needs to be fed
Example of Effect of Temperature on Energy Needs
| Effective Temperature | Extra TDN needed | Extra Hay Needed (lbs/cow/day) | Extra Grain Needed (lbs/cow/day) |
| 50 F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| +30 F | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 F | 20% | 3-4 lbs | 2-2.5 lbs |
| -10 F | 40% | 7-8 lbs | 4-6 lbs |
It has been suggested that an energy supplement level that would minimally affect forage intake would be .7% of animal body weight. However, level of grain supplementation can vary with forage quality. Also, see this, https://u.osu.edu/beef/2019/01/30/winter-feeding-beef-cows/
Besides cold weather effecting cattle performance producers have another thing to consider during winter, mud. Depending upon mud depth, it is estimated that it can increase the maintenance requirement from 7-30%.
OSU scientists Nickles, Relling and Parker observed cows housed for the last trimester of gestation in muddy conditions had an estimated increase in energy requirements of 1.8 Mcal Net Energy/day, which is equivalent to approximately 20% of the daily energy requirements for maintenance of a 1200 lb cow. To read further on these results you can click on this link: The Cost of Mud to Beef Cows
– Dr. Andrew Griffith, Assistant Professor, Livestock Marketing Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee
Is this the right time to get in the cattle business or grow the cattle business considerably? This seems as if it is just the opposite question as what was discussed in last week’s column, but this question was asked twice in the past week.
The first thought is that buying into a business that is at the top or near the top is not typically the best decision. However, that is not always the sole determining factor as other opportunities may present themselves due to that simple decisions.
For instance, there may be neighbors looking to sell their herds and want someone to rent their ground. Sometimes a person has to take advantage of the longer-term opportunity of renting the neighbors ground and that may mean purchasing some cows at the top of the market. There are other similar instances, but a person still needs to put pencil to paper. In these special circumstances, it often takes long-term planning and budgeting to determine if this is a good decision. Thus, buying in when the market is high could still be a favorable decision for some market participants.
The Ohio Beef Council and the Ohio Cattlemen’s Foundation in partnership with the Stockyards Packing Company will hold the BEEF 509 program in a new regional format in 2025. The program will take place in Southwestern Ohio on two Saturdays Feb. 22 and March 1 at the Stockyards Packing Company, 6365 College Corner Pike, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
BEEF 509 is an educational program designed to teach cattle producers about the food side of their business and how to utilize best management practices to improve beef quality and enhance profitability while learning about value within the beef chain.
Topics to be covered include Live Cattle Evaluation, Beef Carcass Grading, Grid Pricing, Beef Harvest Demonstration, Carcass Fabrication and Cutting, Understanding the Science of Beef, Beef Quality Assurance and Live Carcass and Boxed Beef Evaluation.
Participants will be divided into teams, taught live animal evaluation, grid pricing systems, allowed to select live cattle through an “auction-like” setting and then follow those cattle through harvest, grading and a hands-on cutting session which provides participants with the opportunity to experience first-hand the differences encountered in carcass composition. The resulting information is then evaluated in terms of the value differences calculated between animals and how that translates back to value differences in the live animals to determine which teams made the most profit based on their original live purchase price.
A maximum of 30 program participants are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be no registration fee for participants who bring their own animal for custom harvest, however participants will be responsible for processing and harvest charges. The registration fee for participants without an animal brought for harvest will be $200, with the beef council covering all additional program expenses. Confirmed and registered participants must attend both Saturdays.
BEEF 509 instructors will determine which cattle will be a part of the 509 program based on multiple educational considerations. Prizes will be awarded for the Top teams ranked by final profit. Prizes will also be awarded based on a traditional carcass contest competition. All cattle brought for harvest by 509 participants will be eligible for the carcass contest awards.
Registration and additional information are available at ohiocattle.org or by calling 614-873-6736 or email at cattle@ohiocattle.org. Registration deadline is now or as soon as the program is full.