OSU Extension Offering Hay Testing Program

Garth Ruff, Beef Cattle Field Specialist, OSU Extension

(Image Source: Davis Equine Service)

Make hay while the sun shines.” How many times have you heard that said throughout the years? We’ve had some sunshine this spring/summer, but making first cutting “dry” hay has really been challenging for most farmers this year. Getting two or more days in a row without rain has been rare in the spring of 2025.

In response to these challenges OSU Extension is offering a forage testing program with the goal of providing timely education regarding forage quality and winter supplementation and if enough samples are submitted, creating an eBarn’s county hay quality summary. Reach out to your local Extension office to confirm that they are participating in the testing program and the availability of a forage sampling probe.

To participate you may submit dry hay or baleage samples to your local OSU Extension office by July 31, 2025 along with a Hay Sample Submission form for each sample, and include this completed program summary sheet with your payment. The first sample analysis will cost $15, with subsequent samples costing $20. Near Infrared (NIR) Analysis will be completed. In return producers will receive values for Dry Matter Content, Total Digestible Nutrients, Crude Protein, ADF, NDF, Ash, Fat, C, P, K for each sample submitted.

For more detailing the challenges of making hay during a wet May and June, see You Finally Got the Hay Made, How Good is It? by Mark Landefeld, retired Monroe County ANR Extension Educator.

Clipping Pastures: An Age-Old Debate

Mike Rankin, Senior Editor, Hay & Forage Grower
(Previously published online with Hay & Forage Grower: July 23, 2024)

Farmers are known to have strong opinions and often readily express them. From a pasture management perspective, few topics illicit stronger feelings than when the clipping topic is put on the table.

I recently returned from a grazing dairy where I didn’t even have to broach the subject. As we walked down the lane to a far-off paddock, the farmer passionately went into a dissertation of why he routinely clips pastures after the first or second rotation. I’ve also been on farms where a strong stance was taken for not clipping.

The primary reason for clipping is to improve the forage quality of the pasture by eliminating the taller mature stems and seedheads. This sets pasture plants back to a vegetative state and creates a uniform stubble height. In doing so, the mature stems don’t restrict animals from accessing the vegetative growth in the lower canopy during the next rotation. A secondary reason to clip pastures — but with little economic significance — is simply Continue reading Clipping Pastures: An Age-Old Debate

Small Ruminant 509 Postponed to Fall of 2025

Kayla Scott, Graduate Research Associate, Department of Animal Sciences

Dueto unforeseen circumstances, the Small Ruminant 509 program will be postponed until Fall 2025. This decision was not made lightly and proceeds with careful consideration from our team. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding while we reschedule. Thank you for your continued interest and support. Please do not hesitate if you have questions or concerns.

We hope to see you in Fall 2025!

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How and Why to Test for Forage Quality

As I have traveled across the state this week, I’ve noticed one thing. You’ve got to make hay when the sun shines! This has been the case for many producers here in the Buckeye state. However, with the extended cool weather coupled with extensive rains, our forages have produced a lot of dry matter. Unfortunately, quantity and quality of our forages don’t always play nice with one another. It is my estimation that much of the hay made this week will be of poor quality – but we won’t know for sure unless we get it tested!

An Update on Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Ohio: Plus the Buckeye Tick Test Lab

Dr. Tim McDermott, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Franklin County

It seems in Ohio it is never too early to start scouting animals for ticks. While we commonly think of summer as tick season, we actually see tick activity and positive detections of tick-borne disease all 12 months of the year in Ohio. One of the ticks of the biggest concern impacting livestock, especially cattle, in Ohio is the invasive Longhorned Tick(LHT). This tick was first discovered in Ohio on a dog in Gallia County in 2020 and has rapidly increased its range in Ohio since then. As of the beginning of 2024 we had positively identified LHT in 11 counties in Ohio including Franklin, Delaware, Ross, Gallia, Vinton, Jackson, Athens, Morgan, Monroe, Belmont, and Guernsey county. Since that point we have added Pike, Lawrence, Noble, Coshocton, Wayne, Muskingum, Washington, and Licking bringing our total up to 19 affected counties. We anticipate adding to that list in 2025.

The Longhorned tick can be a Continue reading An Update on Ticks and Tick-borne Disease in Ohio: Plus the Buckeye Tick Test Lab

Evaluating Farm Resources and Sheep Production Systems

Erin Massender, Small Ruminant Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Delma Kennedy, Sheep Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
(Previously published online with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs: March 1, 2024)

Theuse of imperial and metric measurement in this fact sheet reflects the way information is reported by the original source for the sheep industry.

Introduction
When a new producer enters the sheep industry, or when existing producers contemplate a change in their farming enterprise, selecting a sheep production system is one of the most important considerations. The resources that are available to the farm must be evaluated and the proper production system used, to maximize the available farm resources.

This fact sheet describes how to select the optimal sheep production system given the impact of various farm resources, including:

  • land
  • buildings
  • labour
  • machinery
  • available markets

The optimal production system will be the one that best utilizes available resources, thereby improving the profitability of the operation.

Continue reading…

Notes on Goats: Feeding Management of A Meat Goat Herd

Dr. Sandra G. Solaiman, Professor, Tuskegee University
(Previously published online with Tuskegee University: November, 2006)

The single most significant variable cost in any livestock operation is feed cost. It averages 45% of the variable cost of an operation including labor costs or is about 64% of the variable cost of an operation excluding labor. Any management practice that can reduce feed cost will significantly improve profit. In this technical paper the major points in the nutrition of goats are discussed to help you understand the digestive system, feeds, and feeding of goats.

The Digestive System of Ruminants
The goat belongs to a group of animals called ruminants that have a 4 compartment stomach (Fig. 1) and a unique ability to digest roughages containing relatively large amounts of cellulose. Cellulose is the chief part of the cell walls of plants and a potential source of energy for ruminant animals. The digestive system of ruminants contains millions of bacteria and protozoa that can digest and manufacture a variety of nutrients. Continue reading…