Come See Us at Farm Science Review!

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist

No posts for today as our team is in London, OH at the 2024 Farm Science Review! This years event runs from September 17-19. There is plenty to see and do relating to small ruminant production. For example, new this year, live sheep are housed on the site in the small farms area. Each day at 11 AM I will be discussing important bits to consider when setting up your small ruminant operation. Following at noon, I will be providing a hands-on demo highlighting how to properly handle sheep as well as shearing. Last, but not least, at 2:30 on Wednesday (today!), I will be in the Ask the Experts area discussing the use of small ruminants in vegetation management.

However, this short listing merely scratches the surface on what the review has to offer. For a full list of events, programs, educational talks, and agricultural vendors present on-site, be sure to check out the 2024 program. We hope to see you there!

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has Assistance Programs for Ohio Farm Operations Impacted by Drought

David Marrison, OSU Extension Field Specialist – Farm Management
Dr. Aaron Wilson, OSU Extension Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist

Drought conditions started in Ohio back in mid-June and have intensified all summer. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report on August 27, 2024, D4-exceptional drought was introduced to Ohio (Meigs and Athens Counties) for the first time since the U.S. Drought Monitor’s inception in 2000. On September 5, D4 increased to 7.35% of the state, while other categories of drought (D1-D3) significantly expanded. It is important to remember that D4 conditions only occur once every 50 to 100 years.

A map of the state of ohio Description automatically generatedDespite much needed rainfall occurring last week from Meigs and Athens Counties to Belmont County, it was not enough to overcome the drought conditions made worse by scorching heat with many days with high temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. Farther north, very little rain fell in August or during the summer. At the Zanesville Municipal Airport for example, only 0.17” of rain fell in August and 4.95” fell in June-August. This marks the driest August on record and second driest summer for this location for the period 1946-2024. Similar conditions are present for many counties across south central and east central Ohio.

Continue Reading…

Drought and Dust: Preparing for Winter Feed Shortages

Dr. Ted Wiseman, OSU Extension ANR Educator, Perry County

(Image Source: South Dakota State University and Canva)

Planning now will help mitigate some of the challenges ahead.

Depending on where you are in the state, you might be dealing with dry conditions or even severe drought. Here in southeastern Ohio, pastures are parched, and hay production has been disappointing, with very little to show for second or third cuttings.

This year, forage quantity is becoming a significant concern for many producers. Reports indicate that first cuttings yielded only 40-50% of what they should have, particularly in grass forage fields. Second and third cuttings have fared even worse, with some fields producing only 25% of a typical harvest, if anything at all. Many producers have already started feeding hay, raising concerns about whether there will be enough to last through the winter. Given the variable pasture conditions across the state due to ongoing dry spells, it’s crucial to start planning now to be better prepared for the fall and winter. Continue reading Drought and Dust: Preparing for Winter Feed Shortages →

Using Drought Stressed Soybeans for Hay or Silage

Jason Hartschuh, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Field Specialist

(Image Source: FARM SHOW Magazine)

Soybeans harvested as forage are high in protein and lower in fiber than grasses.

Long before soybeans were cultivated as oil seed crops, they were first domesticated and used in the United States primarily as a forage. Soybeans harvested as forage are high in protein and lower in fiber than grasses making them an excellent forage if harvested and stored properly. Soybeans harvested as a forage can have dry matter yields as high as 5 tons per acre but are often much lower when the soybeans are planted late as a rescue forage or transitioned to forage due to drought.

Soybean feed value from Hintz et.al. from the late 1980’s showed that when soybeans were harvested at R7, crude protein values across 3 different varieties ranged from 18.1-20.5%. The NDF values for the soybeans ranged from 39.5-42.2. Dry matter yield ranged from 3-3.6 tons per acre. Row spacing and seeding rate had little effect on yield or forage quality. However, harvest timing affected all factors. When harvested at Continue reading Using Drought Stressed Soybeans for Hay or Silage →

2024 Statewide Sheep Shearing School – A Few Spots Still Remain!

Dr. Brady Campbell, Assistant Professor, OSU State Small Ruminant Extension Specialist

A few seats still remain – register today to secure your spot!

Event Registration Link

The Ohio State University departments of Animal Sciences and Extension are pleased to announce the dates of the 2024 Fall Statewide Ohio Sheep Shearing School to be held on September 20-21, 2024 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Dave Cable Farm in Hebron, Ohio (10491 Canal Rd., Hebron, OH 43025).

During this two day schooling event, attendees will be given the opportunity to learn how to properly shear a sheep using the Australian shearing method. Those in attendance will be taught by veteran shearers as they walk through each step and demonstrate how to properly position the sheep and shearing hand piece in the correct location. Attendees will also learn Continue reading 2024 Statewide Sheep Shearing School – A Few Spots Still Remain! →

D3 Drought – What Does That Mean?

Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County

Dry conditions have continued, despite all our best efforts to put in requests for rain. This past week, all of Noble County along with several other SE Ohio counties moved from the classification of D2- Severe Drought to D3- Extreme Drought. What does that mean, exactly, other than that it is really dry?

Well, it means that  a group of experts have evaluated the changing conditions that have resulted from the lack of precipitation to create the United States Drought Monitor Mapping System and determined that parts of Southeast Ohio have sustained drought conditions for so long that the impacts of drought will have an increased impact on the resiliency of the land to bounce back from  drought conditions, to the point that the potential economic damage could be substantial.

The Drought Monitor website explains Continue reading D3 Drought – What Does That Mean? →

Forage Nitrate Toxicity a Major Concern as Drought Worsens

Jason Hartschuh, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Field Specialist

(Image Source: University of Missouri Extension)

Weather conditions across Ohio have been challenging this growing season with some areas of the state reaching a D3 drought status. Other areas of the state may not currently be under drought status but are drier than normal and at risk of quickly experiencing a flash drought. These adverse growing conditions can cause unforeseen challenges with forages. We have had multiple reports of high nitrate levels this year in early harvested summer annual forages as producers needed feed.

Plants readily take up nitrates from the soil, even under dry or cool conditions.  Once in the plant, nitrate is converted to nitrite, then ammonia, and finally into amino acids and plant protein. Any environmental stress that significantly slows down plant photosynthesis and metabolism can lead to excessive nitrate levels in the plant because the nitrate uptake from the soil will be faster than its metabolism into plant protein. Such stresses include drought, frost, extended cold weather, cloudy conditions, or hail damage. While Continue reading Forage Nitrate Toxicity a Major Concern as Drought Worsens →

Managing Forage to Finish 2024

Christine Gelley, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Noble County

With the drought conditions we have experienced this summer, many livestock producers and haymakers are concerned about the winter to come and how to stretch resources to next spring when the supply of stored forages will be low. Other than doing the rain dance and hoping for yield salvation on third cutting hay, what else can we do to boost forage availability now and through to the spring?

We can practice good management tactics. Those ones that we should be doing every year, but become more critical during times of stress, like now. We can restrict animals from overgrazing areas that we will need later this fall. We can consider reducing the size of the herd while prices are decent at the sale barn and have fewer mouths to feed through the winter. We can start shopping for supplemental winter feed now, because as supply dwindles and the months turn cold, demand will increase and so will costs.

There is limited time left to plant emergency annual forage crops, but it is an option. If we get Continue reading Managing Forage to Finish 2024 →