Events

2025 Statewide Sheep Shearing School Announced – September 19-20, 2025

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

Event Registration Link

The Ohio State University departments of Animal Sciences and Extension are pleased to announce the dates of the 2025 Fall Statewide Ohio Sheep Shearing School to be held on September 19-20, 2025 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at JDC Livestock 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 Continue reading 2025 Statewide Sheep Shearing School Announced – September 19-20, 2025 →

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.

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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Hold the Date! Small Ruminant 509 (June 13-14, 2025)

Kayla Scott, Graduate Research Associate, Department of Animal Sciences

Hosted by the departments of Animal Sciences and Extension at The Ohio State University, we are pleased to announce the offering of the Small Ruminant 509 program held in the Animal Sciences Building on the Columbus campus on June 13-14, 2025. Programs such as Beef and Pork 509 have shown success with bridging gaps in producer understandings of live animal production as it relates to carcass outcomes and overall meat quality. Up to this point, small ruminant producers in the state have had limited opportunities to participate in a program as such. The overall aim of this Extension program is to provide statewide education to sheep and goat producers looking to further their knowledge of live animal evaluation and selection, meat processing, meat quality, and the economics of marketing small ruminants, in a real-world, hands-on learning environment. Continue reading Hold the Date! Small Ruminant 509 (June 13-14, 2025) →