Open meeting for beef producers
By
David Dugan-
Regardless if you produce beef in the traditional cow/calf operation, market or feed dairy steers, background beef calves, a feedlot, or cull cows from a beef or dairy operation, this meeting should be of some interest to you. The date is Monday, April 11 at Eastern Brown High School in the school cafeteria, starting at 7 p.m. This is a free program, and it is open to the public.
The speaker has been a speaker for programs in southern Ohio in the past. Dr. Henry Zerby is a meat specialist with OSU Extension. He recently spent a year in New Zealand and will discuss the current comparisons to the beef industry in the U.S. and New Zealand.
Getting ready for breeding season
As April is finally kicking in, it is time to start thinking about the breeding season for the cow/calf operations that have spring calving seasons.
This year will most likely be a challenge. Coming off of a drought year at the end of the summer, grasses are not expected to be great due to last year’s overuse. This was following a wet spring that caused the quality of hay to be lower than we would like, due to being cut later than it should have been.
If those two factors were not enough to deal with, higher prices for corn and other supplements may have caused you to cut some corners on what feed was fed to supplement the poorer quality hay.
The result of the weather conditions and higher feed prices may have resulted in a lower body condition than we would like to see going into breeding season.
In some cases, the feed was enough to get the cows through the winter, but not in great shape.
If this is the case for your cows, you may want to do what you can to improve the cow’s body condition to improve conception rates plus give that momma a chance to raise a better calf this summer.
Another thing that is worth checking into is the bull.
The bull should also be in good body condition so he can work for you. Before you send him to work, you might want to consider a breeding soundness exam.
Cattle prices are too high to have unproductive animals. A bull that will not breed is the best example of this, but cows that do not breed back or produce a quality calf should be moved, too.
Pesticide testing
I have set up another opportunity for those people interested in adding a category or obtaining a license for using pesticides. The testing will be held at the old school in Sugar Tree Ridge from 1-3 p.m. on April 12. Contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture by phone to register at 800-282-1955, or go online and register at http://pested.osu.edu.
Scholarship applications
As I now cover multiple counties, it is difficult to keep up with the application deadlines for all of the agricultural scholarship dates and application specifics for each county. Check with your school guidance office or organizations in your county (cattlemen, pork producers, etc.) for applications. I can tell you that the applications of the Ohio Tobacco Festival should be available at the school, or call the Brown County Extension office at (937) 378-6716 for instructions on how you can obtain an application. The deadline for having the application delivered to the Brown County Extension office or having it postmarked is April 22, and the interviews will be held in the evening of May 10 for those selected to interview at the Brown County Extension Office in Georgetown.
Notification of an interview will be made by mail.
Getting planters ready
After the weather we had a week or so ago, you remember, in the 80s and sunny, we have had a setback.
The setback was in our pasture and hay fields for sure, but it was also in planting dates for our row crops.
With the rainy weather still here for a few more days, it might be a good time to double check a thing or two.
Double checking the calibration of your planters is something that could pay off down the road. A few years ago, I read about a study done by Purdue with soybean farmers in Indiana concerning planting depths. The recommendation is to plant the soybeans three-fourths of an inch to one and one-half inches. Planting deeper tended to reduce the yields. The amount of time it takes for soybeans to emerge from say two inches could be three weeks or more. Also, this amount of time for emergence could also expose the seed to more pathogens, thus hindering the yield even more.
Going over the planters to calibrate everything for the best chance at a good yield is only part of the battle. While going over the planter, make sure all bearings are in good shape, and that everything is greased. Once the weather shapes up, you will want everything in tip-top shape for keeping that planter operating toward getting a good stand, and your maximum yield.
Things to remember
Woodland Management Program – April 14 at OSU South Centers in Piketon beginning at 6 p.m., titled “Tips for Managing Your Woodland Resources.”
David Dugan is an OSU Extension agent for agriculture.[[In-content Ad]]
The speaker has been a speaker for programs in southern Ohio in the past. Dr. Henry Zerby is a meat specialist with OSU Extension. He recently spent a year in New Zealand and will discuss the current comparisons to the beef industry in the U.S. and New Zealand.
Getting ready for breeding season
As April is finally kicking in, it is time to start thinking about the breeding season for the cow/calf operations that have spring calving seasons.
This year will most likely be a challenge. Coming off of a drought year at the end of the summer, grasses are not expected to be great due to last year’s overuse. This was following a wet spring that caused the quality of hay to be lower than we would like, due to being cut later than it should have been.
If those two factors were not enough to deal with, higher prices for corn and other supplements may have caused you to cut some corners on what feed was fed to supplement the poorer quality hay.
The result of the weather conditions and higher feed prices may have resulted in a lower body condition than we would like to see going into breeding season.
In some cases, the feed was enough to get the cows through the winter, but not in great shape.
If this is the case for your cows, you may want to do what you can to improve the cow’s body condition to improve conception rates plus give that momma a chance to raise a better calf this summer.
Another thing that is worth checking into is the bull.
The bull should also be in good body condition so he can work for you. Before you send him to work, you might want to consider a breeding soundness exam.
Cattle prices are too high to have unproductive animals. A bull that will not breed is the best example of this, but cows that do not breed back or produce a quality calf should be moved, too.
Pesticide testing
I have set up another opportunity for those people interested in adding a category or obtaining a license for using pesticides. The testing will be held at the old school in Sugar Tree Ridge from 1-3 p.m. on April 12. Contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture by phone to register at 800-282-1955, or go online and register at http://pested.osu.edu.
Scholarship applications
As I now cover multiple counties, it is difficult to keep up with the application deadlines for all of the agricultural scholarship dates and application specifics for each county. Check with your school guidance office or organizations in your county (cattlemen, pork producers, etc.) for applications. I can tell you that the applications of the Ohio Tobacco Festival should be available at the school, or call the Brown County Extension office at (937) 378-6716 for instructions on how you can obtain an application. The deadline for having the application delivered to the Brown County Extension office or having it postmarked is April 22, and the interviews will be held in the evening of May 10 for those selected to interview at the Brown County Extension Office in Georgetown.
Notification of an interview will be made by mail.
Getting planters ready
After the weather we had a week or so ago, you remember, in the 80s and sunny, we have had a setback.
The setback was in our pasture and hay fields for sure, but it was also in planting dates for our row crops.
With the rainy weather still here for a few more days, it might be a good time to double check a thing or two.
Double checking the calibration of your planters is something that could pay off down the road. A few years ago, I read about a study done by Purdue with soybean farmers in Indiana concerning planting depths. The recommendation is to plant the soybeans three-fourths of an inch to one and one-half inches. Planting deeper tended to reduce the yields. The amount of time it takes for soybeans to emerge from say two inches could be three weeks or more. Also, this amount of time for emergence could also expose the seed to more pathogens, thus hindering the yield even more.
Going over the planters to calibrate everything for the best chance at a good yield is only part of the battle. While going over the planter, make sure all bearings are in good shape, and that everything is greased. Once the weather shapes up, you will want everything in tip-top shape for keeping that planter operating toward getting a good stand, and your maximum yield.
Things to remember
Woodland Management Program – April 14 at OSU South Centers in Piketon beginning at 6 p.m., titled “Tips for Managing Your Woodland Resources.”
David Dugan is an OSU Extension agent for agriculture.[[In-content Ad]]