Dr. John Yost, OSU Extension Educator ANR, Wayne County
Dr. Greg Habing, DVM, Ph.D., DACVPM Professor; The Ohio State University, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine
Dr. Samantha Locke, Postdoctoral Scholar; The Ohio State University, Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine

Re-posted from OSU Small Animal Ruminant Team – https://u.osu.edu/sheep/2026/01/13/you-bought-livestock-at-the-local-auction-barn-now-what/

Livestock auctions are a cornerstone of local agricultural commerce. They are not just a place to buy and sell livestock but also serve as a point of access to the larger national marketplace for the local producer. Collectively, livestock auctions provide legal security for financial transactions. They also become the point of price discovery to determine the real value of the livestock marketed.

However, much like travelers in an airport, bringing together animals from many different locations can result in the spread of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Additionally, the process of trucking animals to the facility, co-mingling them with animals from other locations, and then transporting them to their next destination creates stress that increases their susceptibility to new pathogens. This fact sheet provides general recommendations on the initial management of newly acquired livestock purchased from a local livestock auction. Included are specific recommendations for the different species of livestock/poultry may be implemented after consultation with your veterinarian.

Work with Your Veterinarian

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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.

Note: Washington County Extension has a hay sampling probe to borrow