Now that summer is under way, many producers are finishing first cutting hay and preparing to make second cutting. As rotational graziers, however, we should already be thinking about preparations for the fall and winter and how we will feed our livestock after forage growth has stopped. Stockpiling While it may be a little early [...]

I have written in the past about dealing with forage quality when it is raining every day and when we have been short on rain for extended periods of time. It seems like this year many of us are falling in the “raining every day since hay season started” end of the spectrum. Quality vs. [...]

How can farmers deal with making hay and getting it dry between rains? This is a challenge at times, but there are some proven techniques to speed drying that can help shorten the window between cutting and storing the forage.

We are at a stage now where we can affect grazing for the season. Right now, our fields are finishing up their “reproductive” stage of growth as our grasses are setting seed heads and our legumes are blooming. After they set seed, perennial plants transition from the reproductive stage to the vegetative stage. Up to [...]

>I had an opportunity to travel with the Ohio State University Extension sheep team to Australia March 24 –April 9. Our group of 17 consisted of sheep farmers, extension educators, and extension specialists. Australia visit. We had the opportunity to visit a number of sheep farms, a few dairy farms, a couple of vineyards and [...]

The ground has firmed tremendously in our area the last two weeks and warm temperatures have launched grass growth again in most fields so that pasture rotations may be started. As daylight lengthens, weather warms and pastures grow, farm managers should be aware of the term hypomagnesemia or “grass tetany.” Turning cows or sheep out [...]

Local pastures have been repeatedly stressed over the past few years. The forage plants have struggled to survive the extremely dry weather a couple of summers ago, to extremely wet seasons, including flooding in some areas, to below normal temperatures for an extended period of time this past winter. Let us also not forget the [...]

The time to plant may be now. With weather like we are having, you may think this is a crazy statement, but it is time to sow seed in our pasture and hay fields. Frost seeding There is a method called “frost seeding” where you apply seed to the ground and the freezing and thawing [...]

Feeding beef cattle during the winter can be a challenging experience if being profitable is one of your goals. Proper nutrition is a key component for a successful cow/calf operation. Cows go through many physiological changes during a year. The winter/early spring feeding period is one of the most critical times to provide adequate nutrition [...]

Another new year has arrived with the usual mix of interesting weather for livestock producers. As we begin our attempt to keep those New Year’s resolutions, we are constantly faced with challenges and temptations. I would like to suggest at least one resolution that you attempt to keep this year. That resolution is keeping better [...]